Which 9800Pro?

[Kalisperas]

I'm planning on getting a Radeon 9800Pro to replace my Ti4200, but after looking at Newegg, I'm not sure which one to go with. I can't spend over $230, and there are several in this price range, but they all look nearly identical. There are 2 or 3 each from both Sapphire and PowerColor. Is one of these brands better than the other? I noticed a couple of the cards were OEM, and that I understand, but other than that, can anyone offer any advice of which of the under $230 9800Pro's to go with?

 

[randumb]

Sapphire (which manufactures ATI's cards) is generally considered better than Powercolor.

 

[johnjkr1]

I really like the sapphire ultimate edition or the HIS iceq model. They run alot quieter with their no fan or queit fan add-on heatsinks. The only one you really want to avoid is the 128bit memory sapphire for $172. Other than that, some will have a better bundle (half life 2, etc). The OEM models also might have less warranty.

 

[dudeman007]

I would have to say that personally, I'd go with the basic ati one. To me, they're just reliable. I bought a powercolor 9200 se a while back, and that's worked fine for me. Go look at pricewatch.com for some 9800 pros. I'm looking right now and the first time I see is a Sapphire 9800 pro atlantis for 169 bucks.

 

[johnjkr1]

Yep, but you now have to watch out for 128bit crippled 9800 pro's from sapphire.