Asus EN9800GTX 512MB Videocard Review

[polobunny]

Originally Posted by Quakindude

You'll say it only once? Give me a break. You aren't talking to a child here buddy. Why is it that when you disagree with the opinion, all of a sudden, the site linked isn't worth spit? You're gonna run out of sites at this rate.

Get defensive about it as much as you wish. If you've read what I've written, I didn't slam the review or anyones thoughts on it. However, I personally view the 9800GTX as more than just an overlocked G92. There's been some incremental improvements, and no...I'm not aware of what all they are and could care less, that make it a card worth serious consideration and you can't deny it performs better than the other G92 cards. The 8800GTS G92 cards approaching the clocks of the 9800GTX are easily well over the $200 price point.

I coulda swore I said I wouldn't upgrade to this card from another G92. But I have a shitty memory, so maybe not. If I'm gonna get hammered like this for expressing an opinion, I'll stop saying anything at all. This is the third time I've expressed an opinion that doesn't fall directly inline with the review opinion where people have "sorta" jumped me for having a different opinion than the one offered. I'll say it only once. I don't appreciate it.

It's nothing against you Tom, sorry if I gave you that impression, but it's not the first time I've read something doubtful from OC Club. I just don't want to slam a website endlessly hence why I said I would say that only once. They do what they want, I just won't refer to them as a reliable source of information.

I totally respect your opinion. If you believe the upgrade is worth it for you then hey, it's up to you. Your money, your decisions, you're old enough. :P It's just not worth it for me and I would likely not recommend the 9800GTX unless someone had too much money on his hands.

Overall, I can't deny that the 9800GTX will overclock higher;
-Better PCB
-Better voltage regulator modules
-0.02v more on the core
-0.8ns memory instead of 1.0ns IIRC
-Better cooling
-Possibly higher binned chips

However, for the clocks comparisons on reference models;
8800GTS 512MB
650MHz core, 1625MHz shader, 1940MHz memory

9800 GTX
675MHz core, 1688MHz shader, 2200MHz memory

A very small difference, as you can see. Nothing impossible for someone wanting to overclock his 8800GTS core and shader to 9800GTX speeds (and even higher) although the RAM can't be overclocked that high in most cases.
A factory overclocked MSI 8800GTS 512MB can be had for $179.99 after $30 MIR @ newegg
678Mhz core, 1654MHz shader, 1944MHz memory.
Newegg.com - MSI NX8800GTS 512M OC GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Desktop Graphics / Video Cards

All in all, I think the 9800GTX is a good product, just as the 8800GTS 512MB is a good one. Pricing just ain't right.

[Quakindude]

Ahh, my apologies then Polo. It came across as condescending to me for some reason. The joys of Internet communication. I should have asked for clarification instead of just reacting.

I don't have the time or patience right now to look it up, but I seem to recall the 8800GTS G92 not overclocking as easily as this 9800GTX does. Right now, with very little effort and with very low temps, this 9800GTX has impressed me.

Using Riva tuner, I have the card set at 815/2011 and 2310 memory. Running four instances of rthdribl at 640x480 and x4 multi, I'm stable with no artifacts or lock ups with 100-105 FPS. I've not pushed the card any higher as that also got me 27FPS in Crysis at 1920x1200 and high details. No AA/Ansio though. With the fan set to 70%, which puts the noise just under the rest of my fans, it runs 42°C Idle and 62°C load with rthdribl for two hours. This is in a 74°F house.


techPowerUp GPU-Z Validation fah94


14101 3D Marks


I can't really push the memory much more, but I do believe if I were to unlink the core and shader units, I could get more out of it. This new Q6600 doesn't overclock as well as my last one, otherwise, I could do significantly better. 3.0GHz is the max it will run 8+ hours primestable. My old one would easily hit 3.4GHz, although with higher temps.

For my needs, I'm happy with it. I'll run some of the other benchmarks in the review later tonight. I gotta go eat now.

[azianai]

honestly though the 9000 series cards aren't BAD, its just they're not the HUGE improvement the 8000 series was from the 7000.

[polobunny]

Originally Posted by Quakindude

Ahh, my apologies then Polo. It came across as condescending to me for some reason. The joys of Internet communication. I should have asked for clarification instead of just reacting.

I don't have the time or patience right now to look it up, but I seem to recall the 8800GTS G92 not overclocking as easily as this 9800GTX does. Right now, with very little effort and with very low temps, this 9800GTX has impressed me.

Using Riva tuner, I have the card set at 815/2011 and 2310 memory. Running four instances of rthdribl at 640x480 and x4 multi, I'm stable with no artifacts or lock ups with 100-105 FPS. I've not pushed the card any higher as that also got me 27FPS in Crysis at 1920x1200 and high details. No AA/Ansio though. With the fan set to 70%, which puts the noise just under the rest of my fans, it runs 42°C Idle and 62°C load with rthdribl for two hours. This is in a 74°F house.


techPowerUp GPU-Z Validation fah94


14101 3D Marks


I can't really push the memory much more, but I do believe if I were to unlink the core and shader units, I could get more out of it. This new Q6600 doesn't overclock as well as my last one, otherwise, I could do significantly better. 3.0GHz is the max it will run 8+ hours primestable. My old one would easily hit 3.4GHz, although with higher temps.

For my needs, I'm happy with it. I'll run some of the other benchmarks in the review later tonight. I gotta go eat now.

It's alright, I understand how you could have took my post as condescending. It's not like I was always an angel too, but this one really wasn't a hit at you. :P

I believe you on the overclock too. Like said, there's many reasons why the 9800GTX overclocks better than the 8800GTS G92.

Originally Posted by azianai

honestly though the 9000 series cards aren't BAD, its just they're not the HUGE improvement the 8000 series was from the 7000.

Yeah it's pretty much that. nVidia shot themselves in the foot by bringing G92 and dubbing it 8800GT for less than $300 back in November. It was beating the 8800GTS 640 and 320MB and in some cases, the 8800GTX/Ultra. Then came the new 8800GTS. Also mega aggressively priced, successfully sealing the 8800GTX in the abyss.
They ran out of technology, brought the 9800 series just to appease the public who was expecting a new line-up.
However, they couldn't sell a 9800GTX for $600+ like they did for the 8800 Ultra, since the difference in performance between the $250 8800GTS and the 9800 GTX is minimal. They priced it at $350, which was too expensive for what you get IMO.
In the end, the 9800GTX targets a very specific audience, those who want the best in the one GPU land. Good for those people, because back in May last year, you would have paid near to three times what you have to pay for a 9800GTX for a 8800 Ultra.

[azianai]

well you know the same argument was made from people when the GTS G92 releases and how the GT is such a better buy.
And also for those who MUST GET TRI SLI!!!! lol
I do like my 9800GX2 a lot, but thats the fake SLI i got =D

[polobunny]

Originally Posted by azianai

well you know the same argument was made from people when the GTS G92 releases and how the GT is such a better buy.
And also for those who MUST GET TRI SLI!!!! lol
I do like my 9800GX2 a lot, but thats the fake SLI i got =D

The same argument was indeed made when the 8800GTS G92 first hit, because it's initial price launch was a bit too expensive. The 8800GT was still the crown holder for "bang for buck".
If the 9800GTX drops faster in price than the 8800GTS G92, then maybe it will be more worth it. But with nVidia and ATI new line-up just around the corner, this is likely not going to happen.

Edit: We were incredibly spoiled with the 8800GT, so any move toward a lesser price:performance ratio will leave people with a bad taste in their mouth. :P

[One4yu2c]

Originally Posted by Quakindude

Running four instances of rthdribl at 640x480 and x4 multi, I'm stable with no artifacts or lock ups with 100-105 FPS.

This brings up a side point worth mentioning. During our overclocking tests, we really put reviewed components through the wringer, and I can confidently say that our methodology surpasses that of anywhere else on the net. With regards to videocard reviews, our gamut of benchmarks and visual quality settings are brutal on a GPU and the card's RAM. It's not uncommon for a videocard to pass all but one benchmark, thus rendering the OC instable in our opinion. When we report our overclocking clockspeeds, you can bet it's rock stable in every sense of the word. And as mentioned in the review, the 9800GTX put on an exceptional showing, with headroom beyond what was available in the included software.

Originally Posted by aziani

honestly though the 9000 series cards aren't BAD, its just they're not the HUGE improvement the 8000 series was from the 7000.

Not bad at all. Saying so would mean saying the 8800GTS (G92) is a bad card. But the point of contention is slapping a new series label on what's essentially not a new card, but a mildly tweaked 8800GTS, and then charging a $100+ premium. It's a 9800GTX by name and price only, but performance-wise, it's a superclocked 8800GTS G92.

[azianai]

i agree on that point, which is why i wouldn't step up my G92 to the GTX, but i did stepup for the GX2 because its the best single slot GPU solution imo.

[polobunny]

Originally Posted by azianai

i agree on that point, which is why i wouldn't step up my G92 to the GTX, but i did stepup for the GX2 because its the best single slot GPU solution imo.

I'm pretty sure you can acquire numbers backing up the fact the 9800GX2 is the best single slot solution, no opinion there. :P

[One4yu2c]

That it is, though if I were personally buying a dual-GPU solution and taking the bang/buck angle, I'd be swayed towards the HD 3870 X2 for $160 less:

EVGA 9800GX2 = $477 shipped (after MIR)
HIS HD 3870 X2 - $317 shipped (after MIR)

And because I'd also recommend an Intel chipset over Nvidia, for the benchmarking whores, that opens up the door to tri- and quad-CrossFireX.