6600gt or a plain 6800? opinions

Which card 6600gt or plain 6800

  • 6600gt

    Votes: 7 14.3%

  • plain 6800

    Votes: 42 85.7%
  • Total voters
    49
M

Mach5

Gawd
Joined
Jun 3, 2001
Messages
833
Hey fellas I need some advice....
I'm finally upgrading my 9500np [AGP] and I have decided to get either a 6600gt or a vanilla 6800 [also AGP] which one or brand would you recomend?
Your thoughts are greatly appreciated.
And while I'm here anyone have thoughts on the logitech G7?


Thanks,

Mach5
 
Assuming an AGP card, I would go with a 6800 plain. Most will unlock all pipelines and shaders, and be considerably faster than a 6600gt.
 
You need to state AGP or PCIE here as the 6800AGP and PCIE are totally different.

If AGP, 6800NU hands down because:
1. Same fillrate + much higher memory bandwidth for 6800 = Better at everything
2. 50% chance to unlock 4 more pipelines and one more vertex processor to make a "6800GT Lite". ( a 16/6 6800 with 128MB of 256bit access DDR, like the cheaper Asus 6800GT)

If PCIE, flip a coin for gaming, same fillrate, bandwidth, no unlocking.
 
I have an NV42 based, MSI NX6800 TD128E, that overclocks nicely @ 440 MHz/830MHz. It runs AOE3 demo very well .
 
Rollo said:
You need to state AGP or PCIE here as the 6800AGP and PCIE are totally different.

If AGP, 6800NU hands down because:
1. Same fillrate + much higher memory bandwidth for 6800 = Better at everything
2. 50% chance to unlock 4 more pipelines and one more vertex processor to make a "6800GT Lite". ( a 16/6 6800 with 128MB of 256bit access DDR, like the cheaper Asus 6800GT)

If PCIE, flip a coin for gaming, same fillrate, bandwidth, no unlocking.
Click to expand...


obviously it would be AGP....look at his specs/old card....

i was wondering myself, the biggest thing i could see (besides price) is that you have a CHANCE to overclock/unlock the 6800NU, but the normal operational performance isn't much better.

I'd go with the 6600GT because i personally can't afford two video cards...incase i blow one up :D
 
Rollo said:
You need to state AGP or PCIE here as the 6800AGP and PCIE are totally different.

If AGP, 6800NU hands down because:
1. Same fillrate + much higher memory bandwidth for 6800 = Better at everything
2. 50% chance to unlock 4 more pipelines and one more vertex processor to make a "6800GT Lite". ( a 16/6 6800 with 128MB of 256bit access DDR, like the cheaper Asus 6800GT)

If PCIE, flip a coin for gaming, same fillrate, bandwidth, no unlocking.
Click to expand...

IF PCi-E, the 6800 will pull ahead when using AA/AF and higher resolutions. The 6600GT is crippled by its 128-bit bus and 128MB of ram at high res/aa/af
 
Dillusion said:
IF PCi-E, the 6800 will pull ahead when using AA/AF and higher resolutions. The 6600GT is crippled by its 128-bit bus and 128MB of ram at high res/aa/af
Click to expand...

The memory on the PCIE 6800s is clocked at 600MHz by default, so at stock speeds it has the same memory bandwidth as the the 6600GT. The only benefit it could have at AA is from the the 256MB memory vs 128MB for the 6600GT, and you won't be running that high of setting on that card unless major OCed.

I used to have two 6800NU PCIEs in SLI, and still have a 6600GT SLI set and a 6800 AGP. I'm posting from my personal experiences benchmarking the cards as well as reading various reviews
 
Dr.LaRd said:
obviously it would be AGP....look at his specs/old card....

i was wondering myself, the biggest thing i could see (besides price) is that you have a CHANCE to overclock/unlock the 6800NU, but the normal operational performance isn't much better.

I'd go with the 6600GT because i personally can't afford two video cards...incase i blow one up :D
Click to expand...

The normal operational performance is much better though IMO, check it out:

http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/evga_e-geforce_6800/page4.asp
Pacific Fighters 12X104X8X 6600GT =39fps 6800NU=51fps

http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/evga_e-geforce_6800/page5.asp
Far Cry 12X104X8X 6600GT =34fps 6800NU=44fps

http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/evga_e-geforce_6800/page7.asp
Riddick 12X104X8X 6600GT =18fps 6800NU=30fps

http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/evga_e-geforce_6800/page8.asp
Doom3 12X104X8X 6600GT =25fps 6800NU=40fps

http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/evga_e-geforce_6800/page9.asp
Half Life2 12X104X8X 6600GT =34fps 6800NU=41fps


These are all BIG differences, on drivers from May 2005? The 6800NU AGP definitely earns its extra few dollars of cost, and the PCIE model is a monster OCer as noted.

Even if you assume it won't unlock, the 6800 is by far the better choice.
 
I think its an image thing.

Nobody wants to drive on the 12 lane highway if its speed limit is 55.

They want to drive on the 8 lane highway cause you can go 70.

Only us highway engineers know that 12x55 = 660 lane-miles/hour is alot more throughput than 8x70 = 560 lane-miles/hour.

Total bandwidth is what matters, not an individual bytes realtime speed.
 
Palehorse said:
I think its an image thing.

Nobody wants to drive on the 12 lane highway if its speed limit is 55.

They want to drive on the 8 lane highway cause you can go 70.

Only us highway engineers know that 12x55 = 660 lane-miles/hour is alot more throughput than 8x70 = 560 lane-miles/hour.

Total bandwidth is what matters, not an individual bytes realtime speed.
Click to expand...

Nyuk nyuk nyuk dem 1000MHz 6600GT RAMs ownzing de lowly 700MHz of the 6800NU- that there 128bit vs 256 bit access don't mean nuthin'!
 
I am trying to decide wether to get a single 6800 GT or 2 6600 GT's (Using SLI) to put into a new Asus A8N-SLI Premium.
Would the graphic quality and performance using 2 6600 GT's in SLI be better than a single 6800 GT in a game like Doom 3 ?

Thanks

Ron
 
I'm sorry about that, as noted earlier it will be a AGP card to go in my shuttle.
Keep 'em comin your insight is very much appreciated.

thanks,

Mach5
 
RonK said:
I am trying to decide wether to get a single 6800 GT or 2 6600 GT's (Using SLI) to put into a new Asus A8N-SLI Premium.
Would the graphic quality and performance using 2 6600 GT's in SLI be better than a single 6800 GT in a game like Doom 3 ?

Thanks

Ron
Click to expand...

I would save a little extra and get a 7800GT. We're only talking about $75-$80 more than the 6800GT for nearly twice the performance (especially at high res, AA+AF). Much better value for money. SLI 6600GTs would be a mistake - they cost about the same as one 6800GT, but would fall far behind when you turn on antialiasing etc.

New games are really starting to strain the GF 6 series, so if you wanted to upgrade in say a couple of years time, it would work out much cheaper in the long run to get a 7800GT now and then add another later, rarther than having to sell your SLI 6600GTs (probably for less than half what you paid for them) and getting whatever is the best card in a couple of years...

One other thing, if you don't want to splash out that much and can wait a little longer, the GF 6 series are likely to be replaced with some new, cheaper G70 cards in the new year. Which probably means that the GF 6 cards will come down in price even more.
 
I think Im leaning toward the 6800 nu but my bro is tryin to talk me into an x800 sheesh!


Mach5
 
meatfestival said:
I would save a little extra and get a 7800GT. We're only talking about $75-$80 more than the 6800GT for nearly twice the performance (especially at high res, AA+AF). Much better value for money. SLI 6600GTs would be a mistake - they cost about the same as one 6800GT, but would fall far behind when you turn on antialiasing etc.

New games are really starting to strain the GF 6 series, so if you wanted to upgrade in say a couple of years time, it would work out much cheaper in the long run to get a 7800GT now and then add another later, rarther than having to sell your SLI 6600GTs (probably for less than half what you paid for them) and getting whatever is the best card in a couple of years...

One other thing, if you don't want to splash out that much and can wait a little longer, the GF 6 series are likely to be replaced with some new, cheaper G70 cards in the new year. Which probably means that the GF 6 cards will come down in price even more.
Click to expand...

You know its a AGP system right? you are not able to get a 7800GT on AGP, the best card he is able to get on AGP is probably a X850XT PE, anyway get the 6800 it will certainly perform better the the 6600GT.
 
meatfestival said:
I would save a little extra and get a 7800GT. We're only talking about $75-$80 more than the 6800GT for nearly twice the performance (especially at high res, AA+AF). Much better value for money. SLI 6600GTs would be a mistake - they cost about the same as one 6800GT, but would fall far behind when you turn on antialiasing etc.

New games are really starting to strain the GF 6 series, so if you wanted to upgrade in say a couple of years time, it would work out much cheaper in the long run to get a 7800GT now and then add another later, rarther than having to sell your SLI 6600GTs (probably for less than half what you paid for them) and getting whatever is the best card in a couple of years...

One other thing, if you don't want to splash out that much and can wait a little longer, the GF 6 series are likely to be replaced with some new, cheaper G70 cards in the new year. Which probably means that the GF 6 cards will come down in price even more.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info Meat, I went for the 7800 GT and it is fantastic. I'll add the second one later. Thanks, Ron
 
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