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Need to upgrade AGP for Vista

BillytheImpaler

BillytheImpaler

BillytheImpaler

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Soldato
Joined
2 Aug 2005
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Location
Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Alright then I downloaded Windows Vista Beta 2 today and I want to get it up and running. However, I unserstand it needs at least 128 MiB video memory to run the eye candy Aero Glass windowing system. This means I'm going to have to upgrade my video card. What would be the best bet for a cheap, well performing card? I don't really play games at all, occasionally dabbling in RTS games about once a year as the bug hits me. Most of what I do is internet/office and CAD. I refuse to pay the thousands they want for CAD-specific cards as I haven't a real need for them. I run at 1280 x 1024 pixels resolution.

My current spec is this:
Asus PC-DL Deluxe Motherboard with AGP 8x
Radeon 9100 AGP 64 MiB memory
dual Xeon 1.6 LV at 3.2 GHz with HyperThreading enabled
2 GiB OCZ DDR PC4000

I don't really have a preference between ATi and nVidia though as I understand it switching manufacturers can cause driver interference. I don't mind buying second hand on an auction site so I just want to know what the best deal might be. I'm looking to spend about 180 USD (100 GBP). I'd love to overclock so I think GDDR3 is a must.

I've been considering anATi x850 Pro as I hear they can be easily unlocked to become as good an an x850xt. While browsing around I see many GeForce BFG Ultra 6800 AGP OC. Is this a better card in comparison to the x850 Pro at xt speeds? Should I be looking somewhere else? Guide me, please.
 
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If you're planning to buy new then probably the 'best bang for the buck' card at the moment is the 6800GS (around £130 if you can stretch your budget a bit).

If you are buying second hand a 6800GT or X800 would be a good bet.

Either would give the graphics capabilities of your system a very large boost.

Hope this helps :)
 
I thought the Aero Glass Windowing was DX10. :confused:

If the x850 unlocks to an XT, and is clocked to the PE speeds it would be faster than the 6800 Ultra, but wouldnt have SM3.0 .
 
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LoadsaMoney said:
I thought the Aero Glass Windowing was DX10. :confused:
Click to expand...
If that were the case then nobody would get to test the system becasue DX10 cards don't exist yet. It requires DX9 according to the compatability advisor I ran last night.

What is SM3.0 and why would I want it?
[/noob] :o
 
BillytheImpaler said:
If that was the case then nobody would get to test the system becasue DX10 cards don't exist yet.
Click to expand...

You can run Vista on DX9, just without the DX10 stuff, and im sure Aero was part of that, im sure someone will correct me though if im wrong, which i usually am. :p
 
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/windowsvista/evaluate/hardware/vistarpc.mspx

According to that page:
Windows Aero Capable
DirectX 9-class GPU that supports:
A WDDM Driver
Pixel Shader 2.0 in hardware
32 bits per pixel
Adequate graphics memory which is later defined as:
– 64 MB of graphics memory to support a single monitor at 1,310,720 or less
– 128 MB of graphics memory to support a single monitor at resolutions 2,304,000 pixels or less
– 256 MB of graphics memory to support a single monitor at resolutions higher than 2,304,000 pixels
– Graphics memory bandwidth, as assessed by Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor, of at least 1,600 MB per second
 
BillytheImpaler said:
How about I get a new card and find out firsthand. ;)
Click to expand...

Yup, ill be talking ***** again anyway. :p

An x850 pro unlocked to XT will probably be on par with the 6800 Ultra, but as i said above it just won't have SM3.0, but i cant see that being any use for CAD. :)

About SM3.0 here
 
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Can all the x850 Pros be unlocked? I'm reading some jazz about ATi laser cutting the leads to the extra four pixel shaders on later models. However, it loos as if the x850 Pro would be a good bet.

Thanks for the SM3.0 link, Loads.
 
Aero runs fine with dx9 cards, i will post some screens around 11pm or so tonight if i remember (gonna take that long to get the new release). It has worked on all the vista builds i have tried with my 9800pro, all the 3d stuff etc.. works just fine too. As far as i'm aware all that dx10 will offer in Vista is increased performance.
 
p0rks0da said:
Aero runs fine with dx9 cards, i will post some screens around 11pm or so tonight if i remember (gonna take that long to get the new release). It has worked on all the vista builds i have tried with my 9800pro, all the 3d stuff etc.. works just fine too. As far as i'm aware all that dx10 will offer in Vista is increased performance.
Click to expand...

There yer go, i said i was talking *****. :D
 
My exgf works on autocad,autodesk and inventor a lot and she upgrade from a quadro (if burn) to a 3D labs card, she got the 512MB version as she works with big proyects but they have also a 256MB very affortable,also the benchmark for the Realism series on workstations is not bad.
This series is Vista ready,even they have doone the drivers, but don't expect to play video games, the drivers are mainly oriented for autocad worstation app.
 
Booner! said:
but doesnt direct10 activate other shiney new effects?! :D thats why we are gonna spend all the money yeh? :p
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Yes, DX10 will offer support for the latest raft of features the hardware manufacturers are dreaming up, which will then be used in future games, it's just that the Aero interface doesn't need them, DX9 does just fine.
 
grab a 6800GS they are really very good for the money :) can hardly tell the difference to my 7800GT in my main machine tbh...makes me a little bid sad :p
 
What's the amps like on your PSU's +12v line? Most of the graphics cards mentioned above require a decent amount of +12v amps (maybe around 26A to be safe) although you can probably get away with less but best to be safe I guess.
 
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