think different (to switch or not to switch?)

[Vegas]

Hi all, long time visitor, first time poster...

Ok heres the story.

I had a Shuttle XP SN45G that I thought would be suitable for what I wanted it to do, and it was. But now, due to power contraints, and future upgradability, I'm finding I need more out of life.


So retaining the same cpu (AthlonXP Barton 2500+) and the ram, I deced to get a decent Abit NF7 motherboard, a new case, a new HDD (very much needed) and a new vid card. After alot of research, I went with the x800 pro. This is a Gigabyte card, which apparently are coming with all 16 pipes unlocked out of the box. It's seems to be a decent card..

however.

We've got 2 of the biggest games in a long time coming out, HL2 and Doom3. Honestly? Im not all that worked up about HL2 to be honest. The engine is nice and Im sure the gameplay is great, but Im not itching for it. Doom3 on the other hand is a different story.

I own just about every id game, or id engine based title there is, even the book of id. Now before anyone calls me a fanboy..I guess this would qualify me as one, I just really dig the titles and the great performance of their engines.

After todays benches, Im a little disappointed to say the least. I knew that ATI's opengl layer was not all that great, but I didnt think it was that bad. My issue is this. I have what could be considered a mid level machine. 2500+ 1gig of 333DDR Nforce2Ultra. But, with Doom3 and pretty much all future Doom3 engine titles Im going to want somehting that can give me the best performance with the machine I have. I'd upgrade but Im buying a house with the fiance so I wont be doing any major upgrading for a while.

Any previous ATI converts have any advice? Anyone have any general info I should really think about other than what Im doing now? I pretty much know all the specs of both cards..but would like some outside input on my personal situation.

thanks for your time guys!

 

[Vegas]

wow..anyone?

 

[jhtevans]

The x800s drivers will likely improve with time, though Nvidia's will also probably improve. You might think about the fact that your system will likely bottleneck the perfromance of both the GT and Pro. In that case, you're probably fine with either card. Personally, I'm waiting to upgrade my rig until the major technology shifts enjoy a little more saturation. PCI express and the move to BTX are keeping me from investing anything at the moment. Remember that the maturation of the Doom3 engine will not be 'best experienced' on any card that is being sold today....

 

[Tricky]

Honestly, I still think both cards are great. ATi has the upper hand in some thing and nVidia has it in others. I had a tough time myself deciding which card to choose but went with my gut feeling and went back to nVidia. (Currently running a 9700 Pro, 6800 Ultra OC ordered) Now am I telling you which one to pick, no. I saw pick whichever you like. You'll be happy with it either way.

 

[tobywong]

Now that you have moved out of the SFF, you have a lot more options. You don't have to worry about heat and power consumption nearly as much as you would have to in your shuttle.

Honestly, the x800 pro is just plain missing the mark. The 6800 GT is just superior to it within that price segment.

Now if you are talking x800 XT PE vs 6800u, then the race is a little closer and it's somewhat of a win/win situation no matter which one you go with.

And for the record, here is my more recent vid card history:

Mach64 -> TnT2u -> Geforce256 -> Radeon9500softmodded -> Radeon9800pro -> 6800GT

I don't believe in brand loyalty when it comes to vid cards. You buy the best card for your dollar based on what is available at the time.