ATI Video card question 128mb or 256mb

[Lightumup]

I stumbled across this forum, and am very happy I found it. I have searched and reviewed trying to find out if I want to purchase a ATI 9800 pro 128 mb card, or ATI 9800 pro 256mb card.

I do not upgrade that often the last time I did was two years ago when I purchased my Ti 4400 video card. I know the new cards are comming out soon, but I like to stay a model behind. would a ATI 128 mb card last for this year and most of next year, or should I get the 256mb card? I do not want to have to upgrade again in 6 months.

I use my computer for gaming and want to play everything with the best eye candy settings I can get. I am also upgrading my processor, motherboard, and Ram.

I know that performance wise there is not that much of a difference in performance between the two at the lower resolutions, but surely the 256mb would allow you to crank the detail on everything way up with no slow downs right?

Thank you for helping me make up my mind and any info you can send my way.

Thank you

Lightumup

[kram 2.0]

Welcome to PC Mech forums

Telling you the truth, I don't think there is a good enough preformance difference between the 256 MB and the 128 MB to pay the difference. I just bought my ATI Radeon 9800 128, and I think it's a pretty nice deal. After all, those prices are dropping rapidly - 200+ USD for a verrry high performance card. If you intend on getting every ounce of performance out of a card, then I would just jump to the ATI Radeon 9800 XT.

Hope that helps,
kram

[QuickSilver]

I have a buddy who still runs every game out there righ now on a 9000 pro. He is just now getting to the point where an upgrade might be needed if he still wants to crank everything up on the games that are coming out as of late. I would go with the 128. They have yet to come out with a game that will bog down my 9700pro 128 with all the settings as high as they will go.

[glc]

Unless you want to run some ridiculous resolution such as 1600x1200, the 128mb card will be plenty for quite a while to come, and the ram on the 128 is faster than the ram on the 256.

[morriswindgate]

When you compare the 9800 to the 9600xt, the 9600 has higher speeds and the other spec's are the same.

[Brown Hornet]

if you upgrade every two year's that 9800 pro 128mb will hold you for sure.i thought about buying the 9800 pro but my 9700 pro is still ticking

[QuickSilver]

Originally posted by morriswindgate When you compare the 9800 to the 9600xt, the 9600 has higher speeds and the other spec's are the same.

What?

[glc]

Ayep. Just scanned through the 9800, 9800 Pro, and 9600 XT's at Newegg. VPU and ram speeds as follows:

9800: 325/600
9800 Pro: 380/680
9600 XT: 500/580 to 680

9600 XT VPU is faster, ram speeds are effectively a wash, but the real issue is the number of pipelines, perhaps Morris overlooked this detail.

[Brown Hornet]

the 9700np and up to the 9800xt all have 8 piplines and 256 bit memory interface.anything below has 4 piplines and are 128 bit,with the execption of the 9800se

[QuickSilver]

Ok, so the 9600 is not faster overall, it just has a higher clock.

[lil Jimmie]

Nope the 9600 PRO or 9600XT isn't faster so if you can get the 9700 Pro, 9800 Pro or 9800XT

[QuickSilver]

I have been extremely happy with my 9700pro. At this point, I have yet to see the advantage of a 9800, since even a 9600 will still run everything out there right now.

[lil Jimmie]

I dunno I have a 9600 PRO in my wife's PC and I can see it lag where the 9700 PRO and 9800 PRO don't, but your right the 9700 PRO is prolly the sweet spot if you can find one as it will OC to perform near to a 9800 PRO

[QuickSilver]

I OCed mine for a little while, but just set it back to default settings again since there is no visible diff in actual game play.

[kram 2.0]

At one point, my integrated GPU could run all the games! Then, it went into dust - integrated rocks no more . Of course, right now, 9700 Pro is still performing everything well. It's pipeline architecture and memory/core clock speed, all considered, make it an amazingly fast, high performing VPU. More can be said of the 9800s. But, all VPUs, at one point or another, will be overrun by the continually evolving gaming industry.

Hope that helps,
kram

[QuickSilver]

I'm still waiting for a game that can truly take advantage of all the technology.