Any $200-$250 cards out there to upgrade an ATI 9800?

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Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.video (More info?)

Hello,

Have a Radeon 9800 (non-pro, non-XT version) that apparently has
faster memory so it could be, technically, at pro clock speed. I
haven't done anything with it yet. Question I have is whether or not,
at the price I mentioned in the subject line, this card is worth
upgrading yet? I see Nvidia 6800s at the upper end of the $200 range.
I also see x600 cards right at $200. I guess the main thing I'm
looking for is a playable or smooth framerate in FPS-type games at
1024x768 or 1280x1024.

I'll wait if the price and time is not right, but it's been tough to
tell how much some of these cards differ (can't even find the x600 in
benchmarks.

Matt

 

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Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.video (More info?)

On 5 Aug 2004 13:11:23 -0700, martinclan99@msn.com (Matt Martin)
wrote:

>Hello,
>
>Have a Radeon 9800 (non-pro, non-XT version) that apparently has
>faster memory so it could be, technically, at pro clock speed. I
>haven't done anything with it yet. Question I have is whether or not,
>at the price I mentioned in the subject line, this card is worth
>upgrading yet? I see Nvidia 6800s at the upper end of the $200 range.
> I also see x600 cards right at $200. I guess the main thing I'm
>looking for is a playable or smooth framerate in FPS-type games at
>1024x768 or 1280x1024.
>
>I'll wait if the price and time is not right, but it's been tough to
>tell how much some of these cards differ (can't even find the x600 in
>benchmarks.
>
>Matt

Wait until you can afford ATI X800pro, ATI X800PE, Nvidia 6800GT, or
Nvidia 6800Ultra.

 

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Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.video (More info?)

maggot <maggot@no.email> wrote in message news:<2d85h0hnshvifvrmu269m0vajg7cep9di7@4ax.com>...
> On 5 Aug 2004 13:11:23 -0700, martinclan99@msn.com (Matt Martin)
> wrote:
>
> >I'll wait if the price and time is not right, but it's been tough to
> >tell how much some of these cards differ (can't even find the x600 in
> >benchmarks.
> >
> >Matt
>
> Wait until you can afford ATI X800pro, ATI X800PE, Nvidia 6800GT, or
> Nvidia 6800Ultra.

So a regular 6800 or a x600 isn't going to be much of an upgrade from
a standard 9800? I could purchase the others you mention, but I'm not
a serious enough gamer and don't play often enough to justify that
cost. Oh well, I'll just hang on to my current card and wait to the
others you mention drop below $300.

Thanks,

Matt

 

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Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.video (More info?)

Matt Martin wrote:

> Have a Radeon 9800 (non-pro, non-XT version) that apparently has
> faster memory so it could be, technically, at pro clock speed. I
> haven't done anything with it yet.

Did you check the ram clock speed?
With the Radeon 9000 the ram voltage is lowered (probably to conserve
energy and keep the card cool) so you can't overclock it even to the
nominal speed of the ram (google for 'voltage mod'). I don't know if
this is the case with the 9800, I'd suspect it is with the 9600.

But anyway, if you are not a serious gamer I'd just stay with that card
until faster cards become really cheap. You can always play games with
decent fps by adjusting the quality settings. I won't consider a 9800
slow by any standard.

André