View Full Version : Ready to buy a GeForce 3, input needed
I'm about ready to take a big plunge and shell out $300 for a Gainward GeForce 3. I've heard these video cards are good with lots of features for being sort of a budget card. I intend on immediately removing the GPU sink and memory sinks, then reinstall using Arctic Silver thermal paste on the GPU and Arctic Silver epoxy on the RAM sinks. Question? Am I crazy or does this sound like a good plan? So many good GF3 cards out there, it was hard to chose. Never spent this much cash on a video card before, thought maybe I'd get a reality check before I sent the real check. LOL.
Ok, for about $20 more I can get the same card with "VIVO Video in/out, and DVI support". Is this really worth having? Exactly what is VIVO? I know it means video in, video out, but what does that mean? I'm so confused.
VIVO just allows inputs for bringing a video signal into your PC. I'd say for $20 more, grab it!! Hell, if that was around when I grabbed my gf3 I would've gone with a Gainward.
Warning: NO GAMES. You will not really see the benfits for several more months; current Ultra cards run games just as well and cost $100+ less than GF3. You might consider waiting.
I hear ya Pinky. Been telling myself that too. But, my heart is set on a GF3 and I promised myself not to spend over $300. Now the price is within my budget. Plus, I'm in the intial stages of building me a killer P-4 machine. Gotta have a GF3 vid card for my new dream computer, right?. Besides, I wanna see how well it'll score in 3Dmark2001 after I get it built. :)
Silversinksam
09-18-01, 07:36 PM
I agree with pinky, just wait a few more weeks and the ATI new product offerings will hopefully bring down the price of the GF3 cards, personally I am holding out for a Leadtek GeForce3 TDH
http://www.leadtek.com/geforce3/images/gf3tdh-LED.jpg
On Board 64MB -3.8ns DDR Memory and hardware monitoring.
All that Im gonna do is take off the factory heatsink and add my favorite gpu heatsink the Alpha pal15u
Ran some tests today with my GF2 ultra @275/500 with Alpha pal15u and the highest temp was 37.5c with Madonion looped for 1 hour. (thermal probe on back of GPU method)
Dont have the $28 to get a Alpha pal15u? try this copper rackmount IU heatsink for $15 it will destroy Blorbage sales.
http://www.nexfan.com/images/bu0tnmv6.jpg
http://www.nexfan.com/29/171.htm?315
But if you have to have the best this is it
http://www.ocshoot.com/ultra/hot/assy.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/usflagpics/onenation88.jpg
Off topic and turn up your speakers (http://www.doubtlessdesigns.net/)
RangerJoe34
09-18-01, 11:21 PM
i think you should go all out with the geforce 3
i am gonna get one once i get enough money :P. i plan on getting the MSI Starforge model. (the ramsinks look neato) hehe
but all g3's are baddas
especially the gainwards
good luck buddy
Thanks for all the posts. When is this new ATI supposed to be released? Guess I could wait another week or two to see if prices slide a little more. I'm intrigued by that Alpha PAL15 cooler. I need to look into that a little more. I'm still planning on buying the card, just might wait a few more days to see what happens.
Originally posted by batboy
Thanks for all the posts. When is this new ATI supposed to be released? Guess I could wait another week or two to see if prices slide a little more. I'm intrigued by that Alpha PAL15 cooler. I need to look into that a little more. I'm still planning on buying the card, just might wait a few more days to see what happens.
Good call. Don't be too starry eyed. Neither card's gonna serve much use until the games are out of development... these cards behave almost exactly like an Ultra card besides their new texture rendering features, which again, are still in development.
Originally posted by batboy
Thanks for all the posts. When is this new ATI supposed to be released? Guess I could wait another week or two to see if prices slide a little more. I'm intrigued by that Alpha PAL15 cooler. I need to look into that a little more. I'm still planning on buying the card, just might wait a few more days to see what happens.
Look here:
http://www.ebgames.com/ebx/categories/products/product.asp?pf_id=210086
Ok, today I found a place that is over $20 (including shipping) cheaper for the Gainward GF3 than the best price I found from a reputable vender yesterday, can I buy it now? A minor problem with the Gainward (like most GF3 cards) is they use a heat pad instead of thermal paste on the GPU sink and they use crappy frag tape on the RAM sinks. Easily fixed though. Sheesh, buying a brand new component and knowing full well I'm going to mod it right out of the box. Now that's a tweaker geek.
http://images.anandtech.com/reviews/video/nvidia/GeForce3_round/gain.jpg
Originally posted by Pinky
Don't be too starry eyed. Neither card's gonna serve much use until the games are out of development... these cards behave almost exactly like an Ultra card besides their new texture rendering features, which again, are still in development.
yes, I'm lame because I just quoted myself.
Burning Phoenix
09-19-01, 10:35 AM
I am also having a hard time holding back on buying a geforce 3. I can only wait maybe 1 more month then if they don't drop in price i'm buying one. I hate my Geforce 2 GTS. It runs hot even with Artic silver and bigger heatsink. I want to get rid of it before it burns up.
I tend to buy ASUS deluxe cards with all the options for a few $'s more.
Come on, please guys? Let me buy the vid card now. Please? I've worked hard and got the cash saved up. That Gainward GF3 card looks so pretty too. Besides, I have a year old Hercules MX 32 meg card that has been a good card, but is way, way past it's prime now. Benchmarks are seriously lagging now. If I had an Ultra, I certainly would and should wait longer as the performance difference is not as great. I've been wanting a GF3 all summer. Haven't I patiently waited until the price got down to $280 delivered? I'll just die if I can't buy this...lol.
GF3 not overclocked.
You really dont want one do you?
Considering I've never hit 3,000 points in 3Dmark2001 with my current system, that score looks real good.
Originally posted by Placid
GF3 not overclocked.
You really dont want one do you?
You're a bad, bad man :p.
I'm either in love or in lust or both. Check out this GeForce 3 vid card. Gotta find some reviews about this card. One reviewer is claiming that it's the fastest vid card in the world?
The OCZ Titan3 has 3.8ns RAM running at 515Mhz and a GPU core clock speed of 215Mhz. The Titan3 has the best cooling available for a retail card on the market today. The Titan3 comes standard with Copper RAM sinks and a Blue Orb chip cooler for the GeForce3 chip.
http://www.crazypc.com/images/video/titan3.jpg
http://www.ocztech.com/products/titan3.html
Ok, that does it. I've been reading review after review praising the OCZ Titan3 as the best GeForce 3 card currently available. Apparently it overclocks great and was designed for that purpose. I can't wait, getting my credit card out now. Check out this link for a cool review about this vid card from 3D Guru.
http://www.guru3d.com/review/ocz/titan3/
Ok, I admit it, I got suckered into buying a vid card for a little more than I was expecting, but it sure is pretty. Worlds fastest does have a very nice ring to it. I just now bought one of these over-hyped OCZ Titan3, it's now on order, just have to wait for it to be shipped. Hmmm, hurry up, please.
http://www.guru3d.com/review/ocz/titan3/20010818-03.jpg
Your eyes batboy, your eyes... if they're anything like mine, are too big for your wallet :).
Those are nice cards, you will definitely be pleased. Maybe we could have your supercharged GF3 card meet my Radeon 8500 VIVO card (when I get one in a few months) in a benchmarking showdown as an article :).
I would like that Pinky. A video card show down. Been waiting and thinking about a new GF3 for months now. The Gainward card was purely practical. Maybe that's why I posted in the first place, it seemed like I was missing something.
I just downloaded the Detonator 21.81 drivers to prepare for my new Titan3 baby. Wow, those copper RAM sinks look nice.
I feel good about this and no worries Pinky, I can afford it. In fact, I'm putting a new P-4 CPU, RDRAM memory, and Abit TH7-II RAID motherboard into the budget and should have my new system put together within about 3-4 weeks. I ordered a new Antec SX635 case earlier today to start the project rolling.
Originally posted by batboy
I would like that Pinky. A video card show down.
... I'm putting a new P-4 CPU, RDRAM memory, and Abit TH7-II RAID motherboard into the budget and should have my new system put together within about 3-4 weeks. I ordered a new Antec SX635 case earlier today to start the project rolling.
Hmmm... if the Palomino comes out soon, we could have a true competition of the retail alternates:
AMD/Radeon Pinky system
vs.
Intel/Nvidia Batboy system
This could prove to be rather interesting. I won't upgrade until I the newest palomino's are out, and only if they're reasonable.
Oh guano! I got the dreaded "it's on back order" notice today. Maybe a couple weeks before they can ship. Sigh.
hkgonra
09-22-01, 11:18 PM
Who is selling this card ? I can't find it listed anywhere.
I know of two places, but both venders have the OCZ Titan3 on backorder. LInks are below:
http://www.theoverclockerzstore.com/
http://www.crazypc.com/
Happy days are here again. CrazyPC emailed me today and said that they shipped my OCZ Titan3 vid card. I even got a confirmation UPS number too. Yippee! Sounds like they still have more backorders than cards though. Guess I got lucky. Come on Mr. UPS delivery guy, hurry up!
Powermedic
09-25-01, 02:51 PM
How do you attatch that copper HS & fn that was pictured? I went to nextfan.com and looked at it. How does it go on a GF3?
Hey Powermedic, although the OCZ Titan3 comes out of the box with the Blue Orb fan and copper RAM sinks, anyone can mod their own GF3 in this manner. I believe the overclockerzstore.com sells the copper RAM sinks individually and you can get the Blue Orb GPU cooler at lots of places. First, you'll need to remove the existing cooler and RAM sinks from your card. The Blue Orb is very easy install, it just uses two spring loaded push pins to hold it on, but don't forget to use a good thermal paste. The original RAM sinks are usually held on with frag tape, which sucks for heat transfer. I use Arctic Silver epoxy for installing stuff like RAM sinks. Beware though, this is a permanent mod if you do that, but it sure does works good. A cheaper way is to use super glue or some other regular epoxy on the corners of the sink and then use thermal paste on the middle of the sinks where it contacts the RAM chips. If you're careful, you might be able to pry it back off at a later date, if you change your mind.
I think this Gainward speaks for itself...................
hkgonra
09-29-01, 07:04 PM
So did you get the Titan yet?
Benchmarks?
Pride[CK]
09-29-01, 07:16 PM
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Silversinksam
[B]I agree with pinky, just wait a few more weeks and the ATI new product offerings will hopefully bring down the price of the GF3 cards, personally I am holding out for a Leadtek GeForce3 TDH
Hi,
I also own a leadtek GeForce 3 but I am looking for a site or someone who can tell how I can cool the memory blocks, because they ae not cooled I think. And what do I need to extra cool the processor.
At what speeds are you running your card?
CU
Rob
[OC]_SR20DE
09-29-01, 08:56 PM
Originally posted by batboy
Ok, I admit it, I got suckered into buying a vid card for a little more than I was expecting, but it sure is pretty. Worlds fastest does have a very nice ring to it. I just now bought one of these over-hyped OCZ Titan3, it's now on order, just have to wait for it to be shipped. Hmmm, hurry up, please.
http://www.guru3d.com/review/ocz/titan3/20010818-03.jpg
oh wow that looks soooo pretty! I want 1.. I want that for my Christmas gift that's if Im luckyyyy Batboy I wish u'll receive it soon and enjoy your card. Im sure u'll be very happy :p
Question, do any of ya think this Ocz's Titan3 GF3 card will overclock higher than the Visiontek GF3?
funnyperson1
09-29-01, 10:42 PM
it will definately oc higher than a visiontek, it uses 515 mhz default ram.,...that is just blazing....
Yes, I have my new Titan3, but haven't installed it yet. Hopefully I'll have time on Sunday (9-30-01). I will post benchmarks and my personal review of this card when I do so.
Pride, I believe the Leadtek GF3 has one big combination heatsink that covers the GPU and all the vid RAM chips. I've also heard that this is not the best cooling method. I'd remove it and use a different GPU cooler like a modified CPU unit, or a Blue Orb and then get RAM sinks (or cut down the stock sink to fit only the memory).
NOTE: I just checked the Tom's Hardware GF3 review and I was right about the Leadtek sink. It's a good card, but a crappy cooling setup. Go to this link to read what the article says and to look at a pic of the Leadtek. Apparently, this design layout causes the GeForce3 chip to heat up the RAM modules excessively.
http://www6.tomshardware.com/graphic/01q3/010709/geforce3-25.html
Pride[CK]
09-30-01, 03:15 AM
Originally posted by batboy
Yes, I have my new Titan3, but haven't installed it yet. Hopefully I'll have time on Sunday (9-30-01). I will post benchmarks and my personal review of this card when I do so.
Pride, I believe the Leadtek GF3 has one big combination heatsink that covers the GPU and all the vid RAM chips. I've also heard that this is not the best cooling method. I'd remove it and use a different GPU cooler like a modified CPU unit, or a Blue Orb and then get RAM sinks (or cut down the stock sink to fit only the memory).
NOTE: I just checked the Tom's Hardware GF3 review and I was right about the Leadtek sink. It's a good card, but a crappy cooling setup. Go to this link to read what the article says and to look at a pic of the Leadtek. Apparently, this design layout causes the GeForce3 chip to heat up the RAM modules excessively.
http://www6.tomshardware.com/graphic/01q3/010709/geforce3-25.html
Thanks for the info!!!!!!!!!!
AMD 1.333 GHz. @1.400
FSB 140 MHz and PCI 35 MHz and multiplier 10.0
380 Mb DDR @266
Giga-byte GA-7DX @266
Leadtek Gefrorce 3 235/511 7049 3DMarks
SB live 1024 !!!!!!!!!!!!!
[OC]_SR20DE
09-30-01, 06:50 AM
umm sorry I fell asleep. i woke up now and posting a reply. Thanks FunnyPerson and Batboy :p Batboy you don't have to report the benchy right away if it's a hassle coz I know they are fast hee hee hee hee.. Don't need to look at benches.. I have seen them before :D
One reviewer (see link below) was only able to overclock the OCZ Titan3 from 215/515 to 235/530. Remember, the standard GF3 cards default at 200/460 MHz, so the OCZ Titan3 is already the fastest clocked GF3 even right out of the box.
http://www.thetechzone.com/display.asp?i=79&p=7
Tom's Hardware had a comparison of 7 different GF3 video cards, although he did not include the OCZ Titan3 in this review (it wasn't released yet at the time). The highest they could overclock any of the cards tested was 240/565 (see link)
http://www6.tomshardware.com/graphic/01q3/010709/geforce3-58.html
Ok, so how much was I able to overclock my new OCZ Titan3? Well, I was able to complete 3Dmark2001 with the my new card overclocked at 250/575 with no artifacts which was faster than any any of the cards that Tom tested. I did try overclocking the card to 260/580 but I got a lockup halfway through the benchies.
Here is a link to the 3Dmark2001 benchmarks that Tom's Hardware posted. My results beat all of the 7 cards tested using both an Athlon 1200 and a P-4 1.5 gig. My system is a P-III 700 @ 1050 MHz. I'm using Detonator 21.81 drivers and DirectX8.
http://www6.tomshardware.com/graphic/01q3/010709/geforce3-55.html
I was able to post a score of 5898 points (6175 points with the card overclocked) and that was with all the card settings for the best image. Like antialiasing and V-sync turned on, mipmapping set at highest image quality, etc.
Needless to say, I'm quite please so far. I'm sure I can tweak a higher score out of this if I change the settings for performance instead of image quality. My old Hercules MX card never scored much over 2500-2600 points, so this is quite the improvement. Yippee, awesome card so far.
I'm bumping this thread back to the top, in case a few folks want to read my little OCZ Titan3 review. I did a few minor performance tweaks with the driver settings and got a 3Dmark2001 benchmark of 6242 now. Maybe this weekend, I might pull the Blue Orb off, lap it and reinstall with Arctic Silver. I still think it'll overclock more than 250/575. I put in a new slot fan next to the card (old slot fan died before I got the GF3), to help exhaust heat from around the vid card, but I really haven't pushed the card to the limit yet. So far, I'm still loving it. Image quality is awesome.
Genis B
10-04-01, 10:55 PM
watz ur score at default settting in 3D mark 2001?
I told what the score was at default settings in my long post (second to the last paragraph). To review, it was just a couple points shy of 5900 (using image quality settings like antialiasing and V-sync on, etc.). That was on a P-III 700 @ 1050 using Detonator drivers 21.81 and DirectX8.
Wow! I've been playing with my new GF3 card and have more info to pass on. I was actually able to overclock it to 260/600, that's smokin'. Ok, I must admit it wasn't completely stable and I had artifact problems. Plus, I was not able to complete the 3Dmark2001. However, I can run the benchmarks at 250/590 cleanly. Using performance settings, I posted a best score of 6395 points in 3Dmark2001. Wow! I saved a screen shot of the score if anyone wants to see it, but I'm too lazy to post it right now. This is one awesome vid card.
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