The christmas dilema of graphic cards.

[Albert Schweitzer 10]

As you probably know is christmas considered as a great boost for hardware sales and through that the one or the other item can gain an competitive advantage over its components.

This year we can observe the trend with the ATI RADEON 9700, which so far is the fasted card on the market. the revolutionary capablitities of the 9700 are enabled through DirectX9.0. But there is no DirectX9.0 out yet and corresponding games will apear around 3rd quarter next year. So why the hell buying it? Or asking the other way around: why putting it on the market?

One of the major reasons is the constant struggle between Ati and Nvidia. In contrast to the ATI9700 will the NV30 not be released before February 2003, kind of late to profit from the christmas-business. So one thing is for sure. Nvidia has to come along with a card that must be stronger than the 9700, in order not to harm its image. So the main advantage of Nvidia cards will be DDR2 memory, which can boost performance. But Ati isnt sleeping. A few days ago Ati has presented the new 9700 with DDR2 and it will probably be on the market before Nvidia.

Here is the Dilema: while the 9700 and the 9500 will have perfectly settled on the market with good sales figures and progressed drivers Nvidia will come along with the NV30 and try to parasite this saturated market. Is this the turning point? Will Ati rule the future of graphic cards?

Same discussion in hardware forum

Also discussed in this hardware forum

[kegetys 2]

If I would need to buy something, I would wait for a budget version of the NV30 and buy that.

[SpeedyDonkey 0]

Its supposed to be called Geforce Fx now  

I would wait untill we see some test results of Gf Fx and then decide. And i belive there will be some test soon  

[Jinef 2]

I say wait for the GeForce FX, not that i would like to but it when it comes out - problems,price etc.

[Albert Schweitzer 10]

the price will be around 500 Euros so basically same as Radeon 9700.

[ralphwiggum 6]

i'f wait for GF Fx. go to troubleshotting section and ppl are complaing about OFP and Radeon 9700.

[Albert Schweitzer 10]

Yes, but those are ordinary driver problems which will also occur with the New Geforce MX. But until it will be out in the shops the Radeon 9700 will have erased most driver-bugs!

[Mister Frag 0]

I wouldn't buy either of the cards right now.

There isn't a game that requires or truly takes advantage of them, and by the time those are available, you'll be able to get something faster for less money, or the same card with new (fixed) cores and better drivers.

As Ralph said, look at all of the problems with the Radeon 9700, and not just with OFP. I have no doubt that those will be straightened out, but given the money you pay for the card, I would expect not to have to beta-test their drivers.

[RED 0]

I would wait for the NV30, it will work well for future games.

RED

[Albert Schweitzer 10]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (RED @ Dec. 13 2002,20:02)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I would wait for the NV30, it will work well for future games.

RED<span id='postcolor'>

ah, you are all biased. Too much indoctrinated by Geforce!

[BaronVonRed 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (RalphWiggum @ Dec. 13 2002,18:49)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">i'f wait for GF Fx. go to troubleshotting section and ppl are complaing about OFP and Radeon 9700.<span id='postcolor'>

This is why I always pay for the "name". Nvidia is more reliable and will cause less issues with future games. Otherwise you will always be tweaking this that or the other to get a certain game to work.

Personally, I'd stay with the Geforce3. Helluva a good bargain right now and the 128MB version has plenty of horsepower for years to come.

[r71 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Albert Schweizer @ Dec. 13 2002,20:22)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">2--></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (RED @ Dec. 13 2002,202)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I would wait for the NV30, it will work well for future games.

RED<span id='postcolor'>

ah, you are all biased. Too much indoctrinated by Geforce!    <span id='postcolor'>

I dont know where you got your info but all of the benchmarks I have seen show the GF4ti4600 to be the best. I will try to find the links again...

[Albert Schweitzer 10]

what? I am sorry but all benchmarks right now show the Radeon to be the fastest on the market . I wont abuse my time now and explain to you why the Radeon 9700 is the fastest but I am curious from where you got that silly information.  

The Radeon 9700 is the fastest consumer card on the market, already supporting many of the still unreleased Direct X 9's features.

[USMC Sniper 0]

I'd always go with an Nvidia card, simply because their cards are more reliable for games, they never have driver problems, and they seem to work with every game. I used to have a Radeon 9000, it caused frequent probs with SOF2, OFP, MOHAA, and some other games too.

[Mister Frag 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (USMC Sniper @ Dec. 13 2002,12:11)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">...they never have driver problems...<span id='postcolor'>

That's funny!

I've been a NVIDIA fan for a long time and have owned several cards based on their chips, but I think that's a statement that will not hold up to scrutiny.

[Warin 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Albert Schweizer @ Dec. 13 2002,20:43)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">what? I am sorry but all benchmarks right now show the Radeon to be the fastest on the market . I wont abuse my time now and explain to you why the Radeon 9700 is the fastest but I am curious from where you got that silly information.  

The Radeon 9700 is the fastest consumer card on the market, already supporting many of the still unreleased Direct X 9's features. <span id='postcolor'>

The key to your statement is in the:

Still unreleased DirectX 9 features.

There isnt a game that I cant play at 1280x1024-1600x1200 with good frames per second on my GeForce3. ANd they look pretty damn good.

I am sure I'll want a better video card sooner or later, but I am going to take a pass until two things happen:

DirextX 9 releases

and

Games actually take advantage of the extra features.

At that point I am sure I will want to do a comparison between ATI and nVidia. But from personal experience, nVidia has far far more stable drivers than ATI. So I am leary of the 9700, no matter how cool it looks on paper

[eXor 0]

I'll stick to my Geforce 4 Ti 4200 and 30.82 Dets thank you very much.

Let the peeps with more money than sense pay for the R&D, I'll be along for the scraps later

[Col. Kurtz 0]

If you are a master of patience, wait until later on in the year, between the months of April and July, ATI should release their 'R350' and 'RV350' cards.

If you want to buy now I say either get a Radeon 9500pro for a good mid-range card that can beat the Ti4200 and Ti4400 at normal gameplay and it can beat all the Ti's with AA on all for the price of a Ti4200/cheap Ti4400.

Yes, Im a biased ATI lover! (but due to lack of funds I suffer a Geforce MX 400-until after Christmas when I shall get my Radeon 9500pro).

[SpeedyDonkey 0]

Is it just me or what but i get a strange feeling that albert rather wants a radeon  

Anyway they say that it would be allmost 30% better then Radeon 9700pro, but who knows... Wait untill you see some tests, then decide  

[Albert Schweitzer 10]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (SpeedyDonkey @ Dec. 14 2002,10:30)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Is it just me or what but i get a strange feeling that albert rather wants a radeon  

Anyway they say that it would be allmost 30% better then Radeon 9700pro, but who knows... Wait untill you see some tests, then decide  <span id='postcolor'>

Yes, I am biased. And it appears that again I am the person who urgently needs to update his PC in a time when you SHOULDNT buy.

What to do?

a.)Buy a 9700Pro now? No! Too expensive and no DDR2 yet and not even a single game for DirectX9.0!

b).Buy something cheaper such as lets say 9500Pro? No! cause when Doom3 comes out I want to enjoy it at full detail and for that I need something capable to take directX9.0! So this would mean I would have to buy a new card in May (release date of Doom3).

c.)Should I wait till February? So I can get the 9700 or the Nvidia both with DDR2 Ram? But I will have to start working in February and my job usually demands 11 hours of work per day so no power for gaming. I should have a good PC NOW so I can relax the last few FREE days!

-------------------------------------------------

I need to buy a new Motherboard. If I want to be prepared for the DDR2 I should buy a motherboard supporting DDR-Ram. But right now I got expensive but damn fast Rambus. If I buy a DDR board I would have to throw away the BETTER RD-Ram!

On the other hand if I buy a new Motherboard supporting RD-Ram then I will be screwed once DDR2 Ram comes out.

It is a goddamn christmas mess!

[SpeedyDonkey 0]

bah what the f..... was i talking about

[nolips71 0]

i have a gainward ti4600 and it works fine bloody brilliant

[kegetys 2]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Albert Schweizer @ Dec. 14 2002,16:08)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">cause when Doom3 comes out I want to enjoy it at full detail and for that I need something capable to take directX9.0!<span id='postcolor'>

Doom3 uses OpenGL for the graphics

[Albert Schweitzer 10]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Kegetys @ Dec. 14 2002,16:20)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">8--></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Albert Schweizer @ Dec. 14 2002,168)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">cause when Doom3 comes out I want to enjoy it at full detail and for that I need something capable to take directX9.0!<span id='postcolor'>

Doom3 uses OpenGL for the graphics <span id='postcolor'>

I am german so make is slow! That means that Doom3 has no effects that require direct x9

[SpeedyDonkey 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I am german so make is slow! That means that Doom3 has no effects that require direct x9<span id='postcolor'>

I dont know.. but when *insert company name here* showed Doom3 they used Radeon 9700 on those computers...