Which is the best single graphics card solution?

[D.P.]

Can some one please explain this image quality supremacy I keep hearing ATi have over nVidia ? In a few weeks I had plans to get a XFX 7900GT XXX Extreme Edition. How can the ATi's be capable of producing better image quality if both cards are using the same textures and instructions from the game? Sounds like a urban myth to me.

Ther is more os less no difference at all. I wouldn't worry about it. just something the fanboys use.

It basically comes down to a few dfferent pixels. SOmething NV cards do better like AA, somethings the ATi card like AF.

 

[welshtom]

you're best off in the Members market. could have saved at least a third off the retail prices.

Buts only if you willing to use 2nd hand components. which is fine as long as they have receipts.

Tom

 

[D.P.]

hence the uproar everytime someone finds a hidden tweak in the drivers.
its well known that on default, the nvidia drivers have LOD set low, so they score high in benchmarks.

And its well known that it makes next to no difference in IQ or in speed difference. A 1% performance difference between HQ and Normal Quality. and it only effect a few users on extreme TFT screens.

 

[Xionic]

Well I would post you results but my PC won't be finished till August.
I need to spend another £1k on it yet.
-$ are the ones I have bought.

It will be;

Athlon X2 4800+
2GB (2 x 1GB) Corsair 3500LLXMSPRO
DFI Expert motherboard -$
Seasonic 600w PSU -$
Ati Sapphire X1900XTX
DVB-T Card -$
Audigy 4 7.1 sound card -$
125mbps Wi-Fi Card -$
74Gb SATA WD 10k rpm Raptor
250Gb 7.2K rpm SATA 2 Hitachi -$
4 silenX (11dB) fans (2 Blue LED) -$
2 cold cathodes -$
Black case with side window -$
19" Samsung syncmaster 4ms -$
M$ Biometric keyboard + wireless optical mouse -$
2.1 speaker system -$
Xp pro -$

I'm still in Sixth form you see, so only have a part time job of £160/month + monthly bounus.

One day this will be finished. And it may seem a waste to you lot but what I really want my PC to do is to run Halo PC and project64 perfectly.
That's why I have but my money into this £2k PC.

why not try your hand at overclocking. i have a opteron 170 (2.0Ghz) clocked at 2.65Ghz. running like a dream. save urself a bunch. full spec in sig

 

[D.P.]

How can two TFT's look totally different yet the graphics cards send them signals exactly the same.

Its all in the components and algorithms used mate. ATI has different filtering algorithms (thank god) so they dont get so much shimmering when using AF than Nvidia.

Tom

There is practically no shimmering difference. ATI shimmer ALMOST as much. Set the drivers to HQ and you will get no shimmering and basically the same IQ.

As I said, the argument about IQ differences is pointless.

 

[smids]

@ OzyOly: Seeing as you have only bought the motherboard, might I suggest you stop right there. Everything else will still be fine but I would personally open another account and save money. This way, in August you can buy the latest bits, i.e. Intel Conroe perhaps (beats an FX60 from early tests) and will be as cheap as any P-D say from now and most likely a lot cheaper than that 4800+ as well as using DDR2 RAM. It looks like an amazing processor - and then you could perhaps buy a G80 graphics card which will be Vista ready or something. It's best not to stagger the buying as you will end up with a system which is not as good value-wise as if you bought in one lump sum. Also, warranty wise, if anything doesn't work, you won't know until a few months down the line and this causes hassle (after 6 months) in terms of warranties.

 

[welshtom]

There is practically no shimmering difference. ATI shimmer ALMOST as much. Set the drivers to HQ and you will get no shimmering and basically the same IQ.

As I said, the argument about IQ differences is pointless.

yea, it alwaysa descends to this . I just offer my opinions as i have owned:

9800pro
x800 pro
x800 xt
x800xt pe
x850xt
x1800xt
x1900xt

gf4 ti 4200
gf4 ti 4600
6600 gt
6800 gt
7800 gtx

So i kinda think my opinion is worth something at least because i can draw on experience. And i can categorically say the shimmering was so bad on my 7800gtx it put me off games

Tom

Ps yes i do have an addiction with changing hardware almost weekly. im over it now tho... he says

 

[D.P.]

7800 gtx

So i kinda think my opinion is worth something at least because i can draw on experience. And i can categorically say the shimmering was so bad on my 7800gtx it put me off games

Tom

Ps yes i do have an addiction with changing hardware almost weekly. im over it now tho... he says

Well, why didn't you just switch to HQ mode or change the LOD Bias slightly, for no noticible performance loss.

 

[welshtom]

Well, why didn't you just switch to HQ mode or change the LOD Bias slightly, for no noticible performance loss.

do you think i didnt try that. Its well documented that nvidia cannot get rid of it. quality tweaks or not, its still there.

 

[Bennah]

yea, it alwaysa descends to this . I just offer my opinions as i have owned:

9800pro
x800 pro
x800 xt
x800xt pe
x850xt
x1800xt
x1900xt

gf4 ti 4200
gf4 ti 4600
6600 gt
6800 gt
7800 gtx

So i kinda think my opinion is worth something at least because i can draw on experience. And i can categorically say the shimmering was so bad on my 7800gtx it put me off games

Tom

Ps yes i do have an addiction with changing hardware almost weekly. im over it now tho... he says

Always good to hear from people who have first hand knowledge of ATi and nVidia cards.

Ti 4200, is the best there though, using one right now. Just got to love the old skool GF4's

 

[welshtom]

gotta love them, i still have a ti4800 and a ti4400 actually (forgot to include that) oh and a gf2 being used.

I used to love my gf4 to bits, until the fan went and it cooked itself. BF1942 never looked so good!!!

 

[egt]

yea, it alwaysa descends to this . I just offer my opinions as i have owned:

9800pro
x800 pro
x800 xt
x800xt pe
x850xt
x1800xt
x1900xt

gf4 ti 4200
gf4 ti 4600
6600 gt
6800 gt
7800 gtx

So i kinda think my opinion is worth something at least because i can draw on experience. And i can categorically say the shimmering was so bad on my 7800gtx it put me off games

Tom

Ps yes i do have an addiction with changing hardware almost weekly. im over it now tho... he says

for someone who has bought so many different brands of gfx cards, from time to time it appears your opinions swing as wildly as a nude joggers nutsak. I guess whichever card you are running right now pwns, eh?

Anyway, seeing as your current opinion is that nvidia shimmering "put you off games" (lol), here's stacks of opinions about ati shim shimmery for you to read HERE

Enjoy

 

[welshtom]

when do my opinions sway?

Best card i ever had was my 9800 pro .

i have an x1900xt atm! I like it. Just checking on how the 7900's are fairing on XS and waiting for the prices to come down before i make my mind up whether i want it.

Other people can say what they want. I havent experienced shimmering as yet on ANY Ati card, and that makes me a happy boy

Tom

 

[Wakinglimb]

From what I've seen in benchmarks the x1900xtx is the card to go for if you want one card only and have very large pockets full of money.

 

[easyrider]

Well my 7900 GT comes tomo and I will glady tell you how this clocks.
If it clocks to GTX speeds I will be a happy bunny.



Funnily enough my fav card was the 9800 pro too.Still got one in my second spare rig.

Buy I just hate ATI's drivers and coming from a 7800 GT I couldn't be bothered to faff with my main rig.

Plus I saved 150 big ones getting a 7900 GT, and overclocked ,I reckon it might perform close to that of an x1900 XT.

Only time will tell but hey thats part of the fun.

Another thing too.Now I got the 7900 GT, and they use less power. I can still use my antec neo 480w PSU if i go SLI as they use less power so I think I'm gobnna be ok if I decide to get another.

this has saved me getting another PSU as The ANTEC neo is the best PSU I have ever owned.Solid as a rock.

The antec neo only has one pci-e plug in its modular set but antec sent me an extra one for free.Nice people they are all the way from America.

 

[OzyOly]

@ OzyOly: Seeing as you have only bought the motherboard, might I suggest you stop right there. Everything else will still be fine but I would personally open another account and save money. This way, in August you can buy the latest bits, i.e. Intel Conroe perhaps (beats an FX60 from early tests) and will be as cheap as any P-D say from now and most likely a lot cheaper than that 4800+ as well as using DDR2 RAM. It looks like an amazing processor - and then you could perhaps buy a G80 graphics card which will be Vista ready or something. It's best not to stagger the buying as you will end up with a system which is not as good value-wise as if you bought in one lump sum. Also, warranty wise, if anything doesn't work, you won't know until a few months down the line and this causes hassle (after 6 months) in terms of warranties.

Well, I really didn't want to save up then buy the system. I wouldn't be able to save and not have any return for another 5 months.
I know of AM2 platform with DDR2 but haven't heard of the intel Conroe, I haven't used intel since pentiumII apart from the pentium M in my laptop.

I understand I should wait to build my system to get new tech but really even if I did buy my system in one go, after a few months it would be out of date anyway.
Computers are progressing so fast that it would cost a fortune to keep up. I'm just going to buy what I can afford, part by part until it's finished. I'm not to fussed about saving a few £100 here and there because it gives me something to look forward to every month.
I've decided this month I'll buy my raptor and serge protector, next month my graphics card, the month after my ram and 2 months after that my processor.
Sure my PC won't be the best when it's finished but all I need it for really is to play the odd pc game and to load windows with reasonable speed.
I would like it to run windows vista but if it doesn't it's not really a problem. I will probably build another in 3 years time anyway.
Thanks for the advice though, there is logic to it but I really just couldn't save up fro that long and anyway my motherboard is a socket 939, I would have to replace that and if I go for intel conroe I would probaby have to change my PSU to cope with new power requirements etc.
Thanks anyway mate.

 

[pieman109]

Well, I really didn't want to save up then buy the system. I wouldn't be able to save and not have any return for another 5 months.
I know of AM2 platform with DDR2 but haven't heard of the intel Conroe, I haven't used intel since pentiumII apart from the pentium M in my laptop.

I understand I should wait to build my system to get new tech but really even if I did buy my system in one go, after a few months it would be out of date anyway.
Computers are progressing so fast that it would cost a fortune to keep up. I'm just going to buy what I can afford, part by part until it's finished. I'm not to fussed about saving a few £100 here and there because it gives me something to look forward to every month.
I've decided this month I'll buy my raptor and serge protector, next month my graphics card, the month after my ram and 2 months after that my processor.
Sure my PC won't be the best when it's finished but all I need it for really is to play the odd pc game and to load windows with reasonable speed.
I would like it to run windows vista but if it doesn't it's not really a problem. I will probably build another in 3 years time anyway.
Thanks for the advice though, there is logic to it but I really just couldn't save up fro that long and anyway my motherboard is a socket 939, I would have to replace that and if I go for intel conroe I would probaby have to change my PSU to cope with new power requirements etc.
Thanks anyway mate.

Thats the problem with computers, as the saying goes, "if its in stock, its obsolete".
The way pc components advance is brutal to say the least.

 

[ACESHIGH]

.. snipped ..

Good luck with the build guy.

Its like Christmas every month i would imagine, hey.

Anyway as far as the PC you specced, its quite a beast now & even in 6 months it will be one of the fastest PC's arround (maybe not at OcUK) but for the general populous. So if thats how you planned it, its all good. as for Vista if you PC has any issues running it i will be very, very suprised.

As long as you stick with the X2 & X1900XT (the fastest card on the planet) you cant go wrong. The 7900 series are overpriced for what they are, with the 7900GT being considerably slower (you would be better off with the X1800XT than the 7900GT)..

 

[smids]

Fair enough buddy - I know the lack of return wouldn't exactly excite you and leave you waiting to buy more. Damn computers these days are impossible to build as you hear about something coming in 3 months which is 'revolutionary' so you wait and then are about to buy only to hear something even newer. It's just the way it goes I suppose . Good luck with the build though.

 

[Pr0t0c0L]

get 7900gt, and overclock it you will save £200 and in 2 months with that £200 can get another 7900gt