800 xl vs. 2x6600GTs

[HolyGerbil]

Hi all, pleasure to be here amongst other geeks. It gives me a very comforting feeling

I am in the process of building a PC for school this fall, and I have decided on all of my hardware save one: The graphics card.

I had originally ordered a Sapphire x800 xl ultimate from ZipZoomFly, along with a good amount of my software, but it turns out they were out of stock (although it was clearly in stock on the site when i ordered)

Is this a sign from above? Could it mean that god him/herself is telling me not to buy this card? Divine intervention aside, this incident has made me go through a few dozen more reviews and forum threads, reading up on both cards.

The fact is, with a $325 price tag on the XL U ($280 for a regular XL), and a $170 price tage for an XFX 6600gt, I am faced with a dillema...should I go for a single x800 xl PCIe, with its 256 megs of vmem and beefy pipelines, or should I take two 6600 GT's and run them in SLI, for about the same price?

From the reviews I have read, the 6600 gt's in SLI mode generally smoke the x800 xl in theoretical benchmarks, and seesaw back and forth in games. The other thing I worry about is the future of the two cards, as in which card will be better suited to survive newer games and programs?

I would really appreciate any help on this.

Pan

 

[shabby]

Skip the 6600's in sli, get the 6800gt.

 

[bunnyfubbles]

How can you decide on all of your hardware if you don't even know if you're doing SLI or not? Don't forget that SLI boards will cost you more until nVidia's planned price drops come into effect (to compete with Crossfire).

Unless you're building this PC in the fall, I'd say go with an nF4 Ultra board and a single card solution (and save money) vs. SLI as it still is more of a toy than clear cut functional superiority, although it is getting better/more practical.

 

[Emultra]

Why do you need a gaming-class video card for a school computer anyway, if I may ask?

 

[HolyGerbil]

Originally posted by: bunnyfubbles
How can you decide on all of your hardware if you don't even know if you're doing SLI or not? Don't forget that SLI boards will cost you more until nVidia's planned price drops come into effect (to compete with Crossfire).

Unless you're building this PC in the fall, I'd say go with an nF4 Ultra board and a single card solution (and save money) vs. SLI as it still is more of a toy than clear cut functional superiority, although it is getting better/more practical.

Whoa whoa whoa, Ive already gotten most of my pc parts delivered, im going to use an Asus a8n ali-deluxe for my mobo, which of course is SLI capable. If you mean that I should have saved money if i decided to do a one card solution, I just decided to play it safe and get an SLI mobo.

Originally posted by: Emultra
Why do you need a gaming-class video card for a school computer anyway, if I may ask?

hehhehheh well it will be a gaming pc as well
Its college! LAN parties galore! And also, this will be my first somewhat high end PC, as I have been using the family Dell's all of my life :S I also want it to last as long as possible without needing to upgrade

 

[Emultra]

Welcome to the world of real computers. It may be a bit of a hassle to assemble one for the first time, but unlike Dells and other pre-built model computers, you'll know it inside out. And no stupid warranties to break if you want to open the case and poke around a bit, maybe add a chassi fan or two.

 

[HolyGerbil]

Originally posted by: Emultra
Welcome to the world of real computers. It may be a bit of a hassle to assemble one for the first time, but unlike Dells and other pre-built model computers, you'll know it inside out. And no stupid warranties to break if you want to open the case and poke around a bit, maybe add a chassi fan or two.

Thanks, it seems like alotta fun

Originally posted by: shabby
Skip the 6600's in sli, get the 6800gt.

Good point...so would it be worth the extra 60 or so to get a 6800 gt instead of a x800xl?
They both have there own pros and cons...the x800 xl seems to be the beefier card, but the 6800 gt has SM 3.0, and can be upgraded later with a second card for an sli system, hopefully when the said extra card drops substantially in price

...ugh...

 

[aatf510]

I would get a $250 x800xl (@ Monarch Computer), or even wait a while for 6800GT, Ultra to come down since 7800GTX is already out.
Dual 6600GT will indeed give you better performance IN SLI CAPABLE games to approx a single 6800GT level, but it's just not worth the hassle.

 

[ryanv12]

I wouldn't get the point of SLI-ing 2 cards when you can buy one that performs the same. Since you're building a new computer, get a single 6800GT/X800XL.

 

[Munky]

Dual 6600gts have plenty of gpu power combined, but even with 2 of them you still only have 128mb vram, because sli doesnt add up the memory. Since you plan on keeping this rig for a while, I suggest a single 256mb card like the x800xl or 6800gt instead, it will run games better at high resolutions and eye candy.

 

[imported_Kensai]

x800XL or 6800GT.

 

[HolyGerbil]

Wow, thanks for all the quik posts...Well, I guess that settles that. But now, which should it be, the Radeon or the nVidia? The radeon is a bit faster, and the cooling (for the ultimate, at least) is much better.

I have a hard time, however, not thinking about the sli and SM 3.0 of the 6800 gt...

Between the XL Ultimate and a stock cooling/clock 6800 GT, disregarding price...what do you all think?

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: HolyGerbil
Wow, thanks for all the quik posts...Well, I guess that settles that. But now, which should it be, the Radeon or the nVidia? The radeon is a bit faster, and the cooling (for the ultimate, at least) is much better.

I have a hard time, however, not thinking about the sli and SM 3.0 of the 6800 gt...

Between the XL Ultimate and a stock cooling/clock 6800 GT, disregarding price...what do you all think?

I thought the 6800gt was the "beefier card" in most cases. Benchmarks

I think if you're going AGP, the 6800gt makes more sense, but for PCIe, the X800XL is the better deal (just based off of pricing differences).

 

[Mrvile]

Should be 6800GT vs X800XL..

Being a slight nVidia fanboy myself, I love my GT and would recommend it to anyone who could afford it. Its AGP prices are very low. But if I had PCI-e I'd lean a bit more toward the X800XL, it's like 70 bucks cheaper.

 

[SickBeast]

God has nothing to do with zipzoomfly being out of stock, unless of course you're reading waaaaay too much into things. You could always try Monarch or Newegg, then re-assess your omens.

In all seriousness, generally one should never SLI midrange or low-end graphics cards. Graphics card prices tend to be pretty linear in terms of performance for the dollar. Two midrange cards will typically cost around the same as a single high-end card, and both solutions will offer similar performance.

The problems with SLI are power consumption, heat output, and drivers. The first two issues can and will affect your overclocking efforts and will shorten the overall lifespan of your computer somewhat.

If you're buying a new computer, at this point I would go with an entry-level dual cored AMD rig with an X800XL as a minimum for graphics if you want to play games.

If this is a computer for schoolwork I assume that you are doing some kind of intense 3D work that requires an X800XL or greater (in which case you might want to look into professional cards). If this is a gaming rig then the focus of what we can reccomend may change.

I would not concern myself with an SLI-capable motherboard at this point seeing as there is no standard, and it's never a good thing to pigeonhole oneself. If you go with Nvidia for SLI you're stuck, and vice-versa. Good luck. :beer:

 

[IEC]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: HolyGerbil
Wow, thanks for all the quik posts...Well, I guess that settles that. But now, which should it be, the Radeon or the nVidia? The radeon is a bit faster, and the cooling (for the ultimate, at least) is much better.

I have a hard time, however, not thinking about the sli and SM 3.0 of the 6800 gt...

Between the XL Ultimate and a stock cooling/clock 6800 GT, disregarding price...what do you all think?

I thought the 6800gt was the "beefier card" in most cases. Benchmarks

I think if you're going AGP, the 6800gt makes more sense, but for PCIe, the X800XL is the better deal (just based off of pricing differences).

Sounds good

 

[dfloyd]

Hmm thats a silly question, all we ever did was sit back and play games over the lan while most of our professors were teaching.

That or using Telnet to flirt with the cute ladys who were in class as well.

Ahh the joys of being young dumb and umm having lots of fun.

 

[HolyGerbil]

Originally posted by: SickBeast
God has nothing to do with zipzoomfly being out of stock, unless of course you're reading waaaaay too much into things. You could always try Monarch or Newegg, then re-assess your omens.

In all seriousness, generally one should never SLI midrange or low-end graphics cards. Graphics card prices tend to be pretty linear in terms of performance for the dollar. Two midrange cards will typically cost around the same as a single high-end card, and both solutions will offer similar performance.

The problems with SLI are power consumption, heat output, and drivers. The first two issues can and will affect your overclocking efforts and will shorten the overall lifespan of your computer somewhat.

If you're buying a new computer, at this point I would go with an entry-level dual cored AMD rig with an X800XL as a minimum for graphics if you want to play games.

If this is a computer for schoolwork I assume that you are doing some kind of intense 3D work that requires an X800XL or greater (in which case you might want to look into professional cards). If this is a gaming rig then the focus of what we can reccomend may change.

I would not concern myself with an SLI-capable motherboard at this point seeing as there is no standard, and it's never a good thing to pigeonhole oneself. If you go with Nvidia for SLI you're stuck, and vice-versa. Good luck. :beer:

Those are some very good points...

Well thank you all for the help
The rest is up to me :frown:

 

[HolyGerbil]

One more thing...the greatest advantage IMO of the nVidia NV6 series, aside from SLI capability, is the DirectX 9.0c and SM 3.0 support.

Does anyone know if this is a hardware issue or a driver issue? Honestly, if I knew that the ATI cards could support both DX (c and SM 3.0 through a driver upgrade, there would hardly be a choice between the two cards.

 

[bjc112]

Originally posted by: shabby
Skip the 6600's in sli, get the 6800gt.

And then throw and additional 6800GT in at a later date..

6600's in SLI is worthless...

 

[SickBeast]

Originally posted by: HolyGerbil
One more thing...the greatest advantage IMO of the nVidia NV6 series, aside from SLI capability, is the DirectX 9.0c and SM 3.0 support.

Does anyone know if this is a hardware issue or a driver issue? Honestly, if I knew that the ATI cards could support both DX (c and SM 3.0 through a driver upgrade, there would hardly be a choice between the two cards.

It's a hardware issue. You should download some Far Cry HDR screenshots to see if it's a really big deal to you. That said, UT2007 probably will require or make good use of SM 3.0, so you might want to consider it an important feature. My opinion for what it's worth is that a 6800GT or maybe an X800XL would hold you off until DX10 is released, at which point everyone who games will need to upgrade at some point (probably a year or so after its release).

There are grumblings going around that ATI is getting desperate and will cut prices by 25% very soon. They apparently won't have an SM 3.0 part ready until the end of the year at the earliest. Since this is a school rig, you might want to hold off a bit until the drama plays itself out. That said, you're a student, and the summer is here and you probably want to game (which seems silly because it's so nice outside).

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

If you were willing to spend $325 on a card, then wait for a good deal on a 6800GT, imo. Or, do like me, and get one 6600GT and wait for a 7600GT or something. Being limited in resolution by my LCD there's nothing out that a 6600GT can't handle with tons to spare. And when I go to sell it, I'm sure there will be plenty of people with one 6600GT waiting to pick another up off EBay, so I won't lose that much. Even now, I can sell my MSI 6600GT for what I paid for it.

In fact, here's a PCI-E 6800GT for $299 AR.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814150091

 

[HolyGerbil]

Originally posted by: SickBeast

Originally posted by: HolyGerbil
One more thing...the greatest advantage IMO of the nVidia NV6 series, aside from SLI capability, is the DirectX 9.0c and SM 3.0 support.

Does anyone know if this is a hardware issue or a driver issue? Honestly, if I knew that the ATI cards could support both DX (c and SM 3.0 through a driver upgrade, there would hardly be a choice between the two cards.

It's a hardware issue. You should download some Far Cry HDR screenshots to see if it's a really big deal to you. That said, UT2007 probably will require or make good use of SM 3.0, so you might want to consider it an important feature. My opinion for what it's worth is that a 6800GT or maybe an X800XL would hold you off until DX10 is released, at which point everyone who games will need to upgrade at some point (probably a year or so after its release).

There are grumblings going around that ATI is getting desperate and will cut prices by 25% very soon. They apparently won't have an SM 3.0 part ready until the end of the year at the earliest. Since this is a school rig, you might want to hold off a bit until the drama plays itself out. That said, you're a student, and the summer is here and you probably want to game (which seems silly because it's so nice outside).

Again, very good points, and I am trying to look towards the future. As for gaming, I have spent most of the school year glued to my desk, and most of summer outside burning...I CANT TAKE IT ANYMORE I HAVE TO GAME !!!! :| *breaks down sobbing*

Originally posted by: HeroOfPellinor
If you were willing to spend $325 on a card, then wait for a good deal on a 6800GT, imo. Or, do like me, and get one 6600GT and wait for a 7600GT or something. Being limited in resolution by my LCD there's nothing out that a 6600GT can't handle with tons to spare. And when I go to sell it, I'm sure there will be plenty of people with one 6600GT waiting to pick another up off EBay, so I won't lose that much. Even now, I can sell my MSI 6600GT for what I paid for it.

In fact, here's a PCI-E 6800GT for $299 AR.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814150091

Ok, that does it. Wow, thanks for the rebate alert! Im won over, and I owe you one Hero

 

[SickBeast]

The omen was true. :beer:

 

[dguy6789]

I would look into the 6800GT. It is a bit more expensive than the X800XL, but it usually wins in benchmarks, has HDR support as well as SM3.0 support.