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9500 Pro or 9600 Pro or 9600XT
- Thread starter rsnellma
- Start date
BooyaAchieved
Limp Gawd
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- Nov 17, 2003
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- 370
The 9500 Pro has 8 pipelines, while the 9600 Pro/XT have a mere 4. 9500 Pro is a legendary card, so I suggest going with it.
BooyaAchieved
Limp Gawd
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- Nov 17, 2003
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The cards were too powerful for their own good, and 9700 Pro sales were taking hits. Plus, people were soft/hard modding them into 9700 NP/Pro's without much difficulty. I just wish I would have of gotten one when I ordered my computer 
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.jamezzz122
Supreme [H]ardness
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- Jun 1, 2003
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Originally posted by BooyaAchieved
Plus, people were soft/hard modding them into 9700 NP/Pro's without much difficulty. I just wish I would have of gotten one when I ordered my computer
I think that is only the 9500 non-pro. Not the 9500 pro.
First off, the 9600 Pro is just the slowest of all of those. Safe to ignore it.
Now, the 9500 Pro *is* an 8-pipe card, but it's using a .15u process. The 9600XT is .13u. As a result, the 9500 Pro is clocked MUCH lower than the 9600XT.
In fact, the 9600XT is nearly TWICE as fast - 500mhz core vs 275mhz core.
Now, simple math tells you that the 9600XT running at 550mhz with 4 pipes has as much rendering power at a 275mhz core with 8 pipes - assuming everything else is equal.
HOWEVER...it's not! The 9600 is a newer revision, and has several improvements to the core - for one, a major bug involving the use of stencil shadows causing a serious performance hit that was in the R300 core (stencil shadows = used a LOT in Doom3).
Further, the 9600 is a much smaller die (fewer pipes) combined with a smaller process = MUCH lower power consumption = MUCH lower heat output. IE., it's a better overclocker.
Finally, the 9600XT supports thermal monitoring, which the 9500 doesn't.
Overall, I'd say, at this point, the 9600XT is a better buy than a 9500 Pro. Very equivelant products, but the 9600XT should have slightly better game compatibility going forward.
Of course, if there is a sizable price difference (like, say, you are buying on eBay were the 9500 Pro goes for half the 9600XT's price)....then the 9500 Pro suddenly starts looking good again.
Now, the 9500 Pro *is* an 8-pipe card, but it's using a .15u process. The 9600XT is .13u. As a result, the 9500 Pro is clocked MUCH lower than the 9600XT.
In fact, the 9600XT is nearly TWICE as fast - 500mhz core vs 275mhz core.
Now, simple math tells you that the 9600XT running at 550mhz with 4 pipes has as much rendering power at a 275mhz core with 8 pipes - assuming everything else is equal.
HOWEVER...it's not! The 9600 is a newer revision, and has several improvements to the core - for one, a major bug involving the use of stencil shadows causing a serious performance hit that was in the R300 core (stencil shadows = used a LOT in Doom3).
Further, the 9600 is a much smaller die (fewer pipes) combined with a smaller process = MUCH lower power consumption = MUCH lower heat output. IE., it's a better overclocker.
Finally, the 9600XT supports thermal monitoring, which the 9500 doesn't.
Overall, I'd say, at this point, the 9600XT is a better buy than a 9500 Pro. Very equivelant products, but the 9600XT should have slightly better game compatibility going forward.
Of course, if there is a sizable price difference (like, say, you are buying on eBay were the 9500 Pro goes for half the 9600XT's price)....then the 9500 Pro suddenly starts looking good again.
Check out this review
It pits a *stock* 9600 Pro vs a 9600XT vs a 9500 Pro.
Keep in mind this is stock - and a 9600XT will overclock MUCH better than a 9500 Pro.
It pits a *stock* 9600 Pro vs a 9600XT vs a 9500 Pro.
Keep in mind this is stock - and a 9600XT will overclock MUCH better than a 9500 Pro.
In certain games like FAR CRY etc you will find some difference but I would say save up some more for the time being and buy in the 200$ range when your video cannot handle games at 1024*768. I reckon it will play most of the games at present at that resolution, other then a couple like Farcry etc.
CrimandEvil
Dick with a heart of gold
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- Oct 22, 2003
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A 9700Pro can be had for the price of a 9600XT or close to it.
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-131-199&depa=0
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-131-199&depa=0
CrimandEvil
Dick with a heart of gold
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- Oct 22, 2003
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I would choose a Gigabyte 9600Pro and OC it to XT numbers.
In respone to CrimandEvil the Powercolor version of the 9700pro has issues with its memory. So if i were u rsnellma i would opt for this one off of Mwave's site...
9700 Pro (ATI - keep that in mind)
If you want to save some cash though dude...I would go with the 9600XT...i had it for two days, it ran all of my games f'in great. Doom 3 ran without any sort of freezing up. UT 2003 and 2004 ran with all of their settings on the highest @ 1152x864, i didnt try anything higher though.
Good luck shopping man!
9700 Pro (ATI - keep that in mind)
If you want to save some cash though dude...I would go with the 9600XT...i had it for two days, it ran all of my games f'in great. Doom 3 ran without any sort of freezing up. UT 2003 and 2004 ran with all of their settings on the highest @ 1152x864, i didnt try anything higher though.
Good luck shopping man!