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Help with deciding on a video card

L

L337Llama

Senior member
I dont have a video card in my main computer at the moment, although I can use my brothers laptop for games for a bit.

Anyway, Im trying to decide between getting a refurbished 9700pro for 130 or waiting for the 6600gt to come out for Agp. I havent seen any reviews comparing the two cards. Im trying to decide if the extra 80$ is gonna be worth it, espceailly in my computer.

I currently have a mobile 2400 overclocked to 3200+ and 512mb of ram (on an Abit Nf7-s)

I am having trouble finding a 9800pro for 150 (refurbished) since it seems supply is dwindling or something. The 9700 is from crucial, so I'm hoping that it would be safer buying refurbished than most other place.

Any suggestions?
 
This will also be the last video card I get for this system, since im planning to upgrade to an Athlon 64 system with PCI-e next fall/winter.

I still cant find anything that compares the 9700 pro to a 6600 gt, but I did find a benchmark for the AGP version comparing it to a 9800pro in a system about the same speed as mine, and it wins out but only a relatively small margin.
 
Seeing as how the 6600 GT should be coming out for AGP in the next month, I'd definitely wait for that.
 
iso you need a card to tide you off for a year. I think the 9700pro will carry you through spring, but by then, some of the new games will probably be incredibly demanding. If you can see yourself picking up a 6800GT or x800xt in the summer, each of which will be at least 80 dollars cheaper come summer, then I'd get the 9700pro. the 6600gt will probably be better in carrying you through next winter, but it will probably be very low end by then.

For 6 months---9700pro
For 1 year---6600gt

also take a good luck at the x700xt, particularly with the new 256 MB driver
 
What resolution are/can you playing at? What games are you playing? That would be my deciding factor for a short term upgrade.
 
What I was playing before I had return the card: (A ti4200)
Deus Ex 1 (10x7, AA and AF on)
Ut 2k4 (8x6, medium for single play, 10x7 low for multiplay)
Far Cry (8x6 medium/low)
Doom 3 (6x4 medium)
Kotor (10x7, highest quality)

Usually I dont play at anything higher than 1024 x 768, and since I was using a ti4200, it was usally less on newer games.

I definately want to play HL2, Kotor 2, and STALKER when they come out.
 
Wait for the 6600 GT. You'll thank yourself in the long run.


If it helps in your decision...

6600 GT = Video Processor
9700 Pro = N/A
 
Well, a 6600GT should be about 20-30% faster on average than a 9700P. You'll have to do the math as to whether that warrants an extra $70+. If the 9700P isn't as fast as you want it to be right out of the gate, tho, then there's really no point in buying a card you'll be unsatisfied with from the get go.

nV cards will do noticably better than ATi cards in both Doom 3 and KotOR, tho (due to a combination of faster OGL drivers and game engine "limitations").
 
with the settings you play your games at, you can get a 9700 pro and acctully up your resolutions! I play far cry on the same system with a 9700np o/c to 9700pro at 1024 at high settings. IMO not worth the extra money.
 
9700 pro will probably hold you off, I have a saphire 9700Pro that is slow and it didn't do that well but I upgraded to my system to an AMD 64 and bfg 6800GT; Sweet!!!!

I do know that the particular 9700Pro that I had was slower then most 9700pros not sure why but I could play all the games you metioned on higher settings then you were using.
 
Im so tempted right not to say screw it and buy a 6800oc.

Would it be a waste in the rest of my system? Since the CPU is so slow, would I notice a difference between that and a 6600gt?
 
CPU is slow? a 3200+ is decent enough for most things, you get some CPU limitation on games, but not that much (except for doom 3 which seems to have more than usual CPU demand).

I bought a 6800 GT OC and run a 2500+ @ 3200+ (on the same Abit NF7-S), a major improvement over my 9600 pro. I plan to go to a A64 system next year (though no SLI as I am sticking with my 6800GT AGP for a while). If you want to go the A64 + nForce4 SLI setup later then buy a cheap card now (9700 pro) and wait for 6+ monthes and get yourself a SLI with a single 6600 PCIe and get a second later when you want more performance.

thats just my $.02
 
Originally posted by: L337Llama
Im so tempted right not to say screw it and buy a 6800oc.

Would it be a waste in the rest of my system? Since the CPU is so slow, would I notice a difference between that and a 6600gt?
Click to expand...

I just bought a 9700 pro off ebay. According to ATItoolI can OC it to 370/650 from 325/620 no sweat. And it improved my 3DMARK05 score by almost 2000. (From a 5700u) I'm quite pleased 🙂 O yea, running Unreal2k4 at 85fps and full candy on is nice too! 😀
 
Im planning on upgrading to an Athlon 64/PCIe next fall/winter, and since I wouldnt be able to use the 6800oc then, it would probably be a waste to spend that much on something that wont be used for more than a year. I guess a 9700pro refurb or 9800pro refurb if I can find it for 150, or a 6600gt if it magically appears for 190 in the next week.

I keep changing my mind cause I'm so worried about making a choice I'll regret for the next year.
 
Sounds like a good idea, get a cheaper card now (the 9700 or 9800 will not dissapoint, should play every game out for the next year, just at 1024 instead of 1600) then get yourself a PCIe card when you get your new setup. Maybe by fall/winter of next year there will actually be a notible performance improvement over agp (not including SLI).

spike
 
Not much to regret if you buy a used card, IMO (well, assuming you don't get scammed 😉). If it's not fast enough for you, you can just resell it for about the same price and go for a faster card.
 
Wow, we have a Leet Llama in the house. A happy LL|LlamaLlamaDingDong to ya.

It's just CTF-w00tabulous to see an LL guy here. If you see him, please tell LL|Discomonkey and the other Llamas that I said hello and to stop being such a stranger to UT (still the best and I shouldn't have to add) '99.

-- [Ri] Dagny Taggart from clan Raging Insanity
 
????

L337Llama is just a nickname I got and I use it for forums/games/email.

That and Fabio, but thats another story...


Back to the story, once again i have flipped like a n00b on crack. The prices for a 6600gt came out, and there are not much less than a 6800nu.

I was able to convince my mom to let me get the 6800nu. WOW i feel spoiled...

But chances are, I will sell Farcry. This computer will last until early 2006, and then I'm gonna strip it for anything good, set it up for my mom to use for work type stuff, upgrade to Athlon 64/PciE and maybe sell the 6800. Or upgrade to Athlon 64 and try to find a cheap AGP mobo to get more life out of the card. I guess that will be decided in the future.

 

Oh. Well, just so you know, L337Llamas was a great Unreal Tournament clan. It's a closeknit group and they still play together, just different games. I figured you were a member.
 
Can't go wrong with a 6800, use RivaTuner and try to unlock the "hidden" pipes. If you can get all 16, that'll be a nice card 🙂
 
Did you all miss this article on Anandtech? 6600 GT???? I too was in a dilema... Get the Radeon Pro 128 now, and buy a better card later... or just spring for the 6800GT... well then I see that the 6600GT was coming out in AGP form, and WHALLA this article came out the DAY i was ordering my system components... Let me just say that the article saved me from making a big mistake. Needless to say, I ordered an XFX 6600GT AGP card from Monarch for $223 shipped. It'll last longer than the Radeon Pro for newer games... BUT as the article points out via FPS, in older games it's not that big of a deal. So if you just want to buy discount games, go for the Radeon.. But if you've played them all and are eager for all the new games of the world (Doom 3, HL2, Far Cry, COD, etc) then get the 6600GT..
 
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