x1800/1900

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Bling

Gawd
Joined
Oct 25, 2003
Messages
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I was at newegg today browsing and I saw that a saphire x1800xt *512 mb* is only 300 dollars! thats a hell of a value if you ask me. I remember seeing the same card at 350 a week ago and talking about using that ati promotion code to get 50 dollars of but now you can just buy it normally. This is further reason to get a x1800xt over a 7900gt. Before the decision was about 50/50. I am considering buying a new videocard and I am aiming for an x1900xt but is the extra 32 pixel shaders worth the 134 dollar price difference?
 
I am going to get an ATi card I'm not sure what though. I am going to be getting a new card, within the next month or so, I just sold my motherboard, so I want to keep and ATi Chipset with an ATi cards. I am selling my 7800gt cheap if anyone is interested pm me.

Now, I was really looking at the x1800xt, but they're are going to be discontinued and I really am weary about buying this card. I think I would feel safer with a x1900gt/xl over the x1800xt even if it has only has half the ram. I just feel ATi may drop support for the x1800xt.
 
Drop support ?
Your concern is unfounded.
However if you can afford it, I think the X1900 is definitely worth the money over the X1800.
 
Not lose support like drivers and such. I guess I should have stated my concern in another way. What I mean is, If I buy a x1800xt, and 3 months from now it dies, and I need an RMA what are they going to give me, I am pretty positive they've stopped production on the x1800xt 512mb. I am pretty sure they wouldn't give me and x1900xt, even if they would I don't want to rely on that.
 
I aw an x1800xt 512 for sale in the fs/tm forum for 290. the x1900 is 434, is The x1900 really that much better?
 
Yes it's kinda ridiculous. In the latest benchmarks I've been seeing the X1800XT is really aging well. Topping the 7900GT and even challenging the X1900XTX at times.

Then to top all that off you can get the 512 MB version for $300. It's kinda crazy.

I dont know what the deal is, how it competes with cards with MUCH more shading power (from both ATI and Nvidia) with only 16 pipes. It's pretty amazing.
 
They still support the X800XT cards from last generation with drivers and they don't really make those anymore. You have nothing to worry about.
 
Only thing I dont like about it is it doesn't have that "fetch 4" bullet point feature. I dont know if it matter but it bothers me a little bit. The X1900's have fetch 4.

Still I am amazed what ATI was able to do with 16 pipelines/pixel shaders. And ATI pixel shaders aren't even very strong per..

Just shows a lot of other things are the bottleck I guess, and efficiency counts for a lot. They are getting very high usage of those shaders.
 
I think the memory controller and shader branching are helping it out.
When newer games start pushing this even further, the X1900 might distance itself more.
ET:Quake Wars looks pretty intense in the shader dept.
Although I think an X1800 will be able to play it ok.

As for fetch4, I've heard it isn't even used in any current games, and is not a critical feature.
Anyone programming a game should be able to work around it easily.

It only has 16 pipes, but remember so does the X1900.
They are very similiar except for the amount of shader ALUs.

A $290 used 512mb X1800XT vs a new $430 X1900 is a toss up.
Either card is a good value. I would buy whatever you are comfortable w/ spending.
Sort of depends on what you're upgrading from.
 
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