Nvidia 9800 GX2 1gb with E8500

[Ansgar]

Ok guys I know this configuration seems to be a little old now but still.

This is my current conf:
CPU: Intel Core 2 E8500 / 3.16 GHz
RAM-Installed Size: 4 GB (DDR2 SDRAM)
Graphics Controller-Graphics Processor / Vendor: NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GT - 512

I want to update the graphics card to a 9800 GX2, which, as I have seen compared on some websites is about twice as good as the current 9800GT.

As I'm not so good around computers as many readers around here, I wanted to know if this seems like a good deal, if the GX2 wouldn't be held back by the current CPU I've got, and if I would see much improvement with such an aquisition.

If the CPU would stay in the way, could you also recommend me a decent-priced CPU that should go along with it but that should do a difference compared to the current E8500? Or, if I were to upgrade only one of the two, which would make more difference, the graphics card or the CPU?

 

[Smoblikat]

Thats a terrible idea, get a 5770/6770/7770 or at least a GTX 260/216. 9800 is old tech, unless you can get one for 30$ it isnt worth it.

 

[toyota]

why on earth would you want such an old and odd card? get a modern single gpu card that faster, has more vram(9800gx2 only has 512mb usable) and uses less power.

you need to list what resolution that you want to use as there is no need in getting something too fast for that dual core cpu.

 

[MentalIlness]

What will you be paying for the 9800GX2 ?

If it is free, yes go for it. But if your purchasing it, there are better options.

Although the 9800GX2 is as fast id say as a GTX 280.

 

[Ansgar]

i just compared the options you guys gave me and it seems like the GX2 still is better than any of them...well at least in theory. I would post the links to where i got this results from but I'm not sure I am allowed to do that here (or am I?..new(b) to the forum)...

to all of you asking, around $60-$70 for the GX2

@toyota, I should say 1920x1200 on a 24" monitor. if it's worth mentioning, starcraft II got all settings on ultra and this res for recommended at the moment..yet GTA IV and NFS The Run run should I say.. pretty much annoying... and another thing is, I'm constrained by the budget ( as most of us are in these days I guess) so is it worth getting a good GPU now and when I have the money, another CPU, or doesn't it work this way?

 

[Smoblikat]

i just compared the options you guys gave me and it seems like the GX2 still is better than any of them...well at least in theory. I would post the links to where i got this results from but I'm not sure I am allowed to do that here (or am I?..new(b) to the forum)...

to all of you asking, around $60-$70 for the GX2

@toyota, I should say 1920x1200 on a 24" monitor. if it's worth mentioning, starcraft II got all settings on ultra and this res for recommended at the moment..yet GTA IV and NFS The Run run should I say.. pretty much annoying... and another thing is, I'm constrained by the budget ( as most of us are in these days I guess) so is it worth getting a good GPU now and when I have the money, another CPU, or doesn't it work this way?

fOR 70$ YOU COU COULD GET A USED gtx 275,MAYBE EVEN A USED 460. bOTH OF THESE CARDS WILL BE MUCH BETTER THAN A gx2.

sorry caps

 

[toyota]

well again a 9800gx2 only effectively has 512mb of vram which is NOT enough for modern games. that alone should rule out that old card.

and as for as your cpu goes, performance will vary greatly from game to game. in some games it will not be a noticeable bottleneck while in some it could severally hold back a decent card. also the settings you use can impact your cpu too. in other words if you get a good card for a game like GTA 4 then your cpu will be a huge bottleneck once you turn up the settings that the new card can run. you will actually end up with a slower running game in many cases.

 

[Ansgar]

@Smoblikat WHY ARE YOU SHOUTING MAAAAN? *heh* sorry about that lol

oh I see..the vram thing was the key to my understanding .. however prices in the UK don't seem to be as dropped as the ones in US ffs .. thanks guys for the quick replies and making me understand what's going on

yet I'd like to know if I'm allowed to post links of other websites here please. Thanks in advance

 

[toyota]

yes you can post links

 

[MentalIlness]

@Smoblikat WHY ARE YOU SHOUTING MAAAAN? *heh* sorry about that lol

oh I see..the vram thing was the key to my understanding .. however prices in the UK don't seem to be as dropped as the ones in US ffs .. thanks guys for the quick replies and making me understand what's going on

yet I'd like to know if I'm allowed to post links of other websites here please. Thanks in advance

Yes, you are allowed to link to other reviews.

 

[TakeNoPrisoners]

I wouldn't get that old card, drivers are probably useless for new games, it would suck a tremendous amount of power, and it only has half a gig of VRAM.

Get a 6850 instead.

 

[BallaTheFeared]

I wouldn't get that old card, drivers are probably useless for new games, it would suck a tremendous amount of power, and it only has half a gig of VRAM.

Get a 6850 instead.

Tech is pretty much the same in those old cards as is the new ones.

My 9800GT has no problems with the latest games other than being slower than desired.

9800GT is the same driver package as the 680 :thumbsup:


I'd like to know what res the OP is playing at and his expectations as far as AA goes. 512mb isn't a deal breaker by any stretch.

 

[toyota]

Tech is pretty much the same in those old cards as is the new ones.

My 9800GT has no problems with the latest games other than being slower than desired.

9800GT is the same driver package as the 680 :thumbsup:


I'd like to know what res the OP is playing at and his expectations as far as AA goes. 512mb isn't a deal breaker by any stretch.

well older cards usually get little to no more improvement compared to newer tech. and 512mb is most certainly a deal breaker in plenty of games including GTA 4 which he said he wants to play. he also listed his res of 1920x1200.

 

[john3850]

I bought pair of 8800gt for a sli setup to be used in Oblivion
Less then a month latter I put back my single 8800gtx which seemed better which may have been do to the gtx 768 mem size.
Cpu at the time was oc e8400 at 4200.

 

[BallaTheFeared]

well older cards usually get little to no more improvement compared to newer tech. and 512mb is most certainly a deal breaker in plenty of games including GTA 4 which he said he wants to play. he also listed his res of 1920x1200.

I'd like to know how you know that considering you can't find any modern reviews with the latest drivers...

Anyways if his res is 1920x1200 then I wouldn't get it either.

 

[TakeNoPrisoners]

Tech is pretty much the same in those old cards as is the new ones.

My 9800GT has no problems with the latest games other than being slower than desired.

9800GT is the same driver package as the 680 :thumbsup:


I'd like to know what res the OP is playing at and his expectations as far as AA goes. 512mb isn't a deal breaker by any stretch.

SLI is different then single cards, they are less likely to update old SLI drivers because nobody uses those old cards.

512 mb is a huge drawback I can't believe you would recommend that today at any resolution.

 

[Cerb]

I bought pair of 8800gt for a sli setup to be used in Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall.
Less then a month latter I put back my single 8800gtx which seemed better which may have been do to the gtx 768 mem size.
Cpu at the time was oc e8400 at 4200.

8800GTX SLI for a game running in DOSbox? You sure you didn't mean ES IV: Oblivion?

 

[toyota]

I'd like to know how you know that considering you can't find any modern reviews with the latest drivers...

Anyways if his res is 1920x1200 then I wouldn't get it either.

um its pretty common knowledge that they spend more time optimizing games for newer cards than older ones. all you have to do is look at launch reviews for cards and then look at reviews several months later to see newer cards extend their lead over the previous gen. I am surprised someone like you would even have to question that.

 

[BallaTheFeared]

You're again assuming they retested the older cards, from what I've seen nobody retests the older cards on the newer drivers.

 

[toyota]

You're again assuming they retested the older cards, from what I've seen nobody retests the older cards on the newer drivers.

please pay more attention. I just told you that all you have to do is look at launch reviews and then at later reviews to show newer cards extending their lead over the cards they replaced. if the new cards are extending their lead over just the last generation or two then of course that lead extends to even older cards than that.

 

[john3850]

8800GTX SLI for a game running in DOSbox? You sure you didn't mean ES IV: Oblivion?

Thank you and corrected

 

[BallaTheFeared]

I just told you they weren't retesting the older cards when they review the newer cards on updated drivers.

The numbers they're using for 4xx are the same numbers they got in their reviews in 2010, the entire 5xx series saw optimizations that affected 4xx as well however reviewers do not ever as far as I can see unless explicitly stated (or it's a new game) go back and retest the older hardware on updated drivers. They simply carry over the results from review to review no matter how old or dated they are until they simply stop using them on their graphs.

 

[toyota]

I just told you they weren't retesting the older cards when they review the newer cards on updated drivers.

The numbers they're using for 4xx are the same numbers they got in their reviews in 2010, the entire 5xx series saw optimizations that affected 4xx as well however reviewers do not ever as far as I can see unless explicitly stated (or it's a new game) go back and retest the older hardware on updated drivers. They simply carry over the results from review to review no matter how old or dated they are until they simply stop using them on their graphs.

and that is not always true as some use the updated drivers for all the cards being compared.

 

[BallaTheFeared]

I will just leave this in passing as it's becoming a two party argument rather than something constructive with the OP.

304.79 improves both the 560 and the 680 according to Nvidia, which disproves what you were saying, new drivers only optimize the latest cards which is demonstrably not the case.

You could make a case that the improvements only affect GF104/114 & GK104, however. I haven't tested them personally.

 

[Cerb]

I just told you they weren't retesting the older cards when they review the newer cards on updated drivers.

The numbers they're using for 4xx are the same numbers they got in their reviews in 2010, the entire 5xx series saw optimizations that affected 4xx as well however reviewers do not ever as far as I can see unless explicitly stated (or it's a new game) go back and retest the older hardware on updated drivers. They simply carry over the results from review to review no matter how old or dated they are until they simply stop using them on their graphs.

That would suck, for trying to do an apples to apples comparison. The GTX 4xx cards got substantial improvements in the 250 and 280 drivers, and the newer 30x drivers carried those and most of the fixed bugs from the 28x and 29x drivers.

Not merely that, but since Windows Update now wants to push new driver versions, even regressions should count.