Curse

grasso_mike · Aug 26, 2005, 02:56 PM // 14:56

<span style="font-size: 16px"><span style="color: #FF0000">This information is outdated. Do not use.If you need assistance please start a new thread.</span></span>

Hey GW fans,

i just experienced my Geforce4 4600 video card die. it was an honorable death as the motor in it retired. (causing it to overheat) so now its a new begning! what should i get. i'm goin shoppin on best buy and i am lookin at the geforce6 6600 256mb.. any suggestions?

nailz · Aug 26, 2005, 03:40 PM // 15:40

BFG is where it's at.

BFG 6600GT 128MB DDR

Brother Andicus · Aug 26, 2005, 03:48 PM // 15:48

Yeah, I would go with the 6600GT too.

Lerxst_of_Syrinx · Aug 26, 2005, 05:44 PM // 17:44

A vanilla 6800 beats a 6600GT any day. The 6600GT listed above is $198. The 6800 linked below is $165. You can also USUALLY unlock a 6800 to make a 6800 Ultra out of it.
Your decision though...I know which one I'd pick..if I didn't already have a 6800 Ultra.

Geforce 6800 at Newegg

Here are some benchmarks to prove the 6800 is better. Make sure you check out all of the benches.

ZennZero · Aug 26, 2005, 05:51 PM // 17:51

I would definitely be leaning toward the 6800 *or* a Radeon x800 (pro or XL versions if you can swing it, as they would be substantially better than the vanillia version of the geforce 6800). While each line has its advantages, either one should provide reasonably comparable performance at the sub-$200 pricepoint.

Look at at the benchmarks linked in the above post for details.

Pharoke · Aug 26, 2005, 05:56 PM // 17:56

All I have to say is make sure it is nVidia. I currently have the 6600GT flavor, but I have a friend who has the plain 6800 that he has modded to ultra specs. Not the easiest thing to do, but it can be done. I play on my 6600GT with everything on high w/4x AA and don't have any slow downs at all.

Sir Skullcrasher · Aug 26, 2005, 06:12 PM // 18:12

here some nice $200 dollar videocards from newegg

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130202

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814153020

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814150068

nailz · Aug 26, 2005, 06:27 PM // 18:27

eVGA and XFX are REALLY bad brand names....

iliketoeat · Aug 27, 2005, 05:24 AM // 05:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by nailz

eVGA and XFX are REALLY bad brand names....

how so?

cannonfodder · Aug 27, 2005, 06:46 AM // 06:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pharoke

All I have to say is make sure it is nVidia. , but I have a friend who has the plain 6800 that he has modded to ultra specs. Not the easiest thing to do, but it can be done.

1, Why make sure its Nvidia?, I have both a 6800gt and an X800XL, and there is no difference in peformance or in the look of the game.

2, It is really simple to unlock the extra 4 pipes and vertex shader using rivatuner(google for it), and it lets yuo overclock the card if you want to.

My choice would either be a plain 6800 from nvidia or as said above an X800(pro or XL), 6600gt's are great cards but only have a 128bit memory interface where as the others have 256bit meaning a bigger memory bandwidth, which can give better peformance. But it's your choice

the drizzle · Aug 27, 2005, 06:50 AM // 06:50

first of all, a vanilla 6800 cant be unlocked to ultra speeds, but it can be unlocked to gt quality. Also, the reason to not go for an x800xl is pixel shader 3. nvidias cards have it, and its truly the 'wave of the future' so to speak. If memory serves, ATIs current cards have pixel shader 2, which never really took off in game development. Lastly, never buy a bfg card, because all they do is overclock it about 20 mhz, which you can do in about 20 seconds.

Pharoke · Aug 27, 2005, 03:27 PM // 15:27

The reason I said make sure it is nVidia is because I have never in my life gotten an ATI to install easily. I used to manage a computer store and me and all the techs hated ATI anything as it was at least 2-3 hours to get the video card to work right. To this day I still cringe at the idea of ATI video cards, even though my friends say they are really easy to install now. Not once has an nVidia card ever given me problems.

cannonfodder · Aug 27, 2005, 07:14 PM // 19:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pharoke

The reason I said make sure it is nVidia is because I have never in my life gotten an ATI to install easily. I used to manage a computer store and me and all the techs hated ATI anything as it was at least 2-3 hours to get the video card to work right. To this day I still cringe at the idea of ATI video cards, even though my friends say they are really easy to install now. Not once has an nVidia card ever given me problems.

Hmmm?, I've had alot of different cards, all with the same result, install the card switch on and install drivers, it's as easy as that. And sorry for saying this but if a computer technician cannot do something as easy as install a graphics card then thats unbelievable, how on earth did they get employed?..

Sorry just re-read what you said 3 hours to install a card thats crazy and unbelievable.., If anyone i know had said a shop took 3 hours to get something as simple as a graphics card to work, I certainly wouldn't recommend them again..

As with all hardware there can be teathing problems but 3 hours thats just plain crazy

emirate xaaron · Aug 28, 2005, 09:48 AM // 09:48

ati's lack of shader model 3 is utter toss, imo there is no excuse for that.

Kaldor Meshekal · Aug 28, 2005, 02:43 PM // 14:43

If you're looking for a new card, save a little more and get yourself something that will make a very noticeable difference to your games.

an XFX GeForce 7800GTX, for example.

But, of course, i am from England, so i don't know how much that'll set you back in the US. It cost me around £330.

cannonfodder · Aug 28, 2005, 03:56 PM // 15:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by emirate xaaron

ati's lack of shader model 3 is utter toss, imo there is no excuse for that.

Quoted for truth, PS3 at the moment has no bearing on games, as there is no support for it yet, and by the time there is, ATI's R520 will be out which will support PS3 or whatever is newer

emirate xaaron · Aug 29, 2005, 03:36 PM // 15:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by cannonfodder

Quoted for truth, PS3 at the moment has no bearing on games, as there is no support for it yet, and by the time there is, ATI's R520 will be out which will support PS3 or whatever is newer

there is a few things coming out that support it, and i'll be able to get good life out of my 6800gt and 7800gtx when i get that soon, so it's good knowing i have it now.

GreyWasp · Aug 30, 2005, 01:38 PM // 13:38

a lot of good info here, however, be sure to get a video card your mobo can support. For eaxmple, your old card is probably AGP 4x. Make sure your mobo can handle an 8x before buying (yup, time to get out those old manuals). And you won't be using any of the new PCI-express video cards, just AGP. If you can't find the manuals, look on the computer manfs website for .pdf manuals or other information. Have fun and good luck.

Pharoke · Aug 30, 2005, 03:09 PM // 15:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by cannonfodder

Hmmm?, I've had alot of different cards, all with the same result, install the card switch on and install drivers, it's as easy as that. And sorry for saying this but if a computer technician cannot do something as easy as install a graphics card then thats unbelievable, how on earth did they get employed?..

Sorry just re-read what you said 3 hours to install a card thats crazy and unbelievable.., If anyone i know had said a shop took 3 hours to get something as simple as a graphics card to work, I certainly wouldn't recommend them again..

As with all hardware there can be teathing problems but 3 hours thats just plain crazy

# hours is insane, but I am talking pre-catalyst/forceware days. It wasn't that easy back then, hell this is pre-Voodoo cards. the standard cards were easy to install, along with the voodoo cards when they came out, but the ATI cards were nothing but a pain in the @$$. Back in the early to mid 1990's they weren't compatible with most systems out there. We had a brainiac technician who complete all his certs without studying and he couldn't even get an ATI card installed in a Compaq system. And as I also said, I don't know how ATI cards are nowadays as I have completely steered clear of them to this day. It is kinda funny though, it took me over 3 weeks to find a laptop that has a Geforece 6600Go video card and not some ATI thing in it.

cannonfodder · Aug 31, 2005, 04:35 PM // 16:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pharoke

# hours is insane, but I am talking pre-catalyst/forceware days. It wasn't that easy back then, hell this is pre-Voodoo cards. the standard cards were easy to install, along with the voodoo cards when they came out, but the ATI cards were nothing but a pain in the @$$. Back in the early to mid 1990's they weren't compatible with most systems out there. We had a brainiac technician who complete all his certs without studying and he couldn't even get an ATI card installed in a Compaq system. And as I also said, I don't know how ATI cards are nowadays as I have completely steered clear of them to this day. It is kinda funny though, it took me over 3 weeks to find a laptop that has a Geforece 6600Go video card and not some ATI thing in it.

Sorry, I cant comment on the earlier cards, the earliest I had was a Rage pro, ATI's cards these days are simple to install, just like Nvidia's I now have 2 nvidia cards(A spanking new 7800gtx) and an ATI one, Don't stay clear just because of what happened years ago, it would be a shame as ATI make damn good cards........