A more cost effective card with similar performance ?

[TabrisDarkPeace]

Is there a more cost effective card with similar performance than this ?

XFX GeForce 7900 GT
http://www.xfxforce.com/web/product/listConfigurations.jspa?seriesId=185563&productId=185994

It is spec'd higher than typical 'stock' reference design cards:
About +25% on GPU
About +25% on Video RAM

I am looking for confirmation on these 'stock' specs too:
- 560 MHz GPU (vs 450 MHz stock right ?)
- 1,650 MHz VRAM (vs 1,320 MHz stock right ?)

AU$572 (Australian dollars), delivered, freighted from overseas no doubt.
Which is currently about US$415 (US dollars), delivered

Bear in mind it will perform roughly +25% (or slightly less than) better than most GeForce 7900 GT cards, putting it in a similar (or better :? league to GeForce 7900 GTX cards at 60% the cost.

If there is a better deal please let me know about it, I'm here to learn just like everyone else is.

I want this thread to aim at video cards, from the 1H 2006 era, costing US$365 - US$465

I'd call it the card of choice for a LAN barracks or Gamer Net café

:!: Seeking feedback, I want someone to try and find a better card in that price range.

:arrow: Note: Running poll until 1st July 2006, so if better stuff (price/performance, and even just performance wise) comes out within 84 days people can see it affect the poll over time.

PS: My sig is wrong, as sold my Radeon X800 XL yesterday currently running a Radeon X700 Pro. (Making my last 7 video cards ATI, just in case people are wondering about bias ).

 

[Datman]

I am looking for confirmation on these 'stock' specs too:
- 560 MHz GPU (vs 450 MHz stock right ?)
- 1,650 MHz VRAM (vs 1,320 MHz stock right ?)

XFX PV-T71G-UDDR Geforce7900GT XXX Extreme Edition, 256MB GDDR3, PCI Express, Dual Dual Link DVI, HDTV, 560/1650mhz
http://www.scorptec.com.au/index.php?prdid=18654

http://www.staticice.com.au/
Good for finding prices in Australia

 

[TabrisDarkPeace]

Yeah but I can't find any Radeon X1800 XT cards in that price range that come with a +25% factory overclock on both GPU *and* VRAM, that is covered by warranty.

I found the cards using staticice, but for 1.65 GHz x 256 bit video RAM, at that price, I doubt anything can touch it.

In Australia these cost 'less' than the Radeon X1800 XL, let alone the Radeon X1800 XT which costs significantly more.

XFX also do a GeForce 7900 GTX with near 2 GHz x 256 bit video RAM, but I can't 'justify' the extra cost.

Be interesting to see what the next 83 days bring.

 

[Heyyou27]

The X1800 XT is priced about that same, and performs better; also supports high quality anisotropic filtering and OpenEXR HDR+AA.

 

[Syzler]

You can get a cheaper 7900GT running at stock speeds, and with a volt-mod get them faster than the GTX.

I have 2 friends who did this and got 695 vcore and 940(1880) GDDR, that got him 11240 3dmarks on 05.

No soldering required for the mod, we used conductive paint. Those times were 1.55V on the core, and roughly +0.2V on the VRAM, (Used the pencil method).

Edit: NOT stock cooling in case you were wondering.

 

[Syzler]

The X1800 XT is priced about that same, and performs better; also supports high quality anisotropic filtering and OpenEXR HDR+AA.

Are there really many games that you can run HDR+AA and still have the juice to get playable framerates? Maybe if you have crossfire setup, but even then it would be barely.

HL2 maybe, but I doubt anything newer.

 

[TabrisDarkPeace]

The X1800 XT is priced about that same, and performs better; also supports high quality anisotropic filtering and OpenEXR HDR+AA.

All prices in Australian dollars, may or may not include delivery:
http://www.staticice.com.au/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=radeon+X1800+XT

$627.00 HIS-X1800XL-D3D 256MB Powered by ATI Radeon X1800XT - 625MHz 256MB-256bit 8...
Excel Computers (NSW) | www.excelcomputers.com.au | updated: 08-04-2006

http://www.staticice.com.au/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=GeForce+7900+GT

$476.00 XFX GeForce 7900GT 256MB DDR3 PCI-E (470MHz) [IN STOCK] PV-T71G-UDFR
Designer Systems (NSW) | www.dsonline.com.au | updated: 08-04-2006

http://www.staticice.com.au/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=GeForce+7900+GT+560

$556.00 XFX GeForce 7900GT 256MB DDR3 PCI-E XXX Edition (560MHz) [PREORDER] PV-T71G...
Designer Systems (NSW) | www.dsonline.com.au | updated: 08-04-2006


For 88% the price I can get the +25% OC varient of the GeForce 7900 GT, I don't see a Radeon X1800 XT (1.5 GHz, 256 bit, GDDR3) holding a candle to this particular GeForce 7900 GT (1.65 GHz, 256 bit, GDDR3).

Bear in mind most GeForce 7900 GT only have video memory clocked at 1.32 GHz and perform 'on par' with the Radeon X1800 XL/XT series.