Wich card should i buy!?!?! o_O?

[elnica]

Hello everyone, first time posting on AnandTech, i've been reading for a while on the forums but anyways, i'm planning on upgrading my system, i have a Dell Dimension 9200, i bought it September 2007 my specs are

CPU: Q6600 2.4Ghz
RAM: 4GB DDR2 800 OCZ
HD: 320Gb SATA
PSU: Stock 375Watt Dell PSU
MB: Asus P5K
Monitor: Dell 19" (1440x900)

Well i want to buy a new video card, cause that ugly 8400 is actually not cutting it anymore lol, plus i want better graphics now, i got tired of playing cheap

the cards i have in mind are 9800GTX or 9800GTX+ wich are at good prices, but im open to suggestiongs and i will have to buy a new PSU i'm almost sure about that, i saw the Corsair 620Watts with modular cabling but again i'm open to suggestiongs, right now i got around 300$ maybe a lil more for this, so im not sure yet if i should buy the PSU or GPU first, cause prices could go up or as well go down i'm not sure about all that and need feedback X_X

thanks in advance

 

[happy medium]

At 1400x900 I would grab one of those 100$ 9800gt's and you shouldn't need a psu ugrade with it either.

Save yourself 200$

Edit: If you play with a 8400 now you should be more then happy with the 9800gt. It's like 4x faster. You should be able to play all games with high settings besides Crysis.

Welcome to the forums by the way.

 

[elnica]

thank you, so u say the 9800GT, but what about future games, could the 9800GT handle them? so no need for the 9800GTX, then emm sounds interesting, but i read that the 9800gt is just like the 8800GT so im confused :S, well i currently playing fallout 3, is there any dual slot 9800GT?

Edit: what could happend if the psu cant handle the card?

 

[BenSkywalker]

It depends on how much performance you are looking for really.

If it was me, I'd seriously consider picking up a 9600GT making sure you won't need a PSU and pairing that with a 22" screen, I think your overall enjoyment would be better that way then getting what would offer you the highest performance on that small screen(probably a 260GTX or 4870 with a PSU upgrade). That should run you right around $300.

The 9800GT may end up working with your PSU, but it runs about 40% more then a 9600GT for ~10% more performance, the GTX+ is poorer still in terms of performance per dollar spent. Yes, those parts are indeed faster but their price premium is out of line with the amount of performance they offer IMO, and your gaming experience would see almost no benefit going with one of them over something like the 9600GT on a display as small as yours. Of course, when you got the new display then you would benefit from the faster parts, so it is a bit of a catch 22 but as of now the 9600 can still run pretty much everything at high settings at 1680x1050 at very playable speeds. If you go with the improved display + vid card upgrade by the time you really need more power you will be able to get a lot better performance for your money then what you can now.

 

[elnica]

so 9600 gt, would i able to play at my native resolution maxed out? or almost maxed out?

 

[JPB]

ASUS 9800GT Dual Slot

 

[FalseChristian]

I don't think you'd happy with the slow-ass 9600GT. You want a 9800GT (8800GT) or better.:thumbsup:

 

[happy medium]

Originally posted by: JPB

ASUS 9800GT Dual Slot

This card is made with the new 55nm process,(as per newegg reviews) uses less power (hybrid power) then the normal 9800gt, duel slot (runs cooler), and is much faster then the 9600gt (epecially with future games because the amount of shaders).

Seems like a good choice. It's a little more exspensive then the average 9800gt but seems to be exactly what you are looking for. 129.00$ AR

Good call JPB

 

[Denithor]

Future games...

You're better off spending $100 today for a card that runs today's games and spending another $100 in a year to play the games out then. If you spend $200 on a card today planning to wait two years -- you'll be disappointed with performance in 1-1.5 years and be begging for an upgrade by the end of the second year.

BTW, buy.com has the Corsair 520HX (modular, plenty strong for any single video card) for about $90 after rebate. So spend about $200 now and save that $100 for an upgrade next year.

 

[BenSkywalker]

so 9600 gt, would i able to play at my native resolution maxed out? or almost maxed out?

On your current monitor? You should be able to easily- some benches. The 9800GT is identical in performance to the 8800GT to frame it for you. After rebate right now you can get a 9600GT for $70(versus just over $100 for the 9800GT), max settings in Oblivion at 12x10 there is a 2.4FPS difference, at 1680x1050(native for 22") there is a 5.7FPS difference. That is running Oblivion which is a fairly run of the mill game currently, Crysis OTOH, will slaughter either one of the parts you are talking about. That is my main focus when looking at the two boards, it would be very rare that say a 9800GT will give you a playable setting that the 9600GT wouldn't handle. The difference between the two parts is fairly small.

Some 9800gtx+ numbers to look at. With the GTX+ pushing $150 on the street price and the likely need for a new PSU, you are realisticly looking at double the price over a 9800GT, due to that I would think if you were leaning in that direction it may be better to go with a 4870/260GTX(some numbers) both of which can be had for a bit over $200 and likely can be had with a new PSU for around your $300 price point. As I stated earlier though, I think in terms of overall impact you would probably be more pleased with a slightly slower graphics card and a larger monitor.

 

[happy medium]

Yea,but Oblivion is old News.

Try to run a 9600gt with a more modern (shader heavy game like Crysis) and the 9600gt falls on its face. (25% slower)


http://www.tomshardware.com/re...e-9600-gt,1780-13.html


Far cry 2 performance. ( note the 4670=9600gt)
The 9800gt beats it by 25% at your resolution

http://www.guru3d.com/article/...view-his-technology/13

It gets smoked with Call of duty4 and Brothers in Arms too here.
(note the 4670more or less =to a 9600gt)

http://www.guru3d.com/article/...eview-his-technology/9

 

[BenSkywalker]

Max quality Crysis numbers 25% slower then a 8800GT, well, not quite. The (factory)OCd 9600GT bests the 8800GT in all but one setting. The non OCd version is right behind it.

CoD4 is close to the same At 1680x1050 w/aa the OCd 9600GT is faster then the 8800GT.

Mass Effect, more of the same. I'm not sure where you got the 4670 is equal to the 9600, maybe one review with really messed up numbers? Almost across the board the 9600GT is less then 10% slower then the 9800GT worst case- at 1680x1050 the gap rarely approaches that much.

There is very little difference in performance between a 9800/8800GT and a 9600GT, certainly nothing close to warranting the 40% price difference we currently are seeing(given, that is AR).

 

[happy medium]

Best prices I could find on newegg.........

9800gt 100$AR

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814162017

9600gt 70$AR

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814162007

Thats 30% with my math.

Now is the 9600gt 30% slower? no.

Will the 64sp's on the 9600gt cripple it before the 9800gt's 112sp's. Yes

That's where you get your moneys worth.
So more performance now and even better performance later.
I say spend the 30 bucks for the 40%+ extra shaders. Wouldn't you?

 

[SorryImLate]

Originally posted by: FalseChristian
I don't think you'd happy with the slow-ass 9600GT. You want a 9800GT (8800GT) or better.:thumbsup:

Yea why go with a 9600gt when the 9800gt's are so cheap and faster.

 

[SolMiester]

Originally posted by: elnica
so 9600 gt, would i able to play at my native resolution maxed out? or almost maxed out?

Hi, I have the 96GT paired with the same cpu as your but clocked @ 3ghz. I have a 20" LCD w\ 1680*1050 and have no problems running any games so far. I have GRID and COD4, though a do turn down the details for crysis, but i guess everyone does.

The 96GT will be a great combo w\ your 14*p res and as stated, you may not have to upgrade the PSU

 

[SolMiester]

Originally posted by: happy medium
Yea,but Oblivion is old News.

Try to run a 9600gt with a more modern (shader heavy game like Crysis) and the 9600gt falls on its face. (25% slower)


http://www.tomshardware.com/re...e-9600-gt,1780-13.html


Far cry 2 performance. ( note the 4670=9600gt)
The 9800gt beats it by 25% at your resolution

http://www.guru3d.com/article/...view-his-technology/13

It gets smoked with Call of duty4 and Brothers in Arms too here.
(note the 4670more or less =to a 9600gt)

http://www.guru3d.com/article/...eview-his-technology/9

I dont understand that, I have the 96GT and crysis is fine 16*10, 35FPS is okay for 12*10 when you consider crysis brings any card to its knees

 

[elnica]

so the choice is between the 9600GT or the 9800GT, emm if i get a 9800GT ill need a new PSU , but if i end up getting a new psu wouldnt be better just to get the 9800GTX+ wich is around 190$ ?! on the other side, last card i got was the X850Pro from ATI but it game me lots of problems so i dont trust much of Ati anymore:S, crashes and all that. getting a 9800GTX would prolong the time for my next upgrade i suppose, but how much time ? but what about getting a 9600 or 9800 GT? how much would it be able to keep up?

 

[scruffypup]

With the 9800 GT you don't need a new PSU per se,... it should be fine, though at the limit I would say, keep in mind if you want to add more harddrives, fans, USB devices, etc, you then need a PSU upgrade,...

The decision is how much you want now from performance and how much you want to spend. The 9600 and 9800 cards are good choices for now and keeping cost in check,... the 9800 would be a bit better since you want to upgrade your monitor in the very near future. The extra gpu power might come in handy if you get a nice monitor and go at higher resolutions,.... take the extra money from what you were considering with the slightly higher graphics card and psu you were considering to get a solid monitor,... monitor's can be a very valuable investment as they don't get outdated every 6 months!!!

Just my 2 cents,...

 

[happy medium]

Originally posted by: scruffypup
With the 9800 GT you don't need a new PSU per se,... it should be fine, though at the limit I would say, keep in mind if you want to add more harddrives, fans, USB devices, etc, you then need a PSU upgrade,...

The decision is how much you want now from performance and how much you want to spend. The 9600 and 9800 cards are good choices for now and keeping cost in check,... the 9800 would be a bit better since you want to upgrade your monitor in the very near future. The extra gpu power might come in handy if you get a nice monitor and go at higher resolutions,.... take the extra money from what you were considering with the slightly higher graphics card and psu you were considering to get a solid monitor,... monitor's can be a very valuable investment as they don't get outdated every 6 months!!!

Just my 2 cents,...

:thumbsup:

 

[BenSkywalker]

Thats 30% with my math.

The 9600GT is 30% cheaper then the 9800GT, the 9800GT is 42.857% more expensive then the 9600GT. Usually when discussing prices most people compare percentages based on the less expensive part. Not saying you are incorrect in using 30%, just depends on which way you factor it.

Will the 64sp's on the 9600gt cripple it before the 9800gt's 112sp's. Yes

If the chips were absolutely identical you would tend to think that, but putting the boards under the highest shader load in any game currently available it doesn't end up that way. The OCd 9600GT actually comes out slightly ahead.

I say spend the 30 bucks for the 40%+ extra shaders. Wouldn't you?

No, you are ignoring clock rate and far more importantly you are ignoring real world performance. Will the 9800GT end up being faster, yes- but how much, at what res and when is the question. Given the users current monitor or the hypothetical 22" the 9800GT is never going to show any kind of major performance advantage. 24" and higher seems to be the place where the 9800GT shows its' biggest edge, and that is versus a reference clocked part, the one you linked to will end up being 5%-6% slower then a 9800GT both run as is out of the box. An extra 40%(or 30% cheaper if you prefer) for an extra 6% performance in certain situations is hardly worth it IMO, but if the OP thinks it is ultimately it is his call.

 

[elnica]

by the way i forgot to mention my mobo is PCI-E 1 :S so i guess that kinda limits me dont know for how much , whats the diference in performance how much do i lose for examen if i add a 9800GT or GTX with a pci-e 1 conection?

 

[elnica]

by the way i forgot to mention my mobo is PCI-E 1 :S so i guess that kinda limits me dont know for how much , whats the diference in performance how much do i lose for examen if i add a 9800GT or GTX with a pci-e 1 conection?

 

[elnica]

i forgot to mention my computer has PCI-E 1, so i guess my cards will never run to its full potential, well i guess , is it much the lost of the performance ?

 

[happy medium]

Originally posted by: BenSkywalker

Thats 30% with my math.

The 9600GT is 30% cheaper then the 9800GT, the 9800GT is 42.857% more expensive then the 9600GT. Usually when discussing prices most people compare percentages based on the less expensive part. Not saying you are incorrect in using 30%, just depends on which way you factor it.

Will the 64sp's on the 9600gt cripple it before the 9800gt's 112sp's. Yes

If the chips were absolutely identical you would tend to think that, but putting the boards under the highest shader load <<<in any game currently available it doesn't end up that way. The OCd 9600GT actually comes out slightly ahead.

I say spend the 30 bucks for the 40%+ extra shaders. Wouldn't you?

No, you are ignoring clock rate and far more importantly you are ignoring real world performance. Will the 9800GT end up being faster, yes- but how much, at what res and when is the question. Given the users current monitor or the hypothetical 22" the 9800GT is never going to show any kind of major performance advantage. 24" and higher seems to be the place where the 9800GT shows its' biggest edge, and that is versus a reference clocked part, the one you linked to will end up being 5%-6% slower then a 9800GT both run as is out of the box. An extra 40%(or 30% cheaper if you prefer) for an extra 6% performance in certain situations is hardly worth it IMO, but if the OP thinks it is ultimately it is his call.

I remember reading benchmarks of the x1950xt and the 7900gtx
with games from that era and they were close ,but later as games became more shader intensive the 1950 was putting a woopen on the 7900gtx. Mabe I can dig up some benches for you?

I see the same thing happening here. It's allready happening with Crysis and other more modern games (Stalker,Farcry2 ect. ect.).

Time will tell?

Edit: copied from a x1900xtx vs 7900gtx review.

To cut the long story short, Gigabyte Radeon X1900 XTX and Gigabyte GeForce 7900 GTX have their advantages and drawbacks and it all depends on the game. The performance of Gigabyte?s both flagship solutions is quite high for gaming with enabled full-screen antialiasing, however if we look at them from the long-term prospective, then the ATI R580 model will be preferable, because the <shader effects with complex math1ematical calculations is going to grow bigger with the time.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articl...900-7900_20.html#sect0

 

[edplayer]

suprised no one has mentioned the 4850 yet (or maybe I just missed it)

Originally posted by: elnica..., right now i got around 300$ maybe a lil more for this, so im not sure yet if i should buy the PSU or GPU first, cause prices could go up or as well go down i'm not sure about all that and need feedback X_X

thanks in advance

Figure out which card you want first. If you go with the 9600GT, you are OK with your current ps. If you go with a more powerful one, you might need a better psu. Check the Hot Deals section to find good deals (a good quality 500W would be find for you). Maybe buy that first when its on sale, videocard prices will keep dropping. PSU generally stay about the same price but there are lots of sales that pop up where you could save a good amount.