Graphics help... confussedd??

They've just been an absolute pain in the backside - shoddy drivers causing crashes, heat problems, faulty cards needing to be returned - it's been a nightmare.

 

i c and also is there a big upgrade if i get 256 mb and not 512 for the 8800 gt xfx

 

is it necassary to get after market cooling for a vid card even if u oc it

 

to the first one: Yes, the 256MB 8800GT is rubbish. ONLY look at the 512MB and 1GB versions.
to the second: It's rarely essential, but it's always nice. The Thermalright HR-03GT is one of the best for that.

 

do ppl oc a vid card what is the advantage is it noticable and is it hard to do

 

People do, but mainly just to up their 3dmark score. It doesn't usually yield any performance benefit above 10% extra. It's easy, but given how small a difference it makes, it's hardly worth bothering.

 

cool

 

how much will the ati 3xxx series price go down after the new series release on may 31st...

 

I wouldn't like to say, but realistically, if the new ones are out I wouldn't buy the old ones - the new gen cards should be much faster, and with any luck a little bit more reliable than the 3800 series.

 

if you can get a 3870 cheaper then both the 8800GT and 9600GT, then get it 100%

but IMO bang for buck right now is the 512 8800GT.

(untill you factor in Nvidia driver for vista, inwhicase the ATI would be better)

if you can get the 3870 for $20-$30 cheaper get it IMO.

you wont notice the difference of 5-10 FPS when your getting over 60 FPS on most games.

what res you gaming at?

and sam, factory OCed one are meant to run at their OCs, they have been heavily tested.

 

so why don't they work? The number of EVGA Superclocked / HIS Turbo and so on cards I've seen to have issues with artifacting and crashes is crazy, I don't think they're tested anywhere near well enough.

Overall the 3870 hasn't been as satisfying to use as a product than the X1900XT that preceded it, yes the stock cooler is quieter (if buzzy as hell) but it just doesn't have the assured reliability of the older cards. Still, it can play Source engine games at 2560x1600, which the X1900 couldn't do since it was never written in the driver... :S
I think I may have been a little too harsh on ATI really given the circumstances. DOA cards do happen, and the faulty card seems really to only have issue because the fan speed wasn't changing AT ALL... Reviews I've read of the 8800s don't put them that far ahead.
I'm curious about the vista drivers, what's so bad about the nvidia ones?

 

well tbh, ic ant really comment on pre OCed cards but mine (XFX 7800GTX) and its been superb (And its 3rd hand, and has been underwater being OCed tot he max before me)


oh and for the vista driver... the first WHQL driver for any 8 (and below) series card after december 07 was may 08.... (SHOCKING!)

they have beta every two days, where as ati have WHQL driver every month w.o fail. hell the 9800pro had 6 months worth of drivers before the 8800GTX did.

oh and an article came out last motnh which i can back up saying the one thing that BSODS Vista the most is NVIDIA DRIVERs.

infact i have nto gotten a BSOD due to vista's kernal etc. none to due to MS, and even wheni did it was caus of an OC faliing after othros stressing. but the ones that happen to me are Nvidias drivers.

 

ill be gaming at 1280 x 1024 and no vista just xp sp2...

 

at that res 8800GT or 3870 will be fine, just find the cheapest

 

what about 3850, 9600 gt or 8800 gs

 

imo, the 3850 will be best as its the cheapest.

if the cheapest card you can find is the 512 version of that, you can clock it, so itll perform as much as the 3870.

but the 8800GS is a very good card for the price, and if you can find that cheaper, get that.

im not sure about the american market, but with the 8800GT being around £110 here, and the 3850 512 being around £75, and the 8800GS being about £80, they have all the bases covered.

and from them i would go 3850, or 8800GT

 

so which is better 9600 gt 9600 gso 8800gs or 3850

 

The HD3850 is by far the slowest of those, but might be the cheapest. The 8800GS is usually also very cheap now, and performs similarly to the 3870, so I'd go with that.

 

imo, 384mb memory aint gonan be much if you want to pt on AA/AF

the 9600GSO IS the 8800GS just with a new sticker.

the 3850 is the cheapest but seing as it can run at 3870 speeds, i would go fr it, or if you have the money 8800GT

 

yeah, 8800GT above all, if you can afford it.

I'm aware the 8800GS is short on memory, but it's been on special offer at a lot of places for only 70 quid, the 9600GT is barely less than 100.