The Official OC (OverClocking) Thread!

Actually from what I've read it's more like 10 and 12. You don't need much to surpass the console graphics, but just as well really, as you need a very beefy CPU to run the game, as most of the effects are processed by the CPU, not the graphics card.

 

So basically the Q6600 @ 3.0GHz and a 8600GT or a 9800GT, which is better for the money, would work fine. I don't care about running games at max, I have a PS3 for that.

 

I assume you meant 8800GT vs 9600GT. The 8600 and 9800 are miles apart!

 

Completely different cards but neither of them is going to play a lot of games. The 8600GT has only 32 stream processors and is fine for surfing the net and word processing. The 9600GT has 64 stream processors and will play some low demanding games probably mostly older ones. To get anything that will play a variety of games with Nvidia you really should be looking at cards with 96 to 112 stream processors as the bare minimum. For that kind of money you would do much better with an ATI solution unless you're folding.

 

To be fair, the 9600GT isn't that bad. Don't you have an HD3870 Soph? It's no slower than that.

 

I do have an HD 3870 and it would walk all over the 9600GT. I also have an 8800GS (96 stream processors) which is considerably faster than the 9600GT (64 stream processors) and the 3870 will easily beat that too. I have two 8800GTS (G92) cards (128 stream processors) and they are in about the same range as the the HD 3870. My fastest card currently is the GTX260 with 194 stream processors.

 

Actually, The 9600GT and 8800GS are about 10% behind the HD3870, that's hardly being walked all over.

 

I never said that the HD 3870 would walk all over the 8800GS although even 10% is significant, I said that it would walk all over the 9600GT which is slower than the 8800GS. In test that I've seen even the HD 3850 beats the 9600GT. Now my two GTS (G92) cards will beat my HD 3870 by a fair margin but then they are the exact same card as the 9800GTX. On average I think that the HD 3870 is probably closer to 15% to 20% faster depending on the game than the 9600GT. Now that's a walk.

 

OK, Sam I'm yanking your chain a bit. I was wondering why you didn't ask me why I had all those Nvidia cards. One thing for certain is that the GTS (G2)cards are incredible overclockers.

 

10-20% does not stop it from being a good card though, to say you can only play older games at medium detail is unfair. See my post in the graphics card thread for more details.

 

I don't need to see your post in the graphics card section to know that the 9600GT is going to choke on a lot of games, because I've asked myself. It will play some with lower detail settings but it's not card that one would consider gaming with. I wouldn't even consider gaming with the 8800GS that I have because there will be more than a few games beyond its reach. I've tested all of my cards and I think that I have a pretty good grasp of what they can do. My advice to anyone looking for a low range Nvidia card would be to not buy one with less than 112 stream processors such as a 9800GT if they want to be able to play most games.

 

Currently I am running a 6800GT, yea old technology. I'm still able to run games at low settings except for GTA4. When I was comparing the 8600 and 9800, I didn't mean 8800. Those are still considerably more expensive than the 9800. Is the 9800 or 8800 better?

 

That depends on which 8800 and 9800. I picked up a couple of 8800GTS (G92) cards for $124 each. They are really just slightly underclocked 9800GTX cards. So in this case one would get the one with the best price since they both will overclock to the same speed. The 9800GT would make a really decent budget gaming card for about $120 US.

I tried a copy of FarCry2 I got for free on the 8800GS card and I was unhappy with the result. I don't know what you want to spend on a card but you can get a 9600GSO (96 stream processors) for between $70 and $80 and it is faster than a 9600GT as well. The issue will however be that in a year the newer games are going to become an issue.


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150320

 

The 9600GT, 8800GS and 9600GSO are all almost identical in practice, there's less than 10% between them. More powerful cards like the HD4830 are far better.

 

True. For gaining I agree choose the HD 4830 and for an HTPC definitely the HD4830, but for folding for now, Nvidia.

While we've had this discussion I've ordered two motherboards and a 750watt Corsair power supply. I don't game a lot but I do use them as measures of power because I keep getting them for free video cards. I just got a free full copy of FarCry2 with the GTX260 card I just purchased. Of course it won't pay for the two power supplies the card just put in their graves. LOL

 

Take a look at one of these. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127370
It's one of the better and cooler running HD 4850s. Tough to beat for $159 after a $20 MIR.

Russ

 

Russ


Great choice but we've already been trying to move him from $70 to $100. This is kind of like the AMD and Intel debate. There are some folks that will go with Nvidia regardless of the cards standing when compared to an ATI card, and others ATI even when Nvidia is ahead, and I think its GTX295 comeback is going to achieve that. Yes it's just the old GTX2000 GPU reduced to a smaller die size but sometimes that's enough.

 

the 9600GT is on par with the 3870, beating it with AA/AF....

the 9600GSO/8800GS (same card diffrernt name, ala 8800GT/9800GT) are a little less, esp with only 384BM memory and a 192bit bus.

for folding, the 9800GX2 gives nearly 10,000ppd, stick 3 of those in an x58/680i/750i/780i/790i, and your laughing

if the GTX295 is priced at or under the 4870x2, that would be nice, i dont see it happening, but it would be a nice surprise

 

The GTX295 drivers seem pretty near final state, and the card performs exactly as I expected. It's MSRP is $500, but the exchange between US and UK for nvidia is less favourable than for ATI, strangely, so I would expect HD4870X2 £350, GTX295 £400-£450. Overall, the GTX295 works out a mere 6% faster than the 4870X2, and only 4% faster than two 4870 1GB cards in traditional crossfire. Add to this that at the moment, the GTX295 has issues with high levels of Anti-Aliasing. Hopefully they'll be fixed by final release.

 

Nope!

Initially that was true with the 480 Point units but with the 511 point WU's the 9800GX2's are experiencing serious issues and are crashing.


The expected price for the GTX295 is $499.