8800 Ultra vs 9800GTX

[lqcorsa]

Hey err'body.

I'm putting in some extra hours at work, and saving my pennies for the system I should have completed (building) within the next month or two. The question is, I've seen SO much debate between the 9800GTX and 8800 Ultra that I'm scared to even go with the 9800GTX anymore. It was my original plan, since it supports the latest PCI version...and it's the latest series in Nvidia cards. I figured the 9800 was a step forward as far as power goes, but after seeing multiple sites where the 8800 out performs the 9800, I'm not sure which one to cash in on.

Here's my specs for the new computer:
OCZ 4GB (2 x 2GB) 1066 Memory
AMD Phenom Quad Core Black Edition 2.5GHz
Vista Home Premium
ASUS nForce 750a SLI ATX Mainboard

Im mostly concerned about it being able to run FSX with high settings and very high FPS.

What do you guys think as far as the 8800 Ultra and 9800GTX?

[f-18hornet]

I'd buy 8800 Ultra because of wider bus bandwith-good thing for AA and AF and for higher resolution like 1600x1200 and more.

[lqcorsa]

So do you think I'll get better gameplay performance and quality with a 8800 Ultra? I'm gonna be pretty dissapointed if I build this system and Im stuck at max 25 fps in Flight Simulator X.

Also I updated my specs I meant to put in OCZ memory instead of G.SKILL.

[TCEd]

Hey guys, I was having this same conversation just last week, wondering which GFX card to upgrade so that I could set FSX on Ultra High, only to get several of my guys to inform me that it won't matter how much you spend or how big the card, it's a flaw in the game itself.

You can do some Google searches if you like, but I found thread after thread of ppl with very high ends systems get the same frame rate & settings as your getting now. Perhaps when DirectX10 advances or updates for FSX come out, it will solve it.

But for now, if your basing your decision on your new purchase on how it will make FSX perform, you won't get what your looking for. I decided to go ahead with 9800 cuz it won't matter anyway, yet it will be the latest one out.

[BHawthorne]

I'd hold off of buying the 9800 series. The 9900 series will be showing up soon.

[crossfade]

if you want it now get the bfg 8800gts oc only 512 ram but not far off the spec of the ultras and a thrid of the price so you can get two and will still be cheaper than one ultra

[T_Flight]

I belive the next Uber cards are due out in June. If they haven't changed the designation again, it's GX200? I belive that was the designation. If you have a good system right now, and can wait June would be the better time to buy if you want topline stuff.

The 8800's are getting dated, and the G92 refreshed versions really don't offer that much over the older versions. nVidia is in the transitional phase right now of releasing the next "World Beater". Wait 'til June if you can...you be glad you did.

Just about everything in these boxes will be absolete by the end of the Year. Intel will be releasing new sockets, the motherboards will be changing, RAM Standards will be changing, graphics cards will be making huge leaps in performance. That equals a system that will perform at a MUCH higher level that stuff out there now. It's going to be a completely new kind of running. Everything will be different by years end. On board mem controllers, elimination of the FSB, the move to DDR 3, PCI 3.0, Quick Path Interconnct between the cores in these new Multi Core CPU's, Boards with much better power management, coooler running CPU's, GPU's with massive numbers of pipes, better utilization of memory bandwidth, improved PCI-e standards, better BIOS and OC'ing options for the Enthusiast, SSE4 Op Instructions...Man, I could go on and on. The list is endless.

These are not refreshes of the older technology we've been using for awhile now. They are completely new designs, and are totally incompatible with the previous generation stuff. Building a computer right now, means it will be obsolete within the year to the point there won;t be any upgrade path for that hardware.

[snacker]

Just about everything in these boxes will be absolete by the end of the Year.

Is that a fact? I'm trying to buy a new machine too but I can't delay my purchase for much longer, because my current rig is totally busted. Recently I lost my Power supply, which in time fried a gig of Ram and my DVD drive stopped working.
I've been waiting for a year already for things to change. What to do, what to do?:searchme

[T_Flight]

I'm currently typing this ona Socket 478 Prescott based system, and will be waiting 'til years end when the Bloomfield's come out, so what does that tell you? :wink2:

I'd have to screw my foot off and kick my own arse if I bought a system right now. After seeing some of the things these new Nehalem based systems can do, they are so far superior I could not justify the cost of a new system right now. It's so close to release now, it would cost me darn near as much, and I'd end up stuck with that system for the next 5 years.

I build these system to last 5 years, and if they don't I'm out of buisness. I used to go out and keep buying the latest and greatest and ended up with an empty wallet and a bank account in serious trouble to the point I had to pull out investments. It's an oath I made to myself. I'm very careful, and very selective with the computer stuff I buy now, and I research it heavily well in advance to make sure it's what I really want.

Notice the way I posted this. That is for me. For others they have different wants and needs.

The reason I make these kinds of posts is to let folks know what is out there that I've studied in case they have not found this info. It does take time to dig up. Only "they" can decide what's best for them.

[BHawthorne]

There'll always be "the next great thing" in 6 month cycles when it comes to hardware. Sure you can wait, but then again I'd prefer playing games now, and not 6 months down the road.

[Funky]

There'll always be "the next great thing" in 6 month cycles when it comes to hardware. Sure you can wait, but then again I'd prefer playing games now, and not 6 months down the road.

I haven't red the whole thread, but I think the only time I usually decide to wait is when there's a next gen hardware of a whole bunch of next gen hardware coming out.

Funky

[T_Flight]

There'll always be "the next great thing" in 6 month cycles when it comes to hardware. Sure you can wait, but then again I'd prefer playing games now, and not 6 months down the road.

I used to buy hardware in 6 months cycles...key words "used to". I quit doing that, as I got cvery very poor.

I have not had a reason to upgrade less than 5 years the last 10. There is no game that makes me want to race out and spend 2 grand on hardware that will be obsolete in 4 months. There is a few that makes me want to spend money on new technology I know is gonna be around awhile. Nehalem is that hardware. The entire system will be enough of a subtantial upgrade that it's gonna last, and it's gonna have to. It will last 5 years, just like the last two, and I have not done without on a single title yet...and I won't.