It's been just about ten years since this beauty....

Some of my most valued cards were my first GPU, a RIVA 128 (Viper 330). That was the card that made me ditch consoles for good. Another was my 9700pro that replaced a Geforce 2 GTS as the fps boost was incredible. However I still hold my 4670 up as the best bang for the buck ever. Bought it for around $35 new over two years ago and it allowed more than ample performance for 1280 gaming,

My current unlocked 6950 is a contender given its value in the face of current GPU pricing. We'll see how the performance holds up over the next year before I pass final judgement.


Ah I knew I forgot one or two. The Riva 128 & Riva 128ZX were good cards speed wise, but the image quality sucked ass. Anyone remember the Riva TNT? TNT2/Ultra?
 
Oh the X800 6800 days were grand. Either way you went you got great performance.
 
Oh the X800 6800 days were grand. Either way you went you got great performance.

I will always remember those days! Found this forum around the later part of 2004, and too bad I didn't get around to making an account til 2007.

6800 ultra vs. x850xtpe ftw!!

and I remember in the summer of 2005 the 7800gtx came out.. and also the first amd dual cores. Those were some exciting times. :D
 
The 9500pro was the first computer upgrade I bought and what got me into building my own systems. A friend of mine had lent me a 32MB 8500 (I think) to replace the 2MB TNT2 card that had come with my 900MHz Athlon Compaq Presario. I could finally play Counter-Strike! Then the UT2003 demo was released and I never looked back.
 
I went from a voodoo 3 3000, to a ati 9800 pro.

Still have the 9800pro. Best 120$ or so i ever spent back then.
 
My Gfx cards:

Diamond Voodoo 2 8mb
Diamond Voodoo 2 8mb sli
Diamond Viper tnt 2 ultra
Creative Geforce 256 DDR
Creative Geforce 2 ultra (500 euro!)
Leadtek Geforce 3 TI 500 (500 euro!)
Guillemot Prophet 9700 pro (best card ever 500+ euro)
EVGA 9800 GTX
Sapphire 6850

And now i bought an Asus 7850, so alot changed over teh years, Each card i had till the 9800gtx brought huge gains so it was worth spending alot of money, these days there is no point really anymore to buy the top end cards like the 680/7970 compared to the 7850.

But eh 9700pro really was a beast card :D
 
The 9500pro was the first computer upgrade I bought and what got me into building my own systems. A friend of mine had lent me a 32MB 8500 (I think) to replace the 2MB TNT2 card that had come with my 900MHz Athlon Compaq Presario. I could finally play Counter-Strike! Then the UT2003 demo was released and I never looked back.

Are you sure the TNT2 had 2MB of ram? I also had a TNT2 that came with my HP Pavilion and the first 1GHz processor. I'm almost certain that it was a 32MB though. I bought a 64MB Kyro 2 and then a 128MB MX440. After that I built my first computer with an AMD Athlon XP 2000+. Oh the memories.

EDIT: Found it.

http://reviews.cnet.com/desktops/hp-pavilion-9790c-athlon/1707-3118_7-3296428.html

My parents got it for me for nearly $5000CDN.
 
Are you sure the TNT2 had 2MB of ram? I also had a TNT2 that came with my HP Pavilion and the first 1GHz processor. I'm almost certain that it was a 32MB though. I bought a 64MB Kyro 2 and then a 128MB MX440. After that I built my first computer with an AMD Athlon XP 2000+. Oh the memories.

EDIT: Found it.

http://reviews.cnet.com/desktops/hp-pavilion-9790c-athlon/1707-3118_7-3296428.html

My parents got it for me for nearly $5000CDN.

TNT2 had 8 mb lowest iirc and highest 32 mb.
 
Back when the 9700 and 9800 were around they were the only option and everything else sucked.

It's just not like that today. There are many choices that deliver a good gaming experience .
 
9700 Pro user representing. :D

Rest of the specs as follows:

Athlon XP 2800+
1gb PC 2700
Soyo Dragon KT400 Ultra Platinum

DSC02917.jpg




What better case than the classic Chieftec Dragon :D

DSC02918.jpg
 
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Jesus, talk about a trip down memory lane.

First computer I ever built...

Abit NF7-S v2
Athlon 2500+ M (Barton)
ATI 9700 Pro
WD Raptors (2x36Gb)
1Gb Corsair XMS PC3200 (512MBx2 at 2-2-2-5)

God that rig cost me a small fortune but I loved every minute of it!
 
Jesus, talk about a trip down memory lane.

First computer I ever built...

Abit NF7-S v2
Athlon 2500+ M (Barton)
ATI 9700 Pro
WD Raptors (2x36Gb)
1Gb Corsair XMS PC3200 (512MBx2 at 2-2-2-5)

God that rig cost me a small fortune but I loved every minute of it!

Yup! 2400 mhz clocks on those were very common and BH5! [/facelove]
 
Damn. Right before I went off to college, I bought a Dell PC with a 9800 Pro in it. It was the first "big" purchase I ever made for myself, and it was my first video card ever (no more software rendering for me!) It served me well until 2008. In fact, it's sitting inert behind me right now...
 
I guess most of these probably need recapping by now, I should upgrade from my 9550
 
First performance card was a 9800 PRO & flashed to XT 128MB & it kicked A$$!!! At the time, nVidia was struggling with the FX series & they sucked BALL$. After that I had the X850-XT which I OC'd to beyond XT Paltinum & then flashed the card to those speeds once it was tested OK. Then the 1950-XTX & then went nVidia after that. The ATI camp ran too hot after the X1950 days & the 8800-GTX was the card to get.
 
Oh yeah....this card used to cost big $$$$. It's sad how far it's fallen. I actually just picked up a brand new in box 9800 Pro for $25 last week. I had a 9800Pro way back long time ago....I sold a Quadro4 980XGL to buy it but wished I would have kept the 980XGL. Whoever said that this card is what made ATI a contender was right! I would have never considered an ATI until after this card was released except for my old Rage 128.

It worked for about 1 year before it started artifacting and I sold it.

Man, I wish I could remember all the video cards I've ever owned. That list would be really REALLY long! Maybe I will sit down one day and try to remember. But seeing as I'm almost 40, I doubt I'll remember them all! Let's see, I've had...3DFX voodoo1 and voodoo3, RIVA TNT2, rage II, S3 Virge and S3 Savage (still have a couple of these laying around), FIRE GL cards (those really LONG bastards), matrox Millenium, Mystique, G450 dual head (loved matrox), Quadro2 Elsa Glora (anybody ever heard of those?, Quadro4 980XGL... great cards!!), too many GeForce cards to count 5700LE, FX5500, FX5200, 440MX 8800GTS, 8800GT, GTX560ti, Hercules,Trident cards, ATI 9550, 9800Pro, x1950Pro, 9800XT, and I give up trying to remember. My head is hurting!
 
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