How important is SM 3.0?

[Cedis]

I'm planning on getting a new video card soon, and I'm leaning towards a Radeon X800XL, but wasn't sure if I should instead go for a 6800 series for SM3.0 support. Is SM3.0 something I should be worried about, or should I just go with the X800XL?

 

[lavaheadache]

I wouldn't worry about it if you are getting a x800 series or geforce 6 series card.

 

[Fern]

Originally posted by: Cedis
I'm planning on getting a new video card soon, and I'm leaning towards a Radeon X800XL, but wasn't sure if I should instead go for a 6800 series for SM3.0 support. Is SM3.0 something I should be worried about, or should I just go with the X800XL?

Hi cedis and Welcome to the forums!

THis has been discused a lot! See HERE for example. Use the search function above and you'll find plenty more threads on the benefit, or lack thereof, of SM3

Fern

 

[amdhunter]

I don't think its very important now, but in the future it may be a feature that you would have wished you paid a few dollars more for.

If you can afford a card with the best feature set, I'd say go for it.

 

[JBT]

Between the x800's and 6800's I don't think it matters. The 6800's barely make use of it either.

 

[Munky]

Every SM3 thread turns into a flame fest real quick, but I should say that unless a card is powerful enough to run modern games at high settings, SM3 will not be of much use. The common suggestion is to buy the x800xl if it's cheaper than the 6800gt. If you can get either for the same price, then go with the 6800gt, since it cant hurt to have SM3 functionality. But I wouldn't spend extra money for it.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

That's an excellent question. For me it isn't an issue of image quality, but rather, will having SM 3.0 lead to higher frame rates? From the one study I've seen (a Tom's Hardware article about Far Cry) it does provide for higher FPS, but the issue is whether the ATI card you're considering would have enough of a speed advantage to overcome it. Here's a link to the study at Tom's:

http://graphics.tomshardware.com/graphic/20040705/farcry-05.html

 

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally posted by: munky
Every SM3 thread turns into a flame fest real quick, but I should say that unless a card is powerful enough to run modern games at high settings, SM3 will not be of much use. The common suggestion is to buy the x800xl if it's cheaper than the 6800gt. If you can get either for the same price, then go with the 6800gt, since it cant hurt to have SM3 functionality. But I wouldn't spend extra money for it.

I think this is probably good advice. Between the x800/x850 and 6000 lines get whatever seems to be the best bang for the buck regardless of SM 3.0 unless the price difference for similar performance (sans SM 3.0) is small. But if you're deciding between, say, a 7800 GT and any x800 or x850 card in its price range definitely get the 7800 GT.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

Oops...accidental duplicate post. Hey look! I'm edging up towards the 1000 posts mark!

 

[Eureka]

At this point, not really. Farcry's the only game I know that uses it so far, and a strong card won't be affected if it doesn't have SM3.0

Norm

 

[lifeguard1999]

$230 for an x800XL vs. $260 for a 6800GT. Personally I would go with the 6800GT.

 

[5150Joker]

Not very important yet but after Xbox 360 gets in gear then you should expect a lot more SM 3.0 games to become available.

 

[Pete]

I'd pick up a 6800GT over an X800XL, if they're the same price. My thinking (all AFAIK, not from experience):

Speed: GT nudges the XL.
IQ: GT allows for extra effects in some games (due to SM3 and HDR). OTOH, it may have that texture shimmering issue? Edit: I may be wrong about the shimmer, or it may be very game-specific.
Power draw: about even.
Noise, warranty and bundled games and features (VIVO, component out): depends on the individual cards.
Drivers: Probably a wash in Windows. GT for Linux.
Compatability: apparently 6800s have some trouble with nF3 MBs. This is a pretty specific case, tho.
Price: this is probably the deciding factor, and it obviously varies.

Depending on the IQ and benchmarks in the games you want to play, I'd see spending $20-30 (so, around 10%) more for a GT.

 

[Steelski]

x800 gto2

 

[forumposter32]

X1600 XT

 

[Sunrise089]

Originally posted by: Steelski
x800 gto2

Don't need to spend 7800GT level prices after you buy the card and the ATI silencer. Instead try Connect3D GTO

 

[biostud]

|-----------------------------| <- this important.

 

[imported_Rampage]

Originally posted by: biostud
|-----------------------------| <- this important.

ROFL


But to put it very plainly and very simple, and very TRUE...
its the difference between having more features or not.

Did it really require a thread to figure that out?

 

[martinez]

You're kidding right, that card looks like it barely beats a 6600GT if at all.

 

[DJSfurry]

which card barely beats 6600GT? if you mean the x800GTO2 then youre sadly mistaken. it owns the 6600 and pretty much all of the 6800 series too in D3D games

 

[Sunrise089]

Originally posted by: martinez
You're kidding right, that card looks like it barely beats a 6600GT if at all.

If you are talking about my Connect3D GTO recomendation then maybe at stock speeds/pipes, but lets see how it does at a VERY conservative 16pipes and 450mhz core.

 

[lavaheadache]

Originally posted by: martinez
You're kidding right, that card looks like it barely beats a 6600GT if at all.

I think he meant the x1600xt , a few posts earlier, maybe he just forgot to qoute it