X1300 or X1600PRO or 6600 AGP 256MB

[cjoyce1980]

I have the budget for one of the below cards (thats a £100), and yes it has to be AGP. would like your guys views of these card, especially if you have one and how you rate the performance.

the links below are from uk sites, but if another knows some where cheaper let me know.

ATI X1600 PRO 256MB AGP (http://www.dabs.com/productview.aspx?Quicklinx=3YWX&PageMode=1&Quicklinx=3YWX)
ATI X1300 256MB AGP (http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/ProductInfo.asp?WebProductID=347692)
GeForce 6600 256MB AGP (http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/specpage.html?NOV-GF6625)

[tofu]

I'd go with the ATI X1600PRO. I have the 512MB DDR2 version in my old socket 478 computer. Its a nice card, you can expect the core clock to go up to 625 and memory to around 420.

Gaming is spectacular considering the price you're paying for it. ATI AVIVO technology, H.264 support and pixel shader 3.0 support put this ahead of the other two. Besides, 6600 is older generation, and slower, who would want that?

Oh, and here is a link to my 3DMark03 results, with my Mobile P4 2.8GHz and slightly overvolted vcore and vmem using pencil mods on the X1600 (on stock cooling fan 100%): http://service.futuremark.com/compare?2k3=4592002

If you do get this card, this link also becomes very handy for vmodding, YES the x1300 pci-e and the x1600 agp share similar pcbs and I've tried and comfirmed it to work: http://www.techpowerup.com/articles/overclocking/133

[Tatty_One]

I too would agree totally that the 1600 pro is the best bet outta these, here is a good example at "Overclockers UK" at a good price:

Sapphire X1600 Pro 256MB DDR2 AVIVO TV-Out/DVI (AGP) - Retail (GX-116-SP)
A tool for the performance oriented, the Sapphire X1600 PRO comes equipped with the hardware muscle to deliver an entire realm of fantasy right to your desktop due in large part to the awesome feature-set of the RADEON X1600 core, robust onboard memory configurations and 12 pipeline architecture. An impressive hardware compilation supporting CrossFire paired with support for Microsoft DirectX 9.0 Shader Model 3.0 ensures future compatibility and the advent of the ATI Avivo Video and Display Platform ensures that you will not have to be limit your fantasies to just your desktop.

- Powered by ATI Radeon X1600 Pro - 500MHz
- 256MB-128bit 4 channel DDR2 memory - 800MHz
- 12 Pixel shader processor
- 5 Vertex shader processor
- 8 Geometry Pipelines
- Ultra-threaded SM 3.0 Engine
- 256-bit Ring-bus
- ATI Avivo™ (Video-In Cables not supplied)

Price: £74.95 (£88.07 Including VAT at 17.5%)

Here is a link, its 3/4 down the page:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_This_Week_Only_25.html

However, if you were contemplating upgrading your system within a year to PCI-E I would not go personally for the 1600, I would probably go for something like the X800 GTO with its 12 pipes (usually unlockabble to 16) and its much better 256 bandwidth, with its O/C potential as well it will probably beat the 1600 speed wise. Bottom line is, you cant really use the argument that the 1600 is more futureproof/current (although it is!) because AGP is not so at some stage you prob will want to upgrade to PCI-E and a better card so why not pay for the better performance now.....my personal opinion only of course. Ohhh and it is within your price range.....just.

[cjoyce1980]

i like the idea of having SM3.0, as im not really sure what im gonna do in the next year or so with my pc. i like the idea of AM2 but the conroe looks amazing. i guess im after a card that is gonna let me play games for the next year at least.

[Tatty_One]

i like the idea of having SM3.0, as im not really sure what im gonna do in the next year or so with my pc. i like the idea of AM2 but the conroe looks amazing. i guess im after a card that is gonna let me play games for the next year at least.

Ok I understand, if you want sm3.0 and a pretty damn fast AGP card with more pipes, 256 bandwidth and more speed, how about this, its a B Grade (a return probably), it should still be warrantied and is on the link I gave you earlier but you will need to go up a level at the site to "clearance/B grade" :

**B Grade** MSI NX6800GT-TD256 GeForce 6800 GT 256MB DDR3 TV-Out/DVI (AGP) - Retail (BG-057-MS)
The groundbreaking new NVIDIA® GeForce™ 6800 graphics processing units (GPUs) and their revolutionary technologies power worlds where reality and fantasy meet; worlds in which new standards are set for visual realism and quality, performance, and video functionality. The GeForce 6800 GPUs deliver powerful, elegant graphics to drench your senses, immersing you in unparalleled worlds of visual effects for the ultimate PC experience.

- 350MHz Core Engine Clock speed
- 256MB 1000MHz high speed DDR3 memory
- Superscalar 16-Pipe GPU Architecture
- CineFX 3.0 Engine
- The Industry''s First On-Chip Video Processor
- UltraShadow II Technology
- 64-Bit Texture Filtering and Blending
- Intellisample 3.0 Technology
- Unified Driver Architecture (UDA)
- nView Multi-Display Technology
- Digital Vibrance Control 3.0
- High-Speed GDDR3 Memory Interface
- 256-Bit Memory Interface with Advanced Memory Control
- 128-Bit Studio-Precision Computation
- Full-Speed 32-Bit Color Precision
- Advanced Adaptive De-Interlacing
- Video Scaling and Filtering
- TV-Out
- Dual 400MHz RAMDACs
- 0.13 Micron Process Technology
- Silent Copper Cooling Solution with fan speed control
- Games Bundle including URU, XIII and Prince of Persia 3D all full games

Originally sold at £229.00+VAT


Price: £75.00 (£88.13 Including VAT at 17.5%)

[cjoyce1980]

hmmm! looks like i missed out on that one. but there is a 6600GT (http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Graphics_Cards_683.html) available. but looking at gupreview.com (http://www.gpureview.com/show_cards.php?card1=190&card2=369#) there at much between them but the price. :rolleyes:

[Ketxxx]

If you can stretch the extra £20 or so you can get a X1600XT, far far FAR better ;) you can also try searching fleabay for a 6600GT, as longs your careful you will be fine.

[cjoyce1980]

they do the x1600xt in AGP? :confused:

[Tatty_One]

hmmm! looks like i missed out on that one. but there is a 6600GT (http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Graphics_Cards_683.html) available. but looking at gupreview.com (http://www.gpureview.com/show_cards.php?card1=190&card2=369#) there at much between them but the price. :rolleyes:

Missed out? it's still showing when I look at the site and its a damn sight faster than a 6600Gt, I thought you said you wanted SM3.0!!! you aint gonna get that with any 6600 GT! if you are not going for the 6800GT then the X1600pro is by far your best choice in price range and if you dont actually care about SM3.0 which is why you are alarmingly considering a 6600GT, at best these days a mediocre card, then my origional suggestion of an x800 GTO would be the better bet and significantly faster than the 6600GT.
Good luck in your choice!

[cjoyce1980]

checked again, the 6800GT is gone :cry:

[Tatty_One]

Just checked again....I stand corrected! Go for the 1600 then, dont go for the 6600GT especially if you want SM3.0, if you really are not too bothered about that the x800GTO remains your best non SM3.0 bet IMHO for your budget. (I used to have a 6800 with SM3.0 and upgraded to the x850xt without it and have not missed it one bit, the increased performance and having everything on max settings in a game more than make up for the lack of SM3.0, at the end of the day nice lights are great but not if your card aint quick enough to give you any AA or AF at any decent resolutions, again its that balancing act again!)

[Tatty_One]

What about a 6800 with SM3.0 brand new under £100?

Point of View GeForce 6800 128MB DDR TV-Out/DVI (AGP) - Retail (GX-000-PV)
The groundbreaking new NVIDIA® GeForce™ 6800 graphics processing units (GPUs) and their revolutionary technologies power worlds where reality and fantasy meet; worlds in which new standards are set for visual realism and quality, performance, and video functionality. The GeForce 6800 GPUs deliver powerful, elegant graphics to drench your senses, immersing you in unparalleled worlds of visual effects for the ultimate PC experience.

- 325MHz Core Engine Clock speed
- 128MB 700MHz high speed DDR memory
- Superscalar 12-Pipe GPU Architecture
- CineFX 3.0 Engine
- The Industry''s First On-Chip Video Processor
- UltraShadow II Technology
- 64-Bit Texture Filtering and Blending
- Intellisample 3.0 Technology
- Unified Driver Architecture (UDA)
- nView Multi-Display Technology
- Digital Vibrance Control 3.0
- High-Speed DDR Memory Interface
- 256-Bit Memory Interface with Advanced Memory Control
- 128-Bit Studio-Precision Computation
- Full-Speed 32-Bit Color Precision
- Advanced Adaptive De-Interlacing
- Video Scaling and Filtering
- TV-Out
- Dual 400MHz RAMDACs
- 0.13 Micron Process Technology

Full Specification

Price: £80.00 (£94.00 Including VAT at 17.5%)

Again its at overclockers UK but this time under "clearance" You may be able to unlock the other 4 pipes with the help of "RivaTuner" also!!!!

[Tatty_One]

My old 6800 at E Buyer under 100 quid, 5 star reviews:

Asus V9999/TD/128 6800 128mb AGP

http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/98265

I should be gettin a commission at this rate!!