9600XT 128mb or 256mb?

[Vaio]

I recently purchased an NVidia FX5200, and needless to say, I am gonna be returning it shortly, and I plan on replacing it with a 9600XT. My question is, is it worth it to get the 256mb (http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-102-335&catalog=48&depa=1) model over the 128mb (http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-102-326&catalog=48&depa=1) model? I am gonna be running the card for at least 1.5 years, so it has to be a good choice in the long run. I play mainly Castle Wolfenstein:Enemy Territory, Halo, Soldier of Fortune 2, and I plan on running Doom 3. If you have any questions about my system, if it would make a difference, feel free to ask.

Thanks for your imput,
Viao

[Vaio]

I forgot to mention that if there is a different card that would be a better choice, my max allowance for a new card is right around $150-$160 before shipping.

[Agent_Mull]

I dont think 256 is necissary. I dont think any games will need 256 for a few years. It wont hurt tho if you have the money.

Newegg has Sapphire 9600xts for ~150$.
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproduct.asp?DEPA=0&submit=Go&description=9600xt

[Vaio]

Well, I ended up buying the 9600XT that is actually made by ATi. I got in on sale for $200 with a $50 rebate.

I did a 3dmark2001 test before and after the new card, and with the FX5200, I scored a 5149, and with the 9600XY, I scored a 10352:D

[homicsbane]

10352 seems pretty low for that setup. I have a 9500np and I get over 14k.

[Vaio]

I forgot to add that I bumped it up to 4x AGP, and only gained 200 points:(

I am trying to get into my BIOS right now to see if I can overclock it a little bit, but I doubt it would help. I am stuck with a crappy Asus A7N266-VX:(

[DDR-PIII]

the 256MB version sucks, you dont need that extra 128MB, also its slower than the 128MB version, so there are two reasons why you should save your self osme money :)

[Vaio]

It's nice to know that I made the right choice:D

[RedDeathDrinker]

Originally posted by DDR-PIII
the 256MB version sucks, you dont need that extra 128MB, also its slower than the 128MB version, so there are two reasons why you should save your self osme money :)


The 128MB version has 2.83ns Samsung RAM, rated to 350MHz, while the 256MB has 3.0ns Samsung RAM, rated to 300MHz.

The 128MB version shares the same clock speed as the 256, but the memory runs at 325MHz, instead of the 256's 300MHz. Beware! - some 9600XTs only run at 290MHz, so be careful what you buy......

(I got the 256Meg one;))