Which one for me - x1800xt or 7900GT??

Biglunn · 23 Mar 2006 at 15:29

Well... its time for me to upgrage my graphics card!

I need a card in the £200-£250 price bracket, and I am torn between these two selling for about the same price on OcUK

Powercolor x1800xt 512mb
Gainward 7900GT 256mb

The BIG selling point for the x1800xt is the 512mb. Is that really beneficial? If so, that represents outstanding value.

The big selling point for the 7900GT is that its got more pixel pipelines (24 vs 16). Is that an advantage? Also, I have an SLi Motherboard - does that sway it in this cards favour?

Please help me!!!!!!!!!

Cheers.

helpimcrap · 23 Mar 2006 at 15:38

this is the exact question i was going to post up lol....

i await peoples answers...

from what i gather the X1800XT 512mb is slower than the X1800XT 256mb up to 1280x1024. once above that it pees on it though. as for the 7900GT... i dont know really...

easyrider · 23 Mar 2006 at 15:43

There are hundreds of threads on this topic some say go with ATI others with Nvidia.

If you use the search function all the info is at hand.

LoadsaMoney · 23 Mar 2006 at 17:10

7900 GT is about the same as a 7800 GTX, the x1800 XT is faster than both, and cheaper, however it uses more power, and generates more heat, but if thats of no concercn, then go for the x1800 XT.

no_1_dave · 23 Mar 2006 at 17:41

If you're overclocking your cpu then go for the 7900 GT (like I have for my new rig). But if you dont care about heat cos your cpu is at stock then go for the X1800

helpimcrap · 25 Mar 2006 at 17:04

hmmm interesting as temps are a problem for me... i like my rig quiet and i think power comsumption might be an issue too...

7900gt might be the way for me then...

crashuk · 25 Mar 2006 at 17:16

The only reason i dont go with ati is they dont have a lifetime policy on their cards.

smids · 25 Mar 2006 at 17:21

helpimcrap said:
hmmm interesting as temps are a problem for me... i like my rig quiet and i think power comsumption might be an issue too...

7900gt might be the way for me then...

The 7900GT isn't quiet. It has a tiny whiney fan, however, the X1800XT insn't quiet either which has a hoover fan.

So: high pitched whine - 7900GT
low drone - X1800XT.

During operation like at idle, both a pretty quiet and during gaming, I believe the 7900GT is louder.

helpimcrap · 25 Mar 2006 at 17:27

whichever one i went with would soon have an aftermarket cooler on it!

easyrider · 25 Mar 2006 at 17:27

If its power consumption then the 7900 GT wins hands down.
If its heat then the 7900 GT wins hands down.
If its noise then get a aftermarket cooler.

I have heard both the 7900 GT and x1800 and tbh the 7900 is not as in your face as the stupid mouse wheel coolers the x1800/x1900 have.

The design of those things leaves a lot to be desired imo.

Combat squirrel · 25 Mar 2006 at 17:41

I dont get what people are going on about with the 'noisy' ATI cards, they must not have good case ventilation

my powercolour 512mb x1800 is awesome, and I can hardly hear it (it makes a noise when you switch the computer on, for like 5 seconds) then goes into low fan mode, I carnt hear it above my other fans whatsoever, and there near silent, even under full load it doesnt seem to get louder, also got it overclocked, much much faster than gt or gtx when its o/c

get the powercolour mate, also the picture quality is much better than my old 6800GT (which was also a great card) and ATI's avivo, hardware hdtv playback is awesome

easyrider · 25 Mar 2006 at 17:47

Combat squirrel said:
I dont get what people are going on about with the 'noisy' ATI cards, they must not have good case ventilation my powercolour 512mb x1800 is awesome, and I can hardly hear it (it makes a noise when you switch the computer on, for like 5 seconds) then goes into low fan mode, I carnt hear it above my other fans whatsoever, and there near silent, even under full load it doesnt seem to get louder,

Hardly hear it is not silent though.And its subjective one person's "quiet system" is loud to somebody else.

Combat squirrel said:
much much faster than gt or gtx when its o/c

Faster than a GTX ? Now I have heard everything

geeza · 25 Mar 2006 at 18:12

easyrider said:
Hardly hear it is not silent though.And its subjective one person's "quiet system" is loud to somebody else.

Faster than a GTX ? Now I have heard everything

7800gtx not 7900gtx. some people arnt loaded

Combat squirrel · 26 Mar 2006 at 00:22

easyrider said:
Hardly hear it is not silent though.And its subjective one person's "quiet system" is loud to somebody else.

I HATE noise, carnt be done with it, granted my pc is in the cupboard , but behind 1 very thin wooden door its silent (p180 case as well), infact i just asked my housemate to come in my room and asked them, 'can ya hear it' (in a aussi sorta accent ) and they said...............wait for it, WAIT !! 'hear what !!!!!!!!!!!' wahheeeeyyy, there ya go totally silent, or near enough depends if ya got bat ears

easyrider said:
Faster than a GTX ? Now I have heard everything

EErrrr, in terms of BANG4 YA's BUCK, Yes a x1800XT 512mb (£246) VS Nvidia 7800GTX (£293) x1800 wins, graphs show the x1800 is an úber card, beating or on par in most things with it, yet its cheaper and ya get more ram

Obviously we now have x1900's and 7900's, and person is asking 'whats faster x1800xt or 7900GT', id say go for x1800XT 512, as double ram, much faster clocks, faster performing card by a sizable margin, and its the same price !

Ownage, ta very much, any more questions ?

EDIT: BIGLLUN !! just to let you know, the 7900 does have 24piplines, HOWEVER it can only output 16pixels at a time or ROPS, so:

7900 -24pixel shaders, 8 vertex,16rops, 475core/1360ram
X1800XT 512 -16'effiecient' pixel shaders,8vertec,16rops,625core/1550ram

or 7900: 24/8/16
1800:16E/8/16

Iv put 16 E next to the 1800 as it draws pixels slightly different, in a more effiecent way (is to do with drawing only 'whats seen'-sort of, and combination with a ringbus arcutecture) read up and learn more,end of day hence why its able to beat a card with more pixel pipelines, excluding considerations of clock speed *does his homework*

obviusly nvidias top end stuff nails it, due to there mahoosive clock speeds and ram & fantastic nvidia drivers, etc etc etc blaarrdy etc etc etc

TheMeekon · 26 Mar 2006 at 02:18

cant you keep all that crap too one thread?

easyrider · 26 Mar 2006 at 02:38

Combat squirrel said:
EErrrr, in terms of BANG4 YA's BUCK, Yes a x1800XT 512mb (£246) VS Nvidia 7800GTX (£293) x1800 wins, graphs show the x1800 is an úber card, beating or on par in most things with it, yet its cheaper and ya get more ram

Obviously we now have x1900's and 7900's, and person is asking 'whats faster x1800xt or 7900GT', id say go for x1800XT 512, as double ram, much faster clocks, faster performing card by a sizable margin, and its the same price !

But its not

pinkacidbootson · 26 Mar 2006 at 02:48

hope not.. i just bought a 7900gt

volt9291 · 26 Mar 2006 at 05:59

good lad

ACESHIGH · 26 Mar 2006 at 06:53

Johanson said:
hope not.. i just bought a 7900gt

As far as i am aware the X1800XT 512MB is faster than the 7800GTX & 7900GT.
The X1800XT is a proven overclocker too.
Though the 7900GT appears to be clocking well now too.
The 7900GT is cooler & less power hungry, no doubt there.

The extra 256MB of ram on the X1800XT will also likely be better in the longer run when more games come out needing the extra buffer size. Already started with Doom 3 & Quake 4.

Either card is plenty good though.

But for bang per buck the X1800XT wins imo.

b4z · 26 Mar 2006 at 13:00

i wanted to know whats the best PCIe gfx card for £200-250 also..
.. but this thread hasnt really cleared it up though