6800gt Or 6600gt?

[Tjoe2000]

Hello everyone! I'm new and I need advice.

O.K., I know that the 6800GT is twice the card that the 6600GT is (if not more), but I read elsewhere that if you have no larger than a 17" at a maximum resolution of 1280 X 1024, that you will not reap the benefits of the 6800GT. They were saying that you may as well just get the 6600GT and save your money. Is this TRUE?!?

What I'm asking everyone is this: is it just overkill to get the 6800GT running on a 17" max 1280 X 1024?

Also, is an MSI 6800GT any good? I found one in PCIE for $330. I keep wanting a BFG, but the cheapest I've seen it is $399. If MSI is any good, then.....

 

Thanks, everyone.

Edited April 18, 2005 by Tjoe2000

[cold_snipe]

I'd say it all depends on you. I would get a 6600GT and play at 1024 () even tho i could do 1280, i dont need it. What games are you going to play? HL2, doom3, i think will run fine at avg. aa/af (60+) but i dont really know, please someone correct me if im wrong. As for MSI, it is great, super, A++, w00t, pwnz0rz, etc.

 

 

 

 

 

and oh, welcome to OCC

[Kash]

A monitor's desktop resolution shouldn't even be part of the question. For the most part, very few monitors can take advantage of the resolutions graphics cards are capable of. What you buy a card for is the performance in video games. Since you know that the 6800GT is a better card than the 6600GT, you should also know that the 6800GT will perform better in any game thrown at it compared to the 6600GT.

 

Now, your monitor will prevent you from playing at higher resolutions. However, the better card will allow you to turn on a lot more of the eye-candy, especially Anti-Aliasing and Anisotropic Filtering. So if you can afford the 6800GT, I'd suggest you go with that (that's assuming you're a big gamer). If you're not too much into games and how they look, then you should just stick with the 6600GT.

[Tjoe2000]

I actually just bought an ATi X800XL (PCIe), but I have 2 weeks to return it if I wish.

I like Halo, Doom3, etc., havent played HL2 yet, but plan for it.

I am really, really an NVidia guy, I mean I've always had them, and for whatever reason I am just very comfortable with them. I've been having trouble keeping a new card lately. First I tried an ATi X700 Pro at the suggestion of Best Buy Guy: wasn't happy. I returned it and got the X800XL, and although it's a pretty nice card, I'm just not comfortable with it, and I think its because its not an NVidia. (Plus, when I play Doom3, something is not right. I can see what looks like a wave of water about 2/3 up the screen all the way across. This is only when my man turns one way or the other. What the Heck IS that?)

I guess what I'm sayin' is that I want an NVidia, and I want to know if its worth it for me to get the 6800GT over the 6600GT with a 17" Flat Monitor. Also, I keep wanting a BFG 6800GT, is this a brand that is any better/worse than the others? I can get it for $399 @ Best Buy, but if it's no better than an MSI for $330, then...

[GregP24]

Best Buy has a sale on the BFG 6600GT OC PCIe for $150 after rebates - wouldn't be a bad route to go.

I'm using a 6600GT in my rig while I have tbones2k vmod my X800XL. It's not a bad card really. I play Doom3:RoE@1280x1024 with 2xAA/16xAF/high quality and it runs fine. I run WoW@1600x1200/4xAA/16xAF/max detail and it runs fine as well. What little I could get to play of SCCT@1600x1200 was fine as well.

[gravy]

A monitor's desktop resolution shouldn't even be part of the question. For the most part, very few monitors can take advantage of the resolutions graphics cards are capable of. What you buy a card for is the performance in video games. Since you know that the 6800GT is a better card than the 6600GT, you should also know that the 6800GT will perform better in any game thrown at it compared to the 6600GT.

 

Now, your monitor will prevent you from playing at higher resolutions. However, the better card will allow you to turn on a lot more of the eye-candy, especially Anti-Aliasing and Anisotropic Filtering. So if you can afford the 6800GT, I'd suggest you go with that (that's assuming you're a big gamer). If you're not too much into games and how they look, then you should just stick with the 6600GT.

464269[/snapback]

 

actually, in the case of the 6600GT vs. 6800GT dilemma, the intended use as far as monitor resolution and refresh rate is about the ONLY thing that would swing one in any particular direction, besides the drastic price difference, i can score nearly as high in benchmarks with my 6600GT as many 6800GT's and Ultra's even, and as far as gaming settings, i usually play all games at 1280x1024, full details, with various amounts of AA/AF depending on how beneficial it is and i never miss a lick, for instance, CS:S at 1280x1024 32bit color @ 85Hz, full details, 2xAA/4xAF is what i play at everyday, no sweat

 

the small performance increase from a 6600GT to a 6800GT at resolutions below 1600x1200 are by no means worth the doubling of price for said card, unless you enjoy paying 50% more for 5% more performance, if so, you wouldn't even care to know which is better as you would have more money than sense and would just buy the highest priced card

 

now i realize this isn't a direct comparison, it's a comparison of HL2 performance with a 6800 vs. 6600GT, but the difference from 6600GT ->6800 ->6800GT, and so on is negligable especially when you compare the price vs. performance factor, a.k.a. "bang for the buck"

 

http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=2278&p=13

 

SO, to sum it all up, unless you are a benchmark score addict or want to play(and have a monitor capable of) at 1600x1200 with high levels of AA/AF, then the 6800GT is an overpriced piece of hardware, especially considering the price of a 6600GT AGP card is as low as $170 now, PCI-E even lower, and at common resolutions such as 800x600, 1024x768, 1280x1024, even with AA/AF cranked up, the two cards will perform near equally, and you will DEFINATELY not see a $100 or more increase, probably wont even be able to see or feel the difference, factor in the fact that the rest of your system has to be pretty stout in order for the extra GPU performance to be realized, and you've got yourself a virtual tie IMO

 

[Tjoe2000]

GregP24.....Where do you find that sale? I 've been looking at Best Buy and all I can see is a $20.00 rebate for the BFG 6600GT.

Gravy.....Your a Hell of a good salesman! But more questions. Pixel pipelines for the 6600GT is @8, while 6800GT has 16. Your saying that this is not going to have a big NOTICIBLE difference at this resolution. So, the pipelines are for larger resolutions? For Quicker FPS?

If these Higher level cards are just overkill, then why do so many people own them? For hobby? Competition? TimTayloritis?

If I drop down to the 6600GT from this X800XL, I'm not going to miss a beat? I won't even see the difference at this resolution?

Also, can someone please tell me what AA and AF does for you?

Edited April 18, 2005 by Tjoe2000

[HoLoDreaM]

the reason people buy the most top of the line cards is kuz they want the absolute best of the best! and the higher the card... the longer it will have you prepared for any future games...

 

im buying a BFG 6800 Ultra OC this weekend for $399

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/Se...09&Sku=B52-1000

 

Lifetime Warranty too... i can return it and get a new one anytime i want.. haha that is one BADASS deal for a 6800 Ultra, not to mention its a BFG

[ir_cow]

what are you talking about gravy?!?!? my gt6800 doesnt peforme anything like a 6600GT, thats b/c the 66 are 8pipe and the 68 are 16pipe, if you scoring nearly the same my bets of your CPU cant handle the extra power and doesnt use it.

[trace]

if you arent crazy about benchmarks and high resolutions, get the 6600GT. i game all the time and my card suits me just fine. save yourself $200 and go buy something else. also, you should prolly see a improvement in the doom3 gameplay, but not other games

Edited April 18, 2005 by trace

[Varry]

++++ buy a 6800gt and zalman cooliny 700cu i think, flash the bios to a 6800ultra, and there you go, you have a 6800ultra for the price of a gt!!

[Tjoe2000]

My main concern is picture quality. I don't (as of yet) play online games because of my connection, so speed is not the biggest issue yet. How noticable is 8 pipes from 16 pipes?

That is a GREAT buy on that Ultra! Makes me wish I had gotten AGP instead of PCIe. I GUARANTEE I would also buy that. The BFG 6800GT I'm looking at is the same price at Best Buy. Whats with the same card being priced different on the same sight? Even NewEgg has cards priced differently that are apparently the same card. Must be a slight difference. What are the differences?

My Mobo is weird. I'm not sure the model (its branded Intel), but the PCIe slot is upside down. I mean, most cards I've seen go in fan side down, mine goes fan side UP, therefore I don't think I could install a double slotted card like the Ultra. (Could I? Anyone have a "Fix for this?")