Top Video Card at ~$300?

[Cirrus38]

I need suggestions and opinions, as a ~$300 video card is the final part needed for my upper-midrange system.

X800 are supposed to come in at just over $300.

The GeForce 6800 Ultras come in at a similar price point, to within $50, but they seem to be outclassed by the X800 Pros, according to statistics alone.

I'd appreciate any help.

I got my video card stats on RAM, pixel pipes and the like here at GameSpot. They seem to have all the relevant current data on this one page.


*Sorry, got my prices mixed up between MSRP and the actual street price.

 

[fstime]

I thought the x800pro was a $400 card, if you can get it for 300 go for it, the 6800 is a lot faster but its also a $500 card, either way your comparing the wrong cards x800 should be compared with a 6800GT which goes for around 400.

 

[SynthDude2001]

For $300, I think the plain 6800 is the best buy. The X800XL is nowhere to be found, and likely will remain so for another month or two (not to mention that we're not even sure if it's going to be released in AGP if that's what you need).

 

[Cirrus38]

My main consideration with ATi is the new X800SE series.

Sapphire's new X800 SE, costing about $300, seems on paper to blow the 6800 out of the water.

And yes, I do need AGP, so the XL series is out of the question for now.

Chipset: ATI Radeon X800SE
Core Speed: 425MHz
Memory: 256MB DDR SDRAM
Effective Speed: 800MHz
BUS: AGP 8X
Ports: VGA Out(15 Pin D-Sub) + TV-Out (S-Video/Composite Out) + DVI
Support 3D API: DirectX 9, OpenGL 2.0
Max Resolution@32bit Color: 2048X1536@85Hz

 

[fstime]

^^^^ thats pretty much the same thing as a 9800XT. Go with a BFG/EVGA/LEADTEK/GAINWARD 6800NU for 300.

 

[Cirrus38]

So you're saying 4 extra pixel pipelines don't do anything?

 

[2Xtreme21]

the X800 SE has 8 pipes and is pretty much on par with the 9800 XT. It MSRP's for $299 as does the Geforce 6800. The 6800 has 12 pipes (4 more if you're able to softmod, which most are) and is about midway between the 6600GT and the x800 Pro with regards to performance.

I think the best buy for the money is the 6800 and it will seem to be until the X800XL's price comes down.

 

[Cirrus38]

I guess it wasn't clear that I was talking about the new X800 "vanilla," NOT the X800SE. 12 pipes and close to 6800GT performance at the $300 price range. Lots of websites review this new chip, and I assumed that it will become available in the near future. Anyone know otherwise?

 

[DorianX]

I Personally Love the BFG 6800 GT OC in a month or so if you can wait it will go down in price but you can find it now for a reasonable price i think if you call the 1800 number they will tell you what site has the best price they told me but i sadly forgot. It is a huge card and has a killer cooling system and is already Over clocked by the factory so no issues there with the warranty. The best part about it is that unlike the 6800 Ultra and the Ultra Extreme it only takes up one slot. It is the card that I use most on my clients systems. Everyone seems to be very happy with it.


http://www.rage3d.com/index.php This site has a review on the Vanilla

 

[DorianX]

You can only really see the full power of a card if you use it

 

[Todd33]

X800 "vanilla

No such thing. At $300 try for a used X800 Pro or a retail 6800NU.

 

[Cirrus38]

Don't embarass yourself by being ignorant.

 

[2Xtreme21]

They're trying to help you. I'm sure being a smartass right back will really want people to help you even more.

And I believe you were the first to say x800 SE, so there is no reason you should be calling us ignorant.

Originally posted by: Cirrus38
My main consideration with ATi is the new X800SE series.

Sapphire's new X800 SE, costing about $300, seems on paper to blow the 6800 out of the water.

 

[bunnyfubbles]

Originally posted by: Cirrus38


Don't embarass yourself by being ignorant.

No, there is supposed to be a $199 MSRP on the .11mu process that is called the X800. The X800XL is the 16 pipe card that is supposed to go for $299 MSRP. Supposedly due to the die shrink they've been able to drop the price of the cards, but since they aren't coming out in large quantities, they go for a premium.

 

[SneakyStuff]

Originally posted by: Cirrus38


Don't embarass yourself by being ignorant.

Correct me if i'm wrong, but that is a link to a PCI-E only card, didn't you say that you need an AGP compatable card?

 

[Cirrus38]

And I believe you were the first to say x800 SE, so there is no reason you should be calling us ignorant.

Mixing up product suffixes is one thing. Not knowing about a new, market-altering line of products is flat out something else. I'm tired of having to explain this topic to GeForce fans who blindly put me down for suggesting a new ATi midrange chip will compete. Regardless...


BOTTOM LINE

ATI is putting out a new line of X800 chips that are on par with 6800s on paper, and will soon be priced similarly as production progresses.

So my question, once the new X800 video cards become available and approach their actual price ($300), will this be a better investment of $300 compared to any of the 6800 series at a comperable price.

 

[Cirrus38]

The chip I linked to in particular is PCI-e, but the X800s are so new that this is the only video card currently available. Sapphire just last week began production on their version of this chipset in AGP and PCI-e versions.

 

[HappyNic]

Originally posted by: Cirrus38


Don't embarass yourself by being ignorant.

:disgust:, by the way,, the card in your link is a PCI-E card and not a AGP. Also how would you know that it's going to blow 6800 out of the water,, I didn't see any review on this card yet.

Wait my bad,, x800se would be just right for you,

 

[2Xtreme21]

Cirrus, it's your own damned machine. Whatever you do, you'll be perfectly happy with... and since you seem to be a bad-ass ATI fan boi, you'd probably be more happy with your brand new x800 line that you seem to be fighting to the death for.

Bottom Line:
You said x800SE. We described the x800SE. You call us ignorant for not knowing that you really meant the x800. We accept the x800. You insult us, again, for not knowing that you really meant the x800 and you ask us for advice.

 

[DorianX]

this is the artical on the Vanilla but it has not mention about price but there are links too on google


Beyond3d reviews the X800 (r430)
Jan 17, 2005 at 08:52 AM by Someotherdude
Post a comment Comment on this item
Dave Bauman of Beyond3d has a review of the vanilla Radeon X800 (r430) online. It looks good, should be a little slower than the x800pro but at half the price... much better at $199 than the x700xt.

In comparison to X800 XL the X800's core speed is the same so it just has a 25% fill-rate deficit due to it having one of the pixel quads disabled, dropping it to 12 pipelines; the number of Vertex Shaders stays the same, at 6, so its vertex rate is the same as the X800 XL. The memory bus width on the X800 stays at the full 256-bit width so it differs in bandwidth by its memory clock rate, and at 350MHz it has a 29% deficit to the X800 XL.

I hope this helps

 

[SneakyStuff]

Originally posted by: Cirrus38
The chip I linked to in particular is PCI-e, but the X800s are so new that this is the only video card currently available. Sapphire just last week began production on their version of this chipset in AGP and PCI-e versions.

Here is a GeForce 6800 for $250, you can perform a pipe unlock, and end up with a 16 pipe card, for $250, and get a free copy of FarCry. If you want to wait around for an X800 that may or may not come, and when or if it does come, you will have to deal with price gouging. It's your choice, so.. THE BOTTOM LINE is either get a nice card now, or wait. Cheers :beer:

 

[DusterAZ]

Originally posted by: Cirrus38
The chip I linked to in particular is PCI-e, but the X800s are so new that this is the only video card currently available. Sapphire just last week began production on their version of this chipset in AGP and PCI-e versions.

Wow ... you must be super LEET to have information that no other hardware sites have! According to every source I have read the X800XL will be PCI-E ONLY! There is no announced card that matches the specs of the X800XL for AGP. AGP options from ATI are pretty much only the X800XT PE, X800XT and X800 Pro which are all well over $300. If you want the new X850 or X800XL you need to buy a PCI-E motherboard and pay about double your budget, have fun waiting for your imaginary card.

And if you don't want opinions then you seriously shouldn't post on a forum. And i'm not an Nvidia fanboy, I would be all over an X800XL if they released an AGP version but ATI seems to have abandoned AGP unless you want to spend $375 or more.

 

[BentValve]

Wait around for a deal on a 6800 GT , the prices have been dropping because the 6800s have finally met a lot of the demand.

 

[BentValve]

I would not pay more than $250 OTD for a 6800 NU .

 

[christopherzombie]

I go with the Chaintech AA6800 NU. It's overclocked 10% @ 358/770.

http://www.penstarsys.com/revi...tech/aa6800/index.html


...or you can get a Asus 6800GT 128MB (350/700) for just over $300.