POLL: radeon 8500 vs gf4 ti4200 (for new college comp...)

[Alex]

ok so i cant spend anymore than in the $150-160 price range for my video card, which leaves me with 2 good cards...

ati radeon 8500 64mb or nvidia geforce4 ti4200 64mb with no dvi or tvout...

im a very happy radeon 64 ddr user so no bashing ati's drivers (which IMO are quite mature now with the catalyst set)... just plain and simple which is a better card. and no there isnt a 3rd option... actually i think ill create a poll cuz therell invariably be someone who says "buy a ti4600 its only 20 bucks more" or something, even though thats not even an option!

EDIT: my vote goes to the radeon cuz it was my initial idea...

 

[Athlon4all]

Well I agree that ATi's drivers are mature, but I think that nVidia's drivers are so highly optimized that it gives them an edge. ATi's are getting better, but still. In any case, it really depends what you plan on using the card for. If it is for purely gaming the Ti 4200 definately, the Radeon cannot compete. Now if things like TV-out, DVI, 2D Image Quality matter to you, then my pick goes to the Radeon which while isn't the speedster that the ti 4200 is, it still is decent. So you tell me.

 

[Alex]

i care about 2d quality but its a gaming rig... so 4200 eh?

 

[recha]

i would go w/ gf4. they have better drivers and overall, i think they are better.

 

[imported_zenwhen]

8500... The Catalysts are going to get better... the ti4200 doesnt hold a candle to the Radeon hardware wise.

Once the drivers are juuuuuuuuuuuust right.... the Ti4200 will need one helluva detonator to catch up.

And let me tell you... the 2d difference is HUGE.

And as far as 3dmarks go... the two cards are neck and neck...

My 3D Marks

Gaming wise... the Radeon has sharper 3d image quality.

 

[SeanH]

For $168 shipped, you could get the 128mb version of the Radeon 8500 anyway.. (newegg.com) Of course, the 64mb is less.

 

[Alex]

over at sharkyextreme the radeon8500 really gets whipped by all of the geforce4 ti series...

i suppose since the radeon 8500 has come out ppl have been saying that when the drivers are good they will beat nvidia but as far as im concerned the 8500 is in the same ballpark as gf3ti500 and it beats it soundly... i was thinking the r250 would be a g4 ti killer and the r300 would compete with the next generation geforce?

also i suppose the extra 64meg radeon is relatively cheap but how much of a performance difference will that make? im in love with ATI 2d though and got disgusted by what my old viper2 offered when i installed it last week... :disgust:

 

[kami]

Get the GF4 ti4200.

Gaming wise... the Radeon has sharper 3d image quality.

Where did you get this?
Also, look at these screenshots. The Ti4200 looks sharper to me. Look at the floor and the player's face in the bottom-middle.

 

[sep]

Your other machine has the 8500. I would recommend you pull this from that machine, put it in your existing and give it a wirl. Then go get your self a ti4200 from Circut City (15 day return policy...I think). Put it and compare the two. Problem solved.

When will you be purchasing? If soon get an 8500 for under $100, add cooling and overclock. Bank the rest of the money and start saving because you might need a new one soon for the latest games (DoomIII, UT2003, etc). If possible sell you existing for about $50 and get a ti4400. Good Luck!

 

[Alex]

i wish, but the rig with an 8500 is just a 'dream rig' kinda... haven't updated in a while, as you can tell by the 8500 featuring there as top pick instead of ti4600

im gonna buy in early september...

 

[SeanH]

Wait, you're not buying the new card until September? If so, by then, ATI may have released a new card, or just an updated 8500..

Maybe I misundertsood?

 

[Alex]

true... but im on a budget so ill stick to the 2 options in the title... although a new card = lower prices for current cards!

 

[rudder]

well you can get the 8500 for around $99 now. Use the extra $50 to go out on a date at least. The 8500 should hold you for a while. I've got one paired with a 1.8ghz and it runs everything silky smoot. When doomIII comes out in a year or two, then I will get an r300 for $99.

 

[Hendrik]

Hey franguinho, you say this is going to be your college computer. You also say it's supposed to be a gaming rig. I am confused! What are you planning to study at college?

Given that I want you to read more and play games less, I'd say go with the Radeon, it will make reading more of a pleasure and gaming more of a pain relatively speaking.

 

[FalseChristian]

I'd go with the 8500. Just make sure it's a 128MB !RETAIL! RADEON 8500 (Built by ATI) which'll have a 275Mhz core and 275Mhz (550 DDR) memory. It's more feature-rich than the GeFart TI4200 and costs alot less.

 

[Alex]

Originally posted by: Hendrik
Hey franguinho, you say this is going to be your college computer. You also say it's supposed to be a gaming rig. I am confused! What are you planning to study at college?

Given that I want you to read more and play games less, I'd say go with the Radeon, it will make reading more of a pleasure and gaming more of a pain relatively speaking.

lol well it is my gaming rig that i will use in college

 

[ivanov]

gf4 ti4200... i'd get that

 

[rogue1979]

I just got a Radeon 8500LE and it overclocked to 295/322 nicely. Problem is the drivers (including catalysts) are still not as solid as Nvidia's. Also it was not stable on any fsb speed above 151MHz. The 2D thing is a myth, my Gainward Geforce 2 Ti 500 with the low-pass capacitor mod was sharper than the 8500 in 2D and 3D. I was never able to find one driver that played all my games without problems. Get the Geforce 4 Ti 4200.