$170 Budget

D

duckylam

n00b
Joined
Sep 25, 2005
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Looking to upgrade my Connect 3d X700 128MB PCI-E with something decent so I don't have to chop my way through Oblivion.

Looking to spend about 150-170. Something decently quiet.

Running a SSF: Shuttle, so something that'll fit in a P form factor
 
Er...thats tough. Throw up some more dough and maybe you can get a 7800 GT for $210. Other than that I wouldn't go lower for oblivion. I run mine at 10x7 max on a 7800 GTX and the outdoors in the game is capable of bringing it down to its knees.
 
The best option right now to squeeze that budget would probably be an overclocked x1600. This is my opinion, but my overclocked x1600 benches higher than the stock 7800 GT I have (I swapped cards on this mobo to test.)
 
170 out of currently produced cards is either a X1800GTO or a 7600GT. And those are gonna be the fastest anyway. 7600GT is better than a 6800 ULTRA or close, and a GTO beats the 7600GT.

But the GT is 170 and the GTO is 199.

So if 170 is strict get the GT. If you can spend a little more maybe the GTO.

I would go the GT. There is the XFX one on Newegg for 172.99. + about $5 shipping and you are out the door for $178.
 
I'd say go for the 7600GT, as it has a larger feature set than the x850
 
Killa_2327 said:
I would check out benchmarks first, the x1800 GTO isn't exactly the most impressive card at that price. These benches here have cards you might look at.

http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/oblivion_mainstream_performance/
http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/oblivion_high-end_performance/
Click to expand...
Whats not impressive? The x1800gto is ~20-70% faster than the 7600gt in oblivion and everyone says how great the price/proformance is for the 7600gt. Plus the 1800gto can use HDR+AA in oblivion.

In fact looking that the graphics closer the x1800gto is beating out the 7800gt and 7900gt in FPS for a good amount less money. Hard to beat the x1800gto for $179.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814241009

PS. Did they use different graphic settings for the midrange cards? Reason I ask is the graphics even shows the x1800gto beating out the 7900gtx with foliage + HDR + 8xAF at all resolutions. The most demanding parts in the game and the settings most people would prefer to use.
 
I just upgraded to my X850xt (the $164 one). I have had no issues and it plays games like a dream. I would have gone with the x1800 though had I known it was so close in price.
 
ClearM4 said:
Whats not impressive? The x1800gto is ~20-70% faster than the 7600gt in oblivion and everyone says great the price/proformance is for the 7600gt. Plus the 1800gto can use HDR+AA in oblivion.

In fact looking that the graphics closer the x1800gto is beating out the 7800gt and 7900gt in FPS for a good amount less money. Hard to beat for $179
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814241009

PS. Did they use different graphic settings for the midrange cards? Reason I ask is the graphics even shows the x1800gto beating out the 7900gtx with foliage + HDR + 8xAF at all resolutions. The most demanding parts in the game and the settings most people would prefer to use.
Click to expand...

Its uses the R520 core so overclocking potential is making this card extremely attractive to me.... LINK

If the frame boost FS is reporting is true... that's badass.
 
xtasyindecay said:
Its uses the R520 core so overclocking potential is making this card extremely attractive to me.... LINK

If the frame boost FS is reporting is true... that's badass.
Click to expand...
Ya, I forgot about that. The 7600gt are clocked pretty high to start with and dont overclock much. On the otherhand, the x1800gto should have a good amount of overclocking headroom. Milage varys though.
 
Im scoring about ~8800 in 3DMark05 with my overclocked 1800GTO. Take it however you want it, but its pretty good bang for the buck once you enable software control.

I can break 9k with a bit more time. And for how much I paid for it, I can't complain.
 
Lo Pan said:
The best option right now to squeeze that budget would probably be an overclocked x1600. This is my opinion, but my overclocked x1600 benches higher than the stock 7800 GT I have (I swapped cards on this mobo to test.)
Click to expand...

That is straight out bullshit, there's no way a OC'ed x1600 can beat a 7800GT, no fucking way.
 
ClearM4 said:
Whats not impressive? The x1800gto is ~20-70% faster than the 7600gt in oblivion and everyone says how great the price/proformance is for the 7600gt. Plus the 1800gto can use HDR+AA in oblivion.

In fact looking that the graphics closer the x1800gto is beating out the 7800gt and 7900gt in FPS for a good amount less money. Hard to beat the x1800gto for $179.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814241009

PS. Did they use different graphic settings for the midrange cards? Reason I ask is the graphics even shows the x1800gto beating out the 7900gtx with foliage + HDR + 8xAF at all resolutions. The most demanding parts in the game and the settings most people would prefer to use.
Click to expand...

Sorry but your wrong. No card can currently use HDR + AA in oblivion. The 7800GT would be a MUCH better buy at around the same price. And yes you are seeing things very wrong, the settings are different for midrange cards, a 7900GTX is not even comparable to an x1800, it's much better.
 
Killa_2327 said:
Sorry but your wrong. No card can currently use HDR + AA in oblivion.
Click to expand...

The chuck patch that arrived a few weeks ago enables AA+HDR for ATi cards.
 
Killa_2327 said:
Is it official?
Click to expand...

It's officially chuck.

Either way, it works, no editing cfg files, no complex hacks. Just install the chuck patch and you're AA+HDR qualified.
 
I don't see what this has to do with me trying to prove the x1800 GTO being a less better buy then a 7800GT. It doesn't matter to me what card he buys, I'm putting my info out there. And I wouldn't rely on a un-official patch to add HDR+AA support.
 
Killa_2327 said:
I don't see what this has to do with me trying to prove the x1800 GTO being a less better buy then a 7800GT. It doesn't matter to me what card he buys, I'm putting my info out there. And I wouldn't rely on a un-official patch to add HDR+AA support.
Click to expand...

In terms of oblivion, the x1800gto will perform better than the 7800GT with nicer IQ for less money new than the 7800GT would cost used.

In all other games, the 7800GT will surpass it. In my opinion the 7800GT would be a better buy though because one game performance isn't everything.
 
Lo Pan said:
The best option right now to squeeze that budget would probably be an overclocked x1600. This is my opinion, but my overclocked x1600 benches higher than the stock 7800 GT I have (I swapped cards on this mobo to test.)
Click to expand...

lol your computer is broken because the 7800GT is 390 times faster than a x1600
 
Killa_2327 said:
I don't see what this has to do with me trying to prove the x1800 GTO being a less better buy then a 7800GT. It doesn't matter to me what card he buys, I'm putting my info out there. And I wouldn't rely on a un-official patch to add HDR+AA support.
Click to expand...

Unofficial? How unofficial is www.ati.com?
 
Killa_2327 said:
I don't see what this has to do with me trying to prove the x1800 GTO being a less better buy then a 7800GT. It doesn't matter to me what card he buys, I'm putting my info out there. And I wouldn't rely on a un-official patch to add HDR+AA support.
Click to expand...


Its official and its going to be integrated into newer versions of the ATi drivers ;)
 
the 7600gt pownz, i run bf2 and halo and WoW at 1600x1200 max settings no lag at all, fear runs great at 1280x1024 max settings, GREAT card for around 160-170$
 
dderidex said:
Unofficial? How unofficial is www.ati.com?
Click to expand...
About as official as their *unsupported* hack to get AIW cards working under MCE.

Not that this matters much since the Chuck patch is a sort of beta since it's going to be rolled into the next driver release. This should be a non-issue so I find it odd that some people are still bringing it up.
 
Killa_2327 said:
I don't see what this has to do with me trying to prove the x1800 GTO being a less better buy then a 7800GT. It doesn't matter to me what card he buys, I'm putting my info out there. And I wouldn't rely on a un-official patch to add HDR+AA support.
Click to expand...

You dont' care? I'm crushed.

Anyway, I think I'll dig a little deeper and go with the x1800GTO. Thanks Everyone
 
dderidex said:
Unofficial? How unofficial is www.ati.com?
Click to expand...

Pretty damn unofficial considering I don't see ATI making games for Beth.

And don't put any words in my mouth, I never said I don't care, I said it doesn't matter to me what card you get I'm just putting out my 2 cents, theres a difference there. If I didn't care I wouldn't waste my time posting here.
 
Killa_2327 said:
Pretty damn unofficial considering I don't see ATI making games for Beth.

And don't put any words in my mouth, I never said I don't care, I said it doesn't matter to me what card you get I'm just putting out my 2 cents, theres a difference there. If I didn't care I wouldn't waste my time posting here.
Click to expand...


Relax. It's a joke. And I do appreciate everyone's advice
 
Yeah nice review.
I'd like to have seen some OC testing.
I just read a review on this card today where they got the core up to 670ish !
My XL craps out around 615. :( :)

The HIS brand is supposed to unlock, but of course it's $250 or something.

dderidex said:
I just don't see a reason a midrange card should need it's own line from the PSU.
/me holds breath for X1700XT.
Click to expand...

I think the hexus article pretty much summed it up.
High clocked RV530 wasn't competitive, so they had to ship a disabled big dawg.
 
killerD said:
This card also flawlessly can be flashed to an 1800XL for the full 16 pipes.
Click to expand...
Nay, it cannot. Not a single success story I have seen yet, good sir.
 
banGerprawN said:
Nay, it cannot. Not a single success story I have seen yet, good sir.
Click to expand...
Its been done with a bios which is floating around the net. (not the fake one which simply ocd the card but still kept 12 pipes, another bios). Its the SapphireXL bios I think. Even some of the manufacturer sites say it may have 16 pipes.

http://www.powercolor.com/main_product_detail.asp?id=109
321 million transistors on 90nm fabrication process
• Ultra-threaded architecture with fast dynamic branching
• Up to sixteen pixel shader processors
• Eight vertex shader processors
• 256-bit 8-channel GDDR3/GDDR4 memory interface
• Native PCI Express x16 bus interface
• Two dual-link DVI outputs

http://www.connect3d.com/products/pcie_x1800gto.htm
321 million transistors on 90nm fabrication process
Sixteen pixel shader processors
Eight vertex shader processors
256-bit 8-channel GDDR3/GDDR4 memory interface
CrossFire Multi-GPU Ready

When news first broke that it could unlock, many people said it was faked / not possible and what not, but there are reports of people unlocking them to 16 pipes successfully. If I remember correctly at stock with no OC the flash gives about +400 3dmark05 points.

(but you're right generally speaking, I think most of them will not unlock so I wouldnt recommend someone to try it unless they could afford a broken card)
 
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