FX vs. 9700

[Mr.Tweak]

Thanks for that info...doesn't look good :(

Looks like we'll all need headphones for gaming, just like nvidia suggested before...

Maybe, bye-bye surround sound gaming :wave: :no:

[nutty]

Damm That sucks I was hoping that it would be released with a better cooling system.
looks like my vote has changed.
I hate noise

[Mr.Tweak]

In nVidia's defence, we all have to remember CG and how the GeForce FX is optimised for it.

Programmers haven't had a chance to release any CG enhanced games yet - remember Dawn? This was produced using CG.

So when CG shows its face a little more, the GeForce FX may prove a little better.

[nutty]

Yep ATI have had months of driver development.
Im not giving up yet :)

[Beefy]

When I first heard about the FX, I was thinking that it was going to blow the 9700 Pro out of the water, like the 9700 did to the GF4 before that... However, now that there are some pre-release benchmarks, I'm not so enthused anymore. Sure, it'll still be a great card, be the top performer, but not by much.

I'll probably change my opinion once the card is publicly released, and DirectX 9 support actually means something, but until then I'm looking forward to getting an AIW Radeon 9700 Pro... if / when that happens.

[Wiggo]

I'll take either or both if someone wants to donate but a GF4 TI4200 is more than enough for me. :devil win
<center>:cheers:</center>

[Maxpowers]

hey i got a question today i noticed thease "ATI-OEM (SAPPHIRE) RADEON" at my local pc store site can any one tell me what does the Sapphire mean?? i know its an OEM card but... sapphire what the hell is that supposed to be a stone version of the card? :rolleyes: thanks

[Mr.Tweak]

"A clear hard variety of corundum used as a gemstone that is usually blue but may be any color except red."

[negomike]

Hmmm...

I think I am choosing between waiting for Both or buy an 9500 and modding it to a 9700 and maybe then to a firegl

Seems pretty sweet.

If do-able I think a FireGL cost over a grand. Haven't looked it up or anything cause I'm a lazy a@@.

However, being a newbie, I have never done a major electrical mod.

Dito with system software. So I don't know if I'll be able to pull it off.

This will be the first system I have ever built.

Maybe that should also be an option in the poll?
9500 mod into 9700 / FirceGL

I don't know. I'll leave it up to Mr. Tweak's discretion.

-
The FireGL costs exactly $749.00 at NewEgg.

I don't know if I want to put off building this computer for another 60 days. I've been putting this off for years. I almost pre-ordered the Prahelia.
:eek:

[Mr.Tweak]

Here's another funny pic, this one from nV News... :laugh:

[Mr.Tweak]

[Beefy]

Nice post T. Basically the big version of what I said earlier. But I am gonna comment on some of the stuff you said.

The hype of a new card, no matter who the publisher, is always going to be huge. It happened with the Radeons, it happened with the whole GeForce range, it even happened with the Parhelia. People expect that new cards will give them something great and new, not just a re-hash of an existing product. That's why the companies provide demonstrations of what their product can do, way before they are released. Unfortunately, not many can live up to that hype. Everyone expected the FX to be a clear winner in the video card field, and were very disappointed when the facts and figures came out showing it's performance / problems.

Sure, there is a lot in store in the future for the card, with all the features that people don't really pay attention to, but the initial impression will always be the most important. People want to see what the card can do for them now, not what it could possibly do for them 12 months into the future. Due to the huge turn-over rate of current hardware, people need results now. No point buying a card that performs about the same as current stock, and has some nice features that will be supported sometime down the track. By that time, the new Radeon will be out, and possibly even the new nVidia offering.

People look at frame rates as a simple way of comparing two different cards. Most of them don't care if it supports DX9.1, or has 400 vertex shaders, they simply wanna see the card in action and what it can do and, more importantly, if it is better than the competition. The 9700 Pro did a damn fine job of this over the GF4, but the FX just peeks it's nose in front of the Radeon, which people didn't expect. The media promised us a miracle, and we only got a little dribble.

You basically boil your point down to FPS vs quality, but it should be FPS + Quality = great gaming. People do want faster frames, but they also want ALL the great effects to be present. Hence AA + AF being present. Hence higher resolutions. This is what people want. Something that looks damn fine and can keep up with the pace required frame-wise.

You drive a car at extreme speeds so you can see MORE great scenery. It may flash by in an instant, but you'll get many more of these great instants to remember....

< /rant>

[Wiggo]

I look at it this way. It was only late last year when I got my first DX8 capable video card but what software has need of it today? Not many at all so why should I jump again to a DX9 video card now or even next year? :?:
<center>:cheers:</center>

[Mr.Tweak]

I guess companies should work harder with developers and programmers to have the games and applications ready before they launch their products...

[Beefy]

I look at it this way. It was only late last year when I got my first DX8 capable video card but what software has need of it today? Not many at all so why should I jump again to a DX9 video card now or even next year? :?:
<center>:cheers:</center>

My point exactly.

Companies can't really work too well on a system that's not complete, and when it is complete then you need some time to trailblaze the system and figure out exactly what it can and can't do. That's what takes time. Also, in the gaming field especially, companies can't afford to make games tailored to the high end machines and hardware out there. They need to make this customisable, which takes away any chance of getting a top notch product out straight away.