Which one to Buy?

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Silverfox1

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jun 1, 2004
Messages
136
My old ATI 9700 Pro has just about bit the dust ! I need to make an informed decision between the two below cards and even though one cost a little more I don`t mind the extra cost if I get what I pay for. I think both cards have 16 pipes but I don`t really know their benchmark comparisons. I am still running AGP and do not plan on upgrading any time soon.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102492

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814143046

Rig Info: Intel 2.4C, 1 gig ram, 2 hdds, 2 cd\dvd drives, Antec 480 P.S.

My intent is not to play high end graphics games like I used to, but if I do play around I want a card that can take the heat.

Thanks for any replys!

Regards, Silverfox1
 
I don`t know for sure by this comparison on the specs below, but it looks to me like you get alot more card with the ATI 800XT, for less money. The minimal loss of fps vs. the 7800GS is not a concern of mine. The most important problem I want to avoid is the heat issue between the two cards. I went through all the core mods, voltage mods, heatsink and fan upgrades on the 9700 pro. I don`t intend to OC either one of these cards I decide to purchase, but I want the one that will run the coolest with the stock HSF.

http://www.gpureview.com/show_cards.php?card1=382&card2=43

Regards, Silverfox1
 
Go with the X800XT. I have that exact card, and I use the TV tuner all the time.

Since getting an additional 5fps in a game isn't your main concern, like you mentioned, you can save yourself a lot of money by getting the x800.

The x800 does get hot during intense gaming, but what video card doesn't these days? I'm not sure how it compares to the 7800gs in this department. I had my card overclocked fairly significantly, so the heat was probably more of an issue for me than it would be for the average person.
 
I will more then likely go with the 800XT since I know the length of the card itself is pretty much the same as my 9700pro. The 7800GS looks to be around 2 inchs longer and would be a problem with my ide cable plugged into the MB.

Will a Zalman cooler mount & help much over the stock HSF on the 800XT?

Also would it be better to order this card directly from ATI vs. Newegg since their seemed to be an awful lot of RMA`s back thru Newegg with this card. Makes you wonder about the problems folks have encountered with this 800xt in regards to heat, bad software supplied with the card, etc. after reading thru the reviews on Newegg from the customers of this product.

Like I said, all I intend to do is minor gaming, converting VHS to DVD, video editing, and probably will never even use the TV tuner for viewing.

Does anyone have a coupon code for free shipping or a discount on this card from ATI ?

Thanks for all your replys & help thus far!

Regards, Silverfox1
 
yea the stock cooler isn't great.

I wouldn't worry about ordering from newegg. I wouldn't use the software it comes with anyway, just download the latest drivers and multimedia center editions from ATI's website.
 
One more question before I order the 800xt.

Will my PC with the below specs be a bottleneck for this new card to perform, and will I be able to see a difference over the 9700 pro I have now?

Specs: Intel P2.4 GHZ, 1 Gig Ram, 2 HDDS, 2 CD\DVD drives, Antec 480 P.S.

According to ATI`s website it will not be a problem but I would rather hear it from some of you guys firsthand. I don`t want to purchase a card that cannot perform at its potential in my older AGP rig. Otherwise I can just order a less powerful card, like a 7600GS which I really don`t want.

Thanks for any replys!

Regards, Silverfox1
 
go for it.

sure, in some cases your cpu will be a bottleneck, especially in cpu intensive games like an RTS, but in general, it looks like a good mid-range system to me.

Overclocking that CPU wouldn't hurt though.
 
If your going to run resolutions over 1280x1024 get the 7800GS if not get the X800. It's pretty much that simple in this case ;)
 
I'd go with the ATI. The 7800GS may be a tad faster in some situations, but in my opinion, it's overpriced. The ATI card gives much better bang for your buck.
 
Thanks for all your help and I have found the AIW 800XT on the below site for $159.00 which includes free shipping & NO TAX !

I never have purchased from these folks, so I hope their honest & secure.

http://www.buy.com/retail/product.a...E&Category=Comp&Gad=0&dcaid=15890#description

Also found the Zalman VF-900 cooler for $36.50 from these folks below:

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=373501

*Note: Decided not to purchase from BUY.COM after I looked at their resellerratings here below:

http://www.resellerratings.com/seller2107.html


Regards, Silverfox1
 
I never had a problem with buy.com...I probably ordered 5 things from them over the past couple years

Edit: That's a really good price. Buy it.
 
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