AGP cards.

[Snee]

I am looking for something cool, and which doesn't draw too much power.


I thought I had narrowed it down to one card.

It's got enough performance to last me for a bit, and at the same time it doesn't need a molex on the card (I think).

And it has plenty of RAM as well as VIVO, which is something I feel could be useful later on.

However, recently cards like this have started popping up, and I'm not quite as sure on which I should go for.

Is the Radeon 9600XT 256Mb w. VIVO worth the money? Or should I go for the 6200 128Mb Geforce with its pixel shader 3.0?

As you can tell, low heat emissions and a small power drain is more important than performance here, but I'd still like something I can play reasonably recent games with.

So 9600XT vs. 6200, what's good and what's bad with both cards?

(I've got a fairly good idea about what they can do, but additional input won't hurt.)

[Formula1]

I'd highly recommend a nvidia 6600GT which is only 213$ (about 125 pounds ? ). Anyway , it out performs the 9800 pro and xt i think . Plus its cheaper, but that's just me ...

[Snee]

Too big a power drain, is the impression I have of that chip.

It seems pretty good tho'.

[twister]

why not use the money you save buying that card and buy a 500 watt powersupply too?

[Snee]

'cos it won't fit in this

I built this one for portability, it's light and small, but the space is limited.

I'm gonna' fit three hds in there too maybe, so I'll need more juice for those.



At any rate less power means less heat, and that's good in that case.

EDit: I know the PSU in it can handle 6800s and x800s, but my airflow won't be all that great with that many hds, so something hi-spec is out of the question, sadly.

[Virtualbody1234]

If power is a main concern then the ATi doesn't have an extra power connector but the Nvidia does.



Here are links to the sites:

http://www.msi.com.tw/program/produc...il.php?UID=655

http://www.sapphiretech.com/vga/9600-xt.asp


And a large picture of the Sapphire:
Caution! Large file. http://www.sapphiretech.com/awards/image/media_289.jpg


Edit: I also think the ATi would produce less heat.

[Snee]

Thanks VB.

That makes me more inclined to go for the ati. Thank you very much.
There's certainly no point in going for the 6200 then.

Another card I was looking at before I decided on one of those two, was this, but the heat coupled with the bigger power drain made me very hesitant.

But if the 6200 requires the extra molex too that means that the drain isn't that much smaller, I think.

I've also been told that early gainward 6600s shipped with badly mounted heatsinks. Which is a potential hassle.

The ati costs nearly as much and the 6600s seem so very good, so sometimes it feels like a shame to settle for the 9600, I think I have been thinking about for too long.

But, uhm, that helped me to nearly decide in favour of the Ati.

[twister]

x800 is alot smaller then 6800s i hear

[Snee]

Yup, but they both generate a lot of heat

I've got something like a 100+ cfms pumping through that case right now, and the temps aren't that low, and that's with a very cool gfx card, a cpu voltage of 1.475, and only one hd, I'd hate to see what'd happen with another hd AND one of those cards.

EDit: I tell a lie, it's two hds already, d'oh.

[Virtualbody1234]

Thanks VB.

That makes me more inclined to go for the ati. Thank you very much.
There's certainly no point in going for the 6200 then.

Another card I was looking at before I decided on one of those two, was this, but the heat coupled with the bigger power drain made me very hesitant.

But if the 6200 requires the extra molex too that means that the drain isn't that much smaller, I think.

I've also been told that early gainward 6600s shipped with badly mounted heatsinks. Which is a potential hassle.

The ati costs nearly as much and the 6600s seem so very good, so sometimes it feels like a shame to settle for the 9600, I think I have been thinking about for too long.

But, uhm, that helped me to nearly decide in favour of the Ati.

If you also compare the heatsinks you'll see that the ATi doesn't require as extensive cooling. Much smaller heatsink.