gfx card: recommendation for Germany

[Skybird]

I think I get myself a new gfx card, and think about the X850XT. I need the AGP-version.

I spend the afternoon to search the web for a good supply source not too far away from Germany. It is not that easy anymore to get that card, especially not in AGP. I choosed the models by Sapphire, which in test was described to have an acceptably cooler (noise-wise), and the one by mad-moxx, which uses a socalled ATI silencer.

http://www.mad-moxx.de/shop/articleDetail.jsf?articleId=1005.10209

Other (http://www.mad-moxx.de/shop/articleDetail.jsf?articleId=1005.10209 Other) manufacturers, I repeatedly red, turned the card into a pretty noisy one.

I know where to get the second version for 270 euros, which is more than I planned to spend, and appears to me as being a bit overpriced, but I did not find it any cheaper. Maybe someone knows a better place to buy...?

Thanks

[SUBMAN1]

A good card is an x800 GTO if you plan to go with the x800 family. It can be had for about $150 US and is much better than your 5900 XT in Oblivion. I think the x850 is only PCI-E though. The x800 series can be found in AGP. If you can afford it, the 7800 GT in AGP would be the best AGP board you can get.

CHeck the review:

http://www.tomshardware.com/2005/11/28/don/

And here are some benchmarks from Anandtech:

http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=2746&p=7

http://images.anandtech.com/reviews/video/Oblivion/oblivion-midrange-bloom.png

http://images.anandtech.com/reviews/video/Oblivion/town-midrange-bloom.png

http://images.anandtech.com/reviews/video/Oblivion/dungeon-midrange-bloom.png

[Skybird]

The x850 family is slightly faster than the x800, and it can be found as AGP, but AGP is dying out. the 7800 are too expensive, and are often mentioned to be noisy.I hate it that these tester almost never have something to say about the noise-level, temperature and power consumption. Only a small minority seem to mention these data.This will be the last AGP card that I buy for my system, so it has to do the work that comes for the remaining lifeitme of my current system. Not only Oblivion, but FSX as well.Palit X850XT is available, too, and one or two other manufactures too, but no one can tell me about the quality and noise level of these manufacturers.Fantastic game, this Oblivion, btw. Looks great even at 640x480 :lol:

[Dust]

what
http://www.3dcenter.de/

where
http://www.geizhals.at/deutschland/

general info
http://www.heise.de/

serious infos there

:ping:

[Gizzmoe]

Palit X850XT is available, too
Many buyers seem to be happy with that card, there are 23 reviews:
http://www.alternate.de/html/product/details.html?artno=JAGHA1

(http://www.alternate.at/html/productDetails.html?artno=JAGHA1)

[Skybird]

Thanks. I try the Palit then, the significantly lower price really is an argument. I have checked for a Zalman VX700, though, just in case the cooler turns out to be crap. but even with that as a second it would be cheaper.

Looking forward to a new visual experience.

Are ATI drivers as critical in updates (manually cleaning the reigstry and remaing parts after deinstalling an old and before installing a new driver)?

[Gizzmoe]

Are ATI drivers as critical in updates (manually cleaning the reigstry and remaing parts after deinstalling an old and before installing a new driver)?

No, just uninstall the old driver, reboot and install the new one.

[SUBMAN1]

Thanks. I try the Palit then, the significantly lower price really is an argument. I have checked for a Zalman VX700, though, just in case the cooler turns out to be crap. but even with that as a second it would be cheaper.

Looking forward to a new visual experience.

Are ATI drivers as critical in updates (manually cleaning the reigstry and remaing parts after deinstalling an old and before installing a new driver)?

Noise level of the cards has never bothered me because I custom mod them after the fact anyway. Right now, I can't hear my x1900 XTX, but when I bought it, I could start to hear it any time I started using anything 3D.

Arctic Cooling has always worked out for me. I had an Arctic Cooler on my 9800 as well. They are cheap $30 or less and worth every penny. You can turn any noisey card into silence with them. Just keep the old fan around incase you need to RMA the board.

http://www.arctic-cooling.com/

A good place to figure out how to quiet things down is Silent PC Review:

http://www.silentpcreview.com/

-S

[SUBMAN1]

This is the x850 version:

http://img105.imageshack.us/img105/7201/ac2lt.jpg

[Skybird]

The Palit board does not follow ATI's reference design, that'S why he usual x850 coolers do not fit on them. The Zalman also beats most coolers out there anyway bot h with reagrd to cooling efficiency and noise level. I could get it at 30 Euros, all copper, inclusive shipping. That is okay for the price.

Have i mentioned that I love Oblivion...? :lol:

[SUBMAN1]

The Palit board does not follow ATI's reference design, that'S why he usual x850 coolers do not fit on them. The Zalman also beats most coolers out there anyway bot h with reagrd to cooling efficiency and noise level. I could get it at 30 Euros, all copper, inclusive shipping. That is okay for the price.

Have i mentioned that I love Oblivion...? :lol:
Zalman usually sucks wind by the way. I heard their current vid cooler is OK, but most of their old products suck. They started the trend, so I give them kudos for that, but they have lost favor among the people who disire little noise as possible. Read up on them at Silent PC Review and you won't like what you read as compared to other products.

Currently the best vid card coolers come from Thermalright but they are rather pricey. This was my alternative to the Accelero when I was building my recent system.
Check out the V1 Ultra - http://www.thermalright.com/

As for the Acellero 2x from Arctic Cooling, it beats the Zalman pretty bad noise wise. Here is a review on the current Accelero - http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/ArcticCooling/AcceleroX2/5


http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/ArcticCooling/AcceleroX2/images/graph1.gif http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/ArcticCooling/AcceleroX2/images/graph2.gif

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/ArcticCooling/AcceleroX2/images/graph3.gif

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/ArcticCooling/AcceleroX2/images/graph4.gif

Notice that they don't even bother to use Zalman products in their tests.

-S

[Skybird]

Strange. I did not take the time to find it a second time, but I had two tests this early morning who showed exactly the opposite outcome, in numbers. :lol: Anyhow, I wait and see how the default cooler performs. I don'T use tpwer vents anyway, but have a silent, small room ventilator positoned behind the tower, pumping air into the tower, I can feel the "jetstream" on the front :lol: So, I am sued to a certain noise level, and it is okay. I just do not want it to become even louder.

[SUBMAN1]

Sapphire Radeon x850XT review - AGP model - http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Sapphire/Radeonx850xtpeagp/

[Skybird]

Found this. Beats your models both in noise and temp. Scroll down, there are two graphics.

http://www.dirkvader.de/frame.php?site=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dirkvader.de%2Fpag e%2Fvf700.html

[SUBMAN1]

Strange. I did not take the time to find it a second time, but I had two tests this early morning who showed exactly the opposite outcome, in numbers. :lol: Anyhow, I wait and see how the default cooler performs. I don'T use tpwer vents anyway, but have a silent, small room ventilator positoned behind the tower, pumping air into the tower, I can feel the "jetstream" on the front :lol: So, I am sued to a certain noise level, and it is okay. I just do not want it to become even louder.

The Zalman VF700 just gets an average acceptable-quiet rating. There are better solutions out there is all - That is if you plan to purchase it. If you already have a VF700, then that is way better than the stock cooler so you are good to go.

-S

PS. The problem with Zalman is surface area - they put that fan in the middle and it removes a tremendous amount of metal that could be used for cooling - which is what makes it louder than other alternatives out there.

[SUBMAN1]

Found this. Beats your models both in noise and temp. Scroll down, there are two graphics.

http://www.dirkvader.de/frame.php?site=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dirkvader.de%2Fpag e%2Fvf700.html

Interesting - but I question their test setups since that is opposite of every other review I have read on the VF700.

-S

[SUBMAN1]

Take a look at this - done in a sound room:

This is a recording so you can listen to the Artic Cooler, the Thermalright and the Zalman VF700 and 900. Listen to each one and see what sounds better. They put a recording up. You would be interested in the 12 volt setting. To do 7 volts is putting a load on your PSU. TO do 5 volts is probably not adequate cooling for what you want to use it for.

-S

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article612-page8.html

PS. Zalmans latest offerings all seem pretty quiet - so the are fixing there problems and catching up. The Thermalright will have the best cooling capability. THe Arctic Cooler is the quietest of the bunch, but not by much anymore it would seem.

[SUBMAN1]

One more thing I forgot to mention - the Arctic Cooler has an advantage in that it will keep your case cooler - it exhausts the hot video card heat out the back of your case where the Thermalright and Zalman leave it inside your case.

This will allow you to install some Nexus low RPM fans to get the noise down to silence since the only real heat to exhaust outside of this is CPU heat.

Just some thoughts to add to your purchase thoughts.

One more thing - the THermalright is complicated to install - I hear it takes an hour.

THe Arctic Cooler however takes only about 10 to 15 minutes.

-S

[porphy]

Arctic cooling is nice. I put one on my Leadtek 6800GT and the difference from stock cooler was really noticeable. Only thing I regret is that it took me one year before I acctualy changed the fan. I didn't think difference would be that big. :cool:

Cheers Porphy

[SUBMAN1]

Arctic cooling is nice. I put one on my Leadtek 6800GT and the difference from stock cooler was really noticeable. Only thing I regret is that it took me one year before I acctualy changed the fan. I didn't think difference would be that big. :cool:

Cheers Porphy

My thoughts exactly when I did it. I wish I had done it sooner!

-S