I "saw the light" on the value of the 7800GT a while ago. After initially favoring a cheap GTO^2 as the card of choice for most users, I changed my mind after seeing enough people point out the advantages of the 7800GT to myself and others. Now some time has gone by, and a card I had never considered to be a good value compared to the 7800GT has seemingly emerged as a viable choice. I wonder if considering the following the X1800XL is really not as good of a value anymore, considering how much the market has changed over the past month. As of TODAY here are the features I consider most important:
7800GT:
-Available at 445/1070 (eVGA) for $284AR w/Aluminum Cooler OR
-Available at 460/1100 (eVGA) for $304 w/ Copper Cooler
-Assume max OC for Copper Cooled card is 479/1220, probably slightly less for Aluminum, as per AT test.
-Includes Quake 4, which for argument's sake the prospective buyer would not already own.
X1800XL:
-Available at 500/1000 (ATI branded) for $330AR OR
-Available at 500/1000 (Connect3D branded) for $329
-Assume max OC is 560/1300 as per Xbit test.
-Newer Catalyst drivers seem to yield very high gains - not the same performance as launch cards at all.
Of course I can read the same benchmarks as anyone else, but the problem I foresee is that the very impressive benches here (with F.E.A.R. used as the example) show the X1800XL often lagging behind the 7800GT even when overclocked without AA, but at least the OC'd 1800XL beats the 7800GT with AA/AF. The problem is I don't know of a review with an OC'd 7800GT AND a OC'd 1800XL with the newest drivers.
The conventional argument since the initial X1800XL benches hit the web a while ago was that the 7800GT was the card of choice because it was cheaper and faster. Now it seems to still be cheaper, but only by about $25-40 depending on configuration, and probably slower with AA/AF.
What do you all think? Please keep in mind that while 7800GT prices have dropped, X1800XL prices have dropped even more and the newer drivers really do seem to make it a different card than it was at launch.
7800GT:
-Available at 445/1070 (eVGA) for $284AR w/Aluminum Cooler OR
-Available at 460/1100 (eVGA) for $304 w/ Copper Cooler
-Assume max OC for Copper Cooled card is 479/1220, probably slightly less for Aluminum, as per AT test.
-Includes Quake 4, which for argument's sake the prospective buyer would not already own.
X1800XL:
-Available at 500/1000 (ATI branded) for $330AR OR
-Available at 500/1000 (Connect3D branded) for $329
-Assume max OC is 560/1300 as per Xbit test.
-Newer Catalyst drivers seem to yield very high gains - not the same performance as launch cards at all.
Of course I can read the same benchmarks as anyone else, but the problem I foresee is that the very impressive benches here (with F.E.A.R. used as the example) show the X1800XL often lagging behind the 7800GT even when overclocked without AA, but at least the OC'd 1800XL beats the 7800GT with AA/AF. The problem is I don't know of a review with an OC'd 7800GT AND a OC'd 1800XL with the newest drivers.
The conventional argument since the initial X1800XL benches hit the web a while ago was that the 7800GT was the card of choice because it was cheaper and faster. Now it seems to still be cheaper, but only by about $25-40 depending on configuration, and probably slower with AA/AF.
What do you all think? Please keep in mind that while 7800GT prices have dropped, X1800XL prices have dropped even more and the newer drivers really do seem to make it a different card than it was at launch.
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