Negative Sun Posted August 24, 2007 Share Posted August 24, 2007 I could go on for ages but I'll keep it short... I'm gonna take my chances with the HD2600 PRO from Ati (at some points lolz)...I'm just wondering, what is gonna whoop more behind: 256Mb GDDR3 vs 512Mb DDR2? Now comparing the specs on the PRO vs XT versions it kinda looks like this: Clicky Armed with this info my question is this: Am I best to go for more/better memory in the PRO series? Or lower memory range in the XT series? The price difference between the equivalent memories is about $80-$100 sometimes...So Im just wondering what would be the best allround performer for a decent (futureproof, or kinda) Vista-based system? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astrotoy7 Posted August 25, 2007 Share Posted August 25, 2007 Its a DX10 card, considering what DX10 games/app are likely to be, DDR3 is the way to go. Still, the 512MB framebuffer will always give youa but more grunt it must be said. If you could wait, save and get yourself a 512mb ddr3 card, then you'll be future proofing a bit more effectively. (DX10.1 arguments aside) That is of course, my 2c(and Ive tried my best not to show my nvidia bias!) mtfbwya Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingerhs Posted August 25, 2007 Share Posted August 25, 2007 well, if you really want to wait, AMD is expected to release the 2900Pro sometime soon. its a downgrade from the XT, but it would be much better for gaming purposes than the 2600, and i think its supposed to have 512MB DDR3 on it to boot. if i'm not mistaken, its also supposed to use the 65nm version of the GPU which will keep temps and power consumption down much lower than the current XT model. anyways, that's just my addition to Astro's two cents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negative Sun Posted August 25, 2007 Author Share Posted August 25, 2007 Good points there...but since I got fired today (for which I will sue unfair dismissal) it'll have to wait a wee bit longer probably Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astrotoy7 Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 Good points there...but since I got fired today (for which I will sue unfair dismissal) it'll have to wait a wee bit longer probably ouch ! sorry to hear that dude Unless you were playing up and knew it was coming, being fired is a pretty unpleasant experience... especially if you have a shyteload of bills and rent to pay good luck man ! bugger the gfx card for now. Important things first mtfbwya Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negative Sun Posted August 26, 2007 Author Share Posted August 26, 2007 ouch ! sorry to hear that dude Unless you were playing up and knew it was coming, being fired is a pretty unpleasant experience... especially if you have a shyteload of bills and rent to pay good luck man ! bugger the gfx card for now. Important things first mtfbwya I was gonna go back to a DX9 one anyways, found a sweet X1950Pro with 512Mb of GDDR3 for a bargain, just the day before they told me the bombshell. I never saw it coming man, and they have no valid reason to do it...Which is why they will feel my wrath through some legal aid (hopefully, lolz) The bills scare me the most, but I'm gonna start looking for something else ASAP... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Q Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 The X1950Pro is a great value, but you might be able to find an X1950XT for not very much more. Both are power hogs, so you'll need a good PSU to feed them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negative Sun Posted August 27, 2007 Author Share Posted August 27, 2007 The case comes with a 500W one, sufficient you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astrotoy7 Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 The case comes with a 500W one, sufficient you think? should be ok, as long as you arent running some power hungry peripherals or watercooling setup You'd need more if you ever contemplated a x-fire setup mtfbwya Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negative Sun Posted August 28, 2007 Author Share Posted August 28, 2007 Nah I don't see the point in spending money on two cards, I might as well save up and get one that's most capable... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Q Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 More than wattage you need to find out how many amps are available on the 12V rail. That matters more than the total wattage. I don't know how many either card would require, but their being higher-end ATI I would venture a guess of at least 30A. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astrotoy7 Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 More than wattage you need to find out how many amps are available on the 12V rail. That matters more than the total wattage. I don't know how many either card would require, but their being higher-end ATI I would venture a guess of at least 30A. Yes, I should have mentioned that too !! Though something that ships as a 500W PSU should have that type of compatibility, especially if its a modular PSU that is described as "SLI" or "X-fire" ready what PSU do you have negsun mtfbwya Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negative Sun Posted August 28, 2007 Author Share Posted August 28, 2007 It's the one that comes supplied with this case, which is advertised as a "gamers" case... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingerhs Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 now this is interesting: the model you pointed to comes with a 500W PSU, but in the US, its only available with a 450W PSU. anyways, thanks to a NewEgg screenshot, the PSU is a RaidMax RX-450K which is a pretty cheap PSU. it lacks a lot of good features, and the single 12V rail isn't going to be up to spec for a high end card since the output isn't close to 30A. sorry if that wasn't something you wanted to hear, but its better to find out now than later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negative Sun Posted August 28, 2007 Author Share Posted August 28, 2007 Hmmm, good point stingerhs, and you're right, better now than later on... Is it difficult to fit a different PSU in a case? If no I'll just get a better one and replace it myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingerhs Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 just make sure its an ATX Form Factor PSU. the ATX standard has specific size guidelines for the PSU, so it should fit just fine. the hard part is routing the wires, and for that, i recommend that you use zip ties as they're very versatile, and they won't look out of place. just make sure you have a set of wire cutters on hand to trim the excess and for cutting any errantly placed zip ties. as for the new PSU, i'd recommend looking for a PSU that is 80-Plus Certified. its a basic certification that guarantees that the PSU will maintain at least 80% efficiency at 10%, 50%, and 100% loads on the PSU. they will be more expensive, but that's countered by the fact that the higher efficiency translates into a small electric bill. the last thing to check for is that the amperage ratings on the 12V rail(s) is at 30A or higher. you want to make sure that the PSU is going to perform, and high amps is needed for that to happen. anyways, i hope that helps. and good luck with all this stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negative Sun Posted August 29, 2007 Author Share Posted August 29, 2007 Cool stuff, never knew any of that...Thanks Any brand/make in particular you would recommend? Edit: Since it looks like I might be out of serious dough for a while, I'm thinking of getting a cheapo AGP card to replace this dinosaur GeForce 4 MX 4k, but I don't wanna spend to much...I just want a card that's better than the one I have and will let me play KotOR and TSL at higher settings than I'm doing now...(I'll upgrade some RAM too btw) Any suggestions? I've heard poopy things about the X1550, that it doesn't support some things or what not, but it's cheap lolz Otherwise there's nVidias 6300 or 7300 series that are in the same price range. Also the card I have atm is passively cooled, if I go for one with a fan, will it create problems to connect it with my PSU etc? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Q Posted September 8, 2007 Share Posted September 8, 2007 Sorry that I haven't kept up with this thread lately, NS. My bad. To answer your question about a cheap AGP vidcard upgrade I would look at both ATI & Nvidia from two generations ago, namely the ATI X800/X850 series, and the Nvidia 6600GT/6800GT series. If you can find them, any of these cards would fit the bill and not cost a lot of scratch. I have a used EVGA 6800GT that I bought off of Fleabay almost a year ago in my ancient Dell right now, and it's been great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negative Sun Posted September 8, 2007 Author Share Posted September 8, 2007 I cannot find anything for the X800 series here in the UK, so I'll have to throw my fanboyism out the window lolz I'm looking at either a 256Mb 7300GT or a 512Mb X1550, both DDR2 and same kinda specs, so it's the good 'ol Nvidia vs Ati again... What I don't know and can't seem to find out is this: Both these cards seem to have fans, what I've got just now is a passively cooled card, does the fan require an external connection with my PSU? And also: Will I need to find out if those cards are gonna put more strain on my PSU or is it negligible? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Q Posted September 8, 2007 Share Posted September 8, 2007 Unless you have a really crappy PSU you should be fine. And yes, those cards will probably require a 4-pin molex connection to your psu. If all of those are used up, you can get a splitter pretty cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negative Sun Posted September 12, 2007 Author Share Posted September 12, 2007 Well apparently my PSU is crap cause it doesn't meet the minimum requirements for both those cards (about 350W or more, mine is 300W with 15A on the 12V rail) Sooo, after some extensive browsing around the best I can find is a 6200 (full SM 3.0 support) with 128Mb of DDR memory or a 9550 with 256Mb of DDR memory (but no SM 3.0 support, only 2.0) There is a 6200 out there for the same price as the one mentioned above but with 256Mb of DDR2 memory, which I would like more, but it says on some sites that it needs 350W, while others say 300W, so I'm a bit confused about that one and I'd rather not risk it... Will 128Mb DDR memory (at 64-bit) be sufficient to play games like Jade Empire? (which is why I'm getting in in the first place) I wish there was a site or some kind of reference to check what GPU needs what PSU because it's really annoying having to look around everywhere for it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Q Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 Don't waste your money on a 6200. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negative Sun Posted September 12, 2007 Author Share Posted September 12, 2007 lolz why is that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingerhs Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 a 6200 is probably going to give you worse performance than your current card, that's why. as cheap as it might be, there are definitely better options out there. even the 8500GT would serve you better than the 6200. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astrotoy7 Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 unless you want to game likes its 2003, I wouldnt bother with the 6200, or any caching card for that matter. I do have one in a media center pc, but that's all it does so manages it quite well... Upcoming games in particular will kick that 6200s a$$. If I had to go for a lower end DX10 card, it'd be the 8600 512MB.. mtfbwya Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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