FX5900XT vs R9600PRO

[GimmeDaMic]

Between the two, which would be better? Does anyone know where that page is at on tomshardware that shows the comparison between all those video cards? I can't find it.

[skeeter]

You are comparing apples to oranges. The 5900XT is a 256 bit card. The 9600PRO is a 128 bit card. 8 pipes to 4 pipes. In which way do you mean "better" ? Game performance/benchmarking? Visual Quality? Price?
I have both cards and have benchmarked them with my system to compare their performance. But visual quality and price are altogether difference comparisons. What type of comparisons are you looking for?

[Force Flow]

There are 256-bit versions of the 9600pro.

[skeeter]

No Flow Force, there are 256 mb-that's memory-versions of the 9600PRO. Bit is memory width and the 9600PRO has 128 bit width. The 256mb memory versions are usually with slow memory besides. Have to move up to 9700-9800 versions to get into 256 bit ATI cards.

[Force Flow]

I double checked on the 9600pro. It was the 9600se that has the 256-bit bus version. My mistake.

However, the bit rating does not imply the number of pipelines like you said, only the width of each one.

[GimmeDaMic]

By better I mean by Performance/Image Quality/Gaming/etc...

Not worried about price, got the 9600 Pro for $100 and this other dude is wanting to sell me his FX5900XT for $100.
It's actually a 5900XT, so it only has 128MB, but with the softmod, it's basically a slightly slower (2-4MHz, but with better cooling that can be fixed, made to go faster) 5950U with 128MB instead of 256MB. I can play UT2K4 at max and FarCry with most settings high or very high.

[imbest123]

It was the 9600se that has the 256-bit bus version.
The 9600 SE has a 64-bit memory interface. Why would they put 256-bit on their lower end cards? I would go with the 5900XT over the 9600 Pro any day.

[skeeter]

For performance/gaming the 5900Xt would be better. On my 9600PRo I got 26000 in Aquamark3. With the 5900XT I got 43000+ points. On 3Dmark2003 I got 3109 with the 9600PRO. With the 5900XT I got 5600 points. Gaming should be simular-much faster. I do feel that the image quality on the 9600PRO is a bit superior though. I myself having both would choose the 5900XT over the 9600 PRO. The diffeence is that great.

[kram 2.0]

I'd go with the FX5900XT as it's the cheapest 256-bit buswidth card you can get, and also as aforementioned, an 8 Pipelined card. It's better to compare that to the Radeon 9700 (non-pro) than the 9600 Pro.

kram

[Force Flow]

The 9600 SE has a 64-bit memory interface. Why would they put 256-bit on their lower end cards?

That's what I was wondering. That's why I thought it was the 9600pro.

[imbest123]

There is no 256-bit 9600 Pro either. The lowest 256-bit ATI card with the exception of the 9500 non-pro is the 9700 non-pro.

[kram 2.0]

Wierd thing - I've been looking at it, and the <a href="http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-131-248&depa=0">PowerColor Radeon 9800 SE</a> claims its a 256-bit buswidth card...which I'm doubting. The Radeon 9800 SE VPU, if I remember correctly, is a 4-pipelined 128-bit card with the same R350 core of the Radeon 9800s...

kram

[GimmeDaMic]

Okay, that being said, anyone wanna buy a 9600 Pro in about 2 months? lol.

[imbest123]

Wierd thing - I've been looking at it, and the <a href="http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-131-248&depa=0">PowerColor Radeon 9800 SE</a> claims its a 256-bit buswidth card...which I'm doubting. The Radeon 9800 SE VPU, if I remember correctly, is a 4-pipelined 128-bit card with the same R350 core of the Radeon 9800s...

kram
Actually there is a 256-bit memory interface Radeon 9800 SE with 8 pipelines and 4 of them are disabled. It does use a R350 core. If you plan on flashing the bios to a 9800 Pro you must find the 256-bit Radeon 9800 SE but even then you only get a 50% chance of a successful mod.