Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
Getting upgrade, need some tech knowledge
I am upgrading my old piece of junk video card.
I am wanting to buy a 8800 series. I really want to get the best bang for my buck, (a/b$250-$300 thanx tax stimulous rebate!)
My question is, what is the main differnce between GT, GTS and GTX in the 8800 series?
TY!
Comments
The main diffs:-
1. Core clock speed
2. Shader clock speed
3. Memory clock speed
4. Along with of course the not so critical (depending on preferences) yet important enough factors such as power draw, heat and noise issues.
More importantly if you're focusing on the 8 series, the variations that came off from nVIDIA's codename G92 GPU are greatly differed by stream processors' amounts. See this chart for your ref.
These days framerates junkies and enthusiast WILL push for either a 9600GT, 8800GT OR GTS 512s. They'll of course opt for the latest 9800GTX or simply stick with the 8800 Ultra. Top end cards in SLI (if you do plan to go dual or beyond) by the way is still with puzzling issues (as found through user experiences from forums and also from the usual benchmarks' gurus, hence crapping out the performance returns on costs). Tom's Hardware had put up a nice guide here dollar for dollar.
Before we go any further, are you planning to perform this upgrade on a new mobo or your current one? What's the deets on that if it's the latter?
I really think it was wierd for them to have named the 8800 GT/GTS based on the G92 architecture to be called that. It would have made alot more sense to call it the 9800 GT/GTS since thats what it is practically.
Personally I would recommend getting the 9800 GTX in the price range you specified. It is the best performing single card out right now. That is if your looking for a Nvidia.
@CleffyII
It's not just weird too but I'm actually slightly pissed with nVIDIA over these G92 "tweak as we scale up the naming conventions"stunts really. 1st off, remember the not so old 8800GTS "screw up the 1st adopters' near fiasco" via again.. stream procs' additions...Oh and of course some notch ups on core, shader and mem clocks here and there that was it but needless to say it was enough to send that kick to the balls. It's not necessarily the way they'd handled that was the issue, it's more along the time frames in which they did it. What's even more worse is this carry over effects on extending it to the 9 series a bit late to the game (as you've aptly put) with obvious blah. Change in series, NO real change in between so to speak.
Good point on the 98KGTX, so long if no one's planning to go SLI with those. I'm not sure if 512Mb mems can allow for that in a full on manner (IF possible that is) or if I'm clued out of any latest revisions, feel free to correct me. Another thing is, it's reportedly a boat at fan noise...
Best wait for better drivers to come out to sort out the kinks if anything. Sub 5-10% performance gains over the 8 just doesn't make sense currently.
OK I am going to put the new card on my current board. I can only afford to upgrade my card atm. I am not sure what you are meaning by "deets" I am a layman in this area, I don't know to many of the acronyms or meaning beyond that of the average. So if you can please explain a bit further I can get the info for you.
I know I am going to get a new power supply aswell, my current is 350. What should I shoot for on that?
I do have a problem though. On my board I have only 1 PCI-E slot, most 8800 series take up 2 spaces which I can do if I have a little room at the front of the card. What I mean is that I have the power suppley wire connected to the motherboard just barley below the second slot on the front end (towards the back of the tower) under my PCI-E slot.
I will try to show you in this rough picture
}======================== <-- PCI-E slot
}======================== <-- Empty slot (pci or apg
[=] < Power to motherboard
As you see, the front/top of the 8800 has to be open or I have to get a single slot 8800
550 watt power supply is good enough for a single GPU video card. As long as the Power Supply is from a good supplier that has good energy effeciency and either a 20amp 12v rail or multiple 16 amp 12v rails. The power supply should also have a PCI-e 8pin and a PCI-e 6pin connector.
Here is what I mean when I say single GPU video card. The name of the video cards usually are something like 8800 GT. With a dual GPU video card its called something like 7950 X2, or 9800 X2. If you get a dual GPU Video card you will want around a 700 watt power supply.
The video card will probably cover the PCI slot, but not the power connector. This is for any video card you get.
OK, does the new PSU all come with a PCI-e 8pin and PCI-e 6pin connector?
Dont go overboard with your psu,sometimes higher is not always better,my advice do some research it isnt hard to find,Atm I am running a 8800gt with a dual core 2.4 lots of bells and buttons on a 500 antec earthwatts psu and never had 1 problem with it,
If someone had came up to me in 1980 when I was on my Atari 2600 and said we will be playing games with thousands of people at the same time.I guess my response would have been,"but I only have 2 joysticks"
http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/thread/235780/page/8
First off, what are the other components in your computer? You don't want to blow $300 on a graphics card just to be limited by your processor.
--------------------------------
Desktop - AMD 8450 Tri Core, 3 gigs of DDR2 800 RAM, ATI HD 3200 Graphics, Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit
Laptop (Dell Latitude E6400) - Intel P8400, 2 GIGs of RAM, Intel X4500, Windows XP Professional
First off, what are the other components in your computer? You don't want to blow $300 on a graphics card just to be limited by your processor.
Well the GT is the best but like varlok said best to post your specs or you could end up bottle knecking your system.
If someone had came up to me in 1980 when I was on my Atari 2600 and said we will be playing games with thousands of people at the same time.I guess my response would have been,"but I only have 2 joysticks"
http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/thread/235780/page/8
First off, what are the other components in your computer? You don't want to blow $300 on a graphics card just to be limited by your processor.
Well the GT is the best but like varlok said best to post your specs or you could end up bottle knecking your system.
AMD 64 X2 4600 dual core2 gig memory. (I may upgrade to 4 if Windows XP supports 4gigs, I heard it only reads 3)
I have 350 power supply atm, But will have at least 500-550 when I order card
First off, what are the other components in your computer? You don't want to blow $300 on a graphics card just to be limited by your processor.
Well the GT is the best but like varlok said best to post your specs or you could end up bottle knecking your system.
AMD 64 X2 4600 dual core2 gig memory. (I may upgrade to 4 if Windows XP supports 4gigs, I heard it only reads 3)
I have 350 power supply atm, But will have at least 500-550 when I order card
You will be fine with a good 500 watt with a 8800gt card.I know alot of ppl will flame me for this but...vista will be the future when they sort it out,so if you are going to upgrade maybe look to that also,then you can upgrade to 4gbs ram and a great gamming card and tbh you are sorted.
If someone had came up to me in 1980 when I was on my Atari 2600 and said we will be playing games with thousands of people at the same time.I guess my response would have been,"but I only have 2 joysticks"
http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/thread/235780/page/8
The 4 gigs thing isn't WinXP exclusive. Its a memory addressing limitation of 32-bit processors/OS. WinXP 64-bit can recognize over 4 gigs, but WinVista 32-bit cant. Right now though 4 gigs isn't necessary. 2 gigs isn't necessary unless you use mods.
On the PCI-e connectors, some PSU come with none. You actually have to do a bit of checking for the right one. Getting 1 of each type of PCI-e pins helps compatibility.