which is the next best to Radeon?

[a4amd]

Where i live its almost impossible to get the Radeon 9700 in the next couple of months or may be it could take as long as another 6-8 months. Right now i am running on a GF4 MX440 4X. i am not patient enough to wait that long for the Radeon. Meanwhile, i thot i cud buy a decent 128MB card with 8X which translates to Ti4200.
Ok, OK here's my question. does a Ti4200-128MB-8X perform better than a Ti4200-128MB-4X or a Ti4200-64-8X/4x?? I have a A7V8X mobo. All the models are almost similarly priced. And no the Radeon 9500 series is not available too.
I know this kind of question has been asked b4, but kindly adjust.

Ever wondered...how would u reset ur brain back to normal/default if u could ever overclock it???

 

[Willamette_sucks]

go for a 128mb version, 8x or 4x dosnt matter.
the 64mb version has slightly faster memory, but you can easily overclock the 128mb version to those speeds, and todays and tommorrows games like to have 128mb of memory!

Long live ATI.<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by Willamette_Sucks on 04/11/03 06:17 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[GeneticWeapon]

Willamette...that is kinda true, but not always. You have to remember that most graphics cards that are 128megs usually use slower memory, thats why you see 64meg cards of the same brand doing better in some games, as Tom's VGA charts have shown. The memory on my 8500 64meg is 3.3ns. All of the 128meg 8500's I've seen have .4ns memory or higher. Having more memory doesnt always mean better gaming. Faster memory=faster theoretical fill rate.

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[Willamette_sucks]

i am highly aware of the toms VGA charts, and like i said he could oc the 128s memory, but in games like UT2k3/U2 and beyond, twice the memory is more important. im not sure what the rest of this guys system is like (cept the mobo), but a ti4200 is good enough to start crankin up some settings even in ut2k3. he could play at 1024x768 max detail im sure, and at that res and settings im sure ut2k3 uses more than 64mb of video ram.



Long live ATI.

 

[papasmurf]

of course you understand that less memory is easier to overclock. 128mb is nearly worthless go for a 64mb version you can clock the memory higher than a 128mb card nearly always.

Treat your body like a $600 car. God didn't intend it to last so use it. Run it into the ground!

 

[GeneticWeapon]

Yep...the memory timings are set faster in the bios on the 64meg cards. You can overclock the memory on the 128meg card all you want, It will never reach the speeds of the 64meg without a bios flash...you need some schooling Willamette..open your book to the section titled "Video Cas Latency"...and umm,..put on your dunce cap.

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[GeneticWeapon]

Let it be clear that we are talking about the memory characteristics of a Ti4200. Not a high end card. I am not blind to the fact that 9800's and FX's use 128megs, and are the fastest cards on the planet, but these cards use fast modern memory, and Ti4200's do not.

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[papasmurf]

128mb of ram offers almost no performance gains ever. the memory timings can be changed by editing the bios however the more memory modules there are the less likely it is you will be able to reach a high overclock as well. 64mb cards are cheaper to make and buy and they are as fast or faster than the 128mb cards.


Treat your body like a $600 car. God didn't intend it to last so use it. Run it into the ground!

 

[Twitch]

This is why I don't understand the excitement at ATI's and nVidia going to 256 meg of RAM. To me, it's just a waste of RAM.





<-----Insert witty sig line here.

 

[dhlucke]

If doom ]|[ uses 80MB and you want to play at a high resolution I can see it being usefull.

<font color=red>GOD</font color=red> <font color=blue>BLESS</font color=blue> <font color=red>AMERICA</font color=red>

 

[papasmurf]

it is a waste, but maybe game developers will start making use of it soon.

Treat your body like a $600 car. God didn't intend it to last so use it. Run it into the ground!

 

[Willamette_sucks]

ouch you guys hurt me so much.
like i said plenty of ut2k3 maps when played at high res/high detail which a ti4200 most certainly can handle, use more than 64mb of ram, and so for modern and future games its useful.
yes you can oc the 64mb versions memory even further IM FREAKING AWARE OF THAT ITS NOT THAT COMPLICATED (so why dont you stick that dunce cap up your ass, ok?)
i was just saying you could oc the 128s memory to the stock 64mbs one, and probably beyond that.

and yes 256mb of ram WILL be useful in doom3, and the 256mb version of the 9800 pro IS fast enough to take advantage of it.

A waste of ram? thats what your brain is. you could use a little tweaking

Long live ATI.

 

[JimmyDean]

i said die damnit

<b><font color=red>Remember kids, if you see a downed power line, suck on the end, candy comes out!</font color=red></b>

 

[GeneticWeapon]

Geez he's stupid....

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[a4amd]

oops, how stoopid of me not to mention my system specs.
CPU: 1800+ t-bred A(overclocked to 1900MHZ, 45C idle 54C full load with VOlcano 6Cu HSF)
Mobo: A7V8X (KT400)
RAM: 2*256MB DDR333
Graphics:GF4 MX 440

Ever wondered...how would u reset ur brain back to normal/default if u could ever overclock it???

 

[TheGreatGrapeApe]

Actually you CAN use 128 mb of memory very quickly, but usually not in games. The higher memory is better for things like DUAL monitor applications at HIGH resolution, heck even games at HIGH res. and high settings will exhaust a 64mb card, however for basic gaming you will get higher frames. But once again who cares about getting 200 frames in quake 3 it will be the new games that WILL push beyond 64mb, and then the small speed gain of a 64mb card will be lost because it won't be able to handle the game without using a bit of system resources. However for NOW, and especially since we are talking about GF4s, there is an advantage to most 64mb cards, I'm just not sure if that will be a good advantage for long. AND As GW said, the newer cards have MUCH faster memory on the 128 modules than even the fastest 64 mb boards. I remember reading the 9800P is 2.7ns and the 9700P runs 2.9ns modules (I could be wrong I do remember they are sub 3, anyone know for sure?) of course these are the retail boards do not expect that from the powercolor ones.
However memory IS a factor in some app, just not most games RIGHT NOW. Best use for lots of memory, lots of desktop space, dual monitor, and serious video/design/anim. apps.

MMMMmmm Wildcat 7210 with 410mb now that's a tonne of memory, AND a year old board.

- You need a licence to buy a gun, but they'll sell anyone a stamp <i>(or internet account)</i> ! <font color=red>RED</font color=red> <font color=green>GREEN</font color=green> :tongue: GA to SK

 

[TheGreatGrapeApe]

Yes, Stoopid, now go write a program to display "I will never make a mistake in THG forums again" 1 million times.
:tongue:

Now everyone take a breather, and let's all have a mint tea, and look at the stars and think, 'Why are we here, what's it all about, Why can't I just get 10 more MHZ out of my DAMN memory, Freakin' card, I'll crush it with my foot, and then...' Ooops sorry, I mean, 'ahhh peace and harmony to all, except you, you and YOU!'

Keep your stick on the Ice!

- You need a licence to buy a gun, but they'll sell anyone a stamp <i>(or internet account)</i> ! <font color=red>RED</font color=red> <font color=green>GREEN</font color=green> :tongue: GA to SK

 

[Willamette_sucks]

i thought it was 2.3ns (9800 pro), but i could be wrong.

Long live ATI.

 

[randy66]

not always true , I'm using a Gainward GF4 4200 8x 128 mb
golden sample , it uses the same speed RAM as 64mb cards do , 3.3ns

 

[papasmurf]

sometimes I wish freddie would mod a bit more. [-peep-] like you should be kicked. The man was looking for a replacement card until he can get a 9700. 64mb card cheaper and faster in the short term in which he will be using it. so shut the [-peep-] up noob you have been pooned

Treat your body like a $600 car. God didn't intend it to last so use it. Run it into the ground!

 

[papasmurf]

dearest randy66,
we are not talking about clock speeds we are talking about timings

Treat your body like a $600 car. God didn't intend it to last so use it. Run it into the ground!

 

[randy66]

my error , sorry , I dont understand about timing , i thought it was only rated by size and speed . i.e. 64-128mb / 3ns -4ns speed etc etc
where can I read about timing in respect to video cards
is it the same as system memory . i.e. -cas2-cas 2.5 latency (2-2-2-5-t1 ) etc etc

 

[a4amd]

Geez...tnx PapaSmurf....even i almost forgot i was just looking for a "replacement card until he can get a 9700."

And everyone else, tnx a ton. lemme see what i can find and i'll then post the result.

Ever wondered...how would u reset ur brain back to normal/default if u could ever overclock it???

 

[GeneticWeapon]

Yes....keep your stick on the ice...(must be a Canadian thing)

My Score..<A HREF="http://service.futuremark.com/compare?2k1=6258104" target="_new">http://service.futuremark.com/compare?2k1=6258104</A>

 

[a4amd]

just downloaded the RivaTuner2 and now i have overclocked my MX440 to 333/513. is this good enough?? any better tweak utils out there?

Ever wondered...how would u reset ur brain back to normal/default if u could ever overclock it???