ATI Radeon x800XL vs. nVidia 6800GT

[FrictionBoy87]

I can't decide which one of these I want! They both look like awesome cards but I just don't know! I've been an ATI man for every card I've ever bought but the 6800GT looks like its got a lot of sweet features. Here are some brief specs I found on them...

ATI Radeon x800XL

Core Clock - 400MHz
Memory Clock - 980MHz
Memory Size - 256MB
Memory Interface - 256-bit GDDR3
Pipelines - 16

eVGA GeForce 6800GT

Core Clock - 350MHz
Memory Clock - 1000MHz
Memory Size - 256 MB
Memory Interface - 256-bit GDDR3
Pipelines - 16

So anyways you guys can see some of the specs...I plan on using this card for gaming (of course) and I'm on the system in my signature. AMD 64 blahblahblah. Someone please make a suggestion and give me so pros and cons of the cards. I just want the beefiest card I can get for my money! Thanks a lot=p

6800GT
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130203

x800XL
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102542

[glc]

Buy whichever one you want. They are both top end cards.

[Force Flow]

ati fans will tend to gravitate to ati...nvidia fans will tend to gravitate to nvidia.

As glc said, they're both high-end cards and you would probably be satisfied with either one of them.

[FrictionBoy87]

Well someone told me that ATI = D3D and nVidia = OpenGL. I thought that was kinda crazy cause I know they both do both of those but maybe they meant the specialize in it? I dunno...Anyways I'm really leaning towards the x800XL. I did some checking and the next one up, the PRO, only has 12 pipelines. And then the XT is a ton more expensive just for an extra 100MHz on the Core Clock. Ehh...Guess I'm still deciding

[Alaron]

Originally Posted by FrictionBoy87 Well someone told me that ATI = D3D and nVidia = OpenGL. I thought that was kinda crazy cause I know they both do both of those but maybe they meant the specialize in it?

That is somewhat true yes. The drivers from ATI tend to lean to superior performance in Direct3D games like HL2 and NVIDIA leans to more performance in OpenGL games like Doom3.

HOWEVER, be aware that because both cards are so powerful, the difference in their performance is hardly noticable. Both cards will play any game you throw at them. Buy on price and bundled accessories. I have an X800XL and love it, and I made my decision based on price. At the time the Radeons were less.

[kram 2.0]

I too agree - one of the main reasons for going with the Radeon X800 XL was the price difference - MSRP was 100 USD less but now it's less so the case. Just on a sidenote, if you do end up chosing the Radeon X800XL VPU, you can save 30 USD by going OEM.

kram

[Force Flow]

I tend not to go OEM with video cards and motherboards (and sometimes RAM)

[fedz]

6800GT benchamarks ever so slightly better, but it is more expensive. The 6800GT is also a very good overclocker, whereas the X800XL lacks oomph in that department

I'd say overall get a X800XL because of the better price

fedz

[ScurrilousPrune]

Get the X800XL, I just got one and i love it. Before I had an AGP 9200SE running at PCI clock speeds, I swapped the new card in and loaded the drivers and the first thing I noticed when opening up a game was the big difference in graphics. The characters looked much smoother, and was running at 1280X1024 with highest settings, and now there's no video lag as before!

BTW, anyone know how to enable 3DC through the Catalyst Control Panel? The box the card came in says it has 3DC for enhanced gaming but I have no idea how to turn it on.

[FastEddieW]

ATi has thrown a wrinkle in this question...at least for me. I was considering the 6800Gt exclusively until ATi introduced a $50MIR on the X800 XT AIW card, which makes the difference between the XT AIW and the GT ~$25. From what I've read on various forums and in reviews, the performance is about at parity, with some games running better on the ATi and some better on the Nvidia. I have had both ATi and Nvidia cards (have 9800Pro at present) and no real preference, brand wise. I'm slightly concerned about some claims that the ATi is "last generation" technology, compared to the Nvidia, which is "next generation". I'm presuming that has to do exclusively with the SM 2.0 vs 3.0 issue and is not really very relevant at this point. Can anyone comment on this for me? I'd probably already have ordered the XT, except for the hesitation due to the last/next generation issue.

Thanks,

~FastEddie

[kram 2.0]

Originally Posted by FastEddieW ATi has thrown a wrinkle in this question...at least for me. I was considering the 6800Gt exclusively until ATi introduced a $50MIR on the X800 XT AIW card, which makes the difference between the XT AIW and the GT ~$25. From what I've read on various forums and in reviews, the performance is about at parity, with some games running better on the ATi and some better on the Nvidia. Thanks, ~FastEddie

They target different customers. The Radeon X800 XT is almost as good as ATI's line goes in respect to gaming realism - get it cheap and you've got one heck of a deal. The GeForce 6800GT is target more towards enthusiasts due to a more affordable MSRP. ATI Radeon X800 XT's real counterpart is more GeForce 6800 Ultra.

kram

[FastEddieW]

...i.e., therefore, for ~#25 more, go with the XT-AIW, as opposed to the 6800GT, right? I have no real need for the AIW features at this point in time (no cable TV, but we *do* have DSL!), but in the future, I guess, they could be of value. I'm particularly interested in (someday) converting all my old 8mm analog home videos to DVD and, if I'm not mistaken, the Video-In on the AIW would really simplify that process...right?

Last issue I'm struggling with is power consumption. My system is a Dell Dimension 4600, 2.4GHz/800fsb, with 1G RAM, and stock Dell psu, which is nominally rated at 250w, but which many posts on the Dell forum document as being 345w peak and, in addition, the Dell mod has listed several graphic cards for which the stock supply is adequate, including both the X800 XT and the 6800GT. I trust both positions, but have been considering a PSU upgrade "just in case". I have located a Thermaltake 420 watt supply for a reasonable price (~$40) and am assured that (unlike most Dells) the TT unit will be a plug for plug swap with the stock unit. There is one wire (pin #18, white, -5v) on a std. ATX that has no corresponding wire on the Dell mobo plug...that is, there simply is no wire leading to pin #18 on the Dell psu mobo connector. My assumption is that there is not a metal connector on the mobo side connector into which the psu mobo connector inserts, so no connection results, and no problem. I have not verified this, however, and it worries me just a little. I have PM'd another 4600 user who replaced his stock psu with a different TT unit, though still ATX, of course, and said he did not mod case, wiring, pinouts, or anything else. That being the case, I'm virtually certain that the 420 would work fine. In any case, if the new card, whether a 6800GT or X800 XL, works w/stock supply, the point is moot.

~FastEddie

[fedz]

You might be better off downscaling your choice of card with that PSU, but the X800XT does not consume much power and will fit your needs. It is an absolute bargain at that price

fedz

[FastEddieW]

Well, I done pulled the trigger on the X800 XT AIW and should get it by the weekend (retailer is in a neighboring state). I'm assured by the Dell forum mod that the card will work fine with the stock PSU. There are numerous documented cases of folks running 6800GT's on the stock supply w/o problems and I would think that the XT would draw about the same power as the GT. I'm prepared to upgrade the PSU to the Thermatake 420w if necessary, but will see how the XT does on the stock supply first. Thanks for the reply; really looking forward to getting this card!

~FastEddie

[tomster2300]

I have the 6800 GT, and I got it for its performance and price -- I also got it because it was bundled with Doom 3.

You should be more than happy with the X800 XT and i should be an improvement over what you're using now. One of the reasons I went with the 6800 GT was I'm an nvidia fan

Good luck and enjoy!

[FastEddieW]

Thanks, Tom...

I was considering the GT exclusively until the MIR made the XT so attractive. I may never use any of the AIW features, but just the 3D aspect of the card, for the price, was reason enough to pull the trigger, and I have to believe that the 500mhz core speed (vs 350 for the GT) is worth something. Otherwise, the specs on the two are virtually identical.

~Eddie

[HAL9000]

I say find a place where you can view these cards perform and don't rely on benchmarks. I lean towards ATI, because through my eyes, it's a better picture where nVidia to me seems blocky and chunky. Keep in mind, not everyone's eyes are the same, so others view the nVidia with a better picture.... as GLC said, they're both top end cards, so pick the one that you feel has a better picture quality.

[glc]

Now I'm going to confuse the heck out of all of you. I'm an ATI fan, no bones about it. However, I think right now, we are pretty close to parity at each price point with one exception - I think the 6600GT is substantially better than the equivalent priced ATI cards. What do I have in my own machine? A GeForce 4Ti4400........why? It was given to me and it's a whole heck of a lot better than the original Radeon 7200 32mb card I had. I have no complaints with the display, but I seldom game, and when I do, it's not high tech demanding games. I've run 3Dmark 2001 on both cards - the 4Ti totally blows away the 7200 in frame rates (as expected, apples vs. oranges), but the 7200 *did* have a more pleasing display. The Ti4400 is much more card than I need, but the price was right. Nvidia has had its ups and downs - the 4Ti's were excellent cards in their time, the FX5xxx series was crap, and the 6xxx's are once again good - but ATI seems to be more consistent over time starting with the original Radeon - the Rage series was pretty rough for gaming in its time.

[David M]

I have an x800 in one machine and two 6800 Ultras in another machine. The difference I see in image quality is the 6800 has more defined shading which helps produce a better feeling of 3 dimensions. The 6800 is also clearer and the colors are much more vibrant. Side by side, the x800 appears a bit hazy. My monitors are identical.

[tomster2300]

Originally Posted by David M I have an x800 in one machine and two 6800 Ultras in another machine. The difference I see in image quality is the 6800 has more defined shading which helps produce a better feeling of 3 dimensions. The 6800 is also clearer and the colors are much more vibrant. Side by side, the x800 appears a bit hazy. My monitors are identical.

David, if you dont mind me asking, how much was your rig in your sig? Also, what're the specs on the machine you have the x800 in?

[ssahl]

I tend to agree with Hal, in that I think for the most part, NVIDIA cards tend to have better fps on any given game, while the ATI cards will have a better picture. I have 2 systems right now and I have a Radeon 9800 pro in one system and a GeForce 6600GT in the other. When I play nascar sim racing I get way more fps with the 6600GT but it doesnt quite look as good, well at least until the Radeon drops belowe 30 fps LOL