Longevity for a 9700 Pro??

[MAME]

I'm getting a new machine (A64 3000+, MSI KT8 Neo, 512 megs ram) and was thinking about getting a 9700 Pro to go along with it. I'm trying to get this machine to last as long as my Athlon 600, GeForce1 DDR machine has. Will the 9700 Pro do me good for 3+ years or is there something else I should shop for??


In other words, what the best video card I can get for about $200? If indded the 9700 Pro is the best bang for the buck, which version of the Pro is the best? Is there really any difference between a Sapphire, Crucial, etc.?

 

[bunnyfubbles]

Even though it might be good to wait until the new nvidia/ati cards come, the best $200 card most likely will NOT get any significantly better than a 9700 Pro for another several months.

Right now my desktop is still sitting with a Radeon 8500 and I'm big in the Tribes series and I've got a feeling that a card like a 9700 Pro will be only "good enough" to run Tribes Vengence which is coming the end of this year or early next so right now I've got to do everything to restrain myself and save up my pennies to make sure I don't even blow it on "good deals" such as an inexpensive Athlon/nForce 2 combo or $200 9700 pro, so I'll be able to go all out on a system that will be able to have its way with such newer games rather than be "good enough" or "bare minimum recommended" as my 8500 most likely will be by then.

 

[MAME]

rock on. I've heard good things about the GeForceFX 5900 non ultra too. They're about the same price from what I can see, would you still recommend the 9700 Pro?

 

[McArra]

Originally posted by: MAME
rock on. I've heard good things about the GeForceFX 5900 non ultra too. They're about the same price from what I can see, would you still recommend the 9700 Pro?

Absolutly.

 

[MAME]

Ok, 9700 Pro it is then. The only thing left is; does it matter which brand I get? I haven't seen any tests comparing the different brands so is it safe to assume they're all about the same? I think I saw a Sapphire one for about $200.

 

[McArra]

Sapphire should be great. I'll avoid unknown brands, but any known (sapphire, Ati, Hercules, Gigabyte...) should be ok

 

[nRollo]

This all bad advice, IMHO.

Wait until the nV40/R420 come out.

1. The midrange cards of those cores might significantly outperform the 9700Pro.
2. It's only a couple months
3. The 9800Pros have been spotted as low as $239 of late, so you can likely get one for $200 (maybe after rebate when the new stuff comes out)

If you've lived this long on GF DDR, a couple more months won't hurt, and you may even want to up your budget when the new stuff hits.

 

[sandorski]

The 9700Pro is still a great card, but it's been out for close to 1.5 years(amazingly)now. In 3 years it would likely still be sufficient for many games, but I too would wait until the next gen cards come out.

 

[Keysplayr]

Yes, the new cores are so close now (matter of 2-3 months) that you would do well to wait. At least to see how well they perform. If they suck wind (which I highly doubt) You can then probably pick up a 9800pro or even XT for dirt cheap at that time. A little patience will pay off here no doubt.

Keys

 

[MAME]

oh noes! Fine fine, perhaps I'll wait but what good is an A64 machine with a crappy vid card??

I COULD wait on that too but I dunno...

 

[Alptraum]

As far as waiting or upgrading now, it just depends on how your current stuff is working for you. If its sub par in your opinion upgrade now. There is always going to be something better down the road. If you can't run the apps or games or resolutions you want now...upgrade. If you can hold off fine. But at least for me, I wont wait for something new to come out unless its only a week or two at most.

 

[kylebisme]

also while the nv40 and r420 are probably only a few months away and the midrage cards based on those cores may be a good deal faster than the 9700pro, the midrage cards are probably a few more months away.

 

[modedepe]

3+ years? I doubt it. Then again, if you can deal with that gf1 for that long, you'll probably be able to suffer along with the 9700 for quite a while too. But I would recommend waiting if you can, if you want to get a card that will last you for the longest possible time.