I'm looking for a step above 9800 Pro. I personally have a 9800 pro, and am not impressed with its performance. That said, the unit in question, ie the one i'm going to replace, is in a different system. I'm replacing a 9600 Pro which is oc'd/softmodded to xt. Even a 9800 would be an improvement for that 9600...but i want to go one step higher. Recommendations please! Nvidia or ATI only. Limit of $230 or so.
andrescasta

AIW X800XT has been as low as $255 but is over $300 now. 6800GT hasn't been that low, X800XL AGP was down as low as $225 but is now higher. X800 pro to me seems like your best bet in that $200-230 price range right now (online USA)unless you go refurbished/used. The refurbished X800 pro AGP with 3 year warranty directly from ATI has been gone for a week or so, that was a good deal for $185 shipped.


The 256MB X800GTO is a good AGP card for that money. Slower core than the pro, but higher memory. It's Better than a 6800 and has good potential of going well beyond stock speeds too. Getting down to the bottom, a 6600GT will definatley outclass your 9800 pro also.

Best to worst if you can find one in your range:
AIW X800XT
6800GT/X800XL
X800 pro/ X800GTO 256MB(faster clocked than 128MB versions)

kservice

Thx ya'll, i appreciate it. Probably going to go with the x800 pro.

andrescasta

Here's whats going on in more detail...

I run a 3800+ x2 and 2x6800gts...as a back-up i have a 2500+ paired with a 9800 np. I also have a 9500 and a 9600pro sitting around on different machines. I gave the 9600pro to a buddy of mine, so he'd have a little more gaming power. Anyway, so he was wanting to know what it'd take to get to my level...i said about $1500...To get roughly the same playability i have.

Anyway, so he came back asking what he could do to make his machine faster for Counter Strike...He's running a XP2000, 512x1 (and i threw in a couple of old 256 sticks too...so 1gb now), the 9600pro, and an old msi board of some via 266 flavour. I told him if he wanted to see a real improvement he's got bottlenecks right now at the fsb and the graphics card (not to mention the hd i gave him is crap...20gb prob 5400rpm...). Basically i built him a machine with some of my spare parts. He said he'd have to save up to get $230...So i'm not going to push the price on that. In fact i'm going to do whatever i can to bring that down. Anyway, so thats the low-down.

kservice

Are you nuts?

You are the first person I know of who is not impressed with the 9800. That is THE most impressive card ATI ever made. I'm still impressed with my Mobility 9600!

And are the prices really that low now? As far as I know there is no way you can find any X800 for around 200 bucks, where do you get your prices, I want proof

I'm also looking into a new system for the next month or two, it's prolly gonna be an Athlon X2 with an SLI mobo but only single GFX card, considering a PCI-E GF6600GT. When I get the second one later it'll kick "some" *arse*. (I know the 7800GTX is faster than two of these... whatever... I'm not paying a small fortune on only a graphics card...)