Video Card Advice

[Redigo]

The x1950Pro have only 12 pipes and geforce 7800gs have 16 pipes...And its the pipes who is the most important in game preformance. And the pipes handle all information that flow through the card..
So my advice is that u shall buy 7800gs.....

That's not even close to true any more. The word "pipeline" doesn't mean what it used to since the GPU-makers decoupled the pixel and vertext shaders. And the X1950 Pro is a much more powerful card than the 7800GS.

Tom's Hardware is occasionally suspect, but this is a pretty good review of the latest AGP cards. Sample quote:

"[T]he X1950 PRO really pulled ahead when higher levels of anti-aliasing were used. Then again, for about $180 - over $50 less than the X1950 PRO - the 7600 GT makes a very compelling argument. It certainly delivers playable performance, at least as fast as the more expensive 7800 GS."

[hoom]

Of the original post options, the 7800GS is certainly the better choice, there is little point in anything less & certainly no point in a x600 grade card with 512MB.
A x8/x900 grade with 256MB will destroy that in performance easily except at unplayable high resolution with high AA/AF.

I have an X1900GT (PCI Express, '12 pipe', 256MB model) and am completely happy with its performance in well, everything I've thrown at it at 1920*1200 with min 2*AA & 8*AF.

Depending on resolution (ie unless you have need to play at higher resolutions than mine/with higher AA/AF), CPU speed is going to be your major limiting factor in a RTW based engine.

So I'd say either the 7800GS (apparently the most powerful Nvidia AGP card) or an X1950Pro AGP (newer & better than a X1900GT but similar price & it destroys the 7800GS in performance) is the way to go.
Or, if you are planning on mostly only playing EB at lower resolutions, the x600 grades from both ATI & Nvidia should be adequate.

[Birka Viking]

That's not even close to true any more. The word "pipeline" doesn't mean what it used to since the GPU-makers decoupled the pixel and vertext shaders. And the X1950 Pro is a much more powerful card than the 7800GS.

Tom's Hardware is occasionally suspect, but this is a pretty good review of the latest AGP cards. Sample quote:

"[T]he X1950 PRO really pulled ahead when higher levels of anti-aliasing were used. Then again, for about $180 - over $50 less than the X1950 PRO - the 7600 GT makes a very compelling argument. It certainly delivers playable performance, at least as fast as the more expensive 7800 GS."

Its true on these old card that the pipes is important.....They havent even decoupled their pipes on atis best card x1950xtx 512 which I have. But on the new 8800 gts and 8800 gtx all pipes is gone and they have fixed so the vertext and pixel are the same...Toms Hard ware suck and I never look at their test...
So when a game are going very heavy my sugestion is that u buy Geforce...And this can I say from my own experience. THen U have ATIs very bad forceware to deal with also..They hardly never update and when they do they often do it bad...
Cheers

[hoom]

(This thread should probably get moved to the Hardware & Software section.)

Uhhh... ATI Catalyst drivers are released monthly & are always WHQL certified vs. Nvidias occasional releases with only occasional WHQL certification.

An X1950XTX has 48 pixel shaders vs 16 ROPs = decoupled.

Its true that given the choice between a (new generation) 8800 and a (previous generation) X1950, it would be silly to go for the ATI card but the next gen of ATI (R600) is due out in the next couple of months & should be more than adequate competition to the 8800s.
But anyway, these cards are outside the price range of the original poster so irrelevant.

I don't understand how you can be disappointed with the performance of an X1950XTX, its immensely powerful

[Birka Viking]

Well so powerful isent myx1950xtx 512 card when games goes heavy. Becouse my card still only have 16 pipes. A friend to me have geforce 7900gs 512 and that card have 20 pipes. We have tested game after game which one who preform best under tough gaming and his preform better on almost everygame. But my card have much higher score on 3dmark05 and 3dmark06 than his. So 3dmark dont say so much I think...
Cheers

[Oleo]

Then there is something very wrong with the rest of your PC because an X1950XTX should beat a 7900GS in absolutely everything.

Indeed,

For instance, assuming they know how to test: http://www23.tomshardware.com/graphi...=586&chart=214

Prey 1280x1024 4aa 8af, 80 vs 40 fps.....
Oblivion 1280x1024 no aa 8 af, 95 vs 60 fps....
HL2 1280x1024 4aa 8af 109 vs 62 fps...

[Birka Viking]

Nothing wrong with my comp. I have intels dualcore 6600 processor and 2 GB DDR2 PC 6400 memory....

[Eduorius]

Just wanted to ask something to you guys.

I want to play Medieval 2 in the Best quality?

My videocard is 256 MB and very good, and I have a 512 RAM. The graphics are awesome but the units move slow.

Any advice what could it be?