9800gt or 4850?

[donimo]

hi all, long time no ....read? anywhoo.

I want to upgrade my video card, the x800XL in my non-gaming pc is about to seize it's fan and I can't find anything to replace it with (old 2 mount style).

I figured the x1950 in my gaming rig would do nicely, and then I can get something made this century.

I don't game much at all on my pc anymore, the lure of my 360/ps3 and a plasma with a comfy couch has finally pulled me away from the office chair when i get the urge to game.

Having said that I ordered the HIS iceQ4 4850, but saw the xfx9800gt with COD4 for a lot less, and the reviews aren't that far apart...

I am gaming on at 1280x1024, is the 4850 wasted on me? Or will it have longer "legs"?

just looking for opinions is all, thanks!

[jay51]

im a vid card n00b cn compare here techPowerUp :: HIS HD 4850 IceQ4 TurboX 512 MB Review :: Page 1 / 30 :)

[donimo]

I read that one, and I do know that the 4850 is better than the 9800gt, but I just don't know about 60 better...

The gap narrows a bit when you factor in the fact the xfx 9800 cooler looks like the one on my x800 from 5 years ago, and so maybe a $25 accelero might have to be purchased...


So is a 4850 $50 better than a 9800gt?

[Dr_BenD_over]

As i recall, the Zalman VF700 would fit almost anything, and it's still available, if you want to keep the X800 that is

[donimo]

Well, it SHOULD fit, but the x800XL isn't on the list specificaly, plus spending any money on a card this old is sort of a waste, rather keep it as a working spare while it still works.

but thanks!

[geokilla]

If you want to keep it under $100, get the EVGA 9800GT for $99.99 AR.

[donimo]

well, xfx comes with COD4, which is worth 20 bux, all other things being equal of course.

Its not the money so much as spending more on something I will never use. A 4870 or 260/280 is overkill on a 19" monitor, and I am not shopping for a new monitor for a while.

so I guess I will stick with the 4850 barring any opinions on the matter.

[Squeetard]

4850, you an crank up the AA and anisio and really improve the picture on your monitor.

[belgolas]

Well if you already purchased the 4850 then stick with it. Although if you don't game much on the PC then the 9800 GT will do you just fine but on the other hand the 4850 will have a bit longer of a life span. What company did you buy the 4850 from? Because warranty could save ya money too if you plan to keep it longer then a few years.

[donimo]

I bought the HIS ICEQ4 Turbo one (order hasnt even been completed, still time to change), I wanted to get something with better cooling, and didn't want to chance an aftermarket cooler (voids warranty, plus SKYMTL mentioned a lot of ATI cards are glued together instead of just normal paste).

The warranty on XFX is the one thing that has tempted me to go nVidia for years, I am not a fanboy for one camp or the other, I just kept missing the boat on them, I only upgrade once every few years, got a 9700 pro, missed out on the 6xxx series from nvidia, bought an x800, missed the 7 series, bought a 1950, missed the 8 series, rinse repeat.

I guess I will just stick with the HIS, crappy warranty, but all ATI cards have crappy warranties...

whats $50 these days anyways, not even a tank of gas...