nvidia or ATI for next upgrade?

[mlk3454]

Hello everyone. I am giving my little brother my old system and am building a newer one. I am looking to run an x2 3800. I use the comp mainly for HL2, browsing, and DVD decoding/encoding. I am looking to spend between 2-3 hundred bucks on a GPU and want the best bang for the buck. Also, I know this isn't the mobo section but a recommendation for that would be kind. Thanks!

 

[Starbuck1975]

I just pulled the trigger on a build that might meet your needs. I have two threads going on it...one for the MOBO and one for the overall build. These threads represent about 3 months of intense research on components and pricing options, with a lot of good advice and feedback from numerous forum members who popped in and out of the threads.

System

MOBO

Ultimately, my build list was as follows:

Abit AN8 32x
eVGA 7900GT KO
Enermax Liberty 500W
Athlon 64 X2 3800+
OCZ 2GB Dual Channel Platinum Kit
WD Caviar 250GB
Zalman CNPS9500 CPU Heatsink w/Fan

Total = $1329

 

[Skott]

ATI or nVidia? Thats a an age old debate and everyone has an opinion. Basically its a never ending argument no one can win. Right now the 7900GTX and x1900XTX are the two top dogs for both lines. If it were me and was going for a single card setup I'd choose the one that was easiest to get and the cheapest. Either card will do you fine but the ATI has the current ttitle of best until nVidia comes out with something to top it(which I doubt wont be too long). For your budget in mind though I'd probably choose a 7900GT. If you are a ATI fan you could opt for the x1800XT but I think the 7900GT is a better choice personally. I'm sure you'll get lots of opinions on the subject. There really isnt a wrong answer. Just different opinons.

 

[CaiNaM]

there's probably a dozen threads on this very question ($300 vid upgrade) if you took time to look..

 

[nitromullet]

This is pretty much the deal in the $300 range.

- X1800XT at stock beats a 7900GT at stock.
- The 7900GT has shown to be a massive overclocker when volt modded for quite a few people
- The X1800XT is no overclocking slouch either, but doesn't easily clock as high as the 7900GT's
- ATI is phasing the X1800XT out, so you'll need to get one quick should you decide to go this route.
- The X1800XT runs hotter and consumes more power than the 7900GT.
- The fans on both aren't the quietest fans out there, the X1800XT is probably a bit louder or more noticeable.
- The X1800XT supports HDR+AA and has overall better image quality, although neither of them have poor IQ.

That's pretty much what I have gotten out of the numerous threads on the subject and my personal experience. These two cards are very evenly matched, so the decision isn't easy. Personally, if I was in your shoes and I could find an X1800XT with 512MB (there are 256MB and 512MB versions), I woud get that. There are already a few games that benefit from 512MB of video RAM, and that number is only going to increase.

 

[Munky]

It's basically a choice between the x1800xt and the 7900gt. Without overclocking the x1800xt will be faster, but it does run hotter and the fan is a bit louder. It also has some newer features like the ability to do HDR with AA, and angle-independent AF. The 7900gt will usually overclock high, especially with a voltmod, and has the potential to become the faster card. It also runs cooler and draws less power.

 

[LW07]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102007
OEM X1800XT 256mb for $240 plus shipping.

Get this.

 

[mlk3454]

Thanks for the replies guys. Is there any real difference from 512 or 256mb or ram on these cards? Would I see any benefit? Why is the x1800xt being phased out?

 

[CP5670]

Originally posted by: LW07
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102007
OEM X1800XT 256mb for $240 plus shipping.

Get this.

I love that second review:

"This card has its own HEATSINK people... what more could one want."

:laugh:

That's a great price on that card though.

Thanks for the replies guys. Is there any real difference from 512 or 256mb or ram on these cards? Would I see any benefit? Why is the x1800xt being phased out?

It varies with the game. This article shows the effects of the extra memory:
http://www.behardware.com/articles/599-...800-gtx-512-mb-the-new-king-of-3d.html

 

[CaiNaM]

Originally posted by: mlk3454
Thanks for the replies guys. Is there any real difference from 512 or 256mb or ram on these cards? Would I see any benefit? Why is the x1800xt being phased out?

yes, there are differences between 156 and 512. the 512 is a bit faster overall; depending on the game the difference can be minimal or substantial. also, if you have 1gb sys memory or less, the 512 will help eliminate hitching/pause caused by texture swaps.

the 1800 is being phased out as the 1900 has been out, and the 1900gto is taking it's place (cheaper to build, but slower overall than the 1800xt).

again, there is more info out regarding this in multiple threads on this forum.

 

[tuteja1986]

Originally posted by: mlk3454
Hello everyone. I am giving my little brother my old system and am building a newer one. I am looking to run an x2 3800. I use the comp mainly for HL2, browsing, and DVD decoding/encoding. I am looking to spend between 2-3 hundred bucks on a GPU and want the best bang for the buck. Also, I know this isn't the mobo section but a recommendation for that would be kind. Thanks!

encoder/decoder = ATI AVIVO encoder/decoder is awesome. I use it to encode Video to PSP/IPOD playable format and its the fastest encoder i have used.

HL2 = ATI card for sure X1800XT.

Now I recommend
X1800XT $300
7600GT $200

if your modder and love to volt mod your card then 7900GT but you will loose your Warranty.

For Image quality i go with ATI X1800XT and you also get HDR with AA