A computer components & hardware forum. HardwareBanter

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Home » HardwareBanter forum » Video Cards » Ati Videocards
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

9800 Pro Pricing



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old August 17th 04, 07:30 PM
Tim
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default 9800 Pro Pricing


The price of the 9800 Pro is now hovering around the $200 mark. Any
predictions when it might drop below $150?


  #2  
Old August 18th 04, 02:08 AM
JD
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

It'll be less than $150 exactly when a better card becomes $200 that you
want but decide to wait till its $150. Just buy a $150 card today if you
want an upgrade and that's what you can afford... there will *always* be
something bigger and better.



"Tim" wrote in message
...

The price of the 9800 Pro is now hovering around the $200 mark. Any
predictions when it might drop below $150?




  #3  
Old August 18th 04, 03:51 AM
Tim
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"JD" wrote in message
news:VZxUc.128333$M95.105756@pd7tw1no...
It'll be less than $150 exactly when a better card becomes $200 that you
want but decide to wait till its $150.


LOL That's hardly the situation in this case. The 9800 Pro is quickly
becoming the standard with which new games run decently, and that is why I'm
asking. I think some of the latest games are unusually demanding on the
hardware (like Thief 3). It used to be that a moderately priced card was all
one needed. Not lately though. I'm presently using a 9100, which until
recently would run any game just fine. I planned to hang onto it until
games I actually wanted to play required more horsepower. The only problem
is that they require a *lot* more horsepower.


  #4  
Old August 18th 04, 04:48 AM
Augustus
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Tim" wrote in message
...
I think some of the latest games are unusually demanding on the
hardware (like Thief 3). It used to be that a moderately priced card was

all
one needed. Not lately though. I'm presently using a 9100, which until
recently would run any game just fine. I planned to hang onto it until
games I actually wanted to play required more horsepower. The only problem
is that they require a *lot* more horsepower.


Thief 3 caused me to upgrade from my overclocked 8500 128Mb to a 9800 Pro.
(I run a Barton 3200/ 1gig dual channel system) Even running at minimized
visual settings and 800x600 it was bloody awful. Thief3, although I love the
game, is just sloppy unoptimized programming and code. It's a modified
Unreal engine. It should run just fine on an 8500 or Ti4200. UT2004 with my
8500 was a great performer at high settings, 1024x768. Compare how Doom3
runs on an 8500 or Ti4200, then look at how Thief3 runs on it. Case closed.


  #5  
Old August 18th 04, 05:25 AM
Tim
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Augustus" wrote in message
news:GkAUc.36353$fz2.14531@edtnps89...

Thief 3 caused me to upgrade from my overclocked 8500 128Mb to a 9800 Pro.
(I run a Barton 3200/ 1gig dual channel system) Even running at minimized
visual settings and 800x600 it was bloody awful.


That seems a bit unexpected. I ran Thief 3 on a system with a 9600 Pro, a
gig of PC3200 and a 3GHz P4. At 800x600 I was getting around 25-45 fps. I
would think that a 9800 Pro would have twice horsepower of a 9600 Pro. One
thing I noticed however, is that the "multisampling" slider seems to be
possessed in that game, sliding *itself* to the right sometimes. Of course
that halves the frame rate on a 9600 Pro. Maybe it was doing the same to
your 9800 Pro.

I wonder what hardware they developed the game with, especially if they
started it a few years ago.




  #6  
Old August 18th 04, 04:20 PM
Augustus
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

I ran Thief 3 on a system with a 9600 Pro, a
gig of PC3200 and a 3GHz P4. At 800x600 I was getting around 25-45 fps. I
would think that a 9800 Pro would have twice horsepower of a 9600 Pro.


I phrased this badly. I meant to say that on my 8500, Thief3 was a slug.
Upgraded to a 9800 Pro and now no problems.


  #7  
Old August 18th 04, 10:10 PM
NightSky 421
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

"Tim" wrote in message
...

The price of the 9800 Pro is now hovering around the $200 mark. Any
predictions when it might drop below $150?



The trouble is that the longer you wait, the less useful life the card will
have left in it. The 9800 Pro has been out for over a year already.


  #8  
Old August 18th 04, 11:18 PM
Tim
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"NightSky 421" wrote in message
...

The trouble is that the longer you wait, the less useful life the card

will
have left in it. The 9800 Pro has been out for over a year already.


You're absolutely right, but there's also a certain sweet spot for video
cards on the price/performance curve, and the 9800 Pro I'm hoping will get
sweeter. It's more than enough card for most any game out right now, and
while it won't run every upcoming game with every option maxxed out, at $150
you'd certainly get your money's worth.

An X800 is twice as powerful but it's just not worth the current price,
IMHO. Right now you only need one if you want to run the latest games at
maximum res with every feature enabled. By the time you actually need it to
run a game at all it will be a fraction of the cost, consume less power, and
on its fiftth board revision. There's certainly no shortage of $600 gaming
cards right now, but that's mostly because someone out there will buy them.
If history is any indication, I'm betting that virtually no game will need
them until they're a third of that price.

With ATI unveiling its X series I'm sensing another price drop, but if not
the 9800 Pro is still a pretty good buy. I just think with Moore's law you
have to pace your upgrades.


  #9  
Old August 18th 04, 11:27 PM
Inglo
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

On 8/18/2004 3:18 PM Tim brightened our day with:

"NightSky 421" wrote in message
...


The trouble is that the longer you wait, the less useful life the card


will


have left in it. The 9800 Pro has been out for over a year already.




You're absolutely right, but there's also a certain sweet spot for video
cards on the price/performance curve, and the 9800 Pro I'm hoping will get
sweeter. It's more than enough card for most any game out right now, and
while it won't run every upcoming game with every option maxxed out, at $150
you'd certainly get your money's worth.

An X800 is twice as powerful but it's just not worth the current price,
IMHO. Right now you only need one if you want to run the latest games at
maximum res with every feature enabled. By the time you actually need it to
run a game at all it will be a fraction of the cost, consume less power, and
on its fiftth board revision. There's certainly no shortage of $600 gaming
cards right now, but that's mostly because someone out there will buy them.
If history is any indication, I'm betting that virtually no game will need
them until they're a third of that price.

With ATI unveiling its X series I'm sensing another price drop, but if not
the 9800 Pro is still a pretty good buy. I just think with Moore's law you
have to pace your upgrades.




I bought my 9800 Pro 3 months ago for $200, that was about as ripe as I
was wiling to let it get. If I would have waited until right now I'd be
buying a GeForce 6800 (non GT/Ultra) for $300, that's the best bang for
your buck right now.
I'm happy with the 9800 Pro but there's no way I'd recommend waiting
around to save $50.

--
History shows again and again
How nature points up the folly of men

Steve [Inglo]
  #10  
Old August 19th 04, 12:41 AM
Tim
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Inglo" wrote in message
...


... GeForce 6800 (non GT/Ultra) for $300, that's the best bang for
your buck right now.


Why? Its vertex and pixel rates are only 25% better than a 9800 Pro and its
memory bandwidth is almost identical.

http://www.neeyik.info/3dspecs/


I'm happy with the 9800 Pro but there's no way I'd recommend waiting
around to save $50.


Not for too long, at least.


 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
9800 Pro feezes during 3D games Fish Ati Videocards 26 February 17th 05 04:31 PM
9800 Pro All-in-Wonder, plus a few other questions Venadium Ati Videocards 7 November 11th 03 12:42 AM
Finally got the 9800, but now have some issues... sb Ati Videocards 16 October 16th 03 11:23 PM
Radeon 9800 Pro vs AIW 9800 J.Clarke Ati Videocards 3 October 13th 03 01:00 PM
9800 NON-Pro what does it says in Device Manager? meshJ Ati Videocards 4 September 15th 03 03:16 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 12:00 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 HardwareBanter.
The comments are property of their posters.