6800XT and 2gig of ram or 1 7900GT

[a_Jhawk]

Ok i just built my new computer and here are the specs

AMD 64 3700
1G or pc3200 memory
and a WD raptor

all i have to do now is get a new video card (currently using a crappy 5700 (PCI)).

and i have two options i can get a 6800XT here
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814150130
and another gig a ram http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820145575
OR

1 evga 7900

I want this setup to last a while hopfully for a year then i upgrade to vista and DX10 but what would be the best deal for now?

 

[Snorkius]

While 2 gigs of RAM is a good idea, adding more RAM later is a very simple thing to do. Upgrading a video card is much harder and costlier.

With 350/1000 clocks, that 6800 XT will perform slightly better than a 6600GT. I wouldn't really recommend it for anybody. (Something like an X800GTO and another gig of RAM is a better idea, but I'd still go for the better video card.)

 

[swifty_morgan]

Prozak is an ati "fanatic". I learned this after posting a reply about how crappy the x850 video card was. I compaired it to a 7800gt at the time.

The 7900 will, without a doubt, be a better choice over both. You have to take into concideration, that the newer games, and the ones coming out won't perform well, and you WON'T be able to "SEE" what they have to offer, with the 850,..... PERIOD.

F.E.A.R. looks, and PLAYS like crap with the 850 ! As will future games.... The high clock speeds of it mean NOTHING here.

1gig of memory will do fine for 99% of whatever you are going to put at it right now.

The 3700 is a good chip. I own one. If you overclock, You can get it to 2.8, but you'll have to work on keeping it cool though. IMO, it has the capability to go a little further.

Memory.... pc3200/400 with a cass latency of 2.0. Ballistix, or ocZ platinum are real good choices.

 

[Heyyou27]

Actually an X850 XT plays F.E.A.R. very well. The game doesn't support shader model 3.0 so there isn't any real benefit other than performance with the 7900GT.

 

[a_Jhawk]

thanks for the input on the video cards.

The 3700 is a good chip. I own one. If you overclock, You can get it to 2.8, but you'll have to work on keeping it cool though. IMO, it has the capability to go a little further.

about that i ive follwed all the guides on how to overclock but i still cant figure it out. I really want ot over clock because right now the CPU is running at 19C on load. which i think is good. but i can get help in the overclock forums.

 

[tenaciousleydead]

lol can maybe go 2.8, fuck ya it can 😀 it is after all a FX series core. you should be able to go 2.8 stock volt stock cooling. another vote for the 7900GT as it kills the x850(which still is PS2.0) even the x18xx and most all the x19xx series. trust me and go for the 7900GT, you wont even need another gig for a little while plus ram is just plain cheap. Good Luck.

 

[ak47is1337]

2gigs is overrated, realize that first. Secondly, comparing a 7900gt to a 6800xt is like comparing an M1 tank to a musket...it totally blows it away. Also, ATi bias or not, the x850 is by FAR the best card you can buy for under 200 smackoleans these days.

 

[ak47is1337]

2gigs is overrated, realize that first. Secondly, comparing a 7900gt to a 6800xt is like comparing an M1 tank to a musket...it totally blows it away. Also, ATi bias or not, the x850 is by FAR the best card you can buy for under 200 smackoleans these days.

2gb is overrated. Most games don't need it yet. But sometimes it's good to have the extra RAM.
People have an obsession with capacity. Some people still think having 512 mb of ram on a crap ass last-generation video card is actually going to do some good. Seriously, a $200 1 gig set will outperform a decent pc3200 2 gig set.

 

[mdd1963]

"Actually an X850 XT plays F.E.A.R. very well. The game doesn't support shader model 3.0 so there isn't any real benefit other than performance with the 7900GT."

I'd be surpised if an X850XT can output half the framerates of a 7900GT in FEAR at 1280x960 or above...