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Graphics card upgrade

Discussion in 'Techno-Magic' started by Cap'n CJ, Jan 4, 2008.

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  1. Cap'n CJ

    Cap'n CJ Arrr! Veteran

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    Remove all ads!
    Okay, currently I have a 7900GS, it's a pretty nice card. Thing is, I downloaded the Crysis demo, and I now need to upgrade. I've been looking around, and come up with this lovely piece of kit. Question is: Will it give me a decent performance boost?
     
    Cap'n CJ, Jan 4, 2008
    #1
  2. Blackthorne TA

    Blackthorne TA Master in his Own Mind Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    If you can wait a few days, the new 8800GT is better and cheaper than the old 8800GTS.
     
    Blackthorne TA, Jan 4, 2008
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  3. Cap'n CJ

    Cap'n CJ Arrr! Veteran

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    Cap'n CJ, Jan 4, 2008
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  4. Blackthorne TA

    Blackthorne TA Master in his Own Mind Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    Looks good to me.
     
    Blackthorne TA, Jan 4, 2008
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  5. Cap'n CJ

    Cap'n CJ Arrr! Veteran

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    Bought! :) I did a 3d Mark test today, got around 4500. I'll do another when the new card gets here and post the results. I've heard of this upgrade doubling the results.
     
    Cap'n CJ, Jan 5, 2008
    #5
  6. Merlanni

    Merlanni Veteran New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!)

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    You will not be dissapointed, The Nvidia 8800GT is the card to get these days. The Ati 3870 is second best. Yes there are cards that give more power, but they cost a whole lot more in money and electricity(over 200 watts).
     
    Merlanni, Jan 5, 2008
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  7. Cap'n CJ

    Cap'n CJ Arrr! Veteran

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    Now I sit around and get impatient waiting for it to arrive :D
     
    Cap'n CJ, Jan 5, 2008
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  8. Cap'n CJ

    Cap'n CJ Arrr! Veteran

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    Note to all: Citylink suck as a delivery service.

    --

    Right, third post in a row to say that the graphics card is here and working and oh my god it's pure awesome.

    3dMark results:
    Old card - 7809
    New card - 16062

    The words you're looking for are "Holy crap..."
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 10, 2008
    Cap'n CJ, Jan 9, 2008
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  9. Kitrax

    Kitrax Pantaloons are supposed to go where!?!?

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    TBH, I've never heard of Gainward before. Are they a UK only manufacturer? :hmm: :rolling:
     
    Kitrax, Jan 11, 2008
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  10. Cap'n CJ

    Cap'n CJ Arrr! Veteran

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    They could be, I suppose. I'm not sure.
     
    Cap'n CJ, Jan 11, 2008
    #10
  11. Taluntain

    Taluntain Resident Alpha and Omega Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) BoM XenForo Migration Contributor [2015] (for helping support the migration to new forum software!)

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    Gainward is a computer hardware company which produces graphics cards. Their graphic cards are exclusively based on NVIDIA chipsets. Gainward products are famous for their overclockability. The company has also recently released cards that deviate from the reference specifications set forth by NVIDIA. They have released a 20 pixel pipeline 7800GS AGPs with 512 MiB of memory (based on the G70 core), and a 24 pixel pipeline 7800GS+ AGP video card with 512 MiB of memory (based on the G71 7900gt core).

    Gainward is well known for their famous 'Golden Sample' range of graphics cards. These cards are overclocked past their stock speeds and tested before they are sold, to ensure quality for their customers. Current examples of 'Golden Sample' cards are; nVidia 7900GS, 7900GT and 7950GT.

    Gainward had a gap in which they did not produce anything new but they have just started producing the nVidia 8800 GTS series which has brought them back up to date with other companies such as Gigabyte and PNY.

    (Source.)
     
    Taluntain, Jan 11, 2008
    #11
  12. Merlanni

    Merlanni Veteran New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!)

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    Gainward is one of the better brands for Nvidia. No cat in the bag. Hard to get in Holland. Here XFX is the best nvidia brand.
     
    Merlanni, Jan 11, 2008
    #12
  13. chevalier

    chevalier Knight of Everfull Chalice ★ SPS Account Holder Veteran

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    The problem with Gainward is that they have also released cards with specs lower than nVidia recommends - or less RAM than everyone else put on his chips. Gainward hardware was quite prestigious, but I think they were trying to capitalise on the name and sell some substandard cards too.

    A good thing for the customer is the purchase by Palit (formerly Daytona, formerly noname). Gainward 7600 GT, Palit 7600 GT. See my point? Palit 7600 GT was a great card. I loved it. It had more charm than my current Radeon HD 2600 XT, even if fewer fps in NWN2.
     
    chevalier, Jan 12, 2008
    #13
  14. Kitrax

    Kitrax Pantaloons are supposed to go where!?!?

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    Huh... If I'm shelling out a couple hundred dollars for a video card, I'm looking to get raw performance, reliability, and the quietest card for the money.

    The CueCat was a charming piece of tech... :p :shake: :rolling:
     
    Kitrax, Jan 12, 2008
    #14
  15. Merlanni

    Merlanni Veteran New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!)

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    The 2600 is a fair price card of around 100 euro, so not much. It gave a very good price/performance ratio but is indeed not the bang you expect from a new technology. The driver issue's are pretty much solved by now. Catalyst 7.12 Perhaps the omega drivers for xp will be better for some users. (Not the official catalyst) No vista omega as yet.

    Whit the introducton of its succesor the 3850 Ati pretty much puts the card in the recycle bin after it is introduced about a half year ago. The 3850 is the mid range card now and come in pci-express and yes, AGP. Basicly a scaled down 2900 but whit DX10.1, pci-e 2.0 and far less powerconsumption.
     
    Merlanni, Jan 13, 2008
    #15
  16. chevalier

    chevalier Knight of Everfull Chalice ★ SPS Account Holder Veteran

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    Merlanni, I have a Sapphire 2600XT on the AGP slot and I can't install any drivers except those that came with my card. It doesn't matter if it's official or Omega or which version. It just says it can't detect any compatible hardware. I know the problem from other hardware, but generally it disappears if you install what comes on the CD and then update with what latest version you've downloaded. In my current case, nothing. Just the CD I got with the card. And I'd really like to switch over to Omega.
     
    chevalier, Jan 14, 2008
    #16
  17. Merlanni

    Merlanni Veteran New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!)

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    Ofcourse you went to the official Ati site. I will ask around.

    More people have that: cannot find card problem whit 7.12 I found this on the Ati boards.

    This is a long shot but he says this one:http://www.sapphiretech.com/en/driverfiles/377.zip

    second change. driver 7.7 after clean uninstall of all ati software is mentioned as the only AGP one. rest is buggy for agp says that source

    Third: http://www.techspot.com/vb/showthread.php?t=94762

    also sent in an pm but extra: the hotfix 8.1 is out for the agp issue. It is not the official 8.1 driver say some, ohters say it is but whitout ccc. My geuss catalyst control center. I would try the hotfix first and perhaps later the 8.2. To find this erro, of not recognizing the agp vards, Ati importe an old user system for testing. They ahd no idea until community members came whit it. I really hope it helps your card.

    (I have the gigabyte hd2600xt but whit the gddr4 memory)
     
    Last edited: Jan 17, 2008
    Merlanni, Jan 14, 2008
    #17
  18. chevalier

    chevalier Knight of Everfull Chalice ★ SPS Account Holder Veteran

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    Thankee. I've tried everything from Sapphire tech before and nothing has worked. The oldest I've tried, however, has been 7.8. That's what I have on the CD, I think.
     
    chevalier, Jan 14, 2008
    #18
  19. Disciple of The Watch

    Disciple of The Watch Preparing The Coming of The New Order Veteran

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    Well, I don't know about the 8800, but I own a 3870 and I'm very, very satisfied by the performances it dishes out. Haven't done benchmarks since I really could care less about some numbers - the raw performance of the card is good enough for me.
     
    Disciple of The Watch, Jan 15, 2008
    #19

  20. Stu Gems: 20/31
    Latest gem: Garnet

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    8800GT is faster, but the 3870 (and 3850 for that matter) is very close and ATi have marketed it at a very aggressive price, giving you ever so slightly more bang for buck than the 8800GT. ATI cards also tend to handle multi-card shenanigans better than nVIDIA.

    What I'm trying to say is they're all top cards and you can't really go wrong with any of them.
     
    Stu, Jan 15, 2008
    #20
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