Getting a new video card finally

[Mak213]

So i have finally decided to get a new video card. I got my allowance after the Tax Refund came back and found this little gem:

Link

So i decided to get it even though i dont know much about the Palit brand. But coming from a plain old 6800 card to a 8600GT 1GB GDDR3 card should give me some kind of boost right?

Anyways just wanted to see what some of your input was. Before everyone jumps in and says that i should have gottena 9600GT or anything like that. I had a max amount of $100 to spend. I got hte wife to allow me the extra $$ to get this one cause she saw how excited i was to find it.

Believe me if i oculd i would have gotten a 9600 series card. But this should be a nice upgrade for $125 from a 6800 card. Not a 6800 series card. Just a 6800. Not GT or GTS. Just a plain old 6800.

[luke992006]

yeah u should see a considerable increase in performance even if it is only an 8600gt

[Mak213]

I know i will. Considering i just noticed that my 6800 has a core speed of 325MHz and a Memory speed of 300MHz comapred to the 540MHz Core and 800MHz Memory that hte 8600 will have. It shlould be a big jump.

Considering i dont game that much this card should be a nice boost for me.

Even the games i do play this should give me a noticeable increase.

[Merkwürdigliebe]

eBay Canada – New and used x1950pro, x1950, x1950 pro on eBay.ca

eBay Canada – New and used 7900gs, 7900 gs, Desktop Laptop Components on eBay.ca

either of those will serve you better than that 8600GT, you won't see that much of a jump from the 6800 at all

the auctions are in the States, I just have Canadian links because it automatically assigns me to eBay.ca

Most of the 'Buy It Now's are from reputable stores that use eBay as a clearance outlet.

[Puddle Jumper]

After mir this 8800gs is only $130. It is considerably faster than a 8600gt.

Newegg.com - XFX PVT88SFDD4 GeForce 8800GS 384MB 192-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail

If you don't want to spend that much I recommend getting an 8600gt 512mb. There should be little if any difference in performance between the 512mb and 1gb models.

Newegg.com - MSI NX8600GT-T2D512E OC GeForce 8600GT 512MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail

[Mak213]

The 7900 wouldnt be that big a difference from what i have. Also the 8600GT will out perform it. The reason i say this is because the only thing that 7900 has over the 8600 is the Memory Clock. It is about 500 MHz faster but it is only 1/3 the memory. So the extra memory will help to compensate for that lose. Plus this will definately give me a big improvement over my 6800. That clock speed is only 325MHz compared to the 540MHz of the 8600GT. Not to mention the jump from GDDR ram on teh card to GDDR3.

Also the 7900 isnt even a DX10 card. Not that it is needed but it s a bonus that is for sure.

I would have gotten the 8800, but as i stated the budget was limited. It was tough to stretch the budget to get the extra $$ for the 8600.

Plus the one you linked to. Was only better than the model i got by 20MHz on the core clock. It was half the RAM. So i think i made the wise choice so far. We will see when it comes in.

[Merkwürdigliebe]

clocks don't matter, my old 9600XT ran up to ~650MHz on core...

DX10 means diddly squat too, it offers no visual improvement over DX9 and is only available with Vista, a poorly optimized and buggy operating system. It has no other features that really distinguish it from DX9... it has offered absolutely nothing new, and already we're hearing decent talk about DX11

In fact, DX9 is more of a bonus because you get the same visuals with generally better performance.

The 8600GT won't be even capable of utilizing 512MB of vram, nevermind 1GB Arguably, 256MB is plenty for anything running at a resolution equal to or under 1680x1050

512+ is really only needed when you're playing texture-heavy games at resolutions beyond 1680x1050, and you need a card that is architecturally capable of efficiently being able to put that memory to use... it's like putting $1500 22-inch performance wheels on a 1998 Hyundai accent with 300K mileage...

performance-wise, there's almost no difference between the 7600GT and 8600GT

trust me on this, most people on this forum will agree with 100% of what I'm saying

[Amd gt player]

go weith the ati card the x1950 pro u will see a huge diference, its a much better card then the 8600gt.

[Hussein19891]

Originally Posted by Amd gt player

go weith the ati card the x1950 pro u will see a huge diference, its a much better card then the 8600gt.

Even though you guys are bashing my card (8600GT 512MB). Yeah I have to admit the X1950 Pro is a card you will not be disappointed with. In fact I m planning to snag myself one whenever I get the money to. If not a X1950 Pro then more likely a 3850 if prices are more in my price range by then.

But at the defense of the 8600GT, I've been able to play Crysis on high with this, and it truely is a great card. If the ATI cards are any better its because AMD likes to anger their competitors and price lower then them. But yeah I've been hearing a lot of good from ATI cards lately and it seems they're worth it.

[Mak213]

Merkwürdigliebe i understand your statement and point. It is not that i dont agree with you cause i know that a GB card will not be fully utilized. But i am a avid Vista user myself so DX10 for me is a plus. Thanks for the info.

I dont plan on getting ATi. I have had nothign but issues with them in the past while my nVidia cards have always done so well for me. It is a personal preference thing. Not saying that the x1950 wouldnt be a better card. I just choose nVidia over ATi.