best graphics card

[9mak9]

what is the best graphics card on the market?

what do u all have?

are there any new ones coming out?

 

thanks

[JamieKirby]

what is the best graphics card on the market?

what do u all have?

are there any new ones coming out?

 

thanks

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Well, i have a ATI Radeon 9800Pro 128MB

 

I hear that Gainward are doing a 512MB PCI-X card soon and the same goes for ATI.

[Darth Ni]

I have a 6800 Ultra (256MB) working at 570/1.2

 

The best one currently on the market (for gaming ofcourse - not things like the Quadro) is the X850 XT Platinum Edition. Ofcourse, I don't know whether its performance justifies its price. I know though that ATi will be unveiling their latest 512MB gaming card in Dallas and the lucky winner in a competition will be taking it home. I'm assuming nVidia is working on something new. Ofcourse, no news from them lately as they are overly secretive about future projects.

 

Ofcourse, if you are looking for an SLI solution (2 graphics card), look no further than the 6800 Ultra PCI-E version. The price will be pretty high and ofcourse, 512MB SLI cards are coming out in the future as previously stated...

[9mak9]

I have a choice to go with one of these. Which one would be the best option?

ATI MOBILITY

[Horus]

*raise my hand

 

Nvidia could be fine for KotOR2, but I think ATI's going to be good in the long run and with another games in future, right?

[Kiwegapa]

I have an ATI X800 XT and it's a wonderful card. I can play almost any game in 1600x1200 if I choose.

 

I'm not biased towards aTI or nidia however. In the current generation of cards, both ATI's X800 series and nVidia's 6x00 series are very good. Both are well supported and have good drivers.

 

ATI runs slightly better in DirectX games, nVidia runs slightly better in OpenGL games. KOTOR 1 and 2 use OpenGL graphics.

 

nVidia does have a slight advantage in 3D rendering programs such as 3D Studio Max, DAZ Studio, Lightwave, etc. They like nVidia better.

 

If I were picking right now I'd say a nVidia 6600 card would be a good price/performance balance, but I have heard of a lot of problems with 6600 cards because manufacturers took shortcuts.

 

A 6800 or X800/X850 will be MORE performance than you need, possibly more cost, too.

 

A nVidia 5900 or ATI 9800 are last-generation top of the line cards and are still excellent. I can recommend both heartily, especially considering their low price now that newer cards are out.

[Haitoku]

Go for a Radeon x800xl, It's right on par with the Gf6800 gt. Cost about 100$, uses less power, and cools down a bit better

 

Errr, I meant, 100$ less then the 6800 gt

[9mak9]

well im buying a new alienware laptop and i have a choice to get either one. it'll cost the same thing for both so which one is more beneficial to me?

 

thanks again

[Kiwegapa]

That depends on whether KOTOR/KOTOR 2/KOTOR 3 is a major reason for the card or just a nice perk. The nVidia would run the KOTOR series better. In most games, they'd be pretty equal. I think nVidia might have a bit more support for the 'replaceable laptop graphics' thing that Alienware is doing though.

[adrich81]

I'd go with the 6800 personally. It supports newer standards like sm3, which you won't get on the X800.

[9mak9]

i was going to get a new laptop this summer but with this whole kotor2 problem i made the decision earlier. i just wanna get the best one i can even whether is works better with kotor2 doesnt matter. I think the ATI x800 is a newer card but some people are saying that the nvidia 6800 is the best.

 

 

thanks

[Belhawk]

from what i've heard ati and nvidia cards are abt equal. I like the 6800 better because i've had no trouble with nvidia's drivers. nvidia has better open gl drivers while ati has better dx drivers, but both companies are working on bettering there drivers.

[Horus]

About laptop, I've heard about some of them, the new one, which could upgrade their graphic card. I'm not sure where did I come to know these.

 

If the price is good enough, I think you should concern it further.

[iamthelorax]

From what I understand, the x800/850 cards aren't particularly different from their predecessors, whereas the 6800/6600's have a very different core than previous nVidia's. This means that the nVidias have more room to grow with driver upgrades than do the ATI's. But it also means that rendering the same frame requires more power on an nVidia than on an ATI, at least until nVidia gets the 6800's drivers more efficient. This probably doesn't matter to you though as I'm sure you always have your laptop plugged in while gaming anyway.

 

I can't speak to whether the 6800 or x800 is gimped more to be fit into, powered by, and cooled in a laptop. I should think the 6800, since it is more of a power hog in desktop versions. Which might make the x800 better in laptop cards.