New Video Card for $170 and under.

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fibes

Senior member
Jul 19, 2003
833
0
0
Hello,
I would like an upgrade from my GF4 MX440 64Mb. I have a few questions about a new card.

1. I would like a card with decent performance costing no more than $170.

2. I would like performance of the card to be compatiable for future games for atleast 1 yr.

3. I would like HL2 to run at 1024 x 768 w/out any type of slide show. BF1942 runs like a slide show with my MX right now.

4. I have heard that antialiasing are better suited for ATI chipset. Is antialiasing that important for gaming. I would love to have the best eye-candy possible, does antialiasing provide the eye-candy?
 
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fibes

Senior member
Jul 19, 2003
833
0
0
Originally posted by: shady06
9600 pro and OC the $hit out of it
Click to expand...

What's the best 9600 pro out there to OC? Saphire, Powercolor, ATI? Do they include the software to overclock? Will I definately see a performance gain from my MX440?
 
C

Corporate Thug

Lifer
Apr 17, 2003
37,622
0
76
i got a built buy ati one that does 520/725.

you can download omega drivers that let you overclock OR just download an overclocking utility like rivatuner

you will see a HUGE difference over the mx440
 
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Blastman

Golden Member
Oct 21, 1999
1,758
0
76
Get a retail 9600pro -- it comes with the good memory (2.8ns Samsung) that overclocks well. A lot of the slightly cheaper cards like the Sapphire 9600 pro come with cheaper 3.3ns Samsung that doesn?t overclock that well.
 
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TerryMathews

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
11,464
2
0
Originally posted by: Blastman
Get a retail 9600pro -- it comes with the good memory (2.8ns Samsung) that overclocks well. A lot of the slightly cheaper cards like the Sapphire 9600 pro come with cheaper 3.3ns Samsung that doesn?t overclock that well.
Click to expand...

Ummm. No. Some of the recent batches of even the BBA retail 9600 pros come with 3.3ns Samsung. And, a lot of people are having trouble clocking to 500+. Myself included. Mine wouldn't even take a voltmod. Attached a resistor that took the core up to 1.3V, and got artifacting at default clock speeds. Removed the resistor and it was back to normal. Mine's running stable with no artifacting at 445/317. Yuck!

Bottom line: ATi has (mostly) locked this up tighter than a chastity belt. Don't buy this card on the basis of overclocking it. If it fails, you'll be very disappointed.

Of course, it's a pretty good card in it's own right. Even at default clocks, it'll be able to run all the up and coming games at 1024x768x32 with good framerates.
 
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Blastman

Golden Member
Oct 21, 1999
1,758
0
76
Originally posted by: TerryMathews

Ummm. No. Some of the recent batches of even the BBA retail 9600 pros come with 3.3ns Samsung...................
Click to expand...
Really? This is news to me. Any links? I?m going to be buying a 9600pro quite soon and would like to know about this.

 
yhelothar

yhelothar

Lifer
Dec 11, 2002
18,409
39
91
9600pro isn't that fast....
don't expect it to be much faster than your MX440 at stock...
Probably only around 20-30% faster... with using AA/AF...

I would stretch my budget around $10 and get a Radeon 9700 non pro... which will DOUBLE the speed of the 9600pro for $10 more!! well worth it!
 
ethebubbeth

ethebubbeth

Golden Member
May 2, 2003
1,740
5
91
umm i can't imagine getting a decent 9700mp for under 220 brand new. 9600 pro is an amazing deal for the overclocking potential it offers. Even at stock speeds it's no slouch.
 
M

modedepe

Diamond Member
May 11, 2003
3,474
0
0
Originally posted by: virtualgames0
9600pro isn't that fast....
don't expect it to be much faster than your MX440 at stock...
Probably only around 20-30% faster... with using AA/AF...

I would stretch my budget around $10 and get a Radeon 9700 non pro... which will DOUBLE the speed of the 9600pro for $10 more!! well worth it!
Click to expand...

Dude, WTF? Don't expect it to be much faster than an mx440--what are you smoking? mx440 is painfully slow. A freaking 9600 pro will kill it. And yes a 9700np will be considerably faster than a 9600 pro, but $10? Tell me where the hell I can get a 9700 np for $180. Even finding one for $200 is a challenge.
 
JulesMaximus

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,586
986
126
If you could just stretch it a bit more to $249 you could get a real bargain in the 9800NP. This is a much better choice for future games than any in your price range. If you shop around you might find it for $220 or so.
 
C

Corporate Thug

Lifer
Apr 17, 2003
37,622
0
76
Originally posted by: virtualgames0
9600pro isn't that fast....
don't expect it to be much faster than your MX440 at stock...
Probably only around 20-30% faster... with using AA/AF...

I would stretch my budget around $10 and get a Radeon 9700 non pro... which will DOUBLE the speed of the 9600pro for $10 more!! well worth it!
Click to expand...

wow thats is just about the worst advice i ever heard. it is MUCH faster than a mx440, it is faster than a 4200 as well. i dont know what the hell you are talking about.

also, the 9600 pro is $170. can u show me a 9700 non pro for $180? no? i didnt think so
 
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fibes

Senior member
Jul 19, 2003
833
0
0
Thanks for all the input guys. I hope I see a perfomance gain with my new card. I'm tried of playing BF1942 at 800 x 600.
 
GullyFoyle

GullyFoyle

Diamond Member
Dec 13, 2000
4,362
11
81
Originally posted by: Blastman
Get a retail 9600pro -- it comes with the good memory (2.8ns Samsung) that overclocks well. A lot of the slightly cheaper cards like the Sapphire 9600 pro come with cheaper 3.3ns Samsung that doesn?t overclock that well.
Click to expand...

Can anybody confirm this? Most of the reviews I have read of the Sapphire card have it coming with 2.8ns RAM, like this one.
A reply from a recent purchaser would be great.


Damn, I was seconds away from ordering this card from the link in the recent AnandTech price guide, for $154.

 
B

Blastman

Golden Member
Oct 21, 1999
1,758
0
76
Sapphire makes 3 models ?

Sapphire 9600pro ?Fireblade ? 2.8ns Samsung ?(same as ATI reference design)
Sapphire 9600pro ? retail box ? 2.8ns Etrontech ? (different)
Sapphire 9600pro ? OEM/bulk ? 3.3ns Samsung ? (different)

I?m seeing a 7-10% performance drop in a lot of the benchmarks on both the 2.8 Etrontech and 3.3Samsung models. Don?t know if it?s a manufacturing glitch or Sapphire bungled their 9600pro design when they strayed from the ATI reference, or maybe they lowered the memory CAS latency or something. Sapphire is off my list for 9600pro unless it?s the Fireblade edition.

Review with 3.3ns Samsung ?

http://www.clubic.com/ar/2144-4.html
 
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TerryMathews

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
11,464
2
0
Originally posted by: shady06
it is faster than a 4200 as well. i dont know what the hell you are talking about.
Click to expand...

Kinda but not really. My 9600 pro OCed to 450/317 is dead-even with my old 4200 in the game demos in 3dmark2k1. The only places where the 9600 pulls ahead is pixel and vertex shading. Of course, there the Radeon leads by a 2:1 advantage, typically 70fps vs 200.

Still, the Radeon 9600 Pro is a bargain. Useable AA/AF (finally) and DX9 performance without a large pricetag. A worthy successor to the Ti4200.
 
C

Corporate Thug

Lifer
Apr 17, 2003
37,622
0
76
Originally posted by: TerryMathews
Originally posted by: shady06
it is faster than a 4200 as well. i dont know what the hell you are talking about.
Click to expand...

Kinda but not really. My 9600 pro OCed to 450/317 is dead-even with my old 4200 in the game demos in 3dmark2k1. The only places where the 9600 pulls ahead is pixel and vertex shading. Of course, there the Radeon leads by a 2:1 advantage, typically 70fps vs 200.

Still, the Radeon 9600 Pro is a bargain. Useable AA/AF (finally) and DX9 performance without a large pricetag. A worthy successor to the Ti4200.
Click to expand...

run 3dmark with FSAA and AA on and see what you get
 
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