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GeForce 9800 GX2 Buyers Guide
- Thread starter StokedGamer
- Start date
GnomeCop
[H]ard|Gawd
- Joined
- Sep 2, 2005
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http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/?ie=UTF8&docId=1000208131
all of them should be up later today, heard they might offer the PNY version at 549.99 either after instant or mail in rebate....we shall see...
all of them should be up later today, heard they might offer the PNY version at 549.99 either after instant or mail in rebate....we shall see...
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Money, It's a business. They moved to the die shrunk G92 and it's more efficient for them to produce only that. No sense producing something more when they're rolling in cash. It's an excellent business move.
Do you think the CEO of nVidia really gives a crap if we can play Crysis on Ultra High at high resolutions? No, he doesn't. He cares about the figures.
That's the answer. I knew that would come. That is the obvious answer. That is extremely unfortunate for us.
Nope not possible. You'd be lucky if you could play @ All High @ 1920x1200 on the 9800GX2. That is why I find this release so darn funny.
Trepidati0n
[H]F Junkie
- Joined
- Oct 26, 2004
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How is this unfortunate for "US". Define "US". Is "US" the extremely small percentage of people who have no problem dropping $600 on a new card for UBER performance? The 8800GTX/Ultra was the one time in history were the enthusiast with a lot of money was able to have his cake and eat it to...for OVER a year. And people are complaining that they don't get to do it again.
If you have an nForce board *maybe*. And there are reasons I'm qualifying that.
1. nForce boards are a necessity for traditional SLI; the 9800GX2 is, quite literally, single-card SLI (also, unlike the 7950GX2, single-card SLI is not only supported right away, it's the default) in a box. The market just got a lot bigger.
2. Unlike every other single-card solution (including the 3870X2), it can actually play Crysis with almost everything maxed at 1600x1200.
3. The 9800GX2 actually uses less power under load than the 3870X2. (Even better, unlike SLI, it can fit into the same motherboards as the 3870X2.)
4. Traditional SLI (again, this does require an nForce board) means making the traditional tradeoffs that such an SLI solution requires. Even in an nForce-based board, unless you have an ultra-widescreen display like one of the 30" Dell or Gateway monitors (hello, input lag!), I really see no need for two 9800GX2s in SLI, even for Crysis. Lastly, while the GX2 is a double-width board, that still makes it no wider than the 8800GTS, and, at 10.5 inches, it's no longer than the 8800GTX or Ultra. So you don't have to make any of the tradeoffs that traditional SLI requires, even with an nForce-based board.
So, no, I don't see the current GX2 pricing as being a ripoff, as, like the 7950GX2 before it, it is simply far too different to fit in with traditional GPU pigeonholes.
vanilla_guerilla
Supreme [H]ardness
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- Oct 3, 2005
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so you find it funny that nvidia didnt target a major video card release at playing one not very good game at high resolution/quality settings?
and that it's "extremely unfortunate" that nvidia is in business to make a profit?so are you going to start a letter writing campaign and/or orgainizing a boycott of nvidia products? did you alert the media?
Gaiden133
[H] Ninja
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- Aug 6, 2004
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- 3,720
Nice find! We'll probably be seeing this price for more brands sooner than we think.
Good advice!Buyer's Guide: "Don't Buy One."
Really because my machine plays 1600x1200 all high at 30fps average...
http://www.tomshardware.com/2008/03/18/nvidia_geforce_9800_gx2_review/page10.html
I know its toms hardware but still it looks like they changed their philosophy. "Also, we have added Enemy Territory: Quake Wars because of its success and its MegaTexture technology. It's the only exception to our rule, that all games should be evaluated under real life conditions using Fraps"
mullet
2[H]4U
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- Aug 19, 2004
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2 GIGABYTE GV-NX88T256HV1 GeForce 8800GT 256MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
Item #: N82E16814125089
$20.00 Mail-in Rebate
$359.98
($179.99 each)
1 EVGA 132-CK-NF78-A1 LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 780i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
tem #: N82E16813188024
$259.99
Subtotal: $619.97
Item #: N82E16814125089
$20.00 Mail-in Rebate
$359.98
($179.99 each)
1 EVGA 132-CK-NF78-A1 LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 780i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
tem #: N82E16813188024
$259.99
Subtotal: $619.97
My 8800GTX can also run all high @ 1600x1200 in DX10, but then again I am using a 42" 1080p HDTV as my computer monitor so 1920x1080 is what I have to run to make it look sharp and @ 1080p All High I get about 25-30fps avg. That is playable through about half the game and then slowly becomes completely unplayable later in the game. That is why I am angry. Sure the 9800GX2 improves that performance and I applaud that, but I am simply stunned that nVidia would release an entire new series and still not be able to do 30fps avg @ 1920x1200 on all high. If I have missed a review somewhere that claims to do this then please link me cause I would love to own a 9800GX2 if they could give me a good Crysis experience from start to finish. I know you guys take offense to me bad mouthing nVidia on this launch and I hate to make this a big deal, but it is a big deal to me. I understand the business side of everything, but I just don't understand why after all this time they haven't been able to come up with a single card that can do Very High @ 1920x1200 with at least an average of 30fps. In order to get 30fps @ Very High @ 1920x1200 you would need at least a 4.5Ghz Quad Core, some fast DDR3, and Quad SLi 9800GX2's highly overclocked. At those speeds you may actually be able to enable a little AA. Perhaps 4x even.Really because my machine plays 1600x1200 all high at 30fps average...
http://www.tomshardware.com/2008/03/18/nvidia_geforce_9800_gx2_review/page10.html
I know its toms hardware but still it looks like they changed their philosophy. "Also, we have added Enemy Territory: Quake Wars because of its success and its MegaTexture technology. It's the only exception to our rule, that all games should be evaluated under real life conditions using Fraps"
exactly what it would have cost you to buy a single 9800 GX2, which would also use less power than two 8800 gt sli and perform better, even if just a bit.
fail.
I understand your frustration, but did you even click on the link? It shows 1900x1200 on high averaging 42.5fps. I can't speak as to whether or not it stays throughout the whole game. Mine stayed the same.
I saw that, but then again I have seen a whole slew of other reviews as well that scored lower. Infact HardOCP couldn't run all high settings to get it playable. They were forced to reduce certain settings. You shouldn't have to do that on a $600+ flagship card. I know that you guys shrug off Crysis for whatever reason, but I believe that Crysis is an extremely good indicator of what is to come. Games are only going to get more graphically intensive as the months go by. I was wanting so badly to buy a new graphics card that actually felt like something new. This is not it.
Arcygenical
Fully [H]
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- 25,066
Yep, and I want an iPod touch with an 80gb harddrive. It's not a smart business decision for either nVidia, nor Apple, to provide what you or I want right now.
When ATI gets it's act in gear, we'll have a new card. Hell, even if they don't, I'm sure they'll release something new, yet again, in October.
Reputable sites, including this one, have proven it's the fastest thing out, and more so with very high levels of AA. Some people have been trashing this card with no basis in fact. I could understand someone with 8800GT SLi or GTS 512Mb SLi not being interested in it if they were considering only buying one. I am waiting myself because I want to see GX2 SLi, and Tri-SLi with 9800GTX or GT cards.
As far as I know this card should only really appeal to 2 crowds. Those who are still running 7800 series or lower cards and those that have those 30" screens with 2560x1600 resolutions. I sold my 30" Dell LCD and upgraded to a 42" Westinghouse 1080p LCD. I have no need for the 9800GX2 at that resolution and since Crysis has a tough time at 1080p at the settings I want to play at then it is not a good upgrade for me. I know alot of you guys wouldn't consider my Westy as an upgrade, but it actually is because my gaming experience is MUCH improved over the Dell.
I disagree with that statement cause I can tell you right now that their sales of a truly next gen type card would be INSANELY more profitable for them. Not only would they get everyone who is already willing to waste $600+ on the 9800GX2, but they would get sales from all those people who are still on the fence. There would be NO REASON to be on the fence if they released a less controversial card.
If you're on something other than an nVidia chipset and want 16xQ AA in a lot of titles, this is your card.
I wouldn't move from 8800GT SLi to the GX2 unless I knew for a fact Quad SLi scales appropriately and I was getting two to use on a very high res monitor.
Anyway, I get it, you do not want one and I am not going to further clutter up this "buyer's guide" thread. This not a debate thread on the GX2.
I wouldn't move from 8800GT SLi to the GX2 unless I knew for a fact Quad SLi scales appropriately and I was getting two to use on a very high res monitor.
Anyway, I get it, you do not want one and I am not going to further clutter up this "buyer's guide" thread. This not a debate thread on the GX2.
1920x1080 4x AA 16xAF is all I need on my Westy. Anything higher than 4x AA is overkill for my screen.
I read somewhere a few months back that nVidia said the street price was going to around $450.
They did. They lied.
Also Crytek promised that a normal retail 8800GTS 640MB would play Crysis on Very High settings @ 1600x1200 with between 40-50fps average. They lied.
There is a *third crowd*: those that want SLI/CrossFire-type performance using fewer slots (not to mention the savings on the electric bill over either). Remember, I pointed out that with most FP displays (especially those 24" and lower), you only need one GX2. Better, you're not trapped into buying nForce boards, either (you can buy a traditional, and a lot less finicky, P/X/G3X Intel chipset board, or even low-buck it with a lower-end dual-core system). Here's an interesting low-buck option from Micro Center:
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0278641
Since the trend here has been to go dual-core and overclock (and it's true that most games are GPU-bound, not CPU-bound), it sounds like the GX2 would be this trend's best friend (more so than traditional SLI).
Gaiden133
[H] Ninja
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I also want this card since I game on my Westy 37 (1920 x 1080) and I run on an Intel chipset.
mullet
2[H]4U
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- Aug 19, 2004
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http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/article.html?art=MTQ3NSw3LCxoZW50aHVzaWFzdA==
you fail.
Less power.
no need for a special PS with true 8 pin PCI-E connectors.
More OCing ability.
Better cooling capability's.
1 video card vs 1 motherboard and 2 8800GT's this would be better and cheaper for someone wanting a system.