7950GX2 or X1900XTX?

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kidstechno

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I was looking into building a new system around Conroe and I've been looking at reviews and prices and whatnot. The question is, for 400$ I can get an OEM X1900XTX from the Egg but for an extra 150-170$ I can get a 7950GX2. The truth is, I really don't want to spend that extra 150-170$ but would it be worth it for the longevity of the card. Since I could have Quad-SLI options in the future which would be a lot better than Crossfire (as it looks right now). Right now, I play F.E.A.R, Oblivion, WoW, all the good stuff and have a 20.1 Widescreen LCD (1680x1050 max) and I'm an eye candy whore, so I love turning everything all the way up. Which way should I go?
 
kidstechno said:
I was looking into building a new system around Conroe and I've been looking at reviews and prices and whatnot. The question is, for 400$ I can get an OEM X1900XTX from the Egg but for an extra 150-170$ I can get a 7950GX2. The truth is, I really don't want to spend that extra 150-170$ but would it be worth it for the longevity of the card. Since I could have Quad-SLI options in the future which would be a lot better than Crossfire (as it looks right now). Right now, I play F.E.A.R, Oblivion, WoW, all the good stuff and have a 20.1 Widescreen LCD (1680x1050 max) and I'm an eye candy whore, so I love turning everything all the way up. Which way should I go?
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Im sure you will be happy with ethier the 7950GX2 or the X1900XTX. In the future when you upgrade you might want to get a DX10 compatible card, and im sure a X1900XTX can hold you off untill that time.

Just my 2 cents.
 
Firebat said:
Im sure you will be happy with ethier the 7950GX2 or the X1900XTX. In the future when you upgrade you might want to get a DX10 compatible card, and im sure a X1900XTX can hold you off untill that time.

Just my 2 cents.
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I agree completely. DX10 is coming so don't over-do yourself, I suggest the X1900XTX, It's blazing fast and will last just fine. Good Luck.
 
i'd opt for a XTX at that resolution

both cards are surely nice, how ever planning on using quad SLI as a form of longevity will probably not be such a wise choice, the set up is ment to run games at a really high resolution, when DX10 comes early next year (which a handfull of games will be supporting this early on), and you are planning on using your quad sli you will be missing out on some key features, so i'd recommend a XTX right now and then upgrade to a DX10 card when you want
 
You can't get longetivity now. Sure you can get a fast DX9 card but it won't do DX 10. I'd take a second or third best DX 10 card over Quad DX9 SLI any day.
 
kidstechno said:
I was looking into building a new system around Conroe and I've been looking at reviews and prices and whatnot. The question is, for 400$ I can get an OEM X1900XTX from the Egg but for an extra 150-170$ I can get a 7950GX2. The truth is, I really don't want to spend that extra 150-170$ but would it be worth it for the longevity of the card. Since I could have Quad-SLI options in the future which would be a lot better than Crossfire (as it looks right now). Right now, I play F.E.A.R, Oblivion, WoW, all the good stuff and have a 20.1 Widescreen LCD (1680x1050 max) and I'm an eye candy whore, so I love turning everything all the way up. Which way should I go?
Click to expand...

Since you're an IQ whore, and dont want to spend the extra $150-$170, the only choice is the XTX. Oblivion will give you HDR+AA with the XTX, and HQ AF is very nice as well.

The GX2 is the overall faster card, but as you say, it also costs more money. And IQ goes to ATi. Take a gander at [H]'s IQ summary for more info about that, in their BFG GX2 evaluation.
 
Obi_Kwiet said:
You can't get longetivity now. Sure you can get a fast DX9 card but it won't do DX 10. I'd take a second or third best DX 10 card over Quad DX9 SLI any day.
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Agree, get what you can now @ resolution you play games and wait on DX10 cards.
 
I'd suggest you read some reviews of the 7950 and the X1900 side by side comparing them in games that you care about. For instance, in Oblivion, the X1900 gives you about the same performance, and you can get HDR and AA. But even at you resolution, with 4AA/16AF, the 7950 kills the X1900 even at 1680x1050.

The 7950 is pretty much always going to be faster, the X1900 will give you better IQ generally. But both ATI and nVidia will be launching DX10 in the next three to six months. My upgrade plan is to wait for Vista and build about a $5k machine then. Conroe looks great, buy K8L is on its way and quad core so I'm going to retire from the arms race this summer myself. I think I'm good with the sig rig for 7 more months or so. I might go QUAD-SLI and 24" WS.

Good luck!
 
i don't know why everyone is suggesting the x1900xtx. the 7950 outperforms it in everything except for oblivion (which is loses by a small margin), and has 1gb of memory.
 
Keep in mind that Triple buffering and Vsync do not play nice with SLI (at least with DirectX games). So, if you are not a fan of tearing you are pretty much SOL with SLI.
 
tim-x said:
i don't know why everyone is suggesting the x1900xtx. the 7950 outperforms it in everything except for oblivion (which is loses by a small margin), and has 1gb of memory.
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Because it's 150$ cheeper, and he doesn't need to over do it right before DX10.
 
I can't remember the article I read, but those of us with high end cards right now will actually get better performance when we use Vista (Dx10 & updated Dx9 api's). So at least on that note alot of us won't have to port over to a new DX10 capable card for some time if we choose.


Like others stated it is up to you, but I would suggest an X1900XT for the time being it is a little cheaper than the XTX and it is clockable to be comparable to the XTX.
 
Ask yourself how long you expect to hold on to your card. Long term 7950 has more horse power and will run future games better better for that reason only. Short term the xtx has better IQ. If you see an upgrade in 6-9 months go xtx. If not go 7950.
 
I have not seen a x1900 video card in action, nor read any reviews on them about IQ, but I know my 7900gt looks damn sexy in oblivion at 1920x1200 res with most things turned up. I can't imagine that IQ is THAT much better with an ati, I know radeon's have always had an edge over nvidia with IQ but come on, how much better is it really over a 79xx card? Most people even going to notice it? I personally don't sit and stare at a wall and look over every pixel to find a fault...
 
7950GX2 - no HDR+AA
X1900XTX - HDR+AA
I would go with the x1900, especially with DX10 around the corner
 
Ok, first of all, why is everyone here thinking dx10 is right around the corner? it won't make a difference when you don't have windows vista, just because 10 > 9 it won't mean squat if you're using xp, and god knows when vista will come out with delays after delays after delays. there's no point in spending the extra dough when you're only using a 20in monitor, you're not gonna see a difference at the res. you're playing at and going to wind up kicking yourself for spending the extra dough and not seeing an immediate benefits. quad sli is meant for extremely high resolutions so don't think more vid ram always = greater performance unless you have a 24" or bigger monitor.
 
I, too, am in this same situation. I'm going to build a Conroe system in late July and because my current card's an AGP card, I can't just keep using it and wait for a DX10 card.
Should I buy a cheaper card from ATI or Nvidia in the meantime and wait for DX10 cards to hit (assuming they do in the next 4-5 months), or should I go big and get the best part available?
I guess my main thing is, what's the opinion of switching to DX10 soon anyway? When will we actually start using/needing parts that use it? How will the current crop of cards handle it?
I'm currently running at 1280X1024, but might end up getting a widescreen that runs at 1680x1050.
I don't like the idea of SLI/Crossfire as it seems a little kludgy, but isn't it getting better?
 
Domingo said:
I, too, am in this same situation. I'm going to build a Conroe system in late July and because my current card's an AGP card, I can't just keep using it and wait for a DX10 card.
Should I buy a cheaper card from ATI or Nvidia in the meantime and wait for DX10 cards to hit (assuming they do in the next 4-5 months), or should I go big and get the best part available?
I guess my main thing is, what's the opinion of switching to DX10 soon anyway? When will we actually start using/needing parts that use it? How will the current crop of cards handle it?
I'm currently running at 1280X1024, but might end up getting a widescreen that runs at 1680x1050.
I don't like the idea of SLI/Crossfire as it seems a little kludgy, but isn't it getting better?
Click to expand...

might depend on how much truth is in this rumor>

"We hear there is a big concern going around, as Intel's 975 board and upcoming Conroe, Core Duo CPUs will work with Crossfire only."

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=32523
 
Jima13 said:
might depend on how much truth is in this rumor>

"We hear there is a big concern going around, as Intel's 975 board and upcoming Conroe, Core Duo CPUs will work with Crossfire only."

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=32523
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I noticed that Anand's only had Crossfire chipsets ready to go, too. However...I don't like the idea of having 2 cards AT ALL, no matter who they're coming from. I remember the Voodoo days where people dumped TONS of money into those cards. 6 months later a single card for the price of one Voodoo bested 2 and it died a horrible death. I have no desire to relive that history firsthand. It's one reason I'm actually starting to lean toward just getting a cheap lower-end 7x series Nvidia card now.
 
I hate to say it, but from a purely gaming standpoint, I would choose the ATI x1900.

It is more feature complete.

However, crossfire sucks and if you are wanting a dual card solution nvidia would be the choice...

but if you only want a single card (the choice of 7950 seems to point to that)... get the ATI x1900.
 
Have you considered a 7900GTX perchance? Great one card solution, and I can guarantee, you can get one for less $$ than an X1900XTX.

And if you're concerned the card will die on you, do the smart thing and get an eVGA 7900GTX EGS. It isn't OCed.
 
If you are going to go SLI, you'll probably need to go with an nForce 590 board, which is no suprise.

How is your gaming performance? That's really the question that you need to answer. If you want more power, try to determine what card best suits how you game. The games that you play and the resolution and setting you play them at.
 
What might help is spending a week or two checking hot deals forums for either of these cards. Hot deals are usually the way I manage undecided upgrades. At the end of the day, it's your money - just cuz some jackass tells you the latest thing pwnz, doesn't mean it's worth $600 to you.
 
I just recenly got a X1900XTX and I'm very very satisfied with it's performance. I have it running at a moderate 660mhz gpu/1.6ghz mem @1.35 voltage stable and have nothing but praise for it. Then again, I'm only running it on a reslolution limited 1280x1024 on a 17" LCD on DVI. Image and overall game performance seems to run better than my friends 7900GTX.

EQ2_000071.jpg


eq2_000072.jpg


eq2_000073.jpg


eq2_000075.jpg


eq2_000076.jpg


eq2_000077.jpg
 
What game is this?

The X1900 is great hardware, and most agree that it does tend to produce better image quality.

The 7950GX2 is really about raw muscle, especially when talking QUAD-SLI and higher resolutions. I think that that is the trade off between these cards. Usually a little more power vs a little better image quality.

I know that is not always the case, as the X1900 does very well in shader intensive games like Oblivion and others, but really, for the people who would by these types of cards, the owner will be happy 90% of the time.

I just am a speed junkie, so I perfer the 7950GX2, though I admit that has a lot to do with the promise of QUAD-SLI, and that's still not production ready.
 
Ok, first of all, why is everyone here thinking dx10 is right around the corner?
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DX10 is right around the corner, the support is coming, how ever the API won't be released for a while till Vista is released, who cares?

it won't make a difference when you don't have windows vista, just because 10 > 9 it won't mean squat if you're using xp, and god knows when vista will come out with delays after delays after delays.
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incorrect again, believe what you want about vista being delayed,t hats your own paranoia, how ever the R600 and G80 should be absolutely awsome in anygame we play till DX10 is released


there's no point in spending the extra dough when you're only using a 20in monitor, you're not gonna see a difference at the res. you're playing at and going to wind up kicking yourself for spending the extra dough and not seeing an immediate benefits. quad sli is meant for extremely high resolutions so don't think more vid ram always = greater performance unless you have a 24" or bigger monitor.
Click to expand...

hes not getting quad SLI now, hes getting quad SLI when his single 7950GX2 isn't sufficient again, adding another would help his performance, but it'd be better to obtain one of the newer DX10 cards as it would probably alow close/same performance of the current quad SLI, also he'd have a card for when Vista is released, and could play the new flight sim, AND crysis when its released
 
DX10 is right around the corner, the support is coming, how ever the API won't be released for a while till Vista is released, who cares?
Click to expand...

Its six months out. The hardware may be here before then, but without a production version of Vista, DX10 is meaningless. You need both the hardware AND the software, and thats at least six months out.


hes not getting quad SLI now, hes getting quad SLI when his single 7950GX2 isn't sufficient again, adding another would help his performance, but it'd be better to obtain one of the newer DX10 cards as it would probably alow close/same performance of the current quad SLI, also he'd have a card for when Vista is released, and could play the new flight sim, AND crysis when its released
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How G80 or R600 will perform relative to DX9 cards in DX9 games is pure speculation. No one knows right now.

There's is another six month road to DX10, people need to understand that. That's a LONG time in the PC world. Planning a system around DX10 at this point is nothing but guess work.

If you are happy with the hardware you have now, don't buy a thing. But if you want performance now, then buy for now.

I can understand wanting to maximize ones investment. But for something that 6 months out, its simply best to keep your money, buy nothing, don't try to anticipate anything, and wait to see how it plays out
 
Roadkill,

I'm curious, what are your settings for EQ2 and your high and low framerate? I recently upgraded to a Athlon 64 3200 and overclocked it to 2.6 GHz and I also got a Geforce 7900GT.

After not playing EQ2 for over a year I decided to reactivate it since I have a much nicer system now. I have my settings at balanced with character shadows on at 1600x1200 resolution.

On the high side I can get up to 50 to 60 fps, on the low side I get as low as 12fps, this low side I'm getting sick of, it mostly happens in the city. I would love it if I could get like 20 on the low side.

I'm just wondering what you happen to get.
Thanks
 
I'd get the XTX. The GX2 isn't really worth it unless you absolutely need that much horsepower, IMO.

If you're the type that buys a $400+ video card, chances are you'll be wanting a new one before games are unplayable on either of them.
 
lmao DX10

Six months minimum before it's here. Could easily go longer than that. And even then how well supported will it be right off the bat? I'm speculating but I'd guess it'll be easily 8 months to a year before it's even really relevant.
 
@johnboat

eq2 is limited by bad engine coding on any modern system.

the fastest system in the entire world will still run as bad as a moderate system today.
 
This is easy -- You're waiting for Conroe? Wait until the next cycle ( historically you can bet it's there for the holiday season ) and you'll get more overclockable Conroes at cheaper ..

Way late in the cycle to be buying a high-end system as soon as Core2 is introduced..
 
Conroe is t3h 1337

x1900xt for $400 is a great deal. Damn $50 less than what I got it for 2 months ago.
 
hard to argue against sheer power : dual 7950 is my vote

spec:
Dual Dual Opteron 285s
Tyan K8WE motherboard
16 GB Ram
Quad SLI xfx 7950 572/1556
Ageia Physx PPU
(4) Seagate 750GB SATA 300 drives RAID 0 ~ about 3 terabytes
8GB RamDrive- virtual
Dual linked power supplies
Apple Cinema 30inch @ 2560x1600 res
Windows Server 2003 64-bit












 
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