GeForce 8800 GT 256MB versus Radeon HD 2600XT 512MB

The current cards in question:

GIGABYTE GV-NX88T256HV1 GeForce 8800 GT 256MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP
SAPPHIRE 100218L Radeon HD 2600XT 512MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP

Just looking for some advice on a replacement card for my old Radeon x700 because the heatsink crapped out, among other things. I'm open to cards other than these, as well.

I've read the short list, which recommends the ATI 2600XT (as a tie) for <$100, and the Nvidia 8800 GT 512 mb for <175$. I don't know how 256 mb vs 512 mb makes a difference in that recommendation. My board has one PCI x16 slot, so no cross/SLI.

Currents specs:
P4 2.80 ghz CPU
1 gig memory (2x 512, unsure of what it was)
500 w supply
800 MHz FSB

What I want to play:
Source engine games
Oblivion
Sins of a solar empire

What else I need it to do:
Output to my crappy TV (I think that's universal by now?)
Not sound like the space shuttle taking off (The CPU is bad enough)

Budget: under $75, but under $100 if it really matters. I just want to change my card, as that is the only thing causing my grief at this time.

Thank you very much for your time.

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8800. 8800 ANYTHING. 2600 is crap, I don't care how much RAM it has. Just as giant rims on a Corsica does not a sports car make, lots of RAM on a weak graphics core doesn't make it perform any better. They could put 4 GB of RAM on a 2600 it would still be worthless. So, in conclusion, 8800. Whether it's a GS or a GT 256, buy an 8800. Or a 3870, if it's cheap enough.

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to nvalhalla

Now, on to the rest of your computer. It is causing you grief too. You don't notice it because you are focused on your GPU, but a P4 2.8 and 1GB of RAM doesn't cut it anymore. Start saving up for those next.

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to nvalhalla

4850 is nice

Reply to pulasky

He said a budget of 100$, the 4850 is generally 160+

EDIT: My suggestion is hold off on buying anything for a couple of more weeks, see how the prices drop and make a new system.

Don't combine old with new, you'll bottleneck you PC

Message edited by L1qu1d on 07-05-2008 at 06:17:47 PM

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Reply to L1qu1d

MrsBytch wrote :

Quote :

Budget: under $75, but under $100 if it really matters.

What? that makes no sense.

As in if someone can make an extremely convincing argument. Under 75 is the "preferred" zone, but 100 is if someone constructs a sound reasoning to.

MrsBytch wrote :

Your first upgrade should be your ram. 1gb is not enough for any game made in the last 4 years.

If your going to get a 8800GT, then I'd suggest the 512mb. However I have the 256mb version and it works great for me. I dont go over 1280x1024. It plays COD4 smooth as butter on high. I get 10,700 3dmarks in Vista.

You really should check out the 8800GS.

1 gb has been working fine and dandy. The ONLY reason I'm replacing my card is because the fan is off its bearings and is grinding. Usually I'd add some oil in the shaft, but I'm too lazy and was thinking about getting a card for kicks.

nvalhalla wrote :

8800. 8800 ANYTHING. 2600 is crap, I don't care how much RAM it has. Just as giant rims on a Corsica does not a sports car make, lots of RAM on a weak graphics core doesn't make it perform any better. They could put 4 GB of RAM on a 2600 it would still be worthless. So, in conclusion, 8800. Whether it's a GS or a GT 256, buy an 8800. Or a 3870, if it's cheap enough.

Take it up with this list:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/ [...] ards-money

Any reason you object to it? Apart from generalized statements, like "it's crap".

nvalhalla wrote :

Now, on to the rest of your computer. It is causing you grief too. You don't notice it because you are focused on your GPU, but a P4 2.8 and 1GB of RAM doesn't cut it anymore. Start saving up for those next.

No it's not. Everything runs *fine*, even with my current card. Team Fortress runs excellently, I get headshots in counterstrike, and I gallop around in oblivion all the time. I don't care to play any new games except for Diablo III or SC II, which blizzard wants to be widely available (Read: runs on low req). And if they did, they aren't coming out a for a great while, so by the time I'd need to worry would be a year from now.

I just want sound recommendations for a decent, low priced replacement for my x700, that won't be bottlenecked by my system. What I don't want is fanboyism, or recs that I sell my firstborn to buy a new system, that I don't need to play what I want proficiently (i.e. 2-3 yr old games on1280x1024 on medium settings, not 9999x9999 on max extreme detail).

Hell, forget I mentioned those two cards. They happened to be in my price range with positive reviews on newegg. I have a simple question: What's the best card for this system?

Not the best card for god's setup, or anything else. Just the for this rig, as it stands, period. If I wanted recommendations for a new system, I would have asked for one. You're wasting your own time and my own if your post contains "new setup" or any like iteration.

Windows XP, by the way.

Message edited by LocoLoki on 07-05-2008 at 06:25:11 PM

Reply to LocoLoki

LocoLoki wrote :

The current cards in question:

GIGABYTE GV-NX88T256HV1 GeForce 8800 GT 256MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP
SAPPHIRE 100218L Radeon HD 2600XT 512MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP

Just looking for some advice on a replacement card for my old Radeon x700 because the heatsink crapped out, among other things. I'm open to cards other than these, as well.

I've read the short list, which recommends the ATI 2600XT (as a tie) for <$100, and the Nvidia 8800 GT 512 mb for <175$. I don't know how 256 mb vs 512 mb makes a difference in that recommendation. My board has one PCI x16 slot, so no cross/SLI.

Currents specs:
P4 2.80 ghz CPU
1 gig memory (2x 512, unsure of what it was)
500 w supply
800 MHz FSB

What I want to play:
Source engine games
Oblivion
Sins of a solar empire

What else I need it to do:
Output to my crappy TV (I think that's universal by now?)
Not sound like the space shuttle taking off (The CPU is bad enough)

Budget: under $75, but under $100 if it really matters. I just want to change my card, as that is the only thing causing my grief at this time.

Thank you very much for your time.

if ur Budget is 75 to 100
whats this about

"and the Nvidia 8800 GT 512 mb for <175$."

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to rangers

For your purposes, of the two cards you listed the 8800GT is the better card. The ATI2600 is not really up to doing the job. I say this as an objective user, although my personal preference is for ATI, my budget allows me to run the higher priced cards if I so choose.

Message quoted 1 times

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Reply to rgsaunders

rangers wrote :

if ur Budget is 75 to 100
whats this about

"and the Nvidia 8800 GT 512 mb for <175$."

What I had said:

Quote :

I've read the short list, which recommends the ATI 2600XT (as a tie) for <$100, and the Nvidia 8800 GT 512 mb for <175$

I've read the short list

The short list, which is sticky'ed at the top of the forum:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/ [...] ards-money

The list recommends the 512, I'm asking about the 256. The 256 is not on the list. I added this to reference that I had indeed looked at some of the available resources here before posting.

Here's a hint for you:
Read ==> Comprehend ==> Post

rgsaunders wrote :

For your purposes, of the two cards you listed the 8800GT is the better card. The ATI2600 is not really up to doing the job. I say this as an objective user, although my personal preference is for ATI, my budget allows me to run the higher priced cards if I so choose.

Fair enough, thanks.

Message edited by LocoLoki on 07-05-2008 at 07:10:22 PM

Reply to LocoLoki

as dated as the system is my vote goes for teh ati 2600hd. it's cheaper and makes a good REPLACEMENT for your x700 at least until you can build a new system altogether.

and 8800gt my require more amps then your psu can deliver if it's an older 500 watt psu.

Reply to PsyKhiqZero

For some one asking for help you are quite rude. Get this instead:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814103051

ATI is still making drivers for it and will for a long time unlike the 8800s, and with the newer drivers it seems it outperforms the 8800 GT 256mb. Guess what, I:

Read ==> Comprehended ==> Posted

Reply to The_Blood_Raven

You said it yourself
ATI 2600XT<100$
It will be a good replacement for your X700

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Reply to kad

The 2600XT can't really be compared to the 8800GT. Forget buffer size. but since you won't be playing Assassin's Creed, UT3, Bioshock, Crysis, Mass Effect, DMC... the 2600XT would be enough for now, and save you money for an upgrade.
Although you're probably right about Blizzard (may God bless them), you have to consider if you want to play D3 and SC2 on low settings. RTS games are specially demanding CPU-wise.

Reply to Murissokah

LocoLoki wrote :

The current cards in question:

GIGABYTE GV-NX88T256HV1 GeForce 8800 GT 256MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP
SAPPHIRE 100218L Radeon HD 2600XT 512MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP

What I want to play:
Source engine games
Oblivion
Sins of a solar empire

if u wana play the above games den 2600 xt is ok.........performance will b the same as x700.more or less
but u cant compare 8800 GT with 2600

2600xt ties with 8600GT
"BEST PCI-E CARD FOR UNDER $100: TIE
Radeon 2600 XT
Geforce 8600 GT GDDR3 "

------------------------------ x2 5600+@2.8; 2GB RAM 800Mhz; xfx 9600GT xt; 320GB HDD; 420W thermaltake PSU
Reply to sarwar_r87

Probably need a complete overhaul for the system, I would save the money up for a complete system change.

Reply to Shadowthor

get the radeon 3850 that The_blood_raven suggested

Reply to boop334

So this is a really easy question to answer... the 8800gt 256mb takes the cake, no doubt about it.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814125089

yes thats what you should buy

Reply to 256gej

8800gt is way better

Reply to th_username

An 8800GT is on the high side of his price range. The cheapest 8800GT was for 115 that I saw last week. I would get the 8800GS which I saw around 75 the other day. The 2600 is an upgrade from an X700, and pretty much any card you get these days would be. But for a machine that old I would go for the 8800GS, GT only if you want to spend the extra 40 bucks. Besides you play at 1024x768 and such, so I couldn't recommend they GT for that.

But here is a GT for $77 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814125089

That is what I would do. Great deal imho.

Message quoted 1 times
Message edited by applejuice85 on 07-05-2008 at 09:58:03 PM

Reply to applejuice85

applejuice85 wrote :

An 8800GT is on the high side of his price range. The cheapest 8800GT was for 115 that I saw last week. I would get the 8800GS which I saw around 75 the other day. The 2600 is an upgrade from an X700, and pretty much any card you get these days would be. But for a machine that old I would go for the 8800GS, GT only if you want to spend the extra 40 bucks. Besides you play at 1024x768 and such, so I couldn't recommend they GT for that.

But here is a GT for $77 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814125089

That is what I would do. Great deal imho.

Just get this card, as long as ur PSU can handle it you will be ok, at this point any card will bottleneck you, just get something cheap but still has some great graphics processing power just in case down the road like a year from now u decided to build a slightly better system then the G92 core in the 8800gt which has 112 stream processors will still be good in the long run, where as a card like the 2600XT [or w/e derivative] which has what maybe 40 unified shaders will start to show how weak it actually is in less time than the previous will, and chances are you might not carry on that card to a different system...

BTW post your specifications including how many amps on your 12 v rails and combine obviously, the make of the PSU helps as well.

Message quoted 1 times
Message edited by FrozenGpu on 07-05-2008 at 10:06:05 PM

Reply to FrozenGpu

The 8800gt may be bottlenecked by your system. You don't need to spend that much I think. I found some cheap 3650's with GDDR3: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814102725

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to chowmanga

chowmanga wrote :

The 8800gt may be bottlenecked by your system. You don't need to spend that much I think. I found some cheap 3650's with GDDR3: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814102725

Sure but look as what youa re getting for how much u are spending, especially after that MIR:

SP's : TMU's: ROP's

8800GT: 112 : 56 : 16

HD3650: 120(24x5) : 8 : 4

HD2600: 120(24x5) : 8 : 4

Pay attention to the actual amount of Stream Processors though for both The Nvidia card and the Ati card, by comparison it sjsut too weak to be considered a good value card when you ahve something so much more powerful for so cheap...

If you look at the actual make-ups of both cores it is clear to see which will last longer, give you teh best performance, and just be the smarter decision if you consider how little u r getting that G92 core, don't forget that you can take that out and put that into the next system you build, as long as it has a PCI-Express 16x port, so u know, keep that in mind....

Reply to FrozenGpu

FrozenGpu wrote :

Just get this card, as long as ur PSU can handle it you will be ok, at this point any card will bottleneck you, just get something cheap but still has some great graphics processing power just in case down the road like a year from now u decided to build a slightly better system then the G92 core in the 8800gt which has 112 stream processors will still be good in the long run, where as a card like the 2600XT [or w/e derivative] which has what maybe 40 unified shaders will start to show how weak it actually is in less time than the previous will, and chances are you might not carry on that card to a different system...

BTW post your specifications including how many amps on your 12 v rails and combine obviously, the make of the PSU helps as well.

PSU: http://www.newegg.com/product/prod [...] 6817103937

Anyway, thanks for the help guys. The recent posts were what I was looking for.

Reply to LocoLoki

SO I estimate ~26-27 amps,

500watt psu, max on 3.3v and 5v rails are like 180 watts, so 500-180=320[total max watatge on 12v rails, i think]

320/12=26.6repeating, so yeah that will do fine, hopefully that particular antec is at least a seasonic OEM but it does seem pretty decent.

It should work fine.

Good luck, and good night!

Reply to FrozenGpu

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