- Sep 6, 2005
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Alright, so first off, let me get the note that I can't go above the above mentioned cards because I'm using a micro-ATX board, and need both PCI slots open, so dual-slot cooling is outta the question (If only the PCI-E 1x was in front of the 16x, not behind!)
So, after reading most messages on the board, I thought the X1950PRO was the sure-fire hit, handily beating most in its class... At least, that was what I was lead to believe (In retrospect, I may have been confusing it with the ATI high-end in general). After looking at online reviews of the videocards, it seems that I misunderstood, as the 7950GT seems to handily beat the X1950PRO in most respects, with ~3-5 frame difference.
In that regard, the only thing separating the 7950GT & the X1950PRO is the price, ~$180 for the X1950 vs $250 for the 7950GT... At least, at normal pricing. I have a friend who might be able to get a nice deal on a 7950GT, so I'll assume a nice percentage off of the price if it works out.
At this point, however, I'll still be missing out on AA+HDR in future games if I went with the 7950 or what might become a noticable amount of framerate if I shoot for the X1950. Now, I wouldn't mind this, if it weren't for it being saddled with only 256 memory.
I know that people around here keep talking about how little 256 matters at lower resolutions (I play at 1440x900), but after seeing some performance reviews (Noticably, TechSpot's performance review of Company of Heroes), I noticed how there was such a massive drop-off between the X1900XT & the X1900GT, and I'm assuming the X1900PRO is somewhere between there. I've already got problems running the game with the highest detail textures (Theres a huge increases in performance on my rig if I turn the texture detail from 'ultra' to 'high'; I'm running on an X850XT BTW)
Luckily, there's a solution: The X1950PRO 512 edition, but it's even more expensive than the 7950GT's normal price, ~$260 (Not much difference, mind you). Keep in mind that I'll probably be using the card for 2-3 years. So, at this point, it's a tossup for me:
-Go for the X1950PRO 256, which is pretty cheap to begin with, but might not be as future proof as I'd like,
-Shoot for the X1950PRO 512, which is the most expensive option, but gives me AA+HDR in games, and will keep the video RAM from being something that holds me back
-Go green and get a 7950GT 512, especially since I might be able to get it cheaper than normal, but give up AA+HDR in newer games.
My only other thought is this: When the newer games arrive, will the X1950PRO even be powerful enough to play games with HDR+AA? (Theoretically speaking, of course) Also, I'm not getting any of these cards right now, but maybe within a month or two, I might be able to afford one.
So, regarding all this crap, any thoughts?
So, after reading most messages on the board, I thought the X1950PRO was the sure-fire hit, handily beating most in its class... At least, that was what I was lead to believe (In retrospect, I may have been confusing it with the ATI high-end in general). After looking at online reviews of the videocards, it seems that I misunderstood, as the 7950GT seems to handily beat the X1950PRO in most respects, with ~3-5 frame difference.
In that regard, the only thing separating the 7950GT & the X1950PRO is the price, ~$180 for the X1950 vs $250 for the 7950GT... At least, at normal pricing. I have a friend who might be able to get a nice deal on a 7950GT, so I'll assume a nice percentage off of the price if it works out.
At this point, however, I'll still be missing out on AA+HDR in future games if I went with the 7950 or what might become a noticable amount of framerate if I shoot for the X1950. Now, I wouldn't mind this, if it weren't for it being saddled with only 256 memory.
I know that people around here keep talking about how little 256 matters at lower resolutions (I play at 1440x900), but after seeing some performance reviews (Noticably, TechSpot's performance review of Company of Heroes), I noticed how there was such a massive drop-off between the X1900XT & the X1900GT, and I'm assuming the X1900PRO is somewhere between there. I've already got problems running the game with the highest detail textures (Theres a huge increases in performance on my rig if I turn the texture detail from 'ultra' to 'high'; I'm running on an X850XT BTW)
Luckily, there's a solution: The X1950PRO 512 edition, but it's even more expensive than the 7950GT's normal price, ~$260 (Not much difference, mind you). Keep in mind that I'll probably be using the card for 2-3 years. So, at this point, it's a tossup for me:
-Go for the X1950PRO 256, which is pretty cheap to begin with, but might not be as future proof as I'd like,
-Shoot for the X1950PRO 512, which is the most expensive option, but gives me AA+HDR in games, and will keep the video RAM from being something that holds me back
-Go green and get a 7950GT 512, especially since I might be able to get it cheaper than normal, but give up AA+HDR in newer games.
My only other thought is this: When the newer games arrive, will the X1950PRO even be powerful enough to play games with HDR+AA? (Theoretically speaking, of course) Also, I'm not getting any of these cards right now, but maybe within a month or two, I might be able to afford one.
So, regarding all this crap, any thoughts?