Final decision: ATI X1800XT or NVidia 7800GTX

[jpinard]

OK, I think I've sold my current video card and I have to make a decision in the next 2 days. Do I go with the ATI X1800XT video card, or the NVidia 7800GTX based card? Don't let price be a factor.

I will have to swap out my motherboard at this point too. So if I get the ATI card, I'll get the ATI (shown below), and if I get the NVidia card, I'll get an NV board (shwo below).

ATI Crossfire board (A8R-MVP ):
http://usa.asus.com/products4.aspx?l1=3&l2=15&l3=236&model=787&modelmenu=1

Asus NV SLI board (A8N32-SLI Deluxe)
http://usa.asus.com/products4.aspx?l1=3&l2=15&l3=0&model=744&modelmenu=1

I'm also getting the Creative Labs XiFi sound card too (the cheapest version).

I am really desparate for some good advice. So I thank all of you that come in and help me make a tough decision. Thank you so very much!

 

[Wentelteefje]

If price is not a factor, take a GTX 512MB... These are about the fastest today... Secondly I'd pick a X1800XT, and thirdly a regular GTX...

The ATI will work with the Asus A8N32-SLI Deluxe too (not sure about the opposite, but it probably works fine too), but if you want SLI/CrossFire, then you'll need the specific boards of course...

However, I wouldn't spend my money on SLI/CF anymore, as the new generation of GPUs is right around the corner, and for the price you'll be spending on the second GPU, you can possibly buy yourself a newer and faster card...

Both are great mobos, but the A8R-MVP seems like a strong performer and overclocker... AT has a review of it... Do keep in mind that the A8N32-SLI will be much more expensive, but will have more features as well...

 

[jpinard]

Originally posted by: Wentelteefje
If price is not a factor, take a GTX 512MB... These are about the fastest today... Secondly I'd pick a X1800XT, and thirdly a regular GTX...

The ATI will work with the Asus A8N32-SLI Deluxe too (not sure about the opposite, but it probably works fine too), but if you want SLI/CrossFire, then you'll need the specific boards of course...

However, I wouldn't spend my money on SLI/CF anymore, as the new generation of GPUs is right around the corner, and for the price you'll be spending on the second GPU, you can possibly buy yourself a newer and faster card...

Both are great mobos, but the A8R-MVP seems like a strong performer and overclocker... AT has a review of it... Do keep in mind that the A8N32-SLI will be much more expensive, but will have more features as well...

Thanks, I've head in the ATI sponsored forums that the Asus Crossfire mobo gives the ATI X1800XT superb boost in speed. So if I understand the argument eight, the X1800XT will perform fastest in an ATI motherboard... regardless if I was going to go Crossfire or not.

The GTX 512 is way out of my price league.

You said,

"as the new generation of GPUs is right around the corner"

<--- so does that mean they'll be revealed this month, and be available 6 monhts from now?

 

[Wentelteefje]

Hmm, launch dates are always tricky, but with nVidia sticking up to its principle of hard launching new cards, you could be lucky...

The G71 should be out early February, while ATI will probably launch its R580 on January 24th... However, with ATI being terribly late with R520, nVidia is your most certain bet IMO...

If you can still wait some, those cards will be better than the current ones... (G71 claimed to have 32 pipelines as opposed to 24 now, also high clockspeeds...)

 

[jpinard]

Originally posted by: Wentelteefje
Hmm, launch dates are always tricky, but with nVidia sticking up to its principle of hard launching new cards, you could be lucky...

The G71 should be out early February, while ATI will probably launch its R580 on January 24th... However, with ATI being terribly late with R520, nVidia is your most certain bet IMO...

If you can still wait some, those cards will be better than the current ones... (G71 claimed to have 32 pipelines as opposed to 24 now, also high clockspeeds...)

WOW, so how much do you think they'll cost? A lot more than $600 with higher clock speeds and the added pipelines?

 

[ribbon13]

32 pipeline card, bwahahahaha.

I want to know where the genie that uses magic to cool such a GPU came from?

 

[Wentelteefje]

Ribbon13 is right, nVidia would possibly mount a dual slot cooler on the new G71 again... There's never certainty about prices, but they will initially probably hover around $ 550 - 600 yeah...

 

[aatf510]

It's going to be expensive consider that the 512MB GTX already cost $699 MSRP.

 

[n7]

X1800XT.

I woulda said 7800GTX a month ago, but now that you can find the X1800XT @ a similar price, it's a better buy, unless you happen to play one of the few games that do better with the 7800GTX 256 MB.

 

[ZimZum]

X1800XT, With the latest drivers its on par with the GTX512mb at High resolutions with the eye candy cranked up, it leaves the plain GTX in the dust and has a slightly better feature set than the 7800 series.

As for ATI/Nvidias next generations of cards. You may want to wait and see what happens if for no other reason than the Current 7800/X1800 series will likely come down in price when the new cards are released.

 

[bob4432]

if you are going to wait until the next series come out, you will never buy as there is always something new "coming out in 6mos"

 

[rbV5]

The A8R-MVP has a very decent onboard audio solution, might make you reconsider the XiFi add in card. If you are not going with CF/SLI, its not really neccissary to hold yourself to NV+NV, or ATI+ATI either.

 

[jpinard]

Originally posted by: rbV5
The A8R-MVP has a very decent onboard audio solution, might make you reconsider the XiFi add in card. If you are not going with CF/SLI, its not really neccissary to hold yourself to NV+NV, or ATI+ATI either.

You know I'd only thought of going that route because I'd read each motherboard gave your video card better performance... LIke the X1800XT rans significantly faster on the ATI mb than it did on a similar NForce4 board.

 

[alimoalem]

what's your budget? if it's $450, get the 1800, if it's more, wait

 

[jpinard]

The most I'd go on the vid card is $600. Motherboard is whatever price is needed.

 

[Wentelteefje]

If you want to buy now for a budget of max $ 600, the X1800XT is the obvious choice...

 

[secretanchitman]

max budget of 600 bucks, then how about 2x7800GTs in SLI with the A8N32-SLI board?

7800GT is 300 bucks each...

 

[jc9970]

X1800XT ftw!

 

[Matthias99]

Originally posted by: bob4432
if you are going to wait until the next series come out, you will never buy as there is always something new "coming out in 6mos"

There's always "something new coming out in 6 months", but there's not always "something new (and maybe a lot better) coming out in three weeks".

If you're really looking at spending $400+ on a graphics card RIGHT NOW, I would actually suggest waiting a few weeks to at least get a look at the performance numbers on the X1900 and G71 cards. Even if the new cards cost more than you want to pay, they may push down prices on existing cards (and/or put more used X1800/7800 cards in the market).

If you have to buy RIGHT NOW, your best bets seem to be the 7800GT at ~$300, or the X1800XT at $400-500. The X1800XT usually bests the 7800GTX with AA/AF enabled (and who buys a $400+ card to NOT use AA/AF?)