Originally posted by: JJSuperman
As far as ATI cards go, get a 9500 128mb non-pro. If it will convert to a 9800 by the software hack, good for you, and it is at NewEgg for exactly $150. I am an ATI fanboy, so I don't really know how they rank to Nvidia, but if you want to go ati then go with the 9500. If it will hack to 9800, then you are in heaven.
Jared
Not exactely right there. Only the original 9500`s could be hacked, and thats only to 9700s, the reason that they could be hacked is because they were built on 9700 PCBs, so the 256bit memory bus would still be intact. Most newer ones are built on a different PCB, and so the chances of the hack is limited.
As hacking to 9800, thats not exactely true either. The 9500 is a derivitive of the 9700, and R300 core, the 9800 (R350)is a different core is several respects, most noticably is the inclusion of a F-Buffer, which neither the 9500 or 9700 has, and there is no way that they can be hacked to have a f-buffer. I think what you mean, is that a 9700`s drivers could be modified to use the 9800 driver path, which is about 5% faster, but there is now no need for that, as the new Cat3.4 includes this new driver path for the 9700.
IMO, get a 9500pro cos they are plently fast enough for most things, and with fsaa/af on, are significantly faster than a Ti4600. And judging from some of the Doom benchmarks, it`ll play the game at sensable resolutions and detail settings with playable frame rates.
Of course, the other option, is to wait until Doom3s release, by which time there will probably be a new performance card around the corner, which`ll drop the current ones on price.