I'm buying a new video card - Nvidia still the best, or go with Radeon?

[SagaLore]

Where I work, we get these awards accompanied by fake money, and after some accumulation you can either buy company paraphanalia (like a shirt with our logo, or coffee mug) or exchange it for gift certicates at a store. I've gotten 47 proc-bucks stacked up, which is equivilent to $235. I'm gonna blow it on a new video card.

Last year I built my system with some of the best parts, but I decided to not blow the $300 on a new Geforce3, and got a cheaper Geforce2 Ultra golden sample made by Gainward. I looked at all the benchmarks and it seemed that the gainward brand would do the best for my system, but it seems it's just not satisfying me. Their website SUCKS horribly, if I had seen it before the purchase I'd have gone with another brand. My realtime benchmarking for my card is playing Everquest, and it's just not good enough. And the Detonator drivers detect the card as a GTS so I'm afraid I'm losing the benefits of it being an Ultra Golden Sample.

So, do I stick with nvidia, and go with a Geforce4 card, or get one of the new Radeons? Every review I've read and benchmark I've looked at, shows that geforce still wins out... but I've seen someone post before that regardless of the benchmarks, the Radeon gives a better quality picture to look at. so what do I do?

Or maybe someone can explain how I get my ultra golden sample working top notch like it's supposed to, and I'll save the $235 on something else.

 

[Viper GTS]

With just a little extra you can pick up a GF4 Ti 4600...

Unless you have the $400 to blow on a Radeon 9700 Pro and are willing to deal with ATI.

The 9700 is significantly faster than the GF4, but it's expensive + it's ATI.

Viper GTS

 

[ElFenix]

So, do I stick with nvidia, and go with a Geforce4 card, or get one of the new Radeons? Every review I've read and benchmark I've looked at, shows that geforce still wins out...

i don't know what benchmarks you've been looking at.

 

[Viper GTS]

Originally posted by: ElFenix

So, do I stick with nvidia, and go with a Geforce4 card, or get one of the new Radeons? Every review I've read and benchmark I've looked at, shows that geforce still wins out...

i don't know what benchmarks you've been looking at.

Any Radeon prior to the 9700, which costs $350+.

Viper GTS

 

[Electric Amish]

Originally posted by: Viper GTS
With just a little extra you can pick up a GF4 Ti 4600...

Unless you have the $400 to blow on a Radeon 9700 Pro and are willing to deal with ATI.

The 9700 is significantly faster than the GF4, but it's expensive + it's ATI.

Viper GTS

So far, I have experienced no press-stopping problems with my Radeon 9700.

Applications:

Windows 2000
Age of Empires:Age of kings
Nascar 2002
Ghost Recon (Doesn't like AA turned on)
Asheron's Call

amish

 

[Fausto]

I just picked up a Leadtek Ti4600 (128meg) from Newegg for $229 shipped. I got nearly 11,000 on 3DMark2k1, can run everything at very high res with quincux, det40 drivers installed without a hitch, etc. I guess I don't see the point in spending the extra loot to get a 9700 when this card already kills everything I can throw at it for half the price. Just my 0.02

 

[Viper GTS]

Originally posted by: Fausto1
I just picked up a Leadtek Ti4600 (128meg) from Newegg for $229 shipped. I got nearly 11,000 on 3DMark2k1, can run everything at very high res with quincux, det40 drivers installed without a hitch, etc. I guess I don't see the point in spending the extra loot to get a 9700 when this card already kills everything I can throw at it for half the price. Just my 0.02

Only 11,000? What CPU are you using?

$229? Damn, I should sell my Ti 4200 & get a 4600.



Viper GTS

 

[UberDave]

ATI sux0r = conflicts

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: Viper GTS

Originally posted by: Fausto1
I just picked up a Leadtek Ti4600 (128meg) from Newegg for $229 shipped. I got nearly 11,000 on 3DMark2k1, can run everything at very high res with quincux, det40 drivers installed without a hitch, etc. I guess I don't see the point in spending the extra loot to get a 9700 when this card already kills everything I can throw at it for half the price. Just my 0.02

Only 11,000? What CPU are you using?

$229? Damn, I should sell my Ti 4200 & get a 4600.



Viper GTS

It's an XP1700, no overclock. Card was a refurb, but I saw they had non-refurbs for an extra $15 or so. I especially like the crisper 2D you get with the leadtek, definitely noticeable.

 

[GT1999]

I think people are making a bigger deal out of ATI's driver problems than they realize. If you've owned an ATI card, RECENTLY, such as the 8500 or something, and are disappointed with their drivers, it's completely understandable not to like them for their 'crappy drivers', but I mean, come on. Give them a little bit of a respect for blowing nVidia's current products out of the water. I know there are some small bugs with games like Battlefield 1942 and such, but I'm sure they'll have a driver update out in no time. I remember seeing a fix posted for it a while back as well through a unsupported driver.

<-- Never owned an ATI graphics card in his life, purely nVidia (TNT2U, GF2 MX, GF3 Ti200...)

 

[Viper GTS]

Originally posted by: Fausto1

Originally posted by: Viper GTS

Originally posted by: Fausto1
I just picked up a Leadtek Ti4600 (128meg) from Newegg for $229 shipped. I got nearly 11,000 on 3DMark2k1, can run everything at very high res with quincux, det40 drivers installed without a hitch, etc. I guess I don't see the point in spending the extra loot to get a 9700 when this card already kills everything I can throw at it for half the price. Just my 0.02

Only 11,000? What CPU are you using?

$229? Damn, I should sell my Ti 4200 & get a 4600.



Viper GTS

It's an XP1700, no overclock. Card was a refurb, but I saw they had non-refurbs for an extra $15 or so. I especially like the crisper 2D you get with the leadtek, definitely noticeable.

Ahh, that would explain it.

My P4 1.8 @ 2.4 gives 10,500 with my 4200 at default speed, I can get over 11,000 pretty easily by OCing it slightly.

I think I want a faster P4 first, though, a 2.53 @ 3.0+ is looking better and better...

Viper GTS

 

[Zclyh3]

I would tell you to keep on accumulating those so-called "bucks" and wait til the NEW Nvidia card comes out. After that, compare and let all hell break loose with the gift certificates!

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: Viper GTS

Originally posted by: Fausto1

Originally posted by: Viper GTS

Originally posted by: Fausto1
I just picked up a Leadtek Ti4600 (128meg) from Newegg for $229 shipped. I got nearly 11,000 on 3DMark2k1, can run everything at very high res with quincux, det40 drivers installed without a hitch, etc. I guess I don't see the point in spending the extra loot to get a 9700 when this card already kills everything I can throw at it for half the price. Just my 0.02

Only 11,000? What CPU are you using?

$229? Damn, I should sell my Ti 4200 & get a 4600.



Viper GTS

I can always toss a faster chip in at a later date if needed, but right now it's handling everything I throw at it without a hiccup. I was playing Q3A last night at 16 x 12, 32bit, all eye candy on, (with Quincux on for giggles). Totally playable. Even the UT2k3 beta won't make it stutter and that game ate my old GF2Pro for lunch at anything above 800 x 600.

It's an XP1700, no overclock. Card was a refurb, but I saw they had non-refurbs for an extra $15 or so. I especially like the crisper 2D you get with the leadtek, definitely noticeable.

Ahh, that would explain it.

My P4 1.8 @ 2.4 gives 10,500 with my 4200 at default speed, I can get over 11,000 pretty easily by OCing it slightly.

I think I want a faster P4 first, though, a 2.53 @ 3.0+ is looking better and better...

Viper GTS

 

[Nemesis77]

Originally posted by: Zclyh3
I would tell you to keep on accumulating those so-called "bucks" and wait til the NEW Nvidia card comes out. After that, compare and let all hell break loose with the gift certificates!

If you do that, then why not wait 'till R350 is released?

 

[Moishe]

pricewatch.com R9700 is now as low as $340 shipped.
I read the R9700 reviews and I believe that ATi MAY actually turn around and keep up a good card.

BUT regardless of what I think. I am waiting for Christmas, cuz you never know what nVidia has up their sleeve. By christmas, NVidia may be the new king with a slight lead and higher price, in which case I'll get the R9700, or they may blow the R9700 out of the water, in which case i'll buy the "NVwhatever" even if it's expensive....

I figure I can wait 3 months to find out. if it was more I'd just buy the R9700 and enjoy it.

It probably won't even be 3 months as they will announce it and review it before they sell it.

Mo

 

[VSEKH]

Maybe by Christmas time the AGP8x problem will be completely resolved by then and even Intel will have a chipset that is AGP8x compatible. It seems currently, there is no reason to by the 9700 pro if you are expecting to run this card in AGP8x mode in a SIS648, P4X400, or KT400 board. Also, ATI might have all of their bugs fixed by then in their drivers.

 

[CurtCold]

"So, do I stick with nvidia, and go with a Geforce4 card, or get one of the new Radeons? Every review I've read and benchmark I've looked at, shows that geforce still wins out... "


What websites you been readn'?

 

[GoodRevrnd]

Originally posted by: Fausto1
I just picked up a Leadtek Ti4600 (128meg) from Newegg for $229 shipped. I got nearly 11,000 on 3DMark2k1, can run everything at very high res with quincux, det40 drivers installed without a hitch, etc. I guess I don't see the point in spending the extra loot to get a 9700 when this card already kills everything I can throw at it for half the price. Just my 0.02

Leadtek = poor man's Gainward. They're the best bang for the buck if you want to spend more than PNY, IMO. They're *almost* as fast as those Gainwards w/o anywhere near the premium.

 

[rbV5]

Linked

 

[lobadobadingdong]

pricewatch.com R9700 is now as low as $340 shipped.

You can get them on Newegg.com for $333 with free shipping.

 

[Orbius]

It's a no-brainer the 9700 is double the pipelines.
Also theres no doubt that most of the ATi driver 'problems' are caused by Nvidia strategically making drivers, and developers having difficulties getting games to work well on both cards and therefore focusing on Nvidia cards and asking ATi to fix things.

Trust me with the 9700's dominance many developers will shift their focus to ATi cards, and many of these mysterious 'driver' problems will clear up.

Not saying that theres no problems, but answer me this in the Nvidia/3dfx days when 3dfx dominated, 3dfx had no driver problems, and games always had problems on Nvidia cards, amazing how those problems mysteriously disappeared when Nvidia became the dominant card.

Anyway 8 pipelines vs. 4, nuff said.

 

[SpeedyGonzales]

If these Radeons 9700pro would not be so damn expensive in Europe. You can not get it cheaper than 477Euro in Germany and this is a Hercules, Sapphire or HIS clone.

You can get a MSI Geforce TI4600 for 299 Euros. That is a huge price differnce to a Radeon. Already with the Radeon8500 ATI had a strange pricing strategy in Europe. Maybe, they change it, if the 4600s price keeps falling as it is at the moment.

Cheers
Speedy

 

[Deeko]

If you've got the money, get the 9700, no contest. i've got one, it works like a charm, no driver problems, no conflicts, nothing, and this beast is wicked fast.

 

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: Deeko
If you've got the money, get the 9700, no contest. i've got one, it works like a charm, no driver problems, no conflicts, nothing, and this beast is wicked fast.

hmm... buy a 9700... or get a dishwasher for my wife... buy a 9700... or get a dishwasher for my wife... buy the 9700, and handwash the dishes for my wife ...no wait... buy the dishwasher, have more time to play Everquest...