nVidia 9800 cards?

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: qbfx

Originally posted by: Denithor

Originally posted by: pontifex
i'm not sure that i even have room in my system to do SLI, even though I do have a mobo that supports it.

according to the benchmarks listed previously, the 8800gt 512 is still a good bit lower than the 8800 GTX 512.

Do you mean 8800GTX 768MB?

And by a good bit slower, in most games it's 10% or about 3-5 fps. Not worth $160 difference to me, but maybe if you have more available cash it would be worth it. Keep in mind that the (G80-based) GTX is going to run hotter and use considerably more energy than the (G92-based) GT.

Also keep in mind that it'll spank the GT in high resolutions/AA. Still not worth it tho, if you want to go 88xx, an XFX 8800GTS 512mb would be a good buy cause you can sell it for a good price with the transferable warranty and get a 98xx if they turn out to be good.

so the 8800 gts 512 would be the recommended step up from a 8800gts 320?

 

[pcslookout]

You have to remember 512 mb of video ram is good but having 768 mb of ram can come in handy if you like to use AA and AF a lot at high resolutions.

 

[pontifex]

so now i;m so confused i don't even know what to buy, lol

 

[Magusigne]

Originally posted by: pontifex
so now i;m so confused i don't even know what to buy, lol

I'm just holding onto my chips until something irresistable comes out.

 

[Tempered81]

Originally posted by: pontifex
so now i;m so confused i don't even know what to buy, lol

buy one of these at the best price you can find:

9600gt
8800gt
hd3850
hd3870

512 versions.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: pontifex
so now i;m so confused i don't even know what to buy, lol

take it as a *sign* to wait ...
--something will eventually be 'compelling'

 

[taltamir]

Originally posted by: qbfx

Originally posted by: Denithor

Originally posted by: pontifex
i'm not sure that i even have room in my system to do SLI, even though I do have a mobo that supports it.

according to the benchmarks listed previously, the 8800gt 512 is still a good bit lower than the 8800 GTX 512.

Do you mean 8800GTX 768MB?

And by a good bit slower, in most games it's 10% or about 3-5 fps. Not worth $160 difference to me, but maybe if you have more available cash it would be worth it. Keep in mind that the (G80-based) GTX is going to run hotter and use considerably more energy than the (G92-based) GT.

Also keep in mind that it'll spank the GT in high resolutions/AA. Still not worth it tho, if you want to go 88xx, an XFX 8800GTS 512mb would be a good buy cause you can sell it for a good price with the transferable warranty and get a 98xx if they turn out to be good.

QFT, the 9800GTX comes out in about a month and should be faster then the ultra... SHOULD that is...
It will be a lot cooler and take a lot less energy, and supports tri SLI.

Makes a lot more sense to be an XFX for their transferable lifetime warranty and just sell it for more mullah later and buy an upgrade.

 

[Cheex]

Originally posted by: apoppin

Originally posted by: pontifex
so now i;m so confused i don't even know what to buy, lol

take it as a *sign* to wait ...
--something will eventually be 'compelling'

Best advice I've seen all week...

Thanks apoppin...:thumbsup:

 

[pontifex]

well they're all compelling. i'm just not up on all this stuff (and really, i don't care to know about) and i just want to know what to buy.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: pontifex
well they're all compelling. i'm just not up on all this stuff (and really, i don't care to know about) and i just want to know what to buy.

OK, let's play '20' questions and at the end you will know

What are your requirements - LCD resolution?

Detail your rig including MB, CPU, RAM, PS

What games do you play?

What FPS, detail level and amount of AA is minimum?

What is your budget?

Do you plan to Overclock?

How long do you plan to keep it?

Do you plan to upgrade your rig shortly?



---Start with these 8 ... for your answers lead to a bit more qualifying

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: apoppin

Originally posted by: pontifex
well they're all compelling. i'm just not up on all this stuff (and really, i don't care to know about) and i just want to know what to buy.

OK, let's play '20' questions and at the end you will know

What are your requirements - LCD resolution? 1680x1050

Detail your rig including MB, CPU, PS - EVGA mobo, opteron 175, 2 GB ram, 8800gts 320, 480w ps, 2 optical drives, 3 hd, audigy 2, gigabit nic,

What games do you play? lots of different ones - FPS, RTS, MMO, simulators
currently play CoD4, The Settlers: Rise of an Empire, Gears of War, occasionally i play TF2, Sins of a Solar Empire, Need for Speed Carbon and a few older games. i like to play new games. i plan on playing Age of Conan and that seems to be a game that needs a beefy system.


What FPS, detail level and amount of AA is minimum? the best i can get?

What is your budget? I'd like to stay around $300 but i have room to adjust i guess. nothing over $400

Do you plan to Overclock? no

How long do you plan to keep it? 1-2 years probably

What is your CPU and do you plan to change it? opteron 175. not sure. was thinking about C2D but I don't know.

start with these ... for your answers lead to more qualifying

answers to questions in quoted area.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: apoppin

Originally posted by: pontifex
well they're all compelling. i'm just not up on all this stuff (and really, i don't care to know about) and i just want to know what to buy.

OK, let's play '20' questions and at the end you will know

What are your requirements - LCD resolution? 1680x1050

Detail your rig including MB, CPU, PS - EVGA mobo, opteron 175, 2 GB ram, 8800gts 512 480w ps, 2 optical drives, 3 hd, audigy 2, gigabit nic,

What games do you play? lots of different ones - FPS, RTS, MMO, simulators
currently play CoD4, The Settlers: Rise of an Empire, Gears of War, occasionally i play TF2, Sins of a Solar Empire, Need for Speed Carbon and a few older games. i like to play new games. i plan on playing Age of Conan and that seems to be a game that needs a beefy system.


What FPS, detail level and amount of AA is minimum? the best i can get?

What is your budget? I'd like to stay around $300 but i have room to adjust i guess. nothing over $400

Do you plan to Overclock? no

How long do you plan to keep it? 1-2 years probably

What is your CPU and do you plan to change it? opteron 175. not sure. was thinking about C2D but I don't know.

start with these ... for your answers lead to more qualifying

answers to questions in quoted area.

ok, i am replying to your answers in bold

16x10 ... check ... and i see you already have a 8800GTS 512M

huh? you are not currently satisfied?

What games are *currently* running slow or at details you would like to increase?

What MB? .. SLi possible?

what 480w PS brand?

you DO realize that your Opteron is probably holding back your GTS?
:Q

INTERIM ADVICE - upgrade your CPU first
-you *will* see an improvement ... by then you will know what GPU
IF you plan to keep it 1-2 years withOUT over-clocking, you should wait for the next gen unless you cannot *stand* it [for some unknown reason]

i think your Opteron is a weak link that will hold back ANY real upgrade

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: apoppin

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: apoppin

Originally posted by: pontifex
well they're all compelling. i'm just not up on all this stuff (and really, i don't care to know about) and i just want to know what to buy.

OK, let's play '20' questions and at the end you will know

What are your requirements - LCD resolution? 1680x1050

Detail your rig including MB, CPU, PS - EVGA mobo, opteron 175, 2 GB ram, 8800gts 512 480w ps, 2 optical drives, 3 hd, audigy 2, gigabit nic,

What games do you play? lots of different ones - FPS, RTS, MMO, simulators
currently play CoD4, The Settlers: Rise of an Empire, Gears of War, occasionally i play TF2, Sins of a Solar Empire, Need for Speed Carbon and a few older games. i like to play new games. i plan on playing Age of Conan and that seems to be a game that needs a beefy system.


What FPS, detail level and amount of AA is minimum? the best i can get?

What is your budget? I'd like to stay around $300 but i have room to adjust i guess. nothing over $400

Do you plan to Overclock? no

How long do you plan to keep it? 1-2 years probably

What is your CPU and do you plan to change it? opteron 175. not sure. was thinking about C2D but I don't know.

start with these ... for your answers lead to more qualifying

answers to questions in quoted area.

ok, i am replying to your answers in bold

16x10 ... check ... and i see you already have a 8800GTS 512M

huh? you are not currently satisfied?

What games are *currently* running slow or at details you would like to increase?

What MB? .. SLi possible?

what 480w PS brand?

you DO realize that your Opteron is probably holding back your GTS?
:Q

INTERIM ADVICE - upgrade your CPU first
-you *will* see an improvement ... by then you will know what GPU
IF you plan to keep it 1-2 years withOUT over-clocking, you should wait for the next gen unless you cannot *stand* it [for some unknown reason]

i think your Opteron is a weak link that will hold back ANY real upgrade

sorry, i meant 320, not 512

SLI is possible

i think its a thermaltake PSU

Gears of War, The Settlers won't allow me to go to full settings unless I have a 512 mb card, cod4 doesn't do very well on higher settings. i'm also thinking of future games.

i thought about upgrading the cpu but then i have to upgrade the mobo and ram too.


i also can't afford the newest and best nect gen stuff.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: apoppin

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: apoppin

Originally posted by: pontifex
well they're all compelling. i'm just not up on all this stuff (and really, i don't care to know about) and i just want to know what to buy.

OK, let's play '20' questions and at the end you will know

What are your requirements - LCD resolution? 1680x1050

Detail your rig including MB, CPU, PS - EVGA mobo, opteron 175, 2 GB ram, 8800gts 512 480w ps, 2 optical drives, 3 hd, audigy 2, gigabit nic,

What games do you play? lots of different ones - FPS, RTS, MMO,simulators
currently play CoD4, The Settlers: Rise of an Empire, Gears of War, occasionally i play TF2, Sins of a Solar Empire, Need for Speed Carbon and a few older games. i like to play new games. i plan on playing Age of Conan and that seems to be a game that needs a beefy system.


What FPS, detail level and amount of AA is minimum? the best i can get?

What is your budget? I'd like to stay around $300 but i have room to adjust i guess. nothing over $400

Do you plan to Overclock? no

How long do you plan to keep it? 1-2 years probably

What is your CPU and do you plan to change it? opteron 175. not sure. was thinking about C2D but I don't know.

start with these ... for your answers lead to more qualifying

answers to questions in quoted area.

ok, i am replying to your answers in bold

16x10 ... check ... and i see you already have a 8800GTS 512M

huh? you are not currently satisfied?

What games are *currently* running slow or at details you would like to increase?

What MB? .. SLi possible?

what 480w PS brand?

you DO realize that your Opteron is probably holding back your GTS?
:Q

INTERIM ADVICE - upgrade your CPU first
-you *will* see an improvement ... by then you will know what GPU
IF you plan to keep it 1-2 years withOUT over-clocking, you should wait for the next gen unless you cannot *stand* it [for some unknown reason]

i think your Opteron is a weak link that will hold back ANY real upgrade

sorry, i meant 320, not 512

SLI is possible

i think its a thermaltake PSU

Gears of War, The Settlers won't allow me to go to full settings unless I have a 512 mb card, cod4 doesn't do very well on higher settings. i'm also thinking of future games.

i thought about upgrading the cpu but then i have to upgrade the mobo and ram too.


i also can't afford the newest and best nect gen stuff.

Thermaltake? 480w 18a on-the-12v-rail thermaltake?
:Q

it is insufficient for an upgrade
- i had that sucker ... not enough for a x1950p/512M [agp]

i have more than a feeling that you are *limited* by your CPU [and PS] ... not very much by your current GPU ... but by ANY upgrade

if you don't believe me, OverClock your CPU ... and then try GoW and CoD

if you can't afford next gen, save your money till you can ... you are trying to put a supercharged engine into a Kia Rio chassis
... won't be much of a real improvement

i'd suggest you OverClock the crap out of your CPU and GPU ... it is NOT dangerous ... and it will probably "keep you" for a good while

edit: i just thought about what i wrote
. . . *Be very careful* o/c'ing with that PS if it is indeed 18a on the 12v rail

 

[pontifex]

PSU
Motherboard

i don't feel comfortable overclocking, i guess mainly because i don't understand it. i tried to OC my cpu and i got it to like 2.4 GZ i think and then i started to have problems if i went higher. I'd rather just stick with stock.

I was thinking about getting an E8400, mobo, and DDR2 ram. i guess i'd need a new PSU also.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: pontifex
PSU
Motherboard

i don't feel comfortable overclocking, i guess mainly because i don't understand it. i tried to OC my cpu and i got it to like 2.4 GZ i think and then i started to have problems if i went higher. I'd rather just stick with stock.

I was thinking about getting an E8400, mobo, and DDR2 ram. i guess i'd need a new PSU also.

seriously, i hated to do this to you ... but ... but .. you can avoid the mistakes i made

what an admission

i upgraded the way you are planning ... with a slow ass CPU and a x1950p/512M ... THEN i realized i needed a faster CPU and upgraded my CPU and MB to the bastage ASrock... then i realized i needed an even faster CPU and got a C2D ... and RAM was so cheap i upgraded ... then i realized my MB was holding me back and i finally did what i SHOULD HAVE DONE IN THE 1ST PLACE ...

fortuntely, *all* of my upgrades were cheap ... and all it cost me EXTRA was time ... lots of time ... and i learned a lot ... but unless you want to got the hard route ...

if you are serious about upgrading, dump your PS first and get on with at least 30-40a on the 12v rail. Then learn OC'ing ... it is EASY ... not dangerous and we have a subForum devoted to OC'ing - really smart and helpful guys that will help you if you are polite.

at that point, you will have a seriously faster rig ... you will probably get close to what you want right now ... then work on upgrading to a *balanced* rig ... GPU [ok with a new PS] then CPU/MB/RAM when you can afford it

 

[pontifex]

i don't really want to understand Ocing either. if you want to come to my house and do it for me, great, otherwsie i don't want to spend the time learning or doing it. maybe a few years ago i wouldn't mind, but after working IT for 7-8 years now, I really don't want to do more than swapping parts. I just want to turn my pc on start playing my games or whatever, i don't want to spend days tweaking this or that.

I hope I'm not sounding like a dick or ungrateful here, because I don't mean to be, I just want to get my point across.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: pontifex
i don't really want to understand Ocing either. if you want to come to my house and do it for me, great, otherwsie i don't want to spend the time learning or doing it. maybe a few years ago i wouldn't mind, but after working IT for 7-8 years now, I really don't want to do more than swapping parts. I just want to turn my pc on start playing my games or whatever, i don't want to spend days tweaking this or that.

I hope I'm not sounding like a dick or ungrateful here, because I don't mean to be, I just want to get my point across.

Where do you live?


we can do it just as well *remotely* ... you don't even need to understand what i am telling you
-we'll be done in a few hours
:clock:

Get MY point?
[and i AM being a dick now]

you can THROW money at it and destroy you MB with that PoS PS or you can upgrade everything with the *easy button*

your choice

no matter to me personally although i/we would be glad to help

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: apoppin

Originally posted by: pontifex
i don't really want to understand Ocing either. if you want to come to my house and do it for me, great, otherwsie i don't want to spend the time learning or doing it. maybe a few years ago i wouldn't mind, but after working IT for 7-8 years now, I really don't want to do more than swapping parts. I just want to turn my pc on start playing my games or whatever, i don't want to spend days tweaking this or that.

I hope I'm not sounding like a dick or ungrateful here, because I don't mean to be, I just want to get my point across.

Where do you live?


we can do it just as well *remotely* ... you don't even need to understand what i am telling you
-we'll be done in a few hours
:clock:

Get MY point?
[and i AM being a dick now]

you can THROW money at it and destroy you MB with that PoS PS or you can upgrade everything with the *easy button*

your choice

no matter to me personally although i/we would be glad to help

I live in PA.

I would upgrade the PSU also, but whats this "easy button" upgrade?

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: apoppin

Originally posted by: pontifex
i don't really want to understand Ocing either. if you want to come to my house and do it for me, great, otherwsie i don't want to spend the time learning or doing it. maybe a few years ago i wouldn't mind, but after working IT for 7-8 years now, I really don't want to do more than swapping parts. I just want to turn my pc on start playing my games or whatever, i don't want to spend days tweaking this or that.

I hope I'm not sounding like a dick or ungrateful here, because I don't mean to be, I just want to get my point across.

Where do you live?


we can do it just as well *remotely* ... you don't even need to understand what i am telling you
-we'll be done in a few hours
:clock:

Get MY point?
[and i AM being a dick now]

you can THROW money at it and destroy you MB with that PoS PS or you can upgrade everything with the *easy button*

your choice

no matter to me personally although i/we would be glad to help

I live in PA.

I would upgrade the PSU also, but whats this "easy button" upgrade?

well, travel is out ... my teleporter is broken

*start* with your PS ... and face your fears about OC'ing

Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only my Perfectly O/C'd rig will remain.

-apologies to Frank Herbert

OverClock is you interim salvation

 

[Tempered81]

man pontifex. if you do get this e8400 g92 upgrade, you can tell me your hardware details and i'll send you an easy Message (close to an easy button) on what to do. It'll take 5 mins and your cpu will be 60% faster, and your gpu will be 15-20% faster. this will mean your games will be more enjoyable with more eyecandy. Like apoppin said, Ocing is easy. And his post about upgrading the whole system in one fell swoop is very wise as well.