[H] review of BFG 7800GT OC

K

Kristo

Gawd
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Aug 12, 2004
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513
http://www.hardocp.com/article.html?art=ODAz

Wow. I just love these hard launches. Plus in the summary at the end, I think they are pretty much right, # of pipelines etc is meaning less and less. Either that or these cards are so insanely fast that we will have to wait for some kind of radical new cpus to take advantage of their speed.

Either way, excellent performance.

ATI, your move.
 
Nice :)

[sarcasme]But it's not running at reference speeds[/sarcasme] :rolleyes:

Terra - Couldn't resist :p
 
Kristo said:
ATI, your move.
Click to expand...

ummm, thats been the entire problem for who knows how long.

ATi hasnt moved ANYWHERE for quite some time now.
 
well i can say the 7800GT looks very good now to see if it drops some and we get a AGP ver
this and a X-fi should hold me out till skt. M2 settles in :D
 
The little blurb on how we need not focus on pipeline count. I am inferring from that statement that maybe the boys have an R520 in hand and it just might be a 16pipe card with very high clocks.
 
jacuzz1 said:
The little blurb on how we need not focus on pipeline count. I am inferring from that statement that maybe the boys have an R520 in hand and it just might be a 16pipe card with very high clocks.
Click to expand...

While that would be an interesting step, I still imagine it will be a 24 or 32 pipe card.
 
tornadotsunamilife said:
While that would be an interesting step, I still imagine it will be a 24 or 32 pipe card.
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I think we are missing the boat. Did it ever occur that we had ISA --> PCI --> PCIe which is effectively serial. Did it ever occur that we went from parallel ports to USB/Firewire which is serial. Did it ever occur that we went from PATA to SATA?

Serial is capable of insane rates because it doesn't require coordination with something next to it. A parallel architecture is pretty cool but it has a limitation when trying to figure out how to be break apart the workload to each pipeline.

It is a balancing act to keep the pendelum in the center and I think right now it has swung to "put more pipes in" instead of push up speed. I belive the 6600GT really shows what an 8-pipe card can do. If it had a 256-bit interface I would like to see it in comparison to the 6800NU. The clock rates made up for ALOT of FPS. A 6600GT running at 700MHz with 1400MHz RAM would be exceedingly fast. A die shrink and some optimizations could easily do that (I believe).

So if ATI does do a 16 pipe card and the ycan get it 700+ MHz and optimize the pipelines...they could have a gem on their hands.

-tReP
 
I just don't see how this card is a good value. Sure the 7800GT can be found for $450, but the 7800GTX is already available for $480 from several online retailers. This is not the $150 price difference the review refers to, it's $30... Why is it not worth an extra $30 to get the best of the best? Am I missing something??
 
MSRP is where the $150 difference is from.

GTX is MSRP @ $599
GT is MSRP @ $449

The GTX has come down in price, but at release they were at MSRP.

Give the GT a couple weeks, I bet they can be found for around $400 or less.

Zero
 
Not bad 20 pipelines card @ all. Anyways, I think it better for most of us to buy 7800GT instead of GTX cuz that GT card can perform same as GTX when oc it to GTX speed.

I am quiet impressive on that card.

As for me (ATI fan), I am gonna look forward for R520's performance over both GT and GTX. :)
 
Trepidati0n said:
So if ATI does do a 16 pipe card and the ycan get it 700+ MHz and optimize the pipelines...they could have a gem on their hands.
-tReP
Click to expand...

I am well aware of this but it is still unlikely. You have to be realistic.
 
How come HardOCP doesn't have FarCry benchies in any of their reviews/articles? I would like to see FarCry.
 
tornadotsunamilife said:
I am well aware of this but it is still unlikely. You have to be realistic.
Click to expand...

I am. 700 MHz and 16 pipes is very realisitic with the geometry they are going to.

-tReP
 
jhzero1984 said:
MSRP is where the $150 difference is from.

GTX is MSRP @ $599
GT is MSRP @ $449

The GTX has come down in price, but at release they were at MSRP.

Give the GT a couple weeks, I bet they can be found for around $400 or less.

Zero
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I think it's already $400 at monarch. So you're already right. :D

I thought I had 10 vertex shader engines on my GTX... guess I forgot. Yeah, 6800GT/Ultra +2... doh.
 
I think it's pretty clear how biased this article is Brent. You simply bend your opinions to favor whoever is the fastest, best looking cards. Don't you think it would be more fair to take up camp with one brand or the other rather than just going with whoever has "best performance"? It's sad to see that the [H] can't cater to a specific camp of !!!!!!s.


;)


It looks like Nvidia has another winner on their hands. Anyone want to buy an AGP 6800 GT? I need the money for uhm...upgrades!
 
Dude... what are you talking about. You confuse me at the end when you are going to buy an NV. There aren't even ATi cards in the review. Look... nV>ATi is no !!!!!! statemtent right now. They are untouchable. The latest ATi buzz is an 8 pipe card. Enthusiasts often get uhm... enthused.. at dripping quality.
 
it's called sarcasm :D the little ;) is there to let you know i'm kidding. Sorry if it wasn't clear
 
Hey you never know. :D TBH I skimmed too fast. DOH. The performance part clinches the sarcasm.
 
DragonNOA1 said:
How come HardOCP doesn't have FarCry benchies in any of their reviews/articles? I would like to see FarCry.
Click to expand...
Not only that, I'd like to see how this compares to the 6800GT, you know, the card that everyone on this forum has.

I spent hours with Farcry this weekend screwing with recording demos and came to the conclusion that only demos recorded in a certain way give consistant results. The built in demos are not consistant at all. I recorded one that works well but it took hours just to find out where to record the demo so I would avoid any NPCs.
 
It may be true that it seems that the extra four(+1) pipes are not a huge benefit with the 7800GTX vs the 7800GT. This is most likely due to current software apps tested. I guarantee that as new titles take advantage of more effects, we will begin to see the GTX pull ahead more.
 
Good point on the 6800GT. Should I upgrade is the Question a lot of people have. I do tend to know what I want. For instance I bought the GTX for BF2... I saw the results without GT's included... and said I'm not getting those numbers, but I want them... NOW. Hence the GTX.

I'd like to see FEAR on there. That game will be clicking on those shader units like hell.
 
Staples said:
Not only that, I'd like to see how this compares to the 6800GT, you know, the card that everyone on this forum has.

I spent hours with Farcry this weekend screwing with recording demos and came to the conclusion that only demos recorded in a certain way give consistant results. The built in demos are not consistant at all. I recorded one that works well but it took hours just to find out where to record the demo so I would avoid any NPCs.
Click to expand...

The way [H]ard dose reviews, "best playabel settings" will show you that alone, you can compare with there review of SLI, it had a 6800GT in it..

But yea, I want to see a side by side too, even thougth it still seems the 7800GT will beat 2x6800GT in SLI...
 
We know many people get caught up in pipeline counts debate lately. The GeForce 7800 GTX does have 24 pixel pipelines and 16 ROPs, while the GeForce 7800 GT has 20 pixel pipelines. We are starting to move into a time now however where pipeline count really isn’t as important as a performance indicator as it used to be. In the past, you could simply look at the fillrate and guess the performance. With video cards today, I think we need to start moving beyond this kind of thinking and not get so caught up in the details that may sway our purchasing decisions. Definitions and architectures are changing; how a pipeline is defined is changing; and how performance is derived from fillrate is changing. We should simply look at the game play performance and image quality delivered by each card and make an informed purchase decision based on that criteria.
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Excellent point. It seems like pipeline counts are the new MHz, or amounts of RAM. By that I mean that people try to simplify performance down to a simple metric that anyone can understand. "More MHz is better;" "or more RAM is better;" are examples of performance meters that used to have some validity but have become less useful as the industry becomes more complex.

When n00bs wander in to the forums, with questions like "the bestbuy guy told me to get X brand video card because it has more pipes," we'll know officially that pipeline counts mean nothing. :p

All that matters is performance, no matter what the tech behind it is. That's why in-depth reviews like this will never go out of style.
 
I am completely sold on the 7800GT over the GTX. Eventually, I'm sure the pipes can be unlocked like the 6800 series. The performance is very close to the GTX... and that is at 1600x1200!! I've got a 1905FP and there is NO way I'm getting a GTX only to run games at 1280x1024. GT all the way for me! Thanks [H] dudez!!
 
Great article, also like the Hard launch. Those looking to build a new machine will be very happy.
But in the case of those who already have a 6800 Ultra or 6800GT, I'd say to wait until the next cycle when they make a major programming change. I know they made some slight changes in the 7800 series, but it was nothing like when PS 3.0 came out for the 6800 series.
There's still nothing wrong with a used BFG 6800 Ultra since it has a lifetime warranty and the company is going to stay around.
 
I'm beginning to curb my enthusiasm... For $80 more I can get a GTX from NewEgg and overclock that sucker, as well. Hmm... Decisions, decisions!
 
Besides Monarch and its listing that they may send out a BFG in 4-6 days, anybody seen an available BFG 7800 GT card anywhere yet????? Ive seen other brands for sale, chumbo says out of stock???? wheres the immediate availability of the BFG ??? :confused:
 
whats is so special about the BFG?

Preoverclocked? as if we cant do that on our own..

Lifetime warrenty? its nice but its void as soon at most of us get our hands on it.

HS? nothing special here?
 
The [H] review is missing a huge point..the Apples to Apples. Also if you go to 2048x1536 (see Anand) and do Apples to Apples you can see that the 7800GTX pulls WAY ahead (20% in most cases). Even @ 1600x1200 it is typically 15%. I'm sorry to say...but I think Anand has shown a bit more of the light between the GT and GTX.

It appears that the 7800GTX provides about 15-20% more performance than the GT. I know you can try and OC/unlock/etc but those are not guaranteed. Frame for $, the GT is better but if you throw in long term ownership I still feel the GTX is a better value.

-tReP
 
So people you guys were saying no 7800gt on quakecon. stop following brent!
 
I(illa Bee said:
whats is so special about the BFG?

Preoverclocked? as if we cant do that on our own..

Lifetime warrenty? its nice but its void as soon at most of us get our hands on it.

HS? nothing special here?
Click to expand...
Im just pointing something out....I cant seem to find the product ANYWHERE today, when they had a fancy,smancy press release deal that said they'd be out today.
And YES, I do like BFG, so there. You got your opinion as starchy as it may be, and Ive got mine. You got any BFG products???? I sure do and they're excellent. Their service is wonderful too by the way.
 
magoo said:
Im just pointing something out....I cant seem to find the product ANYWHERE today, when they had a fancy,smancy press release deal that said they'd be out today.
And YES, I do like BFG, so there. You got your opinion as starchy as it may be, and Ive got mine. You got any BFG products???? I sure do and they're excellent. Their service is wonderful too by the way.
Click to expand...

Im not saying anyhtign is wrong with BFG, there great crads. Yes, I currently have 3 bfg cards in service. A 6600GT and 2 5900nu@5950u. I have Rma 2 cards to them and the tech support and warrent is tops bar none! its worthless wonce I get ahold of a card as I kill the warrent very fast :) But there still nothing more than refrence design, so if one is not in stock, ill go to the next brand of choice. If i know im going ot void the warrent then what the diffrnce between brands?

Arnt they mad in the US? thats reason enought for me to buy them
 
Trepidati0n said:
The [H] review is missing a huge point..the Apples to Apples. Also if you go to 2048x1536 (see Anand) and do Apples to Apples you can see that the 7800GTX pulls WAY ahead (20% in most cases). Even @ 1600x1200 it is typically 15%. I'm sorry to say...but I think Anand has shown a bit more of the light between the GT and GTX.

It appears that the 7800GTX provides about 15-20% more performance than the GT. I know you can try and OC/unlock/etc but those are not guaranteed. Frame for $, the GT is better but if you throw in long term ownership I still feel the GTX is a better value.

-tReP
Click to expand...

I do feel that unless the price diffrence grown to 100$ then the GTX is a better buy. I jsut cant justify saveing a mear 50 bux for a lesser card... Onc eit hits 399, i may change my mind :)

I also really only play BF2, and it dose do Bf2 really well, 16x12 2x MSAA vs 16x12 4xMSAA of the GTX? what the diffrence
 
BFG is an American company, just like eVGA. However the parts are all still chiwanese. I think that BFG may assemble them here,etc. I also back them because of this as well.
 
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