Out - Geforce FX5600 - in - GeForce 6800 - Holy Crap!

[RC45]

My system (P4 2.6, 1GB Ram, GeForce FX5600-256MB) posted 1973 on the 3DMark03 test...

Swapped the 5600 for a 6800GT 256MB card - and the system posted a freaking 10100 on the same 3DMark03 test



Now I can run GTR at 1024x768 32bit and post in game70fps+ --- vs 15fps previously.

One would not think that 800x600 32bit would be "noticably worse" than 1024x768 32bit with Anti-aliasing enabled - but it is like night and day.

If anyone is debating whether the jump from the GeForce 5xxx series to the 6xxx is worth it - stop ebating and start installing...

[TransAm]

Thats an improvement

What display are you running this graphics card to? Big CRT or an LCD?

[RC45]

Well - my excitement is tempered by the fact that the FX5600 would support 3D acceleration while running dual-view drivers - which allowed 1600x1200 to my flat panel with the S-Video out to a big screen projection TV at 1024x768 with no distortion.

But the 6800GT will not allow 3D Accelleraiton while the dual-view drivers are running - so I have to use clone-display.

This means that 1024 x768 or 800x600 on the TV is now strethed a little.

I may need to run use the DVI to VGA adapter, then use a VGA to S-Video dongle to get bakc my square squares and round circles.

But who knows what the quality los will be.

But on the upside, it is 10 times faster..

[TransAm]

If you upgrade to plasma TV at some stage, most of them are DVI input = no quality loss at all. Digital card to digital screen via digital interface (I think so anyway, I'm no home theatre guru)

[RC45]

Well - I have a few buddies with plasma and or HD TV's - and watching 16x9 widescreen all the time is a pain - and even worse for gaming without some kind of display adjustment.

They have lossless DVI input, but other screen layout/ratio issues.

Consoles have display adjustment built in - but few PC games have it.

And I hate watching non HD/non widescreen shows all stretched out.

I will be one of the last non-widescreen holdouts on the planet hehe

[nthfinity]

thats a jump ive been concidering... but the price just hasnt fallen at all $400 is a little hard to justify...
also, my geforce 4400 Ti (128 mb ram) is posting 1500-1700's... where i thought the 5xx series was supposed to hit 4000's... was something wrong with your card?

[tuffguy]

Great review... that's the video card that I'm considering right now since I want to get GTR - I have a Ti4200. But I'm gonna need to upgrade my current 2.4ghz P4 system. I'm thinking of getting an Athlon 64 with the Venice core, but I'm not sure whether to get an SLI board or a non SLI board. Just in case I want to add another card later on when the prices drop.

[RC45]

Originally Posted by nthfinity thats a jump ive been concidering... but the price just hasnt fallen at all $400 is a little hard to justify... also, my geforce 4400 Ti (128 mb ram) is posting 1500-1700's... where i thought the 5xx series was supposed to hit 4000's... was something wrong with your card?

Well - Fry's had it for $369 - so I justified it, and I think my FX5600 posted 1900 to 2000 all the time, although in the last 3 or 4 months the fan had seized up - so it was running hot.. hehehe maybe in degraded ode.

[DeMoN]

Well yeah 1 whole series must be WAY up improvement... but costwize? What is the jump between those two cards?

[RC45]

I normally wait for the cards to drop to $250 before I purchase, this is the first card I have purchaed so close to launch date that the price was over $300 still.

I paid $259 for the FX5600 about 1 year ago.

[SFDMALEX]

You should be able to run GTR @ 1280X1024 32bit 16AF 4AA with at least 30 cars on max graphics, except 3d wheels at no less then 60fps with that card. Give it a go.

[irrational_i]

I still have an FX5600 and it is still okay.
But an upgrade is needed soon.

For a cheaper version you will struggle to do better than a 6600GT. I work with hardware often and the difference between the 6600GT and 6800GT is not that great. Certainly not worth the price diff. But if you can afford it - go for the 6800GT.

I think SLi is not that great, unless you plan to run your games in 1600X1200. Then the SLi will shine.

[tuffguy]

Originally Posted by irrational_i I work with hardware often and the difference between the 6600GT and 6800GT is not that great I think SLi is not that great, unless you plan to run your games in 1600X1200. Then the SLi will shine.

You obviously don't work with hardware that often, or you wouldn't say that..

To see what games SLI works in:
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/vid...0u-sli_15.html

It depends on whether the game can make use of SLI:
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/vid...0u-sli_22.html

Notice what happens when you turn on the visual goodies:
http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=2284&p=7

3DMark:
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/vid...0u-sli_31.html

Move your mouse over the second pic:
http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=2281&p=2

[tuffguy]

Great deal - Leadtek 6600gt for $149:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814122206

[RC45]

The same goes for the “eye candy” mode, but the SLI configuration made of two GeForce 6600 GT cards again lacks graphics memory and falls behind the single GeForce 6800 Ultra.