128mb vs 256mb

beetlebz

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ok, im off this weekend to buy myself a radeon 9800pro. i know what i want, for once, and thats a good thing. i was going to just get the 256mb ASUS version from newegg for 340 bucks, but the more i read, the more im not so sure its worth it. ive talked to a few people who have tried the 256mb cards and said they were NO faster or better than the 128mb cards, in some cases slower. ive also seen a few forum posts on various sites that make the same claim.

so my question is definitively..

should i get the HIS 9800pro 128mb version, or is it worth my time and extra 100 bucks to get the 256mb version?

its replacing a radeon 9100 128mb card and a Ti4200 64mb card
 

scottchen

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256mb on the previous gen card really makes no difference, not even with full aa/af at high res.

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cryo

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for 9800Pro 128 is enough. 256MB are good in high res (1600x1024)with high AA&AF, but the 9800 GPU will most likely choke at those settings. So, no real use for 256MB.
Save the extra bucks and do a CPU/memory upgrade, then you will see the difference.

"I cannot give you a brain, but I can give you a diploma"
- The Wizard of Oz, talking to the Scarecrow
 

beetlebz

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so essentially for basic gaming applications, the 256mb version would be a waste of money... correct?
i can get the HIS ice-Q 9800pro 128mb for 249 :O
 

cryo

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yup. If you play in 1024x768, with medium AA and AF, not even FarCry would be a problem. For about anything else, pump everything to the max and get ready to rock.

"I cannot give you a brain, but I can give you a diploma"
- The Wizard of Oz, talking to the Scarecrow<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by cryo on 05/05/04 09:28 AM.</EM></FONT></P>
 

wht1986

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Ive also read that the 256MB 9800 Pro boards can be bios flashed to a 9800XT. You just usually need a better aftermarket cooling solution.
 

scottchen

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128mb can be flashed to XT as well, and you don't need anything but stock cooling.

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dhlucke

Polypheme
Get the 128MB version and use the $140 you save on your next upgrade, beer, or women.

<font color=red>_______________________________________________</font color=red>
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TheRod

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You can get a 9800 PRO 128Megs for 199$US at www.ati.com with hteir trade-up program! the only condition, you send them back any video card...

Damn, if I could find this old ISA cirrus logic somewhere in the dust! :smile:

--
Lookin' to fill that <font color=blue>GOD</font color=blue> shape hole!
 

scottchen

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ARRGh, sry this is not canadian forum, i mean it's over for Canada, a couple of my friends tried.

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Willamette_sucks

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Read my sticky on ATI BIOS flashing <A HREF="http://forumz.tomshardware.com/hardware/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=680130#680130" target="_new">here</A>.

Me: are you saying I can't provide?
Me: cause I know I can provide.
Me: oh and I can provide money too;)
Rachel:): why do we need money when we can just stay in our room and have sex all day?
 

Spitfire_x86

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256 MB VRAM is useless with Radeon 9800 generation cards (and slower cards)

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beetlebz

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woah, so if i went with the HIS 128mb 9800pro (its stock cooling solution puts the bad in badass) could be flashed to the XT bios?

in that situation would the extra 128mb of ram make a diff or would it still not matter? not like i would need to flash it at all, but what the hell. with cooling like the HIS ice-Q theres no good reason not to overclock :D
 

pauldh

Illustrious
I agree 256MB R9800Pro is a waste. IMO Go for a 128MB R9800pro for around $200 or so, or wait a week and dump $400 into the X800pro.

ABIT IS7, P4 2.6C, 512MB Corsair TwinX PC3200LL, Radeon 9800 Pro, Santa Cruz, TruePower 430watt
 

scottchen

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Flash the bios, will give you increase in DX9 performance, since the R360 has tweaks compare to the R350.

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scottchen

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No it doesn't, my friends have called, they said it's off for Canada.

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