Graphics card

[Deebs]

Hi peeps

I currently have a nice shuttle p4 socket 478 running a ATI 9600XT 128mb with two monitors (vga & dvi).

The video could be struggling so I want to upgrade it. What should I get and it has to fit in a shuttle.

Advice please.

 

[TdC]

I'd get a nice 6800(gt) card Deebs, I hear they're nicely reducing in price.

 

[Deebs]

What about this?

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/ProductInfo.asp?WebProductID=274560

 

[raw]

The prices have fell out of them totally it seems, i paid 300 quid + for mine just over 6 months ago!!

 

[raw]

Make sure you have enough space inside your shuttle, they're fucking huge cards

Mine was/is (boom boom) enourmous!

 

[raw]

.

hi

 

[inactionman]

You may be better off with a 6600GT Deebs. Apparently the 6800XT is just a 6800 with slightly higher memory bandwidth.

This may be a better buy:

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/ProductInfo.asp?WebProductID=150992

 

[TdC]

raw


I had a 6600GT(agp) before upgrading to my current setup. I moved to it from a radeon 9700pro and it was like getting into a sportscar after running about in a 1.4l diesel.

still, the 6800 has even more pixel pipelines and thus more "oomph". a faster sportscar

 

[inactionman]

Yeah, they have similar oomph (12 pipelines on the 6800XT, 8 pipelines on the 6600GT at a much higher speed, memory is a bit faster on the 6600 as well), but the 6600 has better features (it can do more video decoding in hardware than the 6800 can), and it tends to be quieter, cooler and draws less power.

If we were talking about a 6800GT vs. a 6600GT there would be no contest, but when you're talking about a premium version of a mid-range card vs. a budget version of a high end card... it gets complicated!

The unfortunate thing is that the 6800XT is fairly new (and a relatively unexciting low volume part) so there's no reviews or comparisions.

 

[TdC]

tbh I'd get the cheapest one. if there was like only a tenner difference or so then I'd get the fastest.

as you say, it's hard to argue a high spec midrange card against a budget high range. in this case they're reasonably even.

 

[DaGaffer]

I got an X800 pro for my Shuttle, the nVidia cards are too damn big and they also have higher PSU demands.

 

[Gray]

6800gt you say?

Well how about THAT then!

*cough* http://search.ebay.co.uk/_W0QQfgtpZ1QQfrppZ50QQsassZsuperQ5fgray2003 *cough*

The URL buttons and shit still aint working for me, sucks so much :/

 

[inactionman]

Lol, 6800GT in a shuttle! Unless the PSU's in shuttles have got better recently (i.e 350W+) there will be problems!

Gray, does ebay work well for shifting second-hand compenents? As i'll probably have a bunch soon.

 

[inactionman]

Deebs, you may want to wait a couple of weeks for one of these:

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=26929

New and improved 6800GT's, hopefully they'll be lower power consumption, cooler and less heat. May be a bit pricier than the 6800XT/6600GT we were talking about.

As for ATI, they tend to be a bit pricier than nvidia, and I've always had driver problems with them (haven't had one since my 9800pro though), but they do perform well.

 

[Deebs]

Guys

Gonna order the 128mb 6800GT for my shuttle. Cant be arsed to wait.

So, any issues with this? I only play at 1024x768 or maybe 1280 but no more....

 

[TdC]

I don't think there will be any issues at all mate. There are people here who've run those in a shuttle, and shuttle psu's are way cool. You may want to consider getting a heat-pipe cooler for it but that's about all I can remember from reading this forum tbh.

as for resolutions, tbh I think you're going to be amazed. I expect there's going to be a jump from medium to high in game settings and stuff like that. or a bump up in rez and the meduim to high jump. and AA/AF coming on. you'll love it

 

[inactionman]

You'll have no probs with that card. As TdC says, it should perform well in almost all games in those resolutions.

 

[Clown]

The 128 Asus one is meant to be pap. I can't remember where I read that though. The BFG one has a single slot cooler, so it should fit in the Shuttle. It fit in mine before I sold it.

 

[Deebs]

Ordered for Monday delivery

 

[DaGaffer]

Guys

Gonna order the 128mb 6800GT for my shuttle. Cant be arsed to wait.

So, any issues with this? I only play at 1024x768 or maybe 1280 but no more....

Seriously, If you only want to spend that amount of money, get this one instead.

 

[inactionman]

Damn, that's actually a pretty good card for the price. Shame deebs has already ordered, else I'd also suggest it, despite my nvidia tendancies!

 

[Whipped]

Sorry to hijack this thread slightly. I've just bought this card to replace my aging Radeon 8500.

Should be here Monday. Have I made a mistake, can't afford one of the £300 cards though

 

[inactionman]

Nope, it looks pretty much the same as the card Deebs got (slightly cheaper, but slightly less performance).

If you're willing to spend a bit more (about £15), and it's not too late, you may want to go for the card DaGaffer suggests above.

 

[Clown]

Doesn't he have an AGP socket?

 

[inactionman]

Lol, very good point!

 

[Ch3tan]

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=26929