A $200 Video Card

[Legion2005]

I was thinking.... what would be the best card I could buy. I would like a few different opinions... and have a few facts to back them up if possible.... so I can decide on nVidia or ATI. Also I am getting tired of buying MSI, and I have heard their newer stuff isnt as great. Ive heard good things on Asus cards... I have only bought their motherboards. I would just like some opinions.

[cetoole]

Maybe a 6600, if it is too expensive, probably a 9800

[kimber]

9800pro

here (http://www.z-buy.com/product.asp?item=VG-ATR980S)
i know the add says 200 but pricewatch has them for 189+4 shipping.there a good etailor to.i've used them several times without problems.

[Aslan]

Well, if you're willing to risk buying from Tigerdirect, they have a XFX 6600GT 128mb for $200.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1118390&CatId=1559

[Legion2005]

I am not nessesarily looking to buy a card in a week or so... I am mostly trying to see if I would like ATI or nVidia better... and you posted a Sapphire 9800 Pro? So... Sapphire is a good brand to buy from?

[Quailane]

My dad is also looking for a $200 card after we had to rma our msi 9800pro. I am thinking we will get another 9800 because the 6600gt agp is too pricy.

[ComPuterFreak90]

piece of gardbadge its 128 bit and it doesnt have DDR 3 or even 2 to make up for the interface.

[Prot]

Here is a link with a nice chart and some commentary on video cards:

http://graphics.tomshardware.com/graphic/20041110/buyers_guide-04.html

I know it's Tom's, but I still find this particular article a good read. In my opinion, the 9800 Pro is still a solid card, as long as you make sure to get the 256-bit interface. I have the 256-bit interface with 128mb of memory and I am very satisfied with it. I think the prices on 9800pros are going to fall as the availability of nVidia 6600 increases. The 9800 pro and 6600 are both good cards at that price point. Granted, the 6600 is 128-bit instead of 256-bit, but it makes up for it with higher speeds. 9800 pro beats 6600 in some tests, equals it in some, and in some tests gets clobbered by the 6600. Keep in mind that is a comparison of cards at stock speeds. If you throw overclocking and bios flashing into the mix, it's a somewhat different picture.

From here on out I will speculate, as I do not own the 6600 and can only use deductive reasoning. Look at what the stock core speeds and memory speeds are for the 6600, especially the GT model. They are way higher than the 9800 pro, especially memory speed on the GT. To me, it seems if it is running that fast stock, it probably is close to the maximum it is capable of running. Considering most new 9800 pro's have the r360 core, the potential is very high for a successful flash to a 9800 xt. From there, it is pretty clear with some decent overclocking techniques, that similarly priced 9800 pro can probably consistently beat the 6600 in all benchmarks, since it was only losing in some at stock speed and bios. On the other hand, it is hard not to ignore the 6600gt's 500/1000 MHz . I am not as familiar with nVidia's pricing these days as I used to be, but I would venture to say that the 6600Gt fetches a premium price over the regular 6600, which is stock clocked at 300/550 MHz .

In conclusion, i would say the less risky buy is the 9800 Pro which is a proven performer with a large data base of real world knowledge and experience. The 6600's represent a more unknown quantity. The 6600gt has a definite speed advantage but at a price higher than your budget allows. I guess what it comes down to is how much you think you can successfully overclock the regular 6600. I guess that would be a good deciding factor. Personally, I would take the safer route with the 9800 pro, as long as it's the 256-bit version.

[Chixofnix]

I was thinking.... what would be the best card I could buy. I would like a few different opinions... and have a few facts to back them up if possible.... so I can decide on nVidia or ATI. Also I am getting tired of buying MSI, and I have heard their newer stuff isnt as great. Ive heard good things on Asus cards... I have only bought their motherboards. I would just like some opinions.

with a 200 dollar budget, the two cards ATI and nVidia bring to the table are the 9800pro and the 6600gt, respectively...

the 9800 pro can now be had for under 200 in many reputable etailers (please avoid tigerdirect though, i find that rather bad advice :/). This is a very solid card, and plays everything out now at respectable settings.

the 6600gt (agp version) is currently hovering around 230 dollars, and only because its in such high demand - its true pricepoint will be 200 or perhaps even less after the christmas holidays end and more vendors make more avaliable to more retailers (hopefully around new years). Performancewise, this card is a significantly better performer than the 9800pro.

Which is the better buy between these cards? If you cannot wait for the 6600gt to fall in price (again this should be approaching 200 within a month), or absolutely cannot shell out 30 more dollars or so to get one now, then you really have no choice but to get the 9800pro, at this moment. If you have the patience to wait it out a few more weeks, or you can scrap together 30 dollars extra, then the 6600gt is the better buy considering performance.

On the issue of what vendor's card to buy (be it ATI or nVidia cards): this depends on whether you want to overclock. If not, the choice is quite simple - choose the vendor's card that comes with the most attractive software package. If you are excited to push your card further via an overclock, then you've gotta do some homework... here's some more specific advice for each card:

9800pro: your main goals, in overclocking a 9800pro, are to get a card with an r360 core, and to flash the said card's bios to make it think its a 9800xt. Here's a great sticky in the ATI section detailing how this is done: http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=270479
so the question is what vendor's cards can most likely fulfill these needs? Honestly that answer changes over time - look for recent reports of people who purchased a new 9800pro detailing what sort of ram/GPU they found on their card, and use the info you find in recent reports to make an educated guess on what vendor will likely give the card of your dreams ;)

6600gt agp: at the moment, choosing a vendor for the 6600gt is really easy: the only widely availiable card is the one from XFX, however reports here at the ocforums indicate these cards are WONDERFUL overclockers. I have personally seen some sparkle, and i think an albatron listed in a few online stores, but thus far the most availiable, and most cheaply priced agp 6600gt is the xfx, which again is a great ocer. easy choice. it'll be a harder choice when more vendors' cards make the 6600gt approach 200, and they become similarly priced...

[Legion2005]

Ok, I think my next card will be the 6600 GT. I like to overclock, and would like to mount a waterblock to it. I will not be buying it anytime soon... I just wanted an idea on the best cards for that price. Thanks for all the information!

[buddhafumes]

The 128-bit bus on the 6600gt doesn't make it a piece of ****. It will EASILY outdo a 9800 pro and can be close to the same price. I saw one on newegg not to far ago for 220.

[Jacobman]

I would get a 9800pro, this one to be correct. you can flash it to. :)
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-102-268&depa=1

[d94]

if u were to go w/a 9800pro(which i wouldn't recommend)
id go for the msi version
its about $185 at the egg and windows usually reads it as a xt and they all now come w/xt cores! so there about 99% flashable

but, yea go for the 6600GT!
or if you can get lucky (like me and a couple other members did), try to find a sale on a 6800nu for $200

-d94

[secretweapon]

Just get that Compusa $199 6800nu after rebate deal.

[cetoole]

http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=349284

[MassiveOverkill]

I've just gone from a 9800pro (420/760) to an XFX 6600GT (578/1160) and if you plan to play any of the new games, there is no question about it, the 6600 will kick the 9800 pro's a$$. Don't listen to the ATI fanboys (I use to be one, LOL). If you're going to buy a new card, the 9800, which use to be the bang-for-the-buck king, is a waste of money because the 6600GT has dethroned it.

Nvidia has learned it's lessons from it's FX series and is taking the lead. ATI will never learn how to make decent drivers, and that's the main reason for me jumping ship........well that and the fact that Nvidia has caught up in the eye candy department, where ATI once ruled.

[subtotal]

i am totally for the 6600GT, however i'm going to hold off on buying one until 3rd party cooling options become available, the only real downside to the 6600GT is all the manufacturers have done cheap and nasty cooling, that said GDDR3 looks goooooood!

[Legion2005]

I plan to watercool... so cooling should be no concern for me. I like ATI and nVidia... and I have had trouble with ATI drivers... thats pretty annoying.

I like the speeds of the 6600 GT... and I am assuming that nu is non-ultra??

[d94]

correct! nu is NonUltra