Planetarion Forums - Been thinking about getting a new Video Card

Mirai · 26 Jan 2003, 23:03

Currently I have a GeForce 3 DDR 64MB

What's the best on the market today?

BesigedB · 26 Jan 2003, 23:34

best currently: radeon 9700 pro
best in a couple months: geforce fx
best after that: the new radeon

its a rolling cycle

meglamaniac · 26 Jan 2003, 23:35

http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/produ...duct_uid=40518

Bling bling!

Androme · 27 Jan 2003, 00:12

The Gigabyte Radeon 9700 Pro is the best version out there to own currently.

There's about a difference of 200-300 benchmarks or something (iirc) between the Sapphire & the Gigabyte one on 1024 x 768 resolutions and up.

NEWSBOT3 · 27 Jan 2003, 00:16

Quote:

Originally posted by Androme2
The Gigabyte Radeon 9700 Pro is the best version out there to own currently.

There's about a difference of 200-300 benchmarks or something (iirc) between the Sapphire & the Gigabyte one on 1024 x 768 resolutions and up.

when your benchmarks are 17k+, what difference does 2-300 make ?

ooh, its a 1.17% increase!

Luckeh!!!! · 27 Jan 2003, 00:30

My advice.

The Geforce FX is gonna be out real soon, or should be, once that appears the Radeon 9700pro should drop a bit in price, I think you should get that because the performance increase from the R9700pro to GFFX isn't going to be that great to warrant the premium price for a brand new released GFX card.

Much akin to high end P4 CPUs, 2.53Ghz and 3.06Ghz CPU price difference is a fair bit but the performance increase isn't THAT great.

PS - NEWSBOT3, you're not going to get 17k+ on stock settings with an R9700pro

NEWSBOT3 · 27 Jan 2003, 04:17

Quote:

Originally posted by Luckeh!!!!
My advice.

PS - NEWSBOT3, you're not going to get 17k+ on stock settings with an R9700pro

no ? (this was a guess, as my pc is old and crappy :/)

im assuming 3d mark 2001SE scores here btw...
what should it be getting then ?

Luckeh!!!! · 27 Jan 2003, 11:19

Quote:

Originally posted by NEWSBOT3
no ? (this was a guess, as my pc is old and crappy :/)

im assuming 3d mark 2001SE scores here btw...
what should it be getting then ?

at stock settings with a decent CPU you're gonna reach about 13k-14k.

Miserableman · 27 Jan 2003, 12:25

Quote:

Originally posted by NEWSBOT3
when your benchmarks are 17k+, what difference does 2-300 make ?

ooh, its a 1.17% increase!

It always makes me laugh to see hardware sites speed test motherboards and graphics cards against one another, produce speed variations between them of about 2 3DMark points and proclaim that one is faster than the other.

SilverSmoke · 27 Jan 2003, 12:30

according to some betatest this GForce FX isnt faster then the Radeon.

Dunno how valid all this crap is though.

http://www.gamers.nl/nieuws/16261

Luckeh!!!! · 27 Jan 2003, 13:25

Quote:

Originally posted by SilverSmoke
according to some betatest this GForce FX isnt faster then the Radeon.

Dunno how valid all this crap is though.

http://www.gamers.nl/nieuws/16261

there are many official reviews listed @ www.nvnews.net

the GFFX is quite a let down, however, certain benchmarks reveal that it is the drivers that are letting the GFFX down in terms of performance.

sh@dow · 27 Jan 2003, 18:29

Quote:

Originally posted by Miserableman
It always makes me laugh to see hardware sites speed test motherboards and graphics cards against one another, produce speed variations between them of about 2 3DMark points and proclaim that one is faster than the other.

you are easily amused

Not_RIT · 27 Jan 2003, 21:22

I get 10.5k marks with my set up

BesigedB · 27 Jan 2003, 21:24

the GFFX's current letdown will almost certainly be the drivers

MT · 27 Jan 2003, 21:52

If this is for 3d you may like to go visit toms hardware and check out the vga charts. Interestingly, they tested all cards on a top end machine AND a lower spec machine (AMD 1400 iirc (so hardly slow)). Most games got a maximum of 30 fps difference between a cheap card like a Radeon 7500 and a Radeon 9700pro. Now justify that £300 price tag.

Androme · 27 Jan 2003, 22:18

you can get yourself a £170 Radeon 9700 (not PRO version) by Saphire iirc at overclockers.co.uk - only difference iirc is the lower clock speeds otherthise thus runs the same as the norm.

Luckeh!!!! · 27 Jan 2003, 23:24

Quote:

Originally posted by MT
If this is for 3d you may like to go visit toms hardware and check out the vga charts. Interestingly, they tested all cards on a top end machine AND a lower spec machine (AMD 1400 iirc (so hardly slow)). Most games got a maximum of 30 fps difference between a cheap card like a Radeon 7500 and a Radeon 9700pro. Now justify that £300 price tag.

Yeah, you need a decent CPU to pair up a decent GFX card.

BuddhistPunk · 6 Feb 2003, 11:48

I have just gone through the same dilema (it was sooooo much easier 5 years ago, when the only 3d card was the orchid)

Anyways, I bought the 128Mb ATI Radeon 9500 RTL for these reasons :

- £100 cheaper than the 9700.

- There are software utilities out there that will left you softswap your card, to a 9700 !!!! seriously, and they work.

And thats it.

If your interested in benchmarks have a look at these :

Base Machine:
Atlhon XP 2100+
512 2100 DDR Ram
Chaintech 7VJL Motherboard
Every stock (i.e. no clocking, tweaking, fancy drivers)

Bench1 (3D Mark)
Video - GF2 MX - 1150!!

Bench2 (3D Mark)
Video 9500 stock settings - 10050

Bench3 (3D Mark)
Same card as above with 9700 patch/tweak - 12075

Luckeh!!!! · 6 Feb 2003, 11:59

you must be one of the luck ones then, apparently there isn't a high % of total success with the softmod (although the highest success has been with the Connect3D brand)

Have you tried running DirectX9 demos yet?

If you can't run those without artifacts or glitching then it hasn't been totally successful. :/

TheShadow · 6 Feb 2003, 20:30

Quote:

Originally posted by BuddhistPunk

Bench1 (3D Mark)
Video - GF2 MX - 1150!!

Was that a GF2 MX 200 card?

Luckeh!!!! · 6 Feb 2003, 22:04

Quote:

Originally posted by TheShadow
Was that a GF2 MX 200 card?

looks like it, the MX400/original MX has twice the bandwidth of the MX200 and scores roughly double in 3DM.

BuddhistPunk · 7 Feb 2003, 15:59

Quote:

Originally posted by Luckeh!!!!
you must be one of the luck ones then, apparently there isn't a high % of total success with the softmod (although the highest success has been with the Connect3D brand)

Have you tried running DirectX9 demos yet?

If you can't run those without artifacts or glitching then it hasn't been totally successful. :/

For once in my life I am lucky, the card runs fine with the mods, running DX9 I havent seen any problems with it at all.

With regards to the type of GF2 MX card, IIRC it is the 200.

Androme · 7 Feb 2003, 20:46

I have a GeForce 2 MX/MX400 on my pc atm

does the jobby

I'll be upgrading in the latter 1/4's of this year when the Radeon's drop again