Your thoughts on the Sapphire x850XT PE

[robodude666]

Hey,

As some of you guys (and gals, if any here) may know, I am currently working on a new X2 rig that I will get later this/next week. Someone I know offered me a new Sapphire x850XT PE video card for $100 shipped.

I looked at benchmarks and some reviews and such and I can see that this video card is far better than the HIS x1650XT I was originally planning to get for $130. However, it uses older technology and does not have AVIVO (still don't understand what that is) nor does it have Pixel Shader Model 3.0... Not that many games use it.

I want to know your thoughts on this Sapphire x850XT PE video card. Think I should go for it? I want to possibly upgrade to R600 when it comes out and becomes affordable. I also wanted to get the HIS x1950PRO but thats about $200 and I would prefer to not spend a lot, especially if I were to upgrade to a R600 or buy other gear (such as new mouse, keyboard, speakers, sound card, better PSU, custom LC system, etc).

All input is welcome.

Thanks,
-robodude666

[screwballl]

for a non-gaming (at least not newer games) then the X850 will work fine. With a newer system I would stick with the X1950GT/Pro or R600 once they come out.

[robodude666]

Originally Posted by screwballl

for a non-gaming (at least not newer games) then the X850 will work fine. With a newer system I would stick with the X1950GT/Pro or R600 once they come out.

Well, I play FEAR Combat once every while and I also play BF2 and BF2142 once in a while too.

I get fairly decent FPS rates on my x1300pro and the x850XT PE beats my x1300pro by miles!

[screwballl]

for those games it should be fine, with anything newer I would stick with the X1900 or 7900/8800

[polobunny]

You're going to cry playing FEAR. Seriously, I had a x850 XT overclocked to PE specs (and far beyond, 3DMark05 to prove that) and it wasn't an awesome experience. Not a bad card, but seriously too old in my opinion.

[robodude666]

Originally Posted by polobunny

You're going to cry playing FEAR. Seriously, I had a x850 XT overclocked to PE specs (and far beyond, 3DMark05 to prove that) and it wasn't an awesome experience. Not a bad card, but seriously too old in my opinion.

Well, I cry already playing FEAR... Game scares the crap out of me!

Can I get the fururemark url to your 3Dmark05 run? I want to see how it compares to my x1300pro.

I get ~5600 in 3dmark03 and 1250 in '06. I will run 05 now.

What card would you suggest for user who wants to get a good upgrade for their system with decent overclocking abilities thats on a budget?

[polobunny]

Originally Posted by robodude666

Well, I cry already playing FEAR... Game scares the crap out of me!

Can I get the fururemark url to your 3Dmark05 run? I want to see how it compares to my x1300pro.

I get ~5600 in 3dmark03 and 1250 in '06. I will run 05 now.

What card would you suggest for user who wants to get a good upgrade for their system with decent overclocking abilities thats on a budget?

The 7600GS is a very good choice in my opinion. It incorporates shader v3.0 instructions (which gives you the latest effects and optimizations, unlike the x850 XT PE)
It will give you a slightly lower score than the x850 XT PE on older games (a better one in newer games like FEAR) but at least you're not missing on the visuals.
A 7600GT goes for around $100.00 US.

If you're ready to spend around $140.00 US, grab a 7900GS. eVGA and other manufacturers offer an overclocked card out of the box for a small premium (sometimes cheaper lol!) and there's often still some juice left.

3DMark05 run:
Futuremark - ORB - Project Comparison

[robodude666]

Originally Posted by polobunny

The 7600GS is a very good choice in my opinion. It incorporates shader v3.0 instructions (which gives you the latest effects and optimizations, unlike the x850 XT PE)
It will give you a slightly lower score than the x850 XT PE on older games (a better one in newer games like FEAR) but at least you're not missing on the visuals.
A 7600GT goes for around $100.00 US.

If you're ready to spend around $140.00 US, grab a 7900GS. eVGA and other manufacturers offer an overclocked card out of the box for a small premium (sometimes cheaper lol!) and there's often still some juice left.

3DMark05 run:
Futuremark - ORB - Project Comparison

I am getting a board that supports XFire so I would prefer to stick with ATI cards if possible.

WOW dude! Your scores are far better than my scores!!

Yours:
3DMark Score 7196 3DMarks
CPU Score 6190 CPUMarks

My scores:
3DMark Score 2686 3DMarks
CPU Score 3329 CPUMarks

I am running a P4 3.2GHz w/ HT as my processor. 1GB RAM and the x1300pro 256MB AGP card.

[polobunny]

Then a X1950 Pro is your card. $150.00 US
Eats a 7900GS for breakfast. =P

Edit: Well it's a very good air cooled x850 XT score, probably one of the best around. My AMD Athlon 64 3700+ cruising at 3Ghz. (stock 2.2ghz)

[gvblake22]

Originally Posted by robodude666

I am getting a board that supports XFire so I would prefer to stick with ATI cards if possible.

So do you plan on running CrossFire? I would actually suggest against such a setup as it really ends up costing more money than it is worth. There are almost always single cards that will do just as good as a dual GPU setup (be it SLI or CrossFire). And if a better card isn't out now, then chances are good that the next generation of cards will be better. In the end, it's usually better/easier/cheaper to just stick with a single card.

That said, the 7600GT is still arguably one of the best bang for the buck cards available. If you want to step up from that and can afford a bit more, the X1950Pro or GT is worth considering.