9500 pro or 9500?

[Gman76]

I am looking to get a new video card. I am looking at these two cards. I have read that you can overclock both of them. Which should I go with? I have found the 9500 with the red PCB and the L shaped memory. Should I go with it or with the pro version?
I have never OC'ed anything before, so if one is easier than the other, that would be good to know also. Thanks for any help?

[Rocko[DPC]]

Go with the 9500pro. You can turn the 9500np with L shaped memory into a 9700np, but there are absolutely no guarantees. I'm on my 3rd card and I still have very minor artifacting with it. Once you OC the 9500pro it isnt that much slower than a 9700np anyway.

[Silver]

Having never oc'ed, I would go with the 9700 as well. It is much more likely to give excellent results without alot of work on modification.

[floben]

Get the 9500 non-pro and do the softmod to the 9700 pro. About $160 on-line...

[Silver]

Originally posted by floben
Get the 9500 non-pro and do the softmod to the 9700 pro. About $160 on-line...

And that is what we call oc'ing. An addiction of some form or another. Love it.:)

[SkaGoatMaster]

I have a 9500 Pro, and for the price it's worth it... the odds of getting a 9500 np that will actually softmod to a 9700 is rare now....

[12si]

I'd either take the 9600pro or the 9500pro...but since 9600pro ain't an option here, i'd go with the 9500pro

[Gerfey]

I'd have to agree with the 9500pro. If you can find a retailer that still sells guaranteed success softmod 9500 cards, go with one of them, but if you can't, the 9500 is seriously handicapped compared to the 9500pro.

EDIT: I'm not just talking about the right kind of card, I've seen some places that try the softmod on their cards and sell them at a slight premium.

[juliendogg]

EDIT: I'm not just talking about the right kind of card, I've seen some places that try the softmod on their cards and sell them at a slight premium.


you wouldn't happen to remember where would you? i've never seen such a place.


J.

[Gerfey]

They had them when they first came out at vibe computers (http://www.vibecomputers.com) up here in Canada, although now it seems they no longer guarantee it. There could be a place in the US that sold/still sells them like that.

[bdw8]

Get the 9500pro, its only about $15 more and you get a lot more performance out of the box and oced with the pro rather than the np. I just put in my pro today and I am in love with it already. You won't regret getting the pro.

[james.miller]

Originally posted by Rocko[DPC]
Go with the 9500pro. You can turn the 9500np with L shaped memory into a 9700np, but there are absolutely no guarantees. I'm on my 3rd card and I still have very minor artifacting with it. Once you OC the 9500pro it isnt that much slower than a 9700np anyway. its quite a lot slower actually, but its still a dman fine card. my vote's for the 9500pro.

[bdw8]

Oh, no doubt that the 9500 is a nice card, but I mean, hey, for $15 bucks extra you get a very noticable performance boost. Definately the 9500pro.

[kamz]

id second that get the 9500 pro well worth the extra...