ATI x700 Pro or nVidia 6600gt

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brians

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Looking for suggestions regarding which video card (pci express) to purchase. I was originally leaning towards the x700 because of the 256MB of memory. But almost all reviews that I read said that the fan noise is really loud and the 6600gt runs much faster. I was just worried about the 128MB of memory on the 6600gt. I will be using the card primarily for .NET development, Photoshop, video work, etc, but it would be nice to also utilitize it for gaming. Thanks for help.
 
One nice thing about the XFX 6600gt is that it has dual DVI and I believe that they are the only ones to do that.
 
Does nVidia plan on releasing a 256 MB version of the 6600gt or is that where the 6800 comes in? I know that 256 bit would be much better, but it seems that a 256MB/128bit 6600gt would be a good idea. Regarding the different manufacturers, is the fan noise fairly low on these cards. I thought I read that cards like the XFX run kindof loud on a 50% load.
 
Yes, from what I understand the XFX fan is a bit noisy, but still OCs well and is quite cheap for this type of card. You can also purchase a silencer for this card next month, once they get around to releasing some.

I have the BFG version and it's nothing but wonderful. Comes OCed out of the box, lifetime warranty, Dual DVI, and is very silent for a stock cooler/fan.
 
I'm getting the impression that the ATI x700 is not a good choice. I was surprised that the reviews were not much better for the 3rd party companies like ASUS and ABIT regarding the ATI cards. I'm sure the x800 is competitive, but it's sad that the x700 is not getting good reviews, especially at that price point for a 256MB card.
 
Yes, for some odd reason it hasn't received the best of reviews. From the looks of it NVIDIA really does have the card market pinned for the most part, offering a wide range of cards. Though reviews might change for ATI once they start releasing more cards in the coming year. For now I would suggest going with the 6600gt, 6800 NU, or X800.
 
Z(+)DIAC said:
6600gt

More Specifically, BFG

BFG > eVGA > Leadtek > XFX > MSI
Click to expand...
Agreed.

Although it's a bit more like this...

BFG > eVGA >> Leadtek/XFX >>>>> MSI.
 
Mojo said:
Agreed.

Although it's a bit more like this...

BFG > eVGA >> Leadtek/XFX >>>>> MSI.
Click to expand...

Other then warranty i can't see how the BFG and eVGA would be better then the Leadtek and XFX. And when people are buying a video card the warranty is usually the last thing they are worried about. Performance is the key issue and it looks to me like XFX has the best 6600GT.

http://www.hexus.net/content/reviews/review.php?dXJsX3Jldmlld19JRD05MTAmdXJsX3BhZ2U9Mg==

The XFX 6600GT uses 1.6ns RAM modules and has dual DVI.
 
The PNY has dual DVI's too, and you don't see anyone saying they're the best, right?

Anyway, take it from me: I bought the X700 Pro first and it ran great. However in OpenGL games it didn't run well at all (KOTOR). So, upon scouring the net for info, I found that the 6600GT runs better in just about everything.

So, I ordered a Leadtek 6600GT from Newegg.com and it came with Doom 3, Pandora Tomorrow, and Prince of Persia. It's extremely quiet (whereas the X700 Pro sounded like a helicopter landing pad), and runs extremely well in everything I throw at it. The only gripe I have about it is that it doesn't OC too well. Not a big deal though, cuz it still runs a solid 60fps on Doom 3 (on high, with no AA, 1024x768) with stock settings.
 
I forgot about PNY, they are not bad. For the money XFX might be good, but for overall performance I would buy a BFG or eVGA. Besides, BFG already comes OCed, and you don't have to worry about removing the warranty if you try to OC your card.
 
I've had both the X700Pro and the 6600GT. The X700Pro was definatley slower than the 6600GT. Plus my PNY 6600GT came with dual DVI. What you've heard about the fan noise is true also. The fan on the X700 is REALLY loud. Very annoying.

Also with the 4.11 Cats, I had some artifacting issues on the X700Pro. This was the case with two BBA Radeon X700Pro's.
 
burningrave101 said:
Other then warranty i can't see how the BFG and eVGA would be better then the Leadtek and XFX.
Click to expand...
That's what makes it better, you contradict yourself haha.

Also the BFG is pre-overclocked. I guess the eVGA is about as good as the Leadtek/XFX model.
 
Very interesting, I mean about the artifacting. So what's the main appeal of a X700, the 256MB of memory? I am hoping the X800XLs will be nice once they are released...
 
BFG or the Asus are good. But the BFG is OCed and has a life-time warranty. Can't go wrong witht that.
 
Hate_Bot said:
X800 Pro w/ Vivo
Click to expand...

Show me an X800 Pro w/ VIVO for under $300.

Mojo said:
That's what makes it better, you contradict yourself haha.

Also the BFG is pre-overclocked. I guess the eVGA is about as good as the Leadtek/XFX model.
Click to expand...

A wouldn't let the warranty decide which video card to buy. Most people dont keep a video card for more then a couple of years if that and unless you do something stupid to screw up the card, the failure rate for video cards isn't exactly very high.

Its nice that BFG pre-overclocks their video cards but i wouldnt' really even call it an overclock its so minor. The XFX 6600GT has 1.6ns Samsung RAM modules on it. The other 6600GT's have 2.0ns modules. That in itself makes it a better card.
 
Thanks for the replies. Yes, I was naturally drawn to the x700 because of the 256MB of memory. Using Adobe Photoshop or Premiere, these apps really seem to take advantage of the extra memory. I'm sure there are games that can certainly utilitize the extra memory. However, the 6600gt seems to beat it in all areas. I'm hoping that 128MB/128bit will suffice for now. I'm sure I will upgrade again eventually. Has anyone seen any issues with the 128MB of memory or am I just making a big deal out of this.
 
I personally think you are making a big deal about it. Again I have a BFG version and everything I throw at it (Doom 3, Far Cry, Hl2) runs flawlessly on high, no hiccups. Again some programs and games require more graphic card power, whereas others might require more CPU, Ram, Etc.

You won't be dissapointed, especially at the price you will pay.
 
Thanks. I agree, the onboard memory will probably okay. I just have a bunch of old AGP cards now that are all 128MB, so I was hoping to get something bigger this time. Of course, the older cards are no where close to the performance of the newer cards.
 
Why's MSI so far down on everyone's list? From what I've read, they seem to be solid stable cards. And have a really decent cooling solution.

I'm waitin on mine just ordered from Newegg. Hoping I didn't make a bad decision....
 
Hercusleaze said:
Why's MSI so far down on everyone's list? From what I've read, they seem to be solid stable cards. And have a really decent cooling solution.

I'm waitin on mine just ordered from Newegg. Hoping I didn't make a bad decision....
Click to expand...
Nah, they can be good cards too. I've just heard some things from a friend that works at a computer store. He says that MSI boards die a lot and have cheap part like capacitors transistors, etc. But my other friend has had an MSI motherboard for his A64 work fine for like 9 months now. It's just a toss up.
 
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