Hey all, I'm planning on snagging a new radeon tomorrow and just had a few questions before I make my final decision. I've narrowed my choices down to either the 9500 pro(180 bucks), or the 9700 non-pro(220 bucks), but I can't find any info on how they compare OC-wise. I am fully aware of the pipeline opening hack for the 9500s, but the extra 40 bucks is worth it to me for a guarantee of having the 8-pipe action. A quick rundown of my system: XP 2100 on A798X DX, current graphics card is a GF 2 GTS. Here are my questions:
1. what are the chances of getting the non-pro 9700 up to the stock speeds of the 9700 pro(325/310)? I plan on testing with a hacked driver, then eventually flashing the BIOS to permanently alter the speeds, so my OC has to be rock-solid.
2. Is there any reason why the 9500 pro would potentially OC better? I can't see why this would be the case, but I'm a thorough bastard.
3. How big of a pain in the ass is that shim around the die? I'm planning on using my zalman fanless cooler on my new card(the huge-ass gold one, can't remember the product number right now...not willing to look it up either ) and would like to know what I'm getting myself into. My current plan is to use AS3 to fill the void of the thermal pad. It's cakier than normal thermal paste so I'm not as worried about runoff, but I'd just like some reassurance that I'm not a moron.
Thanks for the time and help in advance guys.
peace
1. what are the chances of getting the non-pro 9700 up to the stock speeds of the 9700 pro(325/310)? I plan on testing with a hacked driver, then eventually flashing the BIOS to permanently alter the speeds, so my OC has to be rock-solid.
2. Is there any reason why the 9500 pro would potentially OC better? I can't see why this would be the case, but I'm a thorough bastard.
3. How big of a pain in the ass is that shim around the die? I'm planning on using my zalman fanless cooler on my new card(the huge-ass gold one, can't remember the product number right now...not willing to look it up either ) and would like to know what I'm getting myself into. My current plan is to use AS3 to fill the void of the thermal pad. It's cakier than normal thermal paste so I'm not as worried about runoff, but I'd just like some reassurance that I'm not a moron.
Thanks for the time and help in advance guys.
peace