High-End AGP

[nullpointerus]

EDIT: Off Topic:

IMO the best thing about LCD's is the text quality. I could never go back to a CRT. That, and the incessant geometry corrections really bugged me. Fix convergence in one corner and it goes out in the other corner. Stretch the display to fill the tube, and the right edge starts looking like an S. How annoying! A LCD is geometrically "perfect" out of the box.

 

[apoppin]

and that's the *only* thing to recommend it



anyway ... after 7 years, my CRT is failing

time to move on ... this little 14x9 19" ws crap will 'do' in the meantime
:clock:

the frame is really black

[it ain't so bad ... really ... unless they are side-by-side- you forget what you had ... and it really DOES looks ok in games .... 5ms has minimized the lsd trails]
:laugh:

 

[Paratus]

Originally posted by: apoppin

Originally posted by: nitromullet
The point was that in order to get the additional gain that you got, you ALSO needed to upgrade the cpu... So, the end result is that by upgrading your components you can build a faster rig, which we all aready knew... What it doesn't do is suggest to the OP what graphics card he should buy to complement his overclocked Prescott.

Auric: To me, based on the benchmarks provided by Paratus in this thread, http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=31&threadid=2017733&enterthread=y it looks like you could get some value out of an overclocked Prescott with an X1950Pro, depending on the games you play. I would stay away from any of the unique Gainward AGP cards because they are generally way over priced though.

glad to see you are now contributing to the topic

yes, my long-winded *experience* confirmed your [and my] point ... that on the CPU 'hangs' the value of the x1950p upgrade

the OP's 3.0E at 3.6 is a healthy O/C and probably close to my own CPU's performance

he can draw his own conclusions

i am not *starting* new threads about my rig ... but whenever i feel my experience is "appropriate" i will chime in ... despite your opinion

i guess there are a LOT who are considering what i already did ... that's "why" the threads are popular and the info gets repeated over-and-over
[i am tired of it also and want to get back to my "new" rig and LCD]

EDIT: Actually Paratus was the OP of that P4/x1950p bottlenecking thread ... he dropped out to play oblivion and i kinda "took over" with my less formal results

Actually I'm playing with the in-laws this weekend

My P4 thread basically shows even a P4 @ 2.8 is fast enough to play any game at 12X10 4XAA/16AF w/o bottlenecking a x1950

 

[apoppin]

kinda hard to draw solid conclusions for "any game" from only 2 game tests ... p4 2.8c is more-or-less OK for not severely bottlenecking the x1950p, i'd say - generally, depending on game and detail level
... and try it in Oblivion where the result might just be quite a bit different than FEAR [which we knew] and HL2 which is old as the hills.

EDIT: in fact, in FEAR the 2.8c is not playable at ANY of your selected settings ... 18-22 FPS is an ugly slide show for at least 10% of the game ... your 3.6 and even 3.2 makes it decent

just from FEAR, i would NOT recommend pairing a x1950p with a 2.80c
--imo it IS a bottleneck at stock speeds

--and soon to be more of a bottleneck in newer games where the pro is working to the max.

the good news is that most of these old processors can be nicely o/c'd to give a solid FPS increase --even 3 or 4 FPS might be significant at the 'bottom' for some games that might be "marginal" otherwise

as to the in-laws ... they 'come with' the wife ...

--have fun
:evil:

 

[QueBert]

Originally posted by: Matt2

Originally posted by: Noema
I currently own a 7800GS and have personally decided not to get another AGP card in the future and will instead upgrade to a dual core, PCI-E plataform later this year.

I don't want to pay a premium for inferior cards anymore.

This is what I have been trying to get through to AGP users for a long time. It's not about the fact that AGP still isnt a capable bus, it's the fact that you pay more money for less performance compared to PCI-E cards.

Besides, there is no such thing as "high end AGP". The best you're ever going to get is a mid-range card.

the 1950agp will play anything well, and is what 25 bucks more then the pci-e version? By the time the 1950 is a bit outdated I'll be able to get a faster AGP one as DX10 AGP cards have been announced. For ummm about 25-35 more bucks.

Mid range maybe, but tell me one game that won't run with everything maxed at a more than playable rate.

I'll stick with AGP until it's dead, because it will be cheaper. a decent PCI-E motherboard will cost me at least as much as 3 upgrades on AGP. (I'm talking agp to PCI-E card price difference)

I might only stay mid range, but like I said right now mid-range will run anything out there perfectly. High end just costs more money. PCI-E + a high end card now will cost me more then staying AGP and getting a 1950, hell I could get an 1950 today and when it's done I can get whatever's mid level AGP then and it will still have cost me less then PCI-E + high end today.

 

[defiantsf]

Paratus, Apoppin, and others -

If gaming at 1920x1200, will I work the 1950pro or 1950XT to their max? I have a 3.06 Northwood that's overclocked to 3.2-3.3GHz. Thanks.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: defiantsf
Paratus, Apoppin, and others -

If gaming at 1920x1200, will I work the 1950pro or 1950XT to their max? I have a 3.06 Northwood that's overclocked to 3.2-3.3GHz. Thanks.

letsee, i game at 14x9 now and i think i am pushing x1950p/512M completely to the max with '05/'06 games ... everything 'maxed' and sometimes 8xAA/16xAF ... otOh, FEAR can run with everything maxed but has trouble with anything over 2AA/4AF with those little 'hitches' in intense firefights.

so yeah... you may want 'more' certainly not less
... and is yours' the 533FSB P4? ... that may hold you back a 'little'

 

[Paratus]

You'll definetly be card limited at that resolution.

Most games should be playable at that rez i tyrn down the eye candy.

 

[Auric]

7950GT is available now

 

[JonnyBlaze]

apoppin, where did you get your 3.4ee chip?

 

[apoppin]

from the Geeks for $119 ... couple of weeks ago OoS now

... Huge Thread on it in Hot Deals ... i was probably the first to do the 'upgrade'

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=40&threadid=2023308&enterthread=y

i believe Star Micro still has some for $145: http://www.starmicro.net/detail.aspx?ID=556

 

[SolMiester]

Okay guys, your views re AGP upgrade, my current spec's in sig, I may have some end of year un-used glidetime and annual holiday giving several k NZD, so would like very very much, a better LCD. Dell 20" $479 including gst, but the 22" has bigger pitch for same res @ $700 incl GST (big diff eh). Of course the 66GT is getting tried, BUT I'm on AGP bus...what to do?

 

[apoppin]

7800GS OC or x1950p if your TT can handle it

 

[SolMiester]

You dont think it would be wasted on the 3500+?

 

[MDE]

Originally posted by: SolMiester
You dont think it would be wasted on the 3500+?

You could easily swap in a PCIe capable S939 motherboard and possibly get a faster PCIe card and save some money (not sure about prices in your corner of the world). To answer your question, you wouldn't really be bottlenecking either card. If you are, then a mild OC would take care of that.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: SolMiester
You dont think it would be wasted on the 3500+?

not at all

i had a P4 2.80c @ 3.31Ghz ... less than your CPU ... and i got 6500 in 3DMark05 with an OC'd 7800GS OC and 8000K with an x1950p/512M

upgrading my CPU to P4EE@3.74Ghz [like OC'ing your CPU to 3800+] and that same x1950p/512M gets 9280

but my 480w TT was insufficient to properly run my x1950p/512 ... it *needs* 30a on the 12v rail ... so i got my OCZ

 

[SolMiester]

Only just got the 460tt, dont really want to buy another psu?!!

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: SolMiester
Only just got the 460tt, dont really want to buy another psu?!!

i would not recommend the x1950p/512M version without 30a on the 12v rail ....

However, the 7800GS OC will be nearly twice as fast as your old 6600GT and is not picky about your PS.
:thumbsup: