Need some Hardware advice

[Sarathos]

I am looking for a upgrade to my current graphics card, I now have the Nvidia 7300 and its great, but with all the next-gen games and programs I don't think it can cut it much longer.

I am a pretty hardcore gamer and have been eyeing off the 8800 GT and GTS, but just released recently is the new 9600. I am not quite sure which one to pick. All three look are very inmpressive which makes the decision that much harder.

I really have no idea which one to pick, so any advice from the more experienced tech .Orgers which might help me choose would be much appreciated.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

To my knowledge, the 8800GT is superior to the 9600. The extra memory the 9600 has, AFAIK, does not make up for the extra speed the GT has. I myself have an 8800GTS Superclocked, and I love it.

By the way, this probably would have been better in the Hardware & Software forum.

[Sarathos]

By the way, this probably would have been better in the Hardware & Software forum.

Yeah, you are probably right

[ArtistofWarfare]

To my knowledge, the 8800GT is superior to the 9600. The extra memory the 9600 has, AFAIK, does not make up for the extra speed the GT has. I myself have an 8800GTS Superclocked, and I love it.

By the way, this probably would have been better in the Hardware & Software forum.

I'll just add to this, since Evil Maniac as well as several others on these forums helped me with my own PC hardware search just this past week:

You're definitely on the right track if you've come to the point where you're comparing the 8800 to the 9600. I reached that same point.

After much research and many graphs, people's opinions etc...it became a very, very easy decision.

Get the 8800GT even if the speed of the 9600 you find is slightly faster (say 700 mhz on the 9600 vs. 600 or 660 mhz on the 8800GT). Your ideal card without broaching the GTS and GTX categories would be the 8800 GT Extreme. 512mb, 660 mhz, w/ DVI/TV output.

I spent hours just on the graphics card, and after that time- This was a very easy decision. Clearly, the best graphics card I could find. Of course unless I broached into the GTS or GTX categories (but compared to a GT extreme, they're still slower...).

The 9600 was specifically designed to be an affordable alternative to the 8800 line. By no means was it meant to eclipse or replace it though. It's not an "upgrade" version from the 88xx line...it was just specifically meant to offer "similar" performance, at about $150+ less.

When I looked into it at first, I too had the initial impression that the 9600 was the "newer" line of cards. Not the case...Which makes me ponder why Nvidia titled this line starting with "9xxx". The initial consumer perception is that the 9600 is a new line of cards beyond the 8800. Clearly, they're not trying to sell more 9600's...so I don't know why they did this.

Either way you go though, you're talking about a great piece of hardware...

p.s.- I also want to just add that if you have SLI capabilities, running 2 8800GT's side by side yields an even more obvious margin between the two cards, when compared to 2 9600 GT's side by side. So, the 8800 GT beats the 9600 GT head up (noticeably)...and when you add a second of each card to 2 separate systems, the 2x8800GT even more drastically outperforms the 2x9600GT. In other words- If it's not about price, there's no decision to be made.

Still, I have to emphasize- If it is about price and you can't go above the 9600, you're still making out like a bandit. As far as "value" goes, the 9600 is an amazing deal. What it gives you for it's price is not something you would ever regret. And it is definitely in the top 3 cards out there today. (arguably, if the 8800 GT is the best card available, the 9600 is just a notch below). I went with the 8800 GT extreme, but I was very, very close to going with the 9600 if only for the value. Was still an easy decision in the end though for the aforementioned reasons...

[Lemur]

At the moment the 512 meg 8800 GT is the undisputed king of the price/performance curve. You can't do any better for your money.

On the other hand, if you have a huge budget, and you don't mind spending more for marginal gains, the brand-new 512 meg 8800 GTX is supposed to be fancy-schmancy.

[frogbeastegg]

Since you've got some replies I'll move this over to the hardware forum rather than deleting it as requested. If it's a duplicate I'm sure the hardware mods can merge them.

[Lemur]

Threads merged. Onward to graphic perfection!

[ArtistofWarfare]

At the moment the 512 meg 8800 GT is the undisputed king of the price/performance curve. You can't do any better for your money.

On the other hand, if you have a huge budget, and you don't mind spending more for marginal gains, the brand-new 512 meg 8800 GTX is supposed to be fancy-schmancy.

This indeed goes along with what I had discovered as well...and should have included it in my post.

If you DO go beyond the 8800GT, defintely ...GTX is where you want to go. It's a monster.

But as Lemur said- "marginal gains" might more accurately describe any increase you would see with this card over the 8800 GT or the extreme. Gains are still gains though heh...

[Sarathos]

When I looked into it at first, I too had the initial impression that the 9600 was the "newer" line of cards

Thats exactly the thought I had. Reading the specs of the 9600 it sounds very good,but Nvidia did say that it is more for moderate gaming and large multimedia jobs.

Thanks for all your opinions and info, its made the decision a lot easier.

[Sarathos]

Just a question, does anyone know where I can get the specs of the 8800GTX? (Like the size/width and stuff related to that)

[LeftEyeNine]

A black banana with a skirt or Google would help for sure.

[Sarathos]

A black banana with a skirt or Google would help for sure.

Well I have tried Google....

[pevergreen]

Talk to me tomorrow.

9800GX2 comes out by the end of the month. Check http://www.engadget.com/tag/9800%20gx2

*drools*

[Lemur]

9800GX2 comes out by the end of the month. Check http://www.engadget.com/tag/9800%20gx2

Does anybody else find it confusing that ATI/AMD is using the same number they used for the R300 chip? Come on, the 9800 was state of the art ... in 2003. What's with the number repeat?

[Husar]

I'd say each company tries to keep a consistent naming scheme concerning their own product line. Not a bad attempt Lemur but I'd say the NVidia card is a little bit more capable.

[pevergreen]

One would hope so. Looks awsome.

[Lemur]

Not a bad attempt Lemur but I'd say the NVidia card is a little bit more capable.

ORLY?

[Husar]

ORLY?

Either you're confused or I am but my point was that the 9800 NVidia cards are most likely a little bit more capable than the 9800 ATI cards.

[Lemur]

I was the one who got confused, not you. So Nvidia is releasing a 9800. Now I get it. The use of the same number as the ATI R300 card had me very, very confused.