The Versus thread

Dr.Evil · Jul 20, 2006

This thread is for all of your X card vs Y card questions. All independent threads will be closed and told to use this thread. This is to clean of the main Video card forum from the clutter of asking if one card is better than the other.

Mr. Stryker · Jul 20, 2006

One of the sites to help you on a quick info about a card versus another card.

GPUReview.com and click on Compare. I like their website, as it provides a very detailed information on specifications of the cards.

HilRam · Jul 21, 2006

OK, looks like I get to go first!

In my new computer I want a decent video card. There is going to be some gaming, mostly RTS, but also the latest Microsoft Flight simulator. (FlightSim X.)

I am considering the GeForce 7900 GT and the Radeon X1900 GT. Most reviews out there focus on the top of the line cards, and I haven't found a good review of these two stacked against each other.

A high end card is out of the question, considering price and power cunsumption (=heat =noise)...

EDIT: Oops, forgot to mention it must be suitable for HD-Video editing.

zyonuf79 · Jul 21, 2006

I have heard that the X1900 GT is better in Oblivion but otherwise the 7900GT is better in all other circumstances. Also, I might be mistaken here, but I believe the X1900 GT takes up 2 PCI slots and the 7900 GT takes up one.

I am sure the fine [H]arder folks will correct me if I am wrong

apcor · Jul 21, 2006

Why not a sub forum rather than a thread? Too many different comparisons between different cards followed by discussion of X vs Y. Kind of tedious if you are interested in a paticular set match up. Would rather see title of threads X vs Y.

Dr.Evil said:
This thread is for all of your X card vs Y card questions. All independent threads will be closed and told to use this thread. This is to clean of the main Video card forum from the clutter of asking if one card is better than the other.

mrjminer · Jul 21, 2006

< thinks this will be the longest thread ever created anywhere given a few months

That being said, I don't think it would be very useful since it will force people to dig through an insane amount of posts and there would be many repeat questions and the such. Just my 2 cents though.

Anyway, to stay on topic, here's a link toTom's Vga Charts, depending on how much weight you put on Tom's is an individual call, but I've found them to be pretty accurate.

eggrock · Jul 21, 2006

zyonuf79 said:
I have heard that the X1900 GT is better in Oblivion but otherwise the 7900GT is better in all other circumstances. Also, I might be mistaken here, but I believe the X1900 GT takes up 2 PCI slots and the 7900 GT takes up one.

I am sure the fine [H]arder folks will correct me if I am wrong

One difference is ATI cards being able to use AA and HDR at the same time (though I think it takes a Chuck patch to accomplish.) IIRC the hardware on nVidia cards doesn't allow HDR/AA to function (efficiently?) at the same time. In Oblivion it doesn't work at all, last I heard.

Speed vs. Speed? Dunno. I think an X1900XFXX0rZ is faster overall, but that's sheer guesswork based from spotty memory.

Chris583 · Jul 21, 2006

7900GT seems to have good OCIng potential if your interested in that and is very similar to the x1900GT. Both have a 256bit memory interface, and likely 256MB of Memory GDDR3. The Ati has 12 PixelPipelines (36 pixel shader processors) and the Nvidia has 24 PixelPipelines. Either would be good, but for your needs I would reccomend the Nvidia 7900GT as it seems to more widely support and run efficiently most games. If you get a 7900GT look into the eVGA KO Reloaded as it has a stepup program where you can upgrade to a better card in the future.

StinkyMojo · Jul 21, 2006

Well I just got an insane deal on a x1900xtx, is it worth trading for a 7900gtx? I play games on a 1440x940 rez, and don't really mess with AA or AF, I just like to max out everything

mentok1982 · Jul 21, 2006

Mr. Stryker said:
One of the sites to help you on a quick info about a card versus another card.

GPUReview.com and click on Compare. (Note that some benchmark numbers are WRONG on that site.)

That is harsh. I am an administrator for GPUReview.com so if you can be more specific on
the wrongness of the benchmark data I will make sure to take care of it. The site's founder
(Mike) has been very busy lately so not everything is the way it should be yet.

boomheadshot45 · Jul 21, 2006

Ok i'll go, X1900XT vs. 7900 gt. I'm going to be playing alot of fps' and rt's but mostly medieval war when it comes out, BF2, Quake wars, and some other games like that. I'm going to use it with the VX2025m, with a native resolution of 1680 x 1050. So should i shell out the extra 80 $ for the X1900XT? I'm leaning about 75 % to the x1900xt. Why? Because i feel like i'll get more bang for my buck, and oh yeah, i'd be getting like an Evga 7900 gt, and the x1900xt would be a HIS ICEQ3.

ImNoGod · Jul 21, 2006

HilRam said:
OK, looks like I get to go first!

In my new computer I want a decent video card. There is going to be some gaming, mostly RTS, but also the latest Microsoft Flight simulator. (FlightSim X.)

I am considering the GeForce 7900 GT and the Radeon X1900 GT. Most reviews out there focus on the top of the line cards, and I haven't found a good review of these two stacked against each other.

A high end card is out of the question, considering price and power cunsumption (=heat =noise)...

EDIT: Oops, forgot to mention it must be suitable for HD-Video editing.

7900Gt tends to be slighty better in most games.

Firebat · Jul 21, 2006

ImNoGod said:
7900Gt tends to be slighty better in most games.

I concur. The 1900gt seems to take it over ever so slightly in oblivion though.

Mr. Stryker · Jul 21, 2006

zyonuf79 said:
I have heard that the X1900 GT is better in Oblivion but otherwise the 7900GT is better in all other circumstances. Also, I might be mistaken here, but I believe the X1900 GT takes up 2 PCI slots and the 7900 GT takes up one.

I am sure the fine [H]arder folks will correct me if I am wrong

X1900GT is the only X1900 series card that is single-slot cooled.

Mr. Stryker · Jul 21, 2006

mentok1982 said:
That is harsh. I am an administrator for GPUReview.com so if you can be more specific on
the wrongness of the benchmark data I will make sure to take care of it. The site's founder
(Mike) has been very busy lately so not everything is the way it should be yet.

I apologize. I will edit my post. I saw some benchmark numbers that were too good to be true/false, though. I'm not taking credit for anything

Adionik · Jul 21, 2006

HOW much better is an X1800XT v.s a 7900GT?

Aren't they nearly the same?

Firebat · Jul 21, 2006

Adionik said:
HOW much better is an X1800XT v.s a 7900GT?

Aren't they nearly the same?

X1800XT with 512mb or 256mb?

^eMpTy^ · Jul 21, 2006

Mr. Stryker said:
I apologize. I will edit my post. I saw some benchmark numbers that were too good to be true/false, though. I'm not taking credit for anything

I'm Mike, the owner of gpureview.com. The only benchmarks I have on the site are 3dmark numbers just for a data point. And they aren't my numbers, they are averages from other sites numbers. I don't have time to review cards myself, so I just try to aggregate data from other sites. If you see anything that's blatantly wrong, PLEASE click on the "Errors?" button on that page and let me know about it. I'll have whatever it is fixed within 24 hours.

Adionik · Jul 21, 2006

256. I mean to say how much better is a 7900GT over an X1800XT. (256)

^eMpTy^ · Jul 21, 2006

Adionik said:
HOW much better is an X1800XT v.s a 7900GT?

Aren't they nearly the same?

It depends on which 7900GT you get. Some retail 7900GTs ship with core speeds north of 550Mhz...at those speeds they're a smidge faster than an x1800xt...others running only 450Mhz will tie an x1800xt at best...

Also, the x1800xt has better image quality options like HDR+AA and HQAF.

Personally I prefer the 7900GT because it's smaller/quieter/cooler (which I'm getting big on these days) but the two cards are essentially tied performance-wise...

Bona Fide · Jul 21, 2006

Mr. Stryker said:
X1900GT is the only X1900 series card that is single-slot cooled.

X1900 AIW is also single-slot, if I'm not mistaken.

GreenMonkey · Jul 22, 2006

7600gt, or x850xt PE? (or maybe remotely an x1800gto)

Hard to find reviews comparing these 2 cards, and hard to find higher-rez benchmarks. I'll be using it on my sony FW900 22.5" viewable CRT. 1920x1200 is my preferred resolution but I can use lower 16:10 rez as well.

Some AA is good.

I like what I see for the 7600gt, but I'm afraid it will fall behind the x850xt at high res/AA settings. And I tend to lean ATI. Considering a move up from a vanilla x800 card.

I'm not playing a lot of modern FPS games. I play mostly RPG, RTS, and Guild Wars. My only FPS these days is UT2004 or Quake 4.

Bona Fide · Jul 22, 2006

GreenMonkey said:
7600gt, or x850xt PE? (or maybe remotely an x1800gto)

Hard to find reviews comparing these 2 cards, and hard to find higher-rez benchmarks. I'll be using it on my sony FW900 22.5" viewable CRT. 1920x1200 is my preferred resolution but I can use lower 16:10 rez as well.

Some AA is good.

I like what I see for the 7600gt, but I'm afraid it will fall behind the x850xt at high res/AA settings. And I tend to lean ATI. Considering a move up from a vanilla x800 card.

I'm not playing a lot of modern FPS games. I play mostly RPG, RTS, and Guild Wars. My only FPS these days is UT2004 or Quake 4.

Both cards are going to struggle at 1920x1200. I honestly would recommend a 7900GTX or X1900XT, but that seems to be out of your reach. Of those two, I would pick the 7600GT because it has a newer architecture, Shader Model 3.0 support, and I believe it's generally faster.

Megalomaniac · Jul 22, 2006

for about $250 the 1800XT is the best bang for buck right now.
You can get an after market cooler o the ICEQ3 version and it will OC a bit better.

Dont forget that the 1800XT was the top of the line card.
It can also handle HDR+AA so the IQ is bound to be a better.

HOWEVER

the 7900GT is a single slot cooling solution and makes less noise.
It can compete with the 1800XT is some games.
There is much more variaty with the 7900GT.

Chris583 · Jul 22, 2006

Suggestion...if we could have a Versus Forum (Comparison/Suggestion Forum). That would be a lot more organized and easier to navigate than one massive thread like this one may become.

Firebat · Jul 22, 2006

Adionik said:
256. I mean to say how much better is a 7900GT over an X1800XT. (256)

If it's 256 the 7900GT takes a small lead.

If you get a x1800xt please do yourself a favor and get the 512mb version, It tends to be slightly faster then the 7900gt in most games.

boomheadshot45 · Jul 22, 2006

boomheadshot45 said:
Ok i'll go, X1900XT vs. 7900 gt. I'm going to be playing alot of fps' and rt's but mostly medieval war when it comes out, BF2, Quake wars, and some other games like that. I'm going to use it with the VX2025m, with a native resolution of 1680 x 1050. So should i shell out the extra 80 $ for the X1900XT? I'm leaning about 75 % to the x1900xt. Why? Because i feel like i'll get more bang for my buck, and oh yeah, i'd be getting like an Evga 7900 gt, and the x1900xt would be a HIS ICEQ3.

Does anyone have any input? Looks like everybody just skipped over my post lol

If i missed your/a post about my post please point it out to me, thanks

Adionik · Jul 22, 2006

Megalomaniac said:
for about $250 the 1800XT is the best bang for buck right now.
You can get an after market cooler o the ICEQ3 version and it will OC a bit better.

Dont forget that the 1800XT was the top of the line card.
It can also handle HDR+AA so the IQ is bound to be a better.

HOWEVER

the 7900GT is a single slot cooling solution and makes less noise.
It can compete with the 1800XT is some games.
There is much more variaty with the 7900GT.

Yeah. I know you can get the X1800XT for about 235 on Newegg, which is very tempting to me. I like that 7900GT's have a lifetime warranty. I'm contemplating a lot here.

GreenMonkey · Jul 24, 2006

Bona Fide said:
Both cards are going to struggle at 1920x1200. I honestly would recommend a 7900GTX or X1900XT, but that seems to be out of your reach. Of those two, I would pick the 7600GT because it has a newer architecture, Shader Model 3.0 support, and I believe it's generally faster.

I'm willing to bet that by the time any good SM3.0 games come out that are any good, the 7600gt will be like the slideshow that the FX-era Geforce cards are in DX9 games.

Ignoring theoretical or SM3.0 speculation - just straight benchmarks. It's hard to find benchmarks that compare the two. I would have said the less power thing for the 7600GT is cool, but I just upgraded my PSU to a 430w Antec Trupower with 2x 12v rails anyway.

Which is faster at high rez and/or with AA/AF? x850xt or 7600gt?

medbot · Jul 24, 2006

I have an EVGA 7900gt ko which has 256mb ram. The card is still eligable for the step up program and I was wondering if upgrading to the 512mb version would be worth the trouble. I have looked a bit but havent found any benchmarks that compare the two, so I'm a bit at a loss. Take into consideration that I have a really crappy lcd that can only go up to 1024x768 and as such I can pretty much play any game with all options maxed already, so would the extra ram make any difference at all?
Also, I can't get my 7900 to overclock at all for some reason (well, anymore than it already is, which is 500/750), does anyone know if the 512 versions (which i assume includes the reload fix) are decent overclockers?

Mr. Stryker · Jul 24, 2006

Bona Fide said:
X1900 AIW is also single-slot, if I'm not mistaken.

Bah... that's right

HilRam · Jul 25, 2006

ImNoGod said:
7900Gt tends to be slighty better in most games.

Thanks, but I think both cards will suit my gaming needs when it comes to speed. Anybody knows which one produces more heat? Noise is an important factor to me. Both cards are to support H264 decoding, but I have heard that ATI's solution is made by Cyberlink. Is this true, because Cyberlink Power DVD produces crap video compared to other DVD playback programs, like WinDVD.

boomheadshot45 · Jul 25, 2006

Theres no 7900 GT 512 mb, unless theres that one place in the UK but whatever. You may be thinking of the 7900 GTX, not worth it. Your only playing at 1024 x 768, your probaly already getting 60-100 fps with everything max uncluding AA and AF.

ViolentPacification · Jul 25, 2006

Chris583 said:
Suggestion...if we could have a Versus Forum (Comparison/Suggestion Forum). That would be a lot more organized and easier to navigate than one massive thread like this one may become.

Please do this, this thread is out of control lol

ViolentPacification · Jul 25, 2006

boomheadshot45 said:
Ok i'll go, X1900XT vs. 7900 gt. I'm going to be playing alot of fps' and rt's but mostly medieval war when it comes out, BF2, Quake wars, and some other games like that. I'm going to use it with the VX2025m, with a native resolution of 1680 x 1050. So should i shell out the extra 80 $ for the X1900XT? I'm leaning about 75 % to the x1900xt. Why? Because i feel like i'll get more bang for my buck, and oh yeah, i'd be getting like an Evga 7900 gt, and the x1900xt would be a HIS ICEQ3.

Im in the same boat as your, trying to decide between the new EVGA KO 7900gt or the HIS ICEQ 3 x900xt... Its $100 more for that x1900xt, $80 more AR.

I think the x1900xt will last quite a bit longer, which is why im leaning towards it.

However, i only play at 1280x1024.
I would definitely recommend you go for the x1900xt as you play at a very high resolution, but it also depends on how soon you will upgrade again...

RoffleCopter · Jul 25, 2006

StinkyMojo said:
Well I just got an insane deal on a x1900xtx, is it worth trading for a 7900gtx? I play games on a 1440x940 rez, and don't really mess with AA or AF, I just like to max out everything

skimmed thru the thread and didn't see anything regarding this, so I'll say go for the XTX, because with that res you can turn up most if not all the eye candy, and the xtx has better image quality.

HeavyH20 · Jul 26, 2006

Well, here is a nice article from Rage3D. So, an ATI fan site does some testing and the NVIDIA cards all come ahead. That takes integrity.

Here is the single card summary from that story (yes, that is 4xAA and 16xAF). SLI versus Crossfire reflect similar results.

Read the whole Prey benchmark story for more comparisons.

medbot · Jul 26, 2006

boomheadshot45 said:
Theres no 7900 GT 512 mb, unless theres that one place in the UK but whatever. You may be thinking of the 7900 GTX, not worth it. Your only playing at 1024 x 768, your probaly already getting 60-100 fps with everything max uncluding AA and AF.

http://www.evga.com/products/moreinfo.asp?pn=512-P2-N568-AR&family=22

xkon · Jul 26, 2006

okie dokies, so we all know that the x1800gto's were made to compete with the 7600gts, but the x1800gto2's from sapphire just came out for around $250. I'm wondering if these cards can be unlocked much like their x800gto2 brothers to a much better x1800xtpe or wutnot because if they can i'd much prefer an x1800xt than a 7900gt, but i cant seem to find an x1800xt for less than 300. me likee AA and HDR at same time plus most ATI cards are VIVO. ;p I have a 7600gt atm and i know i shouldnt need an upgrade, but i've already sold it off so i'm going to get another card anyway. 7900gt vs x1800gto2 is a little misleading as i've my eyes set on the x1800, but if you can't unlock the x1800gto2, i'd much rather not buy it seeing as how it wont perform up to par with the 7900gt that's in it's price range. thoughts and experiences? maybe even a review i missed?

Glyndur · Jul 26, 2006

OK, I am building an HTPC that needs a LOW PROFILE PCIe card and it has come down to three cards, but two GPUs, the nvidia 6600 vanilla, and the ATI Radeon X1600 Pro. The three cards are as follows:

Sapphire X1600 Pro LP 256MB w/ HDMI output.
VS.
AOpen Geforce 6600 LP 128MB or XFX Geforce 6600 LP 256MB

I am leaning toward the X1600 Pro since it has HDMI and comes with an HDMI cable, comes with the low profile bracket and has 256MB of ram. The AOpen 6600 comes with the LP bracket, but only has 128MB of ram and would require getting a DVI to HDMI cable. Lastly the XFX 6600 has the 256MB of ram but does not come with an LP bracket so I would have to make one and this card again requires getting an DVI to HDMI cable.

Most of what these cards will be doing is DVD playback, TV playback but I would like at least the option of gaming on the TV at 1280x720.

Also, I know nvidia has a zoom function in its control panel to help compensate for overscan, does ATI have a similar function? At 1280x720 the start menu is completely overscanned off the screen using a test card and the TV's analog RGBHV input. Thanks.

The Versus thread

2[H]4U

Supreme [H]ardness

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Supreme [H]ardness

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2[H]4U

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2[H]4U

2[H]4U

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2[H]4U

Limp Gawd

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[H]ard|Gawd

2[H]4U

n00b

Supreme [H]ardness

n00b

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Limp Gawd

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[H]ard|Gawd

[H]ard|Gawd

n00b

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