should i wait for 8600gts on 4-20 or just buy 8800gts 320?

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compwarez

Gawd
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Aug 2, 2006
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i am building htpc system. i need a video card to play hd-dvd. should i wait for 8600 series or just buy 8800gts 320mb?

this is my pc:

Abit F-I90 HD
1 GB of DDR2-800
e4300 (oced 3.0ghz)
on board video w/256 mb


which one i should i buy? 8800gts 320mb or 8600gts ?
 
Depends on price difference - if it's big enough, and you don't intend to play much, then 8600 is your best value, but if it's small, than I would get 8800gts... although, 320mb is not much for latest games, better have 512mb at least...
 
I'm personally waiting for the 8600 due to a tight budget. The lowest price I've seen for an 8800 320mb is ~250 after MIR. The 8600GTS will be around ~180, and according to VR the 3DMark06 is ~7000. So yeah, depending on gaming and such, if you have the money, go for the 8800, but for ~70-80 less, the 8600GTS will definitely be a good deal. IMHO.
Here's the VR link:
http://www.vr-zone.com/index.php?i=4864
 
sigh why does it have to be 4-20??? thats like the dumbest day ever. some may know what that day is.
 
TehQuick said:
Depends on price difference - if it's big enough, and you don't intend to play much, then 8600 is your best value, but if it's small, than I would get 8800gts... although, 320mb is not much for latest games, better have 512mb at least...
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are u serious? come on guy, the 8800gts 320mb beats any card with 512mb thats not a 8800gts or 8800gtx. and its just the right price. and yes that is a very dumb day to sell it on, like pot smokers are gonna get excited and gonna buy an 8600gt! lol
 
I was gonna wait for the 8600GTS also, but now I think I'm just gonna order the 320mb 8800GTS. Theres no doubt that the 8800 is going to perform better despite having 320mb.
 
Really im having second thought about the 8600GTS because of the 128-bit memory interface. When the 8800GTS 320MB still has the 320-bit. But will the 512MB of video memory make up for the bittage lost???? I think both cards will perform equally because fo the clock speeds. 675MHZ core and 2000MHZ memory on the 8600GTS and the 8800GTS is 550MHZ core and 1600MHZ memory so really its all about the bittage. I dont know enough about the memory interface to tell whether they would be exactly the same or not so right now im going with the 8600GTS until i find other sources showing the 8800GTS 320MB would be the better buy.
 
memory bandwidth and size is pretty important with these latest games using large amount of textures that are sure to fill up 512 or more vram quickly... And it is also important for AA/AF processing... So with smaller memory/smaller bandwidth you'll have to settle for lower quality textures and less AA/AF
 
I wouldn't be so sure of that April release. The Inq states that they need a respin of the 8600, due to bugs.

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=38500

On a performance note, I have to agree I was disappointed to see the high-end 8600 series was still on a (now rather fickle) 128-bit bus.

While the 6600 and 7600 series did just fine with such specs, they do so thanks to impressive memory speed improvements. Today, memory speeds are starting to hit a wall...it's about time the midrange got a 256-bit bus...or possibly a 180-bit bus, if they want to maintain the 320 / 640MB ram target. Either one would be a welcome improvement.
 
OP is building a HTPC machine and did not mention anything about gaming. I say for that purpose any 8800 is overkill. Get some cheap HDCP compliant card or wait for that 8600 series, no need to buy bleeding edge hardware for a HTPC machine.
 
compwarez said:
i was wondering should i buy sapphire x1600pro hdmi or visiontek x1650pro hdmi?
Click to expand...

Definetly x1650pro out from those two. The manufacturers dont matter so much as they are all basicly reference designs with manufacturers sticker on em. Also on ATI camp the warranties are pretty much the same in between different manufacturers, no life time warranties on ATI cards as far as I know it.

ps. I installed couple X1650pro cards a few weeks ago to a friends machine and I was positively suprised. It has your typical small ear bleeding fan installed on it, but the sound was quite nice, not as irritating as I would have thought. Also you can probably tweak the x1650pro fan speed with AtiTool but did not try it on that occasion.
 
the 8800 performs
as well as the 640 at resolutions up to 1680x1050
the 8800 kills the 8600 at 512 or 256

its like saying the 7600gt is weaker than the 6200 512
because 1/2 of vram

the 8800 also has 96 sp
 
Domini said:
sigh why does it have to be 4-20??? thats like the dumbest day ever. some may know what that day is.
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I didn't know the significance of that day until reading this thread and googling it to see what all the stoners were giggling about, but in the process I learned a connection that's not so funny--the day of the shootings at Columbine High School.

Both of which are not relevant since the day of the launch is predicted as April 17th, not April 20th. Some here might want to put down the bong and read a little more carefully?:D
 
Definitely 8800GTS 320. Don't even think about 8600. 8800 outclasses 8600 in every respect.

Lack of memory is not that important compared to speeds. If the card runs out of internal RAM, it just uses system RAM. However if the card's memory bus is 128bit, there's no cure for that!!!
 
Yea but yet one has more RAM than the other but has a smaller bus so i guess bus really matters more than RAM!?!? UNLESS which i doubt they will they make it a 256-bit then ide say its about even with the 320MB 8800GTS. I duno i still cant decide between the 2 and which to buy myself.
 
That's pretty much a matter of "you get what you pay for." Sure the 8800GTS 320 will outperform the 8600GTS--but it will cost more too. If the performance difference is only 10% and money is tight, some may go for the lower.
 
Get the 8800GTS 320, the 8800GTS will be faster than the 8600gt cards. The 8800 is enthusiast while the 8600gt is Performance, which means the 8800's will always be faster.
 
well isn't there other options to play hd-dvd? Is it going to play games at all? I have no idea how much it takes to play it but i don't think you need 8800gtx sli.. id wait for the 8600gt. thats what im doing.. i haven't decided if ill buy it or not but the prices should be down on other cards as well by that time.
 
If you're prepared to wait till then anyway, hold off until we find out about the 8900GS. With an MSRP of $249 for the 512MB version, street prices will probably put it around $220. There may also be a 256MB version appearing at $200. It'll trounce an 8600 at a similar pricepoint.
 
Well all that i know si that the 8900GS i would get over the 8600GTS or the 8800GTS 320MB because it almost all arround better. 256-bit.... 256/512 MB of RAM with a core clock of 550MHZ and memory clock at 1600MHZ for about 249 for the 256MB version and 299 for the 512MB version so i think ill wait for that baby to come out thatll get games flowin.
 
i just buy x1650pro hdmi at circuit city. when i try to play hddvd movies, it tell me that it is not compatible driver.
 
Let's put it this way. If you have a 24" or larger monitor (or if your smaller monitor does 1920x1200), you'll need more than the 320MB of the 8800GTS to get optimal performance out of your games. It'll work, probably even fine for now, but when higher quality DX10 games start rolling out, it might not be enough -- who knows, though. Anyhow, a 640MB 8800GTS would be great, or go for the 8800GTX.

If it's memory you're worried about, like I said, it only matters if you're doing very high resolutions. And if you are, then an 8600GTS won't cut it. 512MB of 128-bit memory with only 64 shaders, versus the 8800GTS' 96 shaders and 320MB of 320-bit memory. It's kind of obvious which will perform best with giant textures at 1920x1200 (if you haven't figured it out, it's the 8800GTS).
 
i like how Sb didnt even read anything but the threads title!! DiD you use the drivers that came with the card?
 
i use the driver on the cd, ati 7.3 driver and driver from visiontek and it is still not working.
 
compwarez, while I know nothing of hdtv, i believe hdmi requires all components to comply with the standard. I.e. if your videocard is hdmi-compliant and display or cable is not, it won't work... I'm going out on a limb here, but you might wanna check whether this is the case..
 
AliceCooper said:
8900GS is supposed to come out on April 17TH with the other cards is what i hear :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

The 8800 Ultra is supposedly due in May, the only ones due on 4-17 are the 8600GTS, 8600GT, and 8500GT. I think I heard the 8900GS may be in May also, (not sure) but it may depend on when ATI rolls out their cards. It'll definitely be a battle, and hopefully we'll end out on top with the price battles.:)
 
HEHE well ive decided the chuck the extra cash and work for family more often so i can just get the 8800GTS 640MB. This way i dont have to worry about anything else:D :cool: ;)
 
Domini said:
sigh why does it have to be 4-20??? thats like the dumbest day ever. some may know what that day is.
Click to expand...

WHATS SO SPECIAL ABOUT THAT DAY?

im gunna wait for the 8900 to come out before upgrading so that i can HAHAH to all you inpatient people who got a 8800 :)
 
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