Video Card Thread (Mostly Gecube x1950xt)

Not necessarily, similar but they probably have more in them given how advanced the 8800 series is. More to slow the CPU down.

 

Yeah, but I wouldn't say 256MB is enough for the newest games anymore.
It seems to me like 512MB is the new lowest standard, for a while already actually.
Especially for all the HD-gaming and everything.

 

Indeed, 512MB can't do quake 4 on ultra, and that's not exactly a new game any more...

 

Anyone else play the Crysis demo wirh their card? What are some benches?

Can this get stickied? I know a lot of people out on the net who would want to know about this....

 

Well hey im here to join the queue for problems regarding this wonderful card.. after reading the first 21 pages... now im bored xD

so... what have i dones so far, first thing is i've set it to the recommended overclock 675/702, due to PC shutting itself down i've then replaced my 550w with a 700w dual 12v rail PSU, must say its shut itself down less a few times today.

Temperature, i've attempted the tape mod using packaging tape.. (cheap..) just to pressurize it, so far temps have been idling at 49-50. but to be honest i dont think the backplate temps for me get hot at all since i've got a Scythe CPU fan blowing out directly at it, my CPU doesnt need it since its got a huge chunk of metal sitting on it.

little pic of what it looks like (ignore the vampire panda ):



after running fur cube from ATI tool, temperatures managed to hit 76 within 10mins of spinning, not too happy on that.

But whatever, next i've been playing with 3D Mark 06, happily got a 5011 score just a few minutes ago, only thing that seemed to disappoint was the CPU only gaining something like 977 points.

So honestly any recommendations to cool this monster? i've been really thinking of buying a Zalman cooler to replace it also the recommened AC5, but before i do any of that i kind of would like some feedback before splashing out on more useless parts.

 

Yes, a Zalman cooler will work great! Just dont forget some AS5 and you'll need to buy heatsinks as the ones that usually come with coolers are cheap and very small. I have the Tidewater, paid around $60 for it and it works great. I never get into 60s with it on the high setting.

Btw, can you post a pic of the 3dmark06 score? Just interested in seeing.

 

ok strange... i lost 500 points today on 3D Mark..
but whatever.. have a screenshot:

 

just did a second test and ended up with another loss of 7 points, not bothered right now

umm... so i was thinking of getting this a Zalman VF1000-LED VGA Cooler
but im not 100% sure if its compatible with my card. ><;
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HS-032-ZA&groupid=701&catid=57&subcat=787

and second choice was Zalman VF900-CU Quiet Copper VGA Cooler
but whats stopping me on this one is that it looks puny and weak, so i have no clue how its going to perform.
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=SY-008-ZA&groupid=701&catid=57&subcat=787

 

THe VF1000 is for the 8800 series only, so it wont be compatable with your card. The VF900 will work with the x1950xt series, and its actully a pretty good cooler. It doesnt take the heat out of your case, so it will leave it in it creating a possibly higher CPU and mobo temp. But, its a great cooler, I have herd many good reviews from it.

As for 3dmark06, I see you're using the Omegas! Good choice, me too. Also, are you forcing your GPU to run at the default 3d clocks which are 648/702? It seams that everytime I play a game, and exit out, the clocks remained the same the whole time, at 504/6** I believe.

Btw, I would think that you would never get to pass 5000 in 3dmark06, since I cant and I have a slightly faster CPU... I get in the low 1000s for it though...

 

hm... so the v900 cooler it is then, would i be needing the ram sinks too?

shame i didnt screen the results for the 5011 mark, however i'll re-run some other drivers see if i get any higher scores with them.
and nope my clocks are automatically set to 675/702 as soon as my PC boots up.

ok instead i think i'll be trying some of this OCZ stuff
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/66688

 

Why not AS5?

 

coz its not available on that website and i dont want to pay 2x delivery ><;

another thing i dont exactly understand being the noob i am is how to apply the thermal paste ; i usually apply it so that none of the chip shows, but after reading the arctic silver pdf, it shows only to apply a small amount to the center and then put the heatsink on... is this correct? =o

 

You want a VERY thin layer, so all the gaps are filled. Despite what many people think, thermal paste is very poor heat conductor, compared to metal. That's why if you have too much paste it will stay in the paste and not go on to the HSF to me dissipated.

 

just bought the VF900 and some AC5, should be arriving on tuesday, umm.. any recommendations on what to use to remove the existing paste?

 

rubbing alcohol.

 

Yeah rubbing alcohol should do it. Take a coffee filter, put alcohol on it, and clean off your thermal paste.

 

looks like i'll have to go shopping tommorow then =p

just ran the Gecube sites recommended drivers obtained these scores



ran the AMD ones after but scored even lower results on 3DMark, but im guessing thats cuz i've been running too many tests..

 

Sorry about my absence, our internet's been cut off for a while...
After putting my new motherboard in I can get my CPU to 3.15Ghz and my new 3dmark rests at 6867. Not too bad, but I wonder whether I can make 7000 considering my CPU seems fairly resilient to overclocking much further (but hey, 75% ain't bad).

 

So here is my new 3Dmark score:

Main Test Results
3DMark Score 6492 3DMarks
SM 2.0 Score 2578 Marks
SM 3.0 Score 2554 Marks
CPU Score 2785 Marks

Now what! This is with my CPU running at less than what I normally run at! Now I just need to get more RAM, and I can probably break 7000 maybe.

 

MaccerM Mike
Kardson Travis
Abuzar1 Abuzar
Sammorris Sam
Waymon3x6 Ray
Harvrdguy Rich

Sam....................6755..........................E4300-3ghz...........2gig..............x1900xt 512mb
Mike....................5982......(5600)...........E6320 2.11ghz......2gig...............gecube
Abuzar new card....6492..........................E6400-3.44ghz.....1gigDDR2........7900gtx 512mb
Abuzar................5562 .........................E6400-3.44ghz.....1gigDDR2........x1900gt 256mb
Ray....................4758...........................P4 3.2 oc'd 3.75....3gigDDR400....gecube
Travis.................4499 ..........................P4 3.0..................2gigDDR400....gecube
Rich...................2260...........................P4 3.2..................1gigDDR400....x850xtpe 256mb

Forum tip: Scale jpgs to 760 pixels wide for best browing.