Best for $150

[Dubbin1]

What is the best ATI card in the $150 range?

[Arkangyl]

9600 Pro or 9600 XT, the XT seems to be 150 on up, might not find one for $150.

Also I've seen refurb 9700 Pro's and 9800np's (not SE's though) for around 150 to 170ish...

[skitlets]

drop another 50 or 60 and grab a 9800 pro. neweggs got em for 209 2day. another "1 day" sale.

[Speed_Mechanic2]

A PowerColor R98SE-C3 (NOT XR98SE-C3L) is a R350 core on a standard Radeon 9800 PCB with a 256-bit memory interface. It's a true Radeon 9800 with half-of-eight disabled pixel-pipelines disabled. A Radeon 9600XT has a RV360 core, 128-bit memory interface, and only four pixel-pipelines.

The R98SE-C3 costs $155-160.
A 9600XT costs $150-$170.

A Radeon 9600XT's RV360 core is clocked higher then a stock R98SE-C3, the memory clock is in favor of the R98SE-C3. Depending on what you want your video card to do, the best performance/price potential rides in favor of the 9800SE (w/ 256-bit memory interface).

But be careful when searching for the R98SE-C3. NewEgg is a more trusted seller then most any other. NewEgg is selling them for $154, but just went Out-of-Stock.

[Overclocker550]

get a 9800 pro for $220. dont waste your money on a 9600xt, the 9800 pro is twice the speed for a bit more $$$$$

[snyper1982]

stop, oc550, it is NOT twice as fast, god, where do you come up with this?

[LogRus]

Originally posted by snyper1982
stop, oc550, it is NOT twice as fast, god, where do you come up with this?

-ROFL!!- :D, everytime I see oc550 posting, you (snyper1982) are ALWAYS there criticizing him! :D I couldn't just go by w/out a good Laugh.

Sigh... back to the thread now. If only ATi I'd also get the 9600 Pro or the XT one. Or how about 9500 and softmod it to 9700? Heard many pple got it to work real nice after softmod.

Compare [Linked to NewEgg... where else?]:

ATi 9500 Pro [$130] (http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproduct.asp?description=14-142-010) << Should work great after softmoded to 9700 Pro? (I just gotta love softmoding stuff :p)
ATi 9600 Pro [$140] (http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-125-129&catalog=48&depa=1)
ATi 9600 XT_[$150] (http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproduct.asp?description=14-156-015) << There you go, exactly $150 :).


But I'd actualy better go for the ATi 9800 Pro (http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-102-268&catalog=48&depa=1) for just $58 more as of right now. It might not be 2x as fast as 9600 series, but it is much more faster then any of them...

[snyper1982]

lol. i dont ALWAYS criticize him, i just dont agree with him. he goes around spreading false info, and i just dont like it.

[Max47]

Originally posted by snyper1982
lol. i dont ALWAYS criticize him, i just dont agree with him. he goes around spreading false info, and i just dont like it.

heh, did you read this?

Originally posted by Speed_Mechanic2
Depending on what you want your video card to do, the best performance/price potential rides in favor of the 9800SE (w/ 256-bit memory interface).

I have heard some really really really nasty things about the SE's

[snyper1982]

yes i did read it, i dont criticize him, i correct the false info, thats all. have a read of this, and see what i mean:
http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=158749&perpage=30&highlight=geforce%20better%20overclocker&pagenumber=1

[tom10167]

I believe OC550 was speaking figuratively, as in, significantly faster for such a small price difference. And that the price/performance has enough weight to make it twice as good, at least in my eyes. :)

[Speed_Mechanic2]

Originally posted by Max47
I have heard some really really really nasty things about the SE's

The 9800SE has had it's rather lousy name throughout it's short existance. Beginning off, ATI refused to recognize the existance of 9800 cards with half of their pixel-pipelines disabled (the main point of a 9800SE). Later ATI set a standard that the 9800SE was to use a full 256-bit 9800 PCB, yet card makers later switched from this to cheaper 128-bit (referring to the card's memory interface) 9500-like PCB's.

It was the 9800SE based on 9500-like PCB's that gave the 9800 SE it's Slow-Edition tag. While the 256-bit 9800SE, with a simple soft-mod, could perform identical to a 9800 Pro. There were also problems of people ordering a 256-bit 9800SE, only to be short changed and given either a 128-bit 9800SE or encouraged to 'upgrade' to a 9800 Pro.

NewEgg is very good, compared to all other online resellers, at keeping their descriptions up-to-date and detailed enough (they do have slip-ups here and then). With all of their 9800SE cards that they sell, they list the memory-interface (128-bit or 256-bit) as well as show updated pictures of the cards themselves.

A PowerColor Radeon 9800 SE w/ 256-bit memory interface (Model # R98SE-C3) has a standard 9800 PCB (molex power connection and all) with half-of-eight (4) pixel-pipelines disabled. This card, stock, should perform better then any RV350/RV360 card. With a softmod and decent overclock, you could be out-performing some 9800 Pros.

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-131-236

[rabdatrox]

Originally posted by LogRus



ATi 9500 Pro [$130] (http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproduct.asp?description=14-142-010) << Should work great after softmoded to 9700 Pro? (I just gotta love softmoding stuff :p)


[/B]

It's only 128bit, won't flash unless it is one of the original 256bit ones, correct?

[tom10167]

Co to the rect. And even then, it's rumored at a 33% chance of getting one to do it.

[Overclocker550]

with the 9800 pro at $220 I cant for the life imagine wasting time and money on the 9800se :roll:

[Speed_Mechanic2]

Originally posted by Overclocker550
with the 9800 pro at $220 I cant for the life imagine wasting time and money on the 9800se :roll:

$60 is still alot of money. Especially to spend on cards that, from a paper perspective, are virtually identical - except for disabled pipelines.

[Overclocker550]

and theres a 1/3 chance of enabling the pipes on the 9800se. They dont get enabled, you lose out. also the se overclocks worse and just isnt as fast either. youd be better off with a 9700 pro for $150 used