Will 256MB really be better than 128MB for the cost

[Kinesis]

Hope someone can give me the straight goods on this. For the new system I am buiilding I am planning to put a ATI Radeon 9800 Pro in it. Now should I get the 128MB or the 256MB version? About $100 bucks difference (here in Canada).

Would I see enought of a difference or benefit when plainning games? I am planning to get 2GB of DDR Ram. Is that overkill for the "average" computer user/programmer/gamer to have?

Would the on-board RAM (being 2GB) be enough to compensate for the difference between 128 and 256MB on the video card?

Thanks in advance!

 

[UK Frost]

There is no way i would pay the extra for that card.There is about £120 difference here in the UK.
Before i bought the XT i looked into getting one of those two cards and the fps on all games were exactly the same until reaching a resolution of 1600x1200 and even then the advantage was slight.
The memory onboard is also slower and runs hotter than that of the 128 meg variant.

I'd go with the 128meg by a good manafacturer.

 

[Yanagi]

I woiuld suggest that you go with "only" 1gb ram to start with. 1gb is plenty and I doubt yoiu will need any more.

People seems to have different opinions here regarding 128 and 256 mb mem for the 9800PRO But with that kind of prize difference I would go with the 128 mb one. You wont see that much improvement, if any at all, with the 256 mb version anyway.

 

[DaveSimmons]

2 GB RAM is complete overkill -- get 1 GB and either keep the money or perhaps get an ATI X800 Pro.

The 9800 Pro 256 is not a good value.

 

[stevty2889]

1 Gig of ram is more than enough. As for the video card, get the 128MB version, the 256MB is not worth the cost, and it also uses slower memory.

 

[DotheDamnTHing]

get the 128 and flash it to an xt

 

[JBT]

2GB is a waste unless you do alot of photoshop etc. as for the Video card go for a 128MB the 256 is a rip unless you can get it for cheap.

 

[CraigRT]

I had the option of going 256 or 128.. 128 hands down...
in 90% of the benchmarks there is no difference in speed.

 

[nick1985]

no

 

[KillaKilla]

Jeez, I'm amazed noone has said this yet, but:

Get 2x512MB RAM, 1GB total (your system will almost never have a benefit from 2 gigs, unless you want to have Doom3, Half-life 2 and PlanetSide running all at once (those are the three most RAM intensive games I can think of).

With the money you saved on RAM, get a 6800GT, It's a very good OCing card (if your into that) and it runs equal, if not just slightly faster than the X800Pro. It also runs Doom3 and, logically, Doom3 based games much better and it is predicted to run HL² roughly the same. While I myself usually prefer ATI, NVidia has done a very good job on this one.

 

[biostud]

Originally posted by: KillaKilla
Jeez, I'm amazed noone has said this yet, but:

Get 2x512MB RAM, 1GB total (your system will almost never have a benefit from 2 gigs, unless you want to have Doom3, Half-life 2 and PlanetSide running all at once (those are the three most RAM intensive games I can think of).

With the money you saved on RAM, get a 6800GT, It's a very good OCing card (if your into that) and it runs equal, if not just slightly faster than the X800Pro. It also runs Doom3 and, logically, Doom3 based games much better and it is predicted to run HL² roughly the same. While I myself usually prefer ATI, NVidia has done a very good job on this one.

2nd'

 

[Budman]

Originally posted by: DotheDamnTHing
get the 128 and flash it to an xt

:thumbsup:

 

[JBT]

Originally posted by: KillaKilla
Jeez, I'm amazed noone has said this yet, but:

Get 2x512MB RAM, 1GB total (your system will almost never have a benefit from 2 gigs, unless you want to have Doom3, Half-life 2 and PlanetSide running all at once (those are the three most RAM intensive games I can think of).

With the money you saved on RAM, get a 6800GT, It's a very good OCing card (if your into that) and it runs equal, if not just slightly faster than the X800Pro. It also runs Doom3 and, logically, Doom3 based games much better and it is predicted to run HL² roughly the same. While I myself usually prefer ATI, NVidia has done a very good job on this one.

uhh I am not sure if I should have my sarcastic hat on but I think about every one has said don't get 2 GB's?

 

[KillaKilla]

Originally posted by: JBT

Originally posted by: KillaKilla
Jeez, I'm amazed noone has said this yet, but:

Get 2x512MB RAM, 1GB total (your system will almost never have a benefit from 2 gigs, unless you want to have Doom3, Half-life 2 and PlanetSide running all at once (those are the three most RAM intensive games I can think of).

With the money you saved on RAM, get a 6800GT, It's a very good OCing card (if your into that) and it runs equal, if not just slightly faster than the X800Pro. It also runs Doom3 and, logically, Doom3 based games much better and it is predicted to run HL² roughly the same. While I myself usually prefer ATI, NVidia has done a very good job on this one.

uhh I am not sure if I should have my sarcastic hat on but I think about every one has said don't get 2 GB's?

I was saying noone had mentioned to get the 6800GT, which they had not.

 

[Whitedog]

This is a good one...

"PLANNING on getting a 9800 Pro..."

"PLANNING on getting 2GB memory..."


So, you're planning on getting an OLD Video card and putting in 2x Un-needed system ram. Not very good planning if you ask me.

Just do like everyone is saying...

PLAN on getting 1GB memory and a GOOD video card. X800 or the nVidia counterpart.

 

[Kinesis]

Thanks for the point of "logic" WhiteDog, for it is a good one. But saying the 9800pro is an old card is not really the issue, as you have to consider its rankings in comparison to equal cards that tend to be more expensive. It is still the only decent 256Bit Card DX9 compatible that is under $500 bucks here in Canada. It is times like this that I wish I lived in the US. Prices are not (well to my eyes anyway) as extremely variant for computer products as they are here. Here it is as variable as what you have in your wallet to donate both kidneys and a lung for something new on the block

2GB of RAM seems to be out. I just thought that it would be a good idea to avoid having to by more in the not so distant future. When I built my last system (granted it was some time ago) I need to upgrade the RAM twice in about a year to match what was being used at the time. Could have been poor planning I will admit (hey didn't have they help of you great people here ). As for the video card, I know things change so fast, so I had planned on needing to upgrade in a year or so. Maybe!

But all the points you folks have pointed out are sound and GREATLY appreciated. I thank you....as does my pocket book! Just going to be hard to see the Price of the X-800 Pro (@ $650 now) drop over the next year. Such is the way of life!

 

[Quasmo]

Not much is going to need over 1.5 gbs of ram in the next 3 years... (hopefully) but by then when you upgrade your system, you'll probably want faster ram, so there is no point in preparing for the future right now as when you want to upgade down the line, most of the stuff will be alot cheaper. I'd say get 1gb of ram and possibly an x800pro VIVO and flash it to an XT, I did, worked like a charm.

 

[WobbleWobble]

If you're looking at the 9800 Pro take a look at Futureshop. It's $250 CAD after rebates. I'm almost ready to buy that card myself.

I believe all BBA 9800 Pro 256MB have R360 cores and are flashable to XT. Not all 9800 Pro 128MB are R360s, but any recently purchased 128MB version should be the new R360 core and flashable to XT, just lacking the extra 128MB memory.

If you're not thinking of flashing, just stay with the 128MB version.

Non-built-by-ATI cards I don't know.

 

[KoolAidKid]

The amount of memory (system or video) that many recommend seems to have little relation to what you actually need. The standard line goes like this: "You could get by with x, but I would get 2x just to be safe." Then wait 6 months, and even though the set of applications that you use on your computer haven't changed much at all, the same people will tell you that you now need 4x to be "safe".

Anyway, buy the 128 over the 256. By the time the extra memory will make any difference at all you will want a new card anyway.

 

[Acanthus]

If you play MMORPGS 1GB+ is reccomended, for almost every other situation 1GB is fine.

Planetside, EQ, DAOC, FFXI, SWG, and WoW can all consume more than 1GB of memory when there are a lot of players on screen (in cities or on raids), this can be the difference between 5fps and 35fps.

 

[imported_jediknight]

2GB is probably not necessary right now, although if you're concerned about not having enough memory, get a 1GB stick instead of 2x512, if you're running a S754 A64.

I wouldn't go for the X800/6800 series cards right now.. they're still overpriced due to lack of availability..

 

[Aganack1]

if you get the ati 9800 pro 256 mb you can flash the bios to run as a 9800 xt, but if you wont be flashing the bios just get a 128...

 

[Markfw]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
2 GB RAM is complete overkill -- get 1 GB and either keep the money or perhaps get an ATI X800 Pro.

The 9800 Pro 256 is not a good value.

Well said.... The 256 won;t help much in the 9800, but the X800 pro can use it in the latest games (doom3 and the like)

 

[Kinesis]

Hmmm, well from what I have been reading and getting from you comments is that I should sacrifice the extra RAM (in both cases) and get a Better Card.

So I am now agreeing with this assessment and trying to decide between the X-800 pro and the Nvidia 6800. Similar Prices so I think I will let fate lead me. I know...not very wise


But the total system price has changed little with this "new" enlightenment. So that makes me happy!

 

[Jeff7181]

I see people saying you don't need this, you don't need that.

Lemme ask you a question, Kinesis. How long do you plan on keeping this setup you're putting together? Over a year? Then DEFINATELY go for 2 GB of RAM and a 256 MB video card.