What's a better video card for gaming X800 XT or a vanilla 6800?

[Hav0k99]

I play Battlefield 2 and Counter Strike Source

 

[morgash]

x800xt hands down. thats not even a possible discussion, the x800xt will destroy the 6800vanilla in ANY and EVERY possible scenario. Its only shortcoming is its lack of SM 3.0. I am an nvidia fan and i wouldnt even dare call them close. no arguments here, ur question is answered.

Morgash

*EDIT* It also doesnt help the 6800 that u listed two games that are HEAVILY ATI biased lol.

 

[Hav0k99]

What about 6800 Ultra vs X800 XT?

 

[morgash]

for those two gams i would once again go with the x800xt. its a closer call but D3D games are always in favor of ATI while open GL is nvidia's domain. The valve engine is ATI's bitch soo...

 

[BassBomb]

X800XT for CSS
6800U for BF2

 

[Dman877]

Either card will suffice for those games but the X800 will allow more aa/af.

 

[CFP]

Between a 6800U and an X800XT, I would pick the former.

Now, with a 6800 vanilla and an X800XT, going with the former would be idiotic at best.

People underestimate the power of the X800XT - it will net you about 7000 in '05 - the only drawback is lack of SM3.0 and therefore, lack of true HDR rendering.

 

[Elfear]

I've used both a 6800GT@Ultra speeds and an X800XT PE (+20MHz over regular XT) and the X800 was faster in all the games I owned at the time, including Source-based games. Not sure about BF2 though, you'll have to find some benchmarks covering that game.

 

[The Green Bean]

x800xt

 

[akshayt]

I would take a 6800GT/ultra over a X800XT for the lack of 3.0 which is present in each and every game out there

 

[1Dark1Sharigan1]

I wouldn't even consider SM 3.0 an issue since the 6800 series cards are too slow to run HDR and such anyway . . .

 

[dguy6789]

X850XTPE>X850XT=X800XTPE>X800XT>6800Ultra>6800GT>6800


SM3 is a moderately nice feature, but I have not seen enough of it to call it necessary.

 

[akshayt]

No, SM3.0 is very very important.
There are just too many games, infact all that support sm3.0, even a 6600GT feels its benefits and cards like 6800gt will definitely enjoy it.

 

[Sunrise089]

Originally posted by: akshayt
No, SM3.0 is very very important.
There are just too many games, infact all that support sm3.0, even a 6600GT feels its benefits and cards like 6800gt will definitely enjoy it.

You're kidding right? A 6600GT with HDR on modern games? What resolutions do you game at?

OP - I would recommend ATI over nVidia hands down at the X800/X850 vs 6800 level right now, since ATI will offer better overal performance now and in the future, and nVidia's better features will no lonfer be playable in modern games.

 

[cubeless]

Originally posted by: CedricFP
Between a 6800U and an X800XT, I would pick the former.

Now, with a 6800 vanilla and an X800XT, going with the former would be idiotic at best.

People underestimate the power of the X800XT - it will net you about 7000 in '05 - the only drawback is lack of SM3.0 and therefore, lack of true HDR rendering.

7k might be a bit optimistic... i haven't quite got there even with a reasonable oc (540/1200) on an 850xt... neither did tom vga charts

and i have to pile on about the sm3 debate... the games that use it probably need more horsepower than these cards deliver... if u have an sli mobo, though, the 6800 might be a little more tempting as (in same chart) since u can crawl along now and then add another once your piggy fills back up... but then, i'm betting getter than 6800usli with a single x1800xt512 that only cost $275...

 

[acegazda]

ditto to pretty much evrything said...
x1800xt for $225 shipped...even better. (256 mb version... still a force)

x1800xt256mb

 

[imported_killuminati]

well the X1800XT is best choice for a little more .
u can even get a X1800GTO and Geforce 7600GT , if budget is less .

Peace & ciao !!!

 

[BassBomb]

he didnt state agp vs pcie

 

[acegazda]

go with pci-e just becasue future games will utilize the x16 pathway.
right now there is little advantage other than most high end cards are now pci-e.

 

[Sunrise089]

One more question: is there any place that anyone can actually buy 6800 Ultras for reasonable $$$? Last time I checked they were marked up to insane levels.

 

[Kromis]

Not really. They are really high because they 6800 series are like that. THe 6800GS isn't as high but that's because it's cheaper to produce (?)

 

[Noema]

The 6800Ultra should outperform the X800XT in most, if not all benchmarks.

A X800XT will destroy the vanilla 6800 though.

 

[Munky]

Read these benchmarks:
http://www.computerbase.de/artikel/hard.../2006/test_powercolor_radeon_x1900_gt/
They have an x850xt, a 6800u, and a bunch of other cards. A x850xt is the same as an x800xt pe, both of which are about 5% faster than a x800xt.

The x800xt and the 6800u are about equal in performance, each wins a few and loses a few benches. But between a x800xt and a 6800 vanilla it's not even a contest.

And SM3 is useless on these cards. SM3 is mosltly used for high detail shaders, so if the card is not fast enough to run a game with maxed out shader detail then SM3 will only enable a nice looking slide show.

 

[acegazda]

ure right they are expensive and can't compete with the x1800xt or the 7900gt for that matter.
They're kinda outdated for the money. Maybe wait for the 7950 gtx to come out... see wat happens to the prices.

 

[CFP]

Originally posted by: cubeless

Originally posted by: CedricFP
Between a 6800U and an X800XT, I would pick the former.

Now, with a 6800 vanilla and an X800XT, going with the former would be idiotic at best.

People underestimate the power of the X800XT - it will net you about 7000 in '05 - the only drawback is lack of SM3.0 and therefore, lack of true HDR rendering.

7k might be a bit optimistic... i haven't quite got there even with a reasonable oc (540/1200) on an 850xt... neither did tom vga charts

and i have to pile on about the sm3 debate... the games that use it probably need more horsepower than these cards deliver... if u have an sli mobo, though, the 6800 might be a little more tempting as (in same chart) since u can crawl along now and then add another once your piggy fills back up... but then, i'm betting getter than 6800usli with a single x1800xt512 that only cost $275...

With my X800GTO2 @ 16pv6 @ 540/580 I was netting 7032 3dmarks.