PCI-e video cards....performance or not?

[SportyGuy220]

Now, looking at these spec's im wondering what is making this PCI-e "faster" besides the faster x16 bandwidth. It only has 128bit and 128mb ddr. the mem speeds are not bad and the core speed is not bad. This is the top of the line for pci-e so far. Now somone please tell me whats so express about this. Why not just get an x800 or geforce 6800. Those look to be alot faster than these.

ASUS ATI RADEON X600 XT Video Card, 128MB DDR, 128-Bit, DVI/VIVO, PCI Express

- Specifications -

Chipset/Core Speed: ATI Radeon X600XT/503MHz
Memory/Effective Speed: 128MB DDR/736MHz
BUS: PCI Express
Ports: VGA Out(15 Pin D-Sub) + VIVO + DVI
Support 3D API: DirectX 9, OpenGL 1.5
245$

 

[KoDt]

well the best cards which are available right now for pci-e are the nvida 5900 and ati x600xt

they are very close but i would tend to say that a good pci-e 5900 would be best.
(looked at some benchmarks comparing them)

You CAN find x800xt-pe in PCI-express but they are all aroudn $700 either on ebay or a few small webpages. Or you might find on on the for sale forums but very rarely.

They havent really made x800 and 6800 pci-e cards yet b/c they havent even made enough regular AGP cards. I guess theres a shortage or something so latest gen pci-e cards knida got pushed on the backburner.

PCI-e is faster, but no cards really get any benefit from it yet (not even x800xt-pe) but eventually it will be used.

So dont get it if u want the best vid cards now, if you already have it id say get a pci-e 5900

 

[SportyGuy220]

hey hey hey?

 

[Brackle]

Now, looking at these spec's im wondering what is making this PCI-e "faster" besides the faster x16 bandwidth. It only has 128bit and 128mb ddr. the mem speeds are not bad and the core speed is not bad. This is the top of the line for pci-e so far. Now somone please tell me whats so express about this. Why not just get an x800 or geforce 6800. Those look to be alot faster than these.

ASUS ATI RADEON X600 XT Video Card, 128MB DDR, 128-Bit, DVI/VIVO, PCI Express

- Specifications -

Chipset/Core Speed: ATI Radeon X600XT/503MHz
Memory/Effective Speed: 128MB DDR/736MHz
BUS: PCI Express
Ports: VGA Out(15 Pin D-Sub) + VIVO + DVI
Support 3D API: DirectX 9, OpenGL 1.5
245$

Not really makes it faster (but it will in time?), just a new standard....if you want a GOOD pci Express card for under $200 check out the hardocp review

http://www.hardocp.com/article.html?art=NjYw

DASHlT

 

[Summoner]

Seeing as current AGP cards never use all the bandwidth i cant imagine PCIe cards being any different performance wise than whats currently out there. I think Nvidia will release a 6600GT AGP soon so unless you have PCIe already id wait for that if your budget is $200.

 

[BEST JD TCR]

Summoner you hit it right on the head.

Even with the limits imposed by the laws of physics are sometimes difficult to define. pci E has the physical potential to provide virtually limitless bandwidth. Even so, the bandwidth of pci E cannot be fully realized until technologies are developed to take full advantage of its potential.

 

[Brent_Justice]

Now, looking at these spec's im wondering what is making this PCI-e "faster" besides the faster x16 bandwidth. It only has 128bit and 128mb ddr. the mem speeds are not bad and the core speed is not bad. This is the top of the line for pci-e so far. Now somone please tell me whats so express about this. Why not just get an x800 or geforce 6800. Those look to be alot faster than these.

ASUS ATI RADEON X600 XT Video Card, 128MB DDR, 128-Bit, DVI/VIVO, PCI Express

- Specifications -

Chipset/Core Speed: ATI Radeon X600XT/503MHz
Memory/Effective Speed: 128MB DDR/736MHz
BUS: PCI Express
Ports: VGA Out(15 Pin D-Sub) + VIVO + DVI
Support 3D API: DirectX 9, OpenGL 1.5
245$

i don't understand what your question is

and that is not the top of the line PCI Express card, on the enthusiast level NV45 (GeForce 6800Ultra PCI-E) and R423 (Radeon X800XT-PE PCI-E) are the top of the line

on the mainstream camp currently the GeForce 6600GT PCI-E is the top of the line

 

[Nyfrin]

It's going to take another generation or two to see the real benefits offered by PCI-E, and since current PCI-E graphics cards are still based on the same general design and chipsets of existing AGP cards, there's not going to be some dramatic performance jump just because you're using a PCI-E card.

In time, I'm sure that will change as games become more demanding and GPU's are designed to natively use (or for that matter, even need) the bandwidth increase in a PCI-E 16x slot.

 

[Tribune]

As a techo follower or specifically (amd/intel/nvid/ati follower) - i would speculate that the increased bandwidth pci-x gives could be used to feed multiple GPU's (Perhaps on a single card). to me it seems obvious but perhaps il be flammed.

i would like to compare amd/envi for a few minutes. for those who want to read further.

as we learn amd designed the A64 for multiple cpu configs hence the domination for server stuff.

today i read on [H] the interview with nvid person that 6800 was designed with multiple GPU in mind ( we all know about PCI-X GT) so Daa. Then factor ati/nvid are jointly ecouraging 18 months before releasing a totally re-designed GPU.

now given that it appears that ati only want to make money by re-using technology while nvid have the balls to move the industry forward (at a large expense and taking slaver from ati), and given that nvid took a slap from the 9800 that when designing the 6800 they had more long term goals.

then consider that for amd the die shrink from 130 to 90 = dual core. does it not seem obvious that a 6800 designed to be multi-processor may also follow the same route and have all the toys ati dont have.

so i project that if 2x6800 GT beats a 6800U then to keep the margin on the ultra parts nvid will introduce dual GPU units on a single chip next year.

Sorry if i did not fully explain but my fingers do not match my thoughts. (50 cent'esq think a little faster so i dont have to ??).

Trib

 

[ameoba]

As a techo follower or specifically (amd/intel/nvid/ati follower) - i would speculate that the increased bandwidth pci-x gives could be used to feed multiple GPU's (Perhaps on a single card). to me it seems obvious but perhaps il be flammed.

It's PCI-e, not X; PCI-X is just like standard PCI that's faster and uses a 32bit bus - PCI-e is a completely different standard.

As far as the multiple GPU thing, nVidia has already demonstrated SLI (dual GPUs working together) on PCI-E. As for dual CPUs on a single card, dual-core and/or SMP is old hat in the CPU world, it's a pretty obvious growth (and there've been cards before with multiple GPUs - most notably some of the late 3DFX stuff.)

 

[so_cal_forever]

There has been one game to take advantage of the extra bandwidth, and that's Doom 3. While it's not too much extra, it's a reason that the 6600GT does some shining in the D3 department.

 

[Brent_Justice]

There has been one game to take advantage of the extra bandwidth, and that's Doom 3. While it's not too much extra, it's a reason that the 6600GT does some shining in the D3 department.

proof?

 

[Nyfrin]

There has been one game to take advantage of the extra bandwidth, and that's Doom 3. While it's not too much extra, it's a reason that the 6600GT does some shining in the D3 department.

So you're saying that Doom 3 can fully saturate an 8x AGP bus with 2.1 GB/s of data? Is that even possible with current CPU speeds?