The Eternal Question

Palpatine

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Apr 4, 2001
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Another classic question:

I want to upgrade my graphic card so i am thinking of buying a GF3. Is this a good time? Ati 8500 and the new gf3 line are coming soon but when? Also how fast will be the current GF3 compared to the new GF3 line? It will be the equivalent of the GF2 GTS and in month the mx, pro and ultra gf3 will enter the market?

Also I see that the cheaper GF3 are the MSI and Creative but i think that they are the only ones without a ram heatsink? Are they inferior designed than the others? Which company do you recommend?

Thanks
Palpatine
 

FatBurger

Illustrious
Well, I've been around as long as the question, so let me answer.

My advice is to go for the 8500. However, make sure you wait for the final version to be reviewed. Tom (and others), had the A12 chip revision, which had some problems. A13 is supposed to be the final version, so once that gets around, see if it still looks as good.

There's not much info about the new GF3 line, so I can't make any decisions for that.

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njeske

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Wait for either the Radeon 8500 or the newer GF3 cards. Both should be released soon (Radeon sooner :smile: ), and both will outperform the current GF3. If you are on a short time schedule, then go for the 8500. If you aren't then wait for both cards to be reviewed and compared before you pick the one you want.
 

SerArthurDayne

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Don't you just love it when people recommend purchasing cards that haven't been released and only have paper specifications to prove superiority? If you're interested in the features the Radeon 8500 will support, then you'll likely be just as interested in seeing if ATI does indeed perform some miraculous recovery with their drivers upon release in order to take the speed crown.

As to Ge3's, I haven't really seen any 'inferior' cards out there. Almost all of them perform around the same level, regardless of brand. I'm not sure, and someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe stores will be carrying both cards on October 7th. I'm willing to bet that the entire line of Geforce cards will experience large pricecuts when ATI releases their new line. Best bet is to wait until the comparison reviews are up, which I'm sure will occur in the first or second week of October.

"Laziness is a talent to be cultivated like any other" - Walter Slovotsky
 
G

Guest

Guest
I can't get any info on Radeon8500!!! It doesn't say anything besides
250Mh core
Trueform
DX8.1 support.

How about the memory clock?
I couldn't find an article about A12 and A13 chips...
I also heard that Trueform is good, but makes some non-3D textures look 3D and it makes it bad...
 

Matisaro

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Mar 23, 2001
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Read toms own review, many of the 8500's features dont work or are disabled on a12, I would consider this to mean that the results are invalid untill the final revision can be tested. Wait for the final reviews and benchmarks before buying a 8500, if you need a card today, get a nice gf3 and be happy.

~Matisaro~
"The Cash Left In My Pocket,The BEST Benchmark"
~Tbird1.3@1.5~
 

Dago

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Sep 9, 2001
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saw the geforce3 as low as $272 yesterday. should be a pretty good price dip when the Radeon 8500 actually hits the market so i am waiting for that

--Wassamatta you?--