two $350 cards, which one

[ogboot]

mkay, prob gonna order one of these today, ~350 dollars is my limit

http://www.computerhq.com/hardware/partinfo-id-30902.html

or

http://www.enetshoponline.com/atira98pro25.html

been using nvida for a while so am kinda looking at 9800 pro, been paying attention to the halflife 2 performance thing w/nVidia too. However, i know the golden sample 5900 is going to be sweet, knowing gainward prob comes with 2X500 mhz samsung ram stock (gotta read that serial number ), and i am very comfortable with the driver support from nVidia as well. performance right now, ati card gives ya about 3 extra frames but prob promises more performance in the long run. i know the 5900 will be fun to o/c too though
help me out peeps, thanks

 

[Yuriman]

Ati driver support is better than ever, and its far easier to use than nvidia's panel. Also, you will have fun overclocking the 9800pro too. I would say get the ati.

 

[ogboot]

i was perusing through the forums and time and again ati has performed better. what i think it has come down to is AA/AF performance, clock speed and everything is nice but nvidia's framerate apparently gets crushed when AA is used. my 5600 is a perfect example, 2xAA drops frames 20fps+ and makes lag sometimes, if your only getting 50fps to begin with......
ya, i will go with the ATi, just had to psyche myself up about leaving nVidia

 

[Bailey]

Another vote for ATI. Given the price point ATI is the much better choice. The only time I'd choose Nvidia is in the under $200 but over $150 price bracket - the 5900nu is a great product in this category. Over $200 an ATI 9700/9800 series, under $175 I'd go with the 9600 series.

 

[Overclocker550]

I lost interest in nvidia with their fx cards. their ti4200s were the best cards ever made and the one I have is super fast but wont last me forever. $350? you can get a 9800 pro for less than that

 

[Steven4563]

yeah i say get the 9800pro but it should be cheaper

 

[Th0r]

9800Pro my friend.... Great Driver support with nice features and overclocking.... AA and Af you will love...

 

[Bugalaman]

what about this?

 

[drewthomas14]

yeah , i'd just get the 128mb , you wont see any use of the 256mb of ram

 

[shortbus_]

yeah , i'd just get the 128mb , you wont see any use of the 256mb of ram

agreed.

 

[Sentential]

BTW the 256MB version of BOTH cards are actually slower than their 128MB counterparts.

$350 is way too much for a 9800pro. The compusa's near my house are sellin 98pros for $250. Go by there or BB and pick one up and upgrade somethin else with the extra $100

 

[shortyes]

Bah if those were the choices I would say go with the 9800 pro

If you are thinking Nvidia go for the new EVGA 5900SE or XT with call of duty...it is not a bad card at all to have for a sub 200 card

Nothing I know of right now can match it

I mean the 9600XT is a tad bit slower and I do not mean the 9700. . ATI does not make those anymore. If youc an find a 9700 for 200 buy that instad

 

[Phoenix87]

The 9800Pro is your best bet if you got the money to spend.

 

[Falcon-K]

id get the 9800 pro as well, newegg is a great place to get stuff and right now they are around 300...or u could go to best buy and grab one for 299.00

 

[ogboot]

just a followup i went with the ATi card and am very happy. i went ahead and got 256mb, but it wasnt for the functionality, i was shooting for overkill
funny, they're even making 5600 cards with 256mb ram, like that gpu will EVER take advantage of the extra ram, at least my card MIGHT one day. thanks for the advice though, this is my first ATi card and it is awesome!

 

[Alacritan]

9800 Pro definitely. It beats any Nvidia card and it has better image quality too. Nvidia isn't going to do well with upcoming games because it doesn't do DX9 well at all.

You can get it for less than at NewEgg. Allstarshop.com is usually cheaper by a couple dollars at least and then shipping is free. You can get a retail Sapphire 9800 Pro for $277 right now I believe. A 9700 Pro is a possiblity, but the 9800 Pro supports more new technology, so it'll last a bit longer.