Video Card Question

**Nuckle** · 04-18-07, 08:10 AM

I currently have a Nvidia 7800GS. I was looking on newegg today and realized that they have come out with some newer AGP cards. I would like to get another year out of my current PC if possible:

P4 3.2 - Oced to 3.5
2 gis of DDR400

They have a 7950GT, here is a link to the two products side by side http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814143046

Would I see a big difference in these two cards? Should I stick with what I have until I replace the entire machine? My current PC would end up being a media PC once retired from gaming.

Nuck

**Mcstrange** · 04-18-07, 08:31 AM

that would give you a pretty big improvement, another option would be the 1950pro:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...eon+X1K+series

either of which should give you a nice jump in performance:
http://www23.tomshardware.com/graphi...=581&chart=199

**Nuckle** · 04-18-07, 03:46 PM

I may get one then.

I will choose to stay away fom the radeon. I am nvidia all the way and will not change until I have a reason. I have owned one radeon and had bad luck with it. Was probably a fluke but it happened. I have never had an issue with nvidia and I am on my 6th card with them. Sold the other 5 as they were still working great. Before that it was voodoo and I wish that had been able to stay in business.

Nuck

**Gumby** · 04-18-07, 05:00 PM

If I read your post correctly, you have an AGP board and a 7800GS

To be honest, I do not think that you should invest any more hard-earned $$$ in AGP
most modern games will play just fine on your current set up. If those were my hard-earned dollars, I would wait until I had enough of them together to upgrade to PCI-E

**rock_lobster** · 04-18-07, 05:15 PM

Actually just stick with your 7800 gs until you get some $$$ to upgrade your stuff to PCI-E. But if you cant wait, new egg has 7600gt's for about 109 a piece after the rebate. Run dual 7600 gt's in agp and it will prolly run better than any of those single cards, and is def cheaper. Also, what kind of motherboard do you have? That could actually bottleneck your performance on any card making anything you buy no better than what you had.

***edit***

Actually, now that I look, it looks like only the 7600 gt PCI-E's are 109...the AGP ones are 164. But yeah, I still recommend waiting it out.

**jason_jinx** · 04-18-07, 05:55 PM

Would I see a big difference in these two cards? Should I stick with what I have until I replace the entire machine? My current PC would end up being a media PC once retired from gaming.

Just wait and save your $$$ for your new machine. A new mobo is a must cause most cards that are high end do not support AGP. ATI should be coming out with a new card soon that will double everything the 7950 has.

**BigHub** · 04-18-07, 11:48 PM

the AGP 1950PRO out-does the PCI express version... so... ha!

**Mcstrange** · 04-19-07, 09:30 AM

I think your system is decent enough, other than being a single core proc, that you could spring for something like the ati 1950 pro for $180-200 and get close to another year out of your system...

IF your serious about spending 270$ for an agp card get the ATI 1950XT:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814241049

Originally Posted by Nuckle

I am nvidia all the way and will not change until I have a reason.

Ill let tom give you the reason:

http://www.tomshardware.com/2007/04/...ney/index.html
In AGP, the X1950 XT has been released by Gecube and is available online. This is, quite simply, the fastest card to ever grace the AGP interface.

your short changing yourself by not considering ATI, the at 1950pro is probably one of the best video cards for the money to come along in years, and if your spending 270 on an AGP card your a fool if you dont get the best one available.

The only other thing I would suggest is hold off for a bit and see if something like the Nvidia 8600 is put out in AGP form as that would run 150-225

**Nuckle** · 04-20-07, 02:34 PM

Thanks for all the input guys. I think I am going to hold out a while. Try to get another 9 months out of what I have and then build from the ground up. If I started today my wife would probably let me spend a decnet amount of money on a machine but if I am a good little boy and work with what I have for a while but make it clear I need a new computer she will let me spend what I want within reason. I shall be building a beast before year end though and I am more than happy for you guys to help me spend my money. I will only have two rules, Nvidia and Intel.

Nuck

**...bigdog...** · 04-20-07, 03:39 PM

There is no....real gain in going from a 7800 to a 7950

look at the blue bars...
http://www23.tomshardware.com/graphi...=581&chart=231

http://www23.tomshardware.com/graphi...=581&chart=199

And if the best you could get would be the X1950XTX in AGP... you're barely talking a 20-30% increase in 3dMark06's
http://www23.tomshardware.com/graphi...=586&chart=231

I don't see the benefit.

In my case, I had a much older X800XT, and switching from that to an X1950pro literally doubled my 3d performance
http://www23.tomshardware.com/graphi...=607&chart=227

So...in that case, there was a benefit. your 7800 just doesn't suck enough to pay for marginal gains in a new AGP Card. I would wait as well.