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Best Graphic Card
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 Re: Best Graphic Card
Posted by Dark|Killer on Sun Oct 16th at 9:11pm 2005

Hey all,

Im thinking of upgrading my computer somehow, i added another 512 Ram to my computer so now i have 1GB ram, but now for the graphic card, i really heard the G-Force is better than ATI-Radeon, but i really want to know,
Which is the best graphic card ( For gaming mostly) out yet ??

-[Please forgive me if a similar thread was posted before...]-

-Thank you

-Dark|Masta



.::Dark|Masta::. - One name. One legend.



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 Re: Best Graphic Card
Posted by MisterBister on Sun Oct 16th at 9:14pm 2005

It all depends on the money you want to spend.




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 Re: Best Graphic Card
Posted by Crono on Sun Oct 16th at 9:27pm 2005

Neither is better because they're both supported equally.

As Bister said, it depends on the amount of money you want to spend. ATI usually cost more for lower chipsets (compared to GeForce), because they have a tendancy to put on more ram. (It's more common to find not-new radeons with 512MB ram than it is to find even a 7800 with anything over 256MB)

I'd say GeForce, but, that's just what I would choose. It's up to you. Look at prices and decide from that.

I believe the only REAL difference between the companies is that ATi uses floating point values instead of integers. Which, means you can actually get stuff more accurate, but no one uses it, since it alienates half the market. They all use integers instead (and floating point values are VERY 'expensive')

Or was it nVidia that used floats? Dammit, I don't remember.

I think, though, that "more bang for your buck" right now, is nVidia. Also, if someone, anyone, utilizes SLi, they'd definitaly be the brand to go for.

Also, if you know what video card you want, you better make sure you have a chipset on the motherboard that will agree with it. I've heard of a lot of troubles with people using nforce chipsets and ati cards. I don't know if anyone is having issues with nVidia cards and ATi chipsets though.

Look around.


Blame it on Microsoft, God does.



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 Re: Best Graphic Card
Posted by Windows 98 on Sun Oct 16th at 9:30pm 2005

You shouldve just look through one of my recent threads on my computer building.



http://img362.imageshack.us/img362/8521/windows981dk.jpg

Nickelplate is my dad



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 Re: Best Graphic Card
Posted by G4MER on Mon Oct 17th at 12:53am 2005

GEFORCE! GO! AND I'LL FORM THE HEAD..

I always thought the Geforce name sounded like a Anime cartoon about a bunch of kids that dress up like Birds and form a giant robot or something.




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 Re: Best Graphic Card
Posted by ReNo on Mon Oct 17th at 1:15am 2005

Are you looking for AGP or PCI-Express?




Designer @ Haiku Interactive | ReNo-vation.net



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 Re: Best Graphic Card
Posted by Underdog on Mon Oct 17th at 1:33am 2005

"Best" is an ambiguous term when used in conjunction with video cards. I personally prefer ATI, but have owned just about every name brand sold at one time or another.

I'd go with a new PCI-E X800 if I had the mainboard to support it, but have no qualms about buying anything comparable in a GeForce flavor.




There is no history until something happens, then there is.



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 Re: Best Graphic Card
Posted by G4MER on Mon Oct 17th at 2:12am 2005

What is it about Underpants.. err Dog, that makes me wanna slap the ever liven crap outta him? I need to goto counciling or something..

HUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM FIND YOUR CENTER.. HUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM




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 Re: Best Graphic Card
Posted by omegaslayer on Mon Oct 17th at 2:30am 2005

The market is always changing, just now ATI is hyping up their next generation video cards, the XI000 (or something like that). I've gone through several ATI cards over the past few years (upgrading every 3 generations or so), and they all have performed exrtemely well (for me at least). Currently I have an ATI X800 XT, Ive had it since last yeah (a full year since last month infact!), and it can still run Half Life 2 at full screen settings no problem (AMD 3400+ 64 bit OC's 2.5 GHZ 1 Gig ram). You can probably find a good used/new X800 XT out on the internet for a decent price or so.
But if your a anal number crunsher who wants to squeze out every last frame you can, you want to go with nvidia, their cards arent dramatically better than ATI's, but they vary only slightly in performance.
IF you really want whats best out ther then you would get TWO nVidia 7800 GT's PCI-E, a new mother board that allows for SLI, and run the two in SLI. This would last you a LONG time (not to mention insane performance in Half LIfe 2), and you can run TWO things at once (you can map in one screen and play the map in a separate monitor for instance). The only draw back to this is you have to know what your doing to get it set up right, AND a set up like this will run ya for about 1500 dollars (American).
PS: No ATI cant run in SLI (yet)

/my wiew on the video card economy



Posting And You



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 Re: Best Graphic Card
Posted by Crono on Mon Oct 17th at 3:06am 2005

Or ever. SLi is an nVidia creation. That's why ATi is working on their own slot type for duel cards.

SLi is really pointless right now though. It wont give you anything extra and will only cost you more. It's a cool idea, but it would work much better if the cards themselves didn't cost so much OR if they were guaranteed to be offered.

I know we covered this in a thread.


Blame it on Microsoft, God does.



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 Re: Best Graphic Card
Posted by wil5on on Mon Oct 17th at 8:18am 2005

Could SLi be setup for multiple monitors, so you could run a newer game on multiple monitors without frame loss?


"If you talk at all during this lesson, you have detention. Do you understand?"
- My yr11 Economics teacher



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 Re: Best Graphic Card
Posted by Andrei on Mon Oct 17th at 9:08am 2005

As far as I know a geforce is better for gaming as they are somewhat faster than other videocards with the same specs. I think.




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 Re: Best Graphic Card
Posted by Crono on Mon Oct 17th at 9:41am 2005

? quote:
Could SLi be setup for multiple monitors, so you could run a newer game on multiple monitors without frame loss?


I don't have an SLi system. However, I do have duel monitors. I notice no frame loss (looking at the numbers) when cloning the game to both screens. This is using one card. Since, it's just a connection that splits the output pins. No frame-loss period.

SLi really is just to have each card render completely different stuff or work on one render. You could, I'm sure, hook it up the way you're talking about ... but ... I don't know if it'd work or not. The second screen could just be blank .. or the desktop ... or something. Again, I don't know: I don't have SLi.

However, I do think it's a good idea to have separate things running on two separate desktops ... a little easier with some versions of Linux, since it implements multiple desktops.

Not sure though. Take a look around online?


Blame it on Microsoft, God does.



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 Re: Best Graphic Card
Posted by Dark|Killer on Mon Oct 17th at 10:24am 2005

? quote:
Are you looking for AGP or PCI-Express?


I heard AGP is better than PCI-E right ??
If what i head was false, please correct me..
I was browsing through the net, and i found that ATi has some more properties that are kind of better than nVidia...
And about the money, im willing to spend about 1500DHS, thats Dubai's currency, in USA currency its about $430 or so, well lets just say im willing to spend $500, what could i mostly get that is better,and has a sweet,soft,smooth performance, and may allow me to play HL2 with ultra high (full) options??

Thank you all for your help and replies <img src=" SRC="images/smiles/icon_smile.gif">



.::Dark|Masta::. - One name. One legend.



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 Re: Best Graphic Card
Posted by wil5on on Mon Oct 17th at 12:25pm 2005

PCI-E is faster than AGP, but you need a motherboard with PCI-E slots. At the moment, as far as I know (I dont really keep up with these things) the cards dont really take full advantage of the extra speed, so youd probably be better off with an AGP card (they're cheaper anyway).

Crono, I was thinking of a flight simulator-type setup, where you have the 2 screens rendering different view angles. I'm just wondering if SLi would improve performance in that situation over a single card, or 2 cards working separately.

By the way, SLi is only available on PCI-E cards as far as I know. Unless you can find a motherboard with 2 AGP slots...




&quot;If you talk at all during this lesson, you have detention. Do you understand?&quot;
- My yr11 Economics teacher



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 Re: Best Graphic Card
Posted by G4MER on Mon Oct 17th at 12:47pm 2005

LOL.. ignored.. I love you guys..




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 Re: Best Graphic Card
Posted by ReNo on Mon Oct 17th at 12:55pm 2005

Sadly, in the UK at least, AGP cards are no longer cheaper, particularly at the top end. AGP based 6800GT's are still selling for ?270+, whereas you can pick up a 7800GT in PCI-E for ?220 or so <img src=" SRC="images/smiles/sad.gif"> My 6800GT just broke recently, and upon sending it back I could only get a refund, which was s**t given that I bought the card in an amazing special offer (?165). Now the best I can afford with that money is a 6800 standard.

By my research, nVidia have kinda won out in this round (while ATi definately won the last round), at least in AGP. Only the nVidia cards of the current gen have SM3.0 support, which is hardly an issue in today's games, but I've heard Stalker is going to use it intensively and I wouldn't be surprised if Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion and plenty other upcoming titles start using it for prettier effects. In the mid range cards, the 6600GT and 6800 standard both beat out the x700 series in almost all benchmarks, though the ATi card seems a little better in HL2 at high res with AA/AF on. In the upper range, the 6800GT seems to beat out the x800 is most games, though obviously the x800 proves itself in others.

If you DO have PCI-E though, and are looking for a good mid-range card, there is a new ATi one out - the x800 GTO2 - that is meant to be great for the money. It has 12 pixel pipelines but the other 4 can be unlocked to bring it to 16 (the same as the top x800 series cards), and it can apparently be overclocked quite easily to x850pe speeds, making it as good as a top of the line card for, in the UK, only ?150 odd. If you want top of the line and money is not an issue, then I guess your choices are either the 7800 series, or the upcoming ATi x1800 series.

Of course, I'm not expert on any of this, I'm just regurgetating what I've found on hardware sites while deciding on what card I should buy.




Designer @ Haiku Interactive | ReNo-vation.net



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 Re: Best Graphic Card
Posted by Underdog on Mon Oct 17th at 12:56pm 2005

? quoting MoneyShot
ignored..

I figure its the 105+ temps you endured all summer. I was in El Paso, this summer sometime and it was quite warm.

If it will make you feel that much better, go ahead and slap away. At least you took the time.




There is no history until something happens, then there is.



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 Re: Best Graphic Card
Posted by Dark|Killer on Mon Oct 17th at 4:10pm 2005

Well, here is my Hardware, check it out...



image

I have 5 PCI slots, and 3 are occupied, and 1 AGP and is occupied with the Radeon ATi 9700 Pro...
So i might get a PCI GFX Card and put it in a PCI slot ??

[EDIT]
The picture shows 4 slots, i found that i had 5, 5 PCI slots...




.::Dark|Masta::. - One name. One legend.



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 Re: Best Graphic Card
Posted by Underdog on Mon Oct 17th at 4:16pm 2005

? quoting Dark|Killer





So i might get a PCI GFX Card and put it in a PCI slot ??

No, you won't

A PCI-E slot is not a PCI slot. Your current AGP slot is faster than a normal PCI slot and if you get a normal PCI video card you will only be hurting yourself.

A PCI-E card requires a PCI-E slot.




There is no history until something happens, then there is.




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