How much of a jump would I get from x1900XT -> 9600GT

[panfist]

Thread recap: the consensus is that I will get a substantial boost from a 9600gt, but I would get even more from an 8800gt (duh... lol). Considering that used x1900XT = $100 and a new 9600GT = $150, I see no reason to wait, as long as I buy from a manufacturer that lets me step up. Unless anyone has anything totally different to say, this thread is basically over.

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I currently have an x1900xt 512mb which works pretty well with my 1680x1050 LCD, but I'm not getting the best frame-rates in newer games.

I'd like to be able to play pretty much everything on 1680x1050 with AA and AF enabled. I know I won't be able to play Crysis at these settings, but I am thinking that soon I could go SLI or trade-up later (see this thread).

Basically the x1900XT is old enough that I haven't been able to see any direct comparisons to the 9600gt, so I was wondering if anyone here had any insight. Thanks.

 

[Engraver]

It doesn't have benchmarks, but here is a rough list of graphics cards in order of performance, just to give you an idea.

 

[panfist]

Well..that list puts a 3870x2 above all the nvidia cards...I don't know how much I trust that. It may be faster in many games, but in the one game that really matters for those top-of-the-line cards-Crysis-it is definitely not better. Who cares if it gets 120fps in call of duty 4.

But the 9600GT is a lot higher on the ladder than the x1900XT. Even higher than the 2900XT. That helps me decide a lot. If I decide to purchase from a manufacturer with a trade-in program I really have nothing to lose getting a 9600GT considering that I can sell of my x1900XT for around $100.

 

[PingSpike]

x1900xt seem fairly overpriced in the used market, so it might be a no brainer swap.

 

[panfist]

I wouldn't say that the x1900XT is overpriced in the used market because it is a VERY solid card, especially if you are gaming on a mid-sized CRT. I would like to play newer games at my LCD native resolution of 1680x1050 and the ol' 1900XT isn't cutting it anymore.

When I bought my motherboard last year I had a lucky guess that nvidia was going to dominate, and went for SLI instead of CF even though I knew I could get the performance I wanted with 2x 1900XT.

 

[krnmastersgt]

The 3870X2 did beat out most nVidia cards, the 8800 GTX and Ultra were able to hold their own in some of games at high-res/filters on. As for upgrading, I'd say go for it, the 9600 GT performs pretty well considering it is a midrange card, almost on par with the 8800 GT, although a lot will say you'll still get more performance for paying ~$50 more for a nice factory overclocked 8800 GT.

 

[panfist]

Originally posted by: krnmastersgt
although a lot will say you'll still get more performance for paying ~$50 more for a nice factory overclocked 8800 GT.

That is why I am also interested in buying a card from a manufacturer with a trade-in program. If I get the 9600GT and find that it doesn't run this or that game at the settings I want, in 3 months time I can definitely save enough money to step up to a 8800GT.

 

[Munky]

The 9600gt is about 20-25% slower than a 8800gt, which itself is about 70-80% faster than a x1900xt. Using these two metrics, you'd still get a nice performance boost from a 9600gt, but if it was me I'd spend the extra money on a 8800gt for a more substantial upgrade.

 

[jterrell]

Originally posted by: munky
The 9600gt is about 20-25% slower than a 8800gt, which itself is about 70-80% faster than a x1900xt. Using these two metrics, you'd still get a nice performance boost from a 9600gt, but if it was me I'd spend the extra money on a 8800gt for a more substantial upgrade.

According to Tom's hardsware the difference is only 12%.

http://www.tomshardware.com/20...vidia_geforce_9600_gt/
excerpted....
Conclusion

The bottom line is that the performance of this GeForce 9600 GT came as a pleasant surprise. Despite the chip having only 64 stream processors, 38% lower processing power, and 33% fewer transistors, gaming performance was only 12% below the 8800 GT on average.

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At 12% the 50 buck difference is about right.
BUT the 9600GT runs a bit cooler and quieter. Two things which bring a premium price tag in most cases. Add in the 9600GT is one of the first cards to who up as a decent SLI option and its not a step-sister at all.

That makes it a relatively even value with the 8800 GT imho.

So all in all I'd go 9600GT OC if I could get away with it. If I had a 24" or larger monitor I'd go 8800GT.

One thing is certain, the under 200 dollar video card selection has hardly ever been sexier.