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Is it worth paying $50 more for the 9800 over the 9600xt? What i don't understand is why is the 9800 Pro more expensive when it seems to have a lower core speed (380 MHZ for the 9800 Provs. 500 MHZ for the 9600xt). So this is my dilemma. which should i buy? At newegg the prices are:

SAPPHIRE ATI RADEON 9800 PRO Video Card $209
ASUS ATI RADEON 9600XT Video Card $167

Which should i go for?

Go for the 9800 Pro. All around better card and can be overclocked more then the 9600 if core speed is that big of a deal.

I would get the 9600XT just for the money, if you're not OCing, you won't notice much of a difference either way, plus if you buy retail, you should be getting the free HL2.

i'd go with the 9800 pro if your machine can handle it.

my power supply was too small and my POS computer wasn't worth a new one, so i went with a 9600xt from newegg.com.

i love it, runs all my games very well

What do you mean by power supply? From the pc or from my room? Sorry if this is a dumb question, i've never changed my videocard before.

powersupply meaning the power that is used throughout ur pc. This is inside the pc and has a fan on the back. Usualy a pc has a 300-500 watt psu

Originally Posted by BasketCase1080 powersupply meaning the power that is used throughout ur pc. This is inside the pc and has a fan on the back. Usualy a pc has a 300-500 watt psu

Thanks BasketCase. I bought my pc late last year so i assume that it should be ok with the powersupply for the 9800 pro.

Anybody else wanna make a vote for the 9800 pro or the 9600xt?

Anyone else have a vote? Thanks for all of your help. This is a hard decision to make.

considering you don't know what power supply you have(no offense) then you wouldn't over clock it, I suggest the 9600 XT cuz u get the half life 2 and around same specs if you don;t OC it

Originally Posted by magictoilet considering you don't know what power supply you have(no offense) then you wouldn't over clock it, I suggest the 9600 XT cuz u get the half life 2 and around same specs if you don;t OC it

No offense taken. The only thing is that just because i don't know how to overclock it now doesn't mean that i won't learn how to. I barely found out about it recently and it has gotten me interested in learning about it. I'm a pretty fast learner and EVERYONE has to start from ground zero at some point. Do think its possible to learn to utilize the 9800 pro or should i still just stick with the 9600xt?

Can somebody let me know how to find out if my comp's power supply can support the card?

I believe the program Aida32 will tell you everything about you computer.

You should absolutely go for the 9800 Pro. #1, it is only 50.00 more and is much much faster. Oh, some on this post have said there difference is negligable. This is not so. The 9800 Pro has twice the number of pipelines on it's graphics processor. I believe it also supports more advanced pixel shaders, like 2.0. #2, With Half Life 2, Doom 3 and several other graphics intense programs on the near horizon. Not going with the 9800 Pro would probably cost you down the line. The 9600XT will be adequate, but if you want to go high resolution with AA and AF filtering on for all the graphic splendor you can handle..go for the 9800 Pro.

Just my .02 cents, but this is not the first time this question has been asked, and if you check out tomshardware and some other sites, look up archived graphic card reviews to see comparisons. The 9800 Pro has much more headroom. Do not go for the 9800 SE, it's a nerfed version of the Pro.

GS

Well I have the 9800 and I love it.

1. Unfortunately, the NEWER packaged 9600XT DO NOT have the Half-life 2 coupon in it.

2. The 9800Pro has 8 pixel pipelines where as the 9600XT has only 4 pixel pipelines for rendering.
I also believe (it might depend on the specific card) but the 9600XTs have less of a memory bus. 128-bit (vs. 256-bit in 9800Pro)

Simplified, this means that 9800 Pro usually equals better numbers. If you're a casual gamer, then I'd suggest the 9600XT and also if you computer power supply can't handle the 9800Pro.

Originally Posted by basketkase543 Thanks BasketCase. I bought my pc late last year so i assume that it should be ok with the powersupply for the 9800 pro. Anybody else wanna make a vote for the 9800 pro or the 9600xt?

Many times vendors skimp on the power supply, giving the bare minimum to support the setup. You might wan to check just to make sure.

Originally Posted by egonpax Well I have the 9800 and I love it. 1. Unfortunately, the NEWER packaged 9600XT DO NOT have the Half-life 2 coupon in it. 2. The 9800Pro has 8 pixel pipelines where as the 9600XT has only 4 pixel pipelines for rendering. I also believe (it might depend on the specific card) but the 9600XTs have less of a memory bus. 128-bit (vs. 256-bit in 9800Pro) Simplified, this means that 9800 Pro usually equals better numbers. If you're a casual gamer, then I'd suggest the 9600XT and also if you computer power supply can't handle the 9800Pro.

all of the above is true. however, I got a 9600XT a few months back and i love it. i have had no problems at all, and you dont even have to hook it up to your power supply, so there are no worries there. ive been able to install and run on high settings every game i got my hands on, and i got free half life 2 when i got it. nothing against the 9800, ive never seen one in action, but i can tell you that if you get the 9600XT, you will not be dissapointed.

I say get the GeForce 6800 when it comes out in a couple of weeks. But then again, I only skimmed this thread and say that just to be contrary.

I would never buy an Nvidia card after their debacle line of Fx cards. I currently own the 9800 pro 128 meg version and I have been very impressed.

I'd go with the 9800XT. Sure it's $50 more, but it's definately worth it. It's a beast and I love playing games like Painkiller at 1600x1200 and having it run smooth.

Though I wouldn't get it if your powersupply is under 500 watts.

No one else has mentioned this, but you actually have to plug in a power cord from the power supply into the 9800 pro just to get it to work.

I have a 9600 and I couldnt be happier...It runs everything perfectly with no slowdowns (i have a dual 2ghz G5) I was thinking about getting the 9800pro but I decided against it since PC gaming isnt much of a thing for me...Plus I run my graphics card to the max when I play games and it looks amazing...I havent seen much of what a 9800pro can do but with the new Unreal 3.0 engine coming sometime soon (year or 2) I would go with the top one...that engine looks AMAZING...and I can garuntee you need a top-notch graphics card to run it...Id go with the 9800...but you could just buy a game and a 9600 and have good ol fun!

Originally Posted by SupremeNumNuts I believe the program Aida32 will tell you everything about you computer.

I got the program and it's not telling me how big my power supply is. Anybody know how i can find out? I'm leaning towards the 9800 pro but i don't know if my comp can support it.