New Video Card

[magibeg]

Right now i have a radeon x800se (now called the gt) and i was debating over if i should spend around $250 on a new video card or if i would be better off waiting until all the dirextx10 cards come out with vista in like 8 months. Currently i can run all the games i feel like with not much trouble but the gamer in me always wants a little extra ;)

[Azn Tr14dZ]

Well, you can get pretty good video cards now like the X1800GTO, and unlock it to XT. There's a thread right now on it.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814161012

Or you can get one that's a Sapphire for $60 cheaper:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102021

The first one is from HiS. The reason I put it up there ever though it costs more is because they have a higher rate at unlockin to an XL or XT. You have a Dell right? How many watts is your power supply? The X1800GTO's need at least 450.

[magibeg]

yea i'm also probably going to be dropping in a new ps soon, i'm gathering money over the summer to do an overhaul. When its all said and done i'm probably going to have a new case and ps, hopefully a conroe although i might have to get a new mobo for that, another gig of ram, and a new vid card. Almost a whole new computer :P. I want it to run smoothly for when vista rears its ugly head. So do you think it would be worth getting a ps and a new vid card now or waiting until the set of vista directx10 compatible cards come out and get a mid-range dx10 card?

[Azn Tr14dZ]

yea i'm also probably going to be dropping in a new ps soon, i'm gathering money over the summer to do an overhaul. When its all said and done i'm probably going to have a new case and ps, hopefully a conroe although i might have to get a new mobo for that, another gig of ram, and a new vid card. Almost a whole new computer :P. I want it to run smoothly for when vista rears its ugly head. So do you think it would be worth getting a ps and a new vid card now or waiting until the set of vista directx10 compatible cards come out and get a mid-range dx10 card?

Unless you can do some modding, don't move to a new case unless you get a new mobo. The Dell's motherboards are different sizes and the I/O shield is also different. You should get a new PSU with your graphics (HIS if you wanna unlock). Then, when you get a new mobo (if you want Conroe, get a 975X Chipset), get a new case with it as well. Then everything goes from there. I think all 975X chipsets suppport vista. Just get a new graphics card in a year or so for DirectX10, doesn't have to be the best depending on your budget, just something mid-range that will maybe unlock and play your games.

Good Luck
-Azn

[MTL]

SO, what you are saying is that some unlock and some don't unlock to an XT???

[magibeg]

Thanks for the help and insight. I think i'm going to buy that Ultra x2 connect 550 watt i've been eyeing and possibly another gig of ram and hold out on a new video card until after nvidia and ati release their cards with vista. :toast:

[Azn Tr14dZ]

Well, yeah. Some have a higher chance of unlocking, like the HiS X1800GTO's, because they have 1.2ns memory. Some other companies have different types I think.

There's a thread about it called "X1800GTO@ XT MOD". It has a lot of good info there.

[Azn Tr14dZ]

Thanks for the help and insight. I think i'm going to buy that Ultra x2 connect 550 watt i've been eyeing and possibly another gig of ram and hold out on a new video card until after nvidia and ati release their cards with vista. :toast:

Cool. Your X800SE should play most of the games now. Can it unlock?

What games do you play?

[MTL]

Well, yeah. Some have a higher chance of unlocking, like the HiS X1800GTO's, because they have 1.2ns memory. Some other companies have different types I think.

There's a thread about it called "X1800GTO@ XT MOD". It has a lot of good info there.

I guess that is another reason why the HIS ones are so expensive. Is it necessary to get the ICE version?

[MTL]

I also find it funny you say that because Guru3d was able to overclock the memory a Powercolor GTO farther than they could the HIS GTO.

[magibeg]

I tried to unlock my x800se at one point to try and get it up to 12 pipes. I flashed it but atitool
didn't pick up on any more active pipelines and strangely enough the temperature of the card began to slowly rise until it was idle at around 75C. So i flashed back to the original bios. It could be a bad flash but it scared me a bit :P. I think i have to hardmod the SE anyway to get the extra pipes, i just dont know why the temp shot up so much.

And as for games, currently i'm doing the whole oblivion phase. Can run it pretty decent in a med-high setting. I figure by the time jan-feb hits around i should be running most games at med-low settings which is playable but... i'm greedy and always want a little more performance.

[Azn Tr14dZ]

Well, just keep the card and when you think the time is right for an upgrade, then do it. Your card can play everything right now though, at medium to high settings.

What do you get in 3DMark05 and 06?

[magibeg]

Well i haven't tried 3dmark06 because it would be too painful to bare. But in 3dmark05 i get about 3.5k. Not great but it works :P
-mind you thats without overclocking it.