So...everyone suggesting this new 6600GT...

[VeZ]

Since its only 128 bit, how much will that take off of its capabilities? I wonder if asome company will try to boost it up to 256 bit, if they did then i would sure jump on this card, but right now i dont know what to do, my card right now is 256 bit so going down to 128 bit is weird for me

 

[Keysplayr]

Then your minimum purchase would be a 6800nu or X800pro.

 

[VeZ]

well im mainly asking, cause i see in benchmarks it beating the 9800 pro and doing really well, but whats the diff from that 128 and the 256 bit

 

[Sonic587]

Check out benches between a 6600 GT and a vanilla 6800. The 6600 GT chokes at high resolutions or with lots of AA/AF. That's mostly due to the impact of the 128-bit memory bus.

 

[Schadenfroh]

Originally posted by: VeZ
well im mainly asking, cause i see in benchmarks it beating the 9800 pro and doing really well, but whats the diff from that 128 and the 256 bit

you got to take into account clock speeds of the RAM, 9800 pro uses 680MHz, 6600GT uses 1ghz. so, memory bandwidth would be less, but not as bad as if it were using the same type of ram, at medium to low resolutions, this is probably not an issue.

 

[VeZ]

So if i just wanted 1028 and maybe small amounts of aa or af then i should just go with 6600 GT and forget that its only 128 bit?

 

[Schadenfroh]

Originally posted by: VeZ
So if i just wanted 1028 and maybe small amounts of aa or af then i should just go with 6600 GT and forget that its only 128 bit?

yes, see my above post, you posted slightly after i did and may not have seen my comment

 

[Keysplayr]

Originally posted by: VeZ
So if i just wanted 1028 and maybe small amounts of aa or af then i should just go with 6600 GT and forget that its only 128 bit?

You hit it right on the head.

 

[bobsmith1492]

Hey, my 5900xt (refurb for 150 months ago ) runs everything at 2xQ (basically 4x AA) and 8xAf just fine at 1024.... I'm sure the 6600 would be only better.

Wait, I take that back... that's mostly for DX 8 games; the AA doesn't fly for the DX 9 ones, but still...

 

[Avalon]

Originally posted by: VeZ
Since its only 128 bit, how much will that take off of its capabilities? I wonder if asome company will try to boost it up to 256 bit, if they did then i would sure jump on this card, but right now i dont know what to do, my card right now is 256 bit so going down to 128 bit is weird for me

A 256bit 6600 GT would be something like the 6800LE, with slower clockspeeds. The 6800LE will be a 256bit 8 pipeline card, and is going to be clocked similarily to the 6800NU. I'm betting the 6600GT would be better than the 6800LE due to its significantly higher clock speeds, though. As it is, it's already giving the 6800NU a run for its money, so what will the 6800LE be useful for? Hmm...maybe softmodding...but getting 8 locked pipes to work without artifacts is going to be a miracle I'd suspect.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: VeZ
Since its only 128 bit, how much will that take off of its capabilities? I wonder if asome company will try to boost it up to 256 bit, if they did then i would sure jump on this card, but right now i dont know what to do, my card right now is 256 bit so going down to 128 bit is weird for me

it's a BUDGET (hi-end) card. . . . If you like a fast card - at relatively LOW resolutions.

There is NO 256bit version of it - for THAT, the Standard 6800 will suffice.

Personally, i wouldn't recommend the 6600, IF there was something better in it's price point.
(there isn't)

IF i was gonna get a new videocard, i'd bite the bullet and get a 6800GT . . . anything else is a compromise.

 

[klah]

Originally posted by: VeZ
I wonder if asome company will try to boost it up to 256 bit, if they did then i would sure jump on this card

Not possible. The memory controller is part of the gpu.

 

[jiffylube1024]

Originally posted by: VeZ
Since its only 128 bit, how much will that take off of its capabilities? I wonder if asome company will try to boost it up to 256 bit, if they did then i would sure jump on this card, but right now i dont know what to do, my card right now is 256 bit so going down to 128 bit is weird for me

They do explain it in the reviews, but I'll rehash it.

The reason the 128-bit memory bandwidth is tolerable is because is has extremely fast memory (500 MHz DDR = 1000 MHz effective) on a 128-bit bus.

The Radeon 9800 Pro, for example, has 340MHz DDR memory on a 256-bit bus, which would be the equivalent of 680 MHz DDR (1360 MHz effective) on a 128-bit bus.

There is, therefore, a 36% memory bandwidth difference between the cards - large, but not an insurmountable obstacle because the 6600GT has a better/faster core: a 500 Mhz core that is more efficient than the R9800's core, clock for clock.

A Radeon 9800SE, a 128-bit card from last generation, operates at 325/290 (IIRC). The 290 Mhz memory is on a 128-bit bus so it's only equal to 580 Mhz of effective memory bandwidth, which is an insurmountable obstacle and cripples the card.


The short and skinny of what I just said: look at both the speed (MHz) and the bits.


However, the point is moot anyways because the 6600GT is PCI-Express only right now, so the 99% of us still on AGP are screwed for the time being .

 

[KevinH]

Does anybody have pricing on the 6800LE? I see the estimated prcies for the 6600GT to fall at 200 ...is hte 6800LE roughly 250 or so?

Thanks!

 

[nRollo]

Originally posted by: apoppin

Originally posted by: VeZ
Since its only 128 bit, how much will that take off of its capabilities? I wonder if asome company will try to boost it up to 256 bit, if they did then i would sure jump on this card, but right now i dont know what to do, my card right now is 256 bit so going down to 128 bit is weird for me

it's a BUDGET (hi-end) card. . . . If you like a fast card - at relatively LOW resolutions.

There is NO 256bit version of it - for THAT, the Standard 6800 will suffice.

Personally, i wouldn't recommend the 6600, IF there was something better in it's price point.
(there isn't)

IF i was gonna get a new videocard, i'd bite the bullet and get a 6800GT . . . anything else is a compromise.

You wouldn't bite the bullet and buy a GT, you bought a 9800. The 6600GT and 6800NU are the best cards at their respective pricepoints OP. (or at least will be in the case of the 6600GT)

 

[nRollo]

The reason the 128-bit memory bandwidth is tolerable is because is has extremely fast memory (500 MHz DDR = 1000 MHz effective) on a 128-bit bus.

The Radeon 9800 Pro, for example, has 340MHz DDR memory on a 256-bit bus, which would be the equivalent of 680 MHz DDR (1360 MHz effective) on a 128-bit bus.

There is, therefore, a 36% memory bandwidth difference between the cards - large, but not an insurmountable obstacle because the 6600GT has a better/faster core: a 500 Mhz core that is more efficient than the R9800's core, clock for clock.

Sheesh. I said this about 800X about the 5800U, and nobody listened........

 

[klah]

Originally posted by: KevinH
Does anybody have pricing on the 6800LE? I see the estimated prcies for the 6600GT to fall at 200 ...is hte 6800LE roughly 250 or so?

Thanks!

I think they are waiting for nv41 before they release the 6800le into retail. nv41 is supposed to be a native 12-pipe card with much fewer trans than nv40 which should help their margins compared to the current method of pared-down nv40 being sold as 6800 and 6800le.

 

[VeZ]

ah well i just looked at anandtechs review of the card, i mainly looked at the source engine stress test cause i am mainly upgrading my card for half life 2 (but will still buy more games in the future) and it looks like it performed really well, and i understand the 128 bit thing now i think. And even on some benches it beats out the x800 pro...crazy

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: VeZ
ah well i just looked at anandtechs review of the card, i mainly looked at the source engine stress test cause i am mainly upgrading my card for half life 2 (but will still buy more games in the future) and it looks like it performed really well, and i understand the 128 bit thing now i think. And even on some benches it beats out the x800 pro...crazy

the only prob is that you're gonna have to wait awhile.
(nov for agp)

The 6600GT was not an option when i got my 9800xt . . . . only the 6800 was available and i would never choose that card as it is not very future proof for a "high-end" card (say compared to the 6800gt.

your choice, if you can wait, seems quite decent for a ~$200 card . . . just don't expect to play at high res with much aa/af and great FPS . . . it is a "compromise card" - but an eXcellent one if it fits your particular needs.

 

[zephyrprime]

I wonder if asome company will try to boost it up to 256 bit,

That's just impossible. The chip probably just have the interface for it.