So which video card should I get?

[Alik AlRahim]

I'm a poor college student and just in case you didn't read this thread (http://forums.overclockers.ws/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=40827) I am having SERIOUS problems with my video card. I'm sure I can hit the parents up one last time to beg for them to give me money for a video card cause, after all, I can't do my school work with a computer that freezes up every hour...
So now I'm faced with a dilemma. Radeon 8500 or GeForce 3? I know the quality of GeForce 3 is top notch but how about the ATI boards? Do they have the same overheating problem that I do on my Leaktek GeForce2 GTS/Pro? Is ATI even a good company? I know that the old Radeon boards were kind of crappy (didn't run many MANY games according to my friend) So should I even risk it? Or is the GeForce 3 Ti500 not all it's cracked up to be? ARGH I'm so conflicted!!!:confused: :confused:
Someone help me out please! I will be eternally grateful.
Alik

[Kingslayer]

I doubt that you will see an overheating problem. Radeons run pretty cool. I don't know what games your buddy couldnt run, but I would be willing to bet that they were either ancient games or his computer was so misconfigured it was giving him problems. The Radeons are a stable card.

Many people will tell you that they ATI has driver problems. Most of them haven't owned an ATI card in 3 years, the rest just think that you have to release a driver every other week like nVidia just to say you have good driver support. If nVidia drivers are so good, why do you constantly get a performance increase with each driver? Why don't they create the best driver the first time? I think that this is why it takes ATI a while to get new drivers out, they are pretty much optomized from the get go.

The Radeon is going to be cheaper and have better options than the GForce, not to mention it's performance is on par.

[Alik AlRahim]

I'm just worried about compatiblity issues... Look at the last release of Counterstrike, Radeon users were getting crashes every few minutes or overflows or something. Is the new 8500 going to be a different architecture and instruction set than the older Radeons? How about the GeForce 3? Is there anything (major) changed since the old GeForce 3 besides the faster clock speed?

[Cisco Kid]

Originally posted by Kingslayer
I doubt that you will see an overheating problem. Radeons run pretty cool. I don't know what games your buddy couldnt run, but I would be willing to bet that they were either ancient games or his computer was so misconfigured it was giving him problems. The Radeons are a stable card.

Many people will tell you that they ATI has driver problems. Most of them haven't owned an ATI card in 3 years, the rest just think that you have to release a driver every other week like nVidia just to say you have good driver support. If nVidia drivers are so good, why do you constantly get a performance increase with each driver? Why don't they create the best driver the first time? I think that this is why it takes ATI a while to get new drivers out, they are pretty much optomized from the get go.

The Radeon is going to be cheaper and have better options than the GForce, not to mention it's performance is on par.

I finally must say someone has hit the nail on the head. I agree that with each nvidia driver release there is a performance increase, why not just do it once??

I believe those that complain about ATI's driver issue have 1) never owned an ATI card in the last 3 years and 2) they are stuck on the nvidia bandwagon.

I have a Radeon ddr 64 vivo and have not had any probs with a driver, I am using XP with the latest beta driver and I get great performance. Prior I owned a Asus Geforce 256 32 DDR Deluxe card, I know I can not compare performance of the 2 but I must say 2 d video quality as well as dvd playback and 3 d video quality/clarity can nowhere near match my Radeon 64 DDR VIVO and it did not even match the Rage Fury Pro vivo I owned.

Bottom line is the Radeon is the best full featured , techy card out right now and yes it will have a immature driver issue for a very short period of time but I would say in about a month or so that will be solved and you will have the best card on the block for sure that will clearly beat the G3 cards, it pretty much does that right now. If I had the cash I would grab on e up in a snap. ATI has been around for a while producing great vid cards and their drivers have come a long way from the days of old...

Cisco Kid:cool:

[Kingslayer]

I play CounterStrike all the time and have yet to have a single issue with my Radeon 64DDR. Not one.

[boonmar]

Did you see the review for Radeon 8500 at Tomshardware.com? Good think I cancel my order. Going to go with Geforce 3 TI500

[Kingslayer]

Yes, I saw that review. That review tells me two things.

1. Tom is a total moron.
2. The ATI beat the Gforce3 at its own game, 3DMark2001.

Someone posted in here about that review, and I answered it. Go read it, it will shed more light on 1. above.

Go here and read this....http://forums.overclockers.ws/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=40958

[Cisco Kid]

Originally posted by boonmar
Did you see the review for Radeon 8500 at Tomshardware.com? Good think I cancel my order. Going to go with Geforce 3 TI500

Another one who has fallen prey to tomshardware's biased opinion to ATI products. Half his complaints and negative comments have nothing to back them up with. Anything the ATI did that clearly whooped the G3 at he sweeps under the carpet and does not give any credit to ATI.

face it the guy is biased he always has been and always will be imho. Bottom line as kingslayer said the G3 got its ass beat at its own proggie being 3dmark2001 something so many geforce owners have always been so proud of.

ATI does not release drivers every few weeks as nvidia does they rather design a good one that addresses all issues and improves the cards overall performance. You will see a driver revision soon to correct any issues and I casn bet my last dollar that you will have wished you would have bught the RADEON FOR LESS MONEY AND MORE PERFORMANCE!!!

[boonmar]

why would ATI released a card that is not even working 100%???

[funnyperson1]

why would nvidia release a card with subpar performance and release new drivers every time they see a threat in the video card market........i want to wht happens with the KYROIII that will be awesome......

[Kingslayer]

Oh and don't forget to mention that they buy and destroy companies they cant out-perform.....3DFX ring a bell?

[xCarne_Asada]

one word......Radeon

[Alik AlRahim]

Hmm, I vaguely remember 3dfx and my friend buying a voodoo 5 2 days before they got bought out, distant memory though... I'm just worried that suddenly all the game companies will start using GeForce's special sauce instead of the Radeon and they'll lose hella market share just like 3dfx started doing. I mean Radeon 8500 is $250 and Geforce3 Ti is $325... Kind of a big difference but not one that I couldn't overcome. I don't want this to be a "this card sucks cause it does" kind of deal, I just want to know...
What is the MAJOR difference between the cards? From what I saw the Radeon runs at the same speed as a GeForce 2 Ultra...

[funnyperson1]

with updated drivers the radeon 8500 should be abe to crush or at least stay up there with the Ti-500......the one that performs like the gf2ultra is only a 150$(at newegg) and it is the radeon 7500......the radeons will have much more clear 2D quality, and also dvd playback is by far the best short of a dvd-decoder card, also will have faster performance in games....