Re: Getting a new video card
 

I run Red Hat 9.0 half the time, and I've yet to experience a problem with my ATI (9600XT). It works just as well as my old Ti4200, and drivers are somewhat easier to install to boot (you don't have to shut down X, but you do have to do some fancy swapping whenever an update for XFree86 comes out).

Re: Getting a new video card
 

Do not buy SE cards from ATI.

There is quite a difference between Pro and SE cards in performance.

The SE are way slower.

The 9800XT cards from ATI are their best at current.

Re: Getting a new video card
 

This could sound dense since we are in a gaming forum (but due to the intensity & range of topics on here I wonder how many people actually have gaming as their primary 'hobby' or purpose when they post on here), but, C38368, do you play 3D intensive games on Redhat ?
(btw something completely different - any thoughts on Fedora distro @ all)?
I mean do you play multiplayer 'high-end' graphics-heavy games online using your Linux rig (box, comp., desktop whatever...)?
If so then my info is already outdated (not surprising since in the Linux world support status can change literally overnight). It would be good to get a certified positive from anyone who does do this since I have been put off investing in an ATI card due to their reported lack of robust drivers for Linux. Could I expect to game successfully on other distros (Mandrake, Suse, Slackware, Gentoo) using an ATi chipset card (Radeon 9500PRO & above)?
- I will probably pose this question in a new thread - how many regularly rely on Linux for gaming & what their experiences / opinions of driver support & card success are.

Re: Getting a new video card
 

Not really; I haven't enough money to open a subscription with Transgaming. As such, I probably should've prefaced my previous statement thusly... however I've yet to experience any kind of graphical problems in Linux
Before I started using Linux, the stories I heard regarding ATI's support for it were abysmal to be sure, and it sounded to me as though Linux flat out wouldn't work at all with an ATI card. While I don't know how their support was a year or more ago, the little selector app that ATI uses to determine which product you have now lists both Mac OS and Linux in the first decision box.
Now, having said that... the drivers are only available as RPMs (they're proprietary), and don't support kernels before 2.4. Additionally, you need XFree86 4.1, 4.2, or 4.3. But since I'm both using kernel 2.4 and XFree86 4.3 I haven't had a problem, really.

"The ATI Proprietary Linux driver currently supports RADEON 8500 and later, as well as FireGL 8700 and later products. We do not currently plan to include support for any products earlier than this. Drivers for earlier products should already be available from the DRI Project or Utah-GLX project." - Direct quote from ATI's 'Linux Driver FAQ'
I expect that you will see similar performance on any distro which supports RPM. ATI also goes on to mention that there are also some third party initiatives, and that video capture for their AIW cards is not yet supported.

With Red Hat's recent discontinuation of support for 9.0, I expect that I'll be migrating to SuSe 9.1 when it's released in May. I hope that SuSe will consider re-releasing their "Wine Rack" to go along with it. If they do, I'll likely start playing as many games as I might under Linux. I'm crossing my fingers...
As for the Fedora Project, it intrigues me. However, since Fedora doesn't have any overriding standards, my fear is that over time it will diverge into many different "flavours" (semi-unique distros, if you will), and as such I'm hesitant to fully migrate in that direction.

Re: Getting a new video card
 

The L shaped is the one you want. From what it looks like the 256 bit has the L-shaped config in the pics found in the below time trials (even includes the hl2 leaked beta). Also the pics at Newegg support this. Another reason I too am getting the SE from Newegg. It's the best bang for the buck (IMO) and with a bit of tweaking it performs right up there w/ the Pro.

Here's some good trials I found that has the SE 256 bit softmodded: http://www.digital-daily.com/video/a...se/index03.htm

For this price it seems like the best buy. When all the other "mumbo jumbo" comes out and it's time to upgrade again, at least this one didnt cost an arm and a leg. http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...131-236&depa=0

Re: Getting a new video card
 

Hey,I was looking at alot of system specs.for the new cards.How do you find out your wattage on your power supply?I have a sony vaio PCV-Rx550.

Re: Getting a new video card
 

Well, the easiest way is to open up your case and take a look. Most PSUs have their peak load printed on them, or you can derive peak wattage by the amperage on each rail. If you're installing a new gfx card, then your warranty has probably been voided, or will be shortly, so that's the method I'd recommend.

Or just go wandering around forums/making searches. I found one post lamenting a mere 289W being provided from a PCV-Rx 550's PSU. Either way around, be careful if you replace it. OEM PSU's are notorious for being proprietary--Dell even goes so far as to rewire the 20-pin ATX connector so that only their PSUs can be used with their motherboards. Beware, and replace the PSU if you can. It sucks anyway, I promise.

Re: Getting a new video card
 

Well,that sucks.Will a new GFX still work anyway(I can risk instability)?The card I'm getting has a 300 watt reccomandation.

Re: Getting a new video card
 

In all reality, yes it will probably work. In even more reality, it's probably a 300 or 350W unit (and that thread I found was with respect to a PSU gone/going bad).

However, I would recommend upgrading that as soon as you can. Talk to your local independent retailer; it's fairly likely that they'll know if you can swap PSUs outright.

Oh, and one more thing: If you start getting random reboots or problems POSTing/loading your OS, then you're probably overworking your PSU. Replace soon, before you blow it out, along with other parts of your computer.

Re: Getting a new video card
 

Thanks for the advice C38,I'm going to start looking for a new power supply as soon as I order my card.

Re: Getting a new video card
 

Not a problem! When you start looking for a new PSU, here's a couple of things to remember: lightweight PSUs are bad news, and name brand PSUs are good news.

Antec, Enermax, Sparkle, and Enlight are all well-regarded brands.

Re: Getting a new video card
 

Such a blanket statement without providing details is not telling the whole story.

The 9200SE AND 9600SE are slow. they are good chipsets crippled by a 64 bit datapath that bottlenecks the performance.

When you say 9800SE you need to specify whether it is the 128 bit or 256 bit datapath. The 128 bit datapath version is much slower and uses slower DDR RAM that runs much slower. Its performance is slower.

The 9800SE with the 256 bit datapaths are not slow and have RAM that is clocked almost as fast as the 9800 Pro and for $152 are a good buy if your on a budget.

If money is no object then yes a 9800XT is the best card. But if your very tight on funds and cant afford $200 or over video cards then the 9800SE is a good buy BUT ONLY IF YOU GET THE 256 BIT DATAPATH VERSION.

And Rivatuner has a softmod that turns on the 4 turned off data pipelines. This makes it perform almost equally with a 9800Pro.

blanket statements
 

Er Rivatuner being able to softmod 9800SE cards is not a ceratain thing & the way you presenting it may make people believe that every 9800SE they purchase will be easily softmodded.
You seem to be guilty of an equally 'over-general' 'blanket statement' in this case.:uhm:
I would however agree that since the real performance difference between a 9800SE (even without being softmodded) & a 9800PRO is relatively so small that if you can live with 10fps less performance in most games then you should keep your money & go for the 9800SE.

Re: blanket statements
 

I too have heard it's not a guarantee you can softmod. I think the chances are slightly more in your favor it will work then not work.

If you're looking for a new power supply..check out pricewatch.com. I just bought a 550w from St8buy for $23.00 total (including shipping and a 1 yr warranty plus mounting screws). I got it in less then a week. They're generally cheap and if you're getting a high powered card and have a p4, IMO it's a good idea to be over 400w min.

Re: Getting a new video card
 

I think the ratio was about 50/50 will upgrade. But as I said in a past post it would still be significantly faster than my Ti4200. It is rare for me to have $200 for a video card.

Re: blanket statements
 

I just wandered over to Pricewatch... bad. Do not buy off-brand PSUs. Yes, they're cheap, but those wattage ratings are, at best, peak figures that the PSU can't sustain for more than an instant. Moreover, testing consistently reveals that no-name PSUs with high wattage ratings often times go out of spec (delivering too much or too little voltage on a given rail) well below their "rated peak." Then net result is that you wind up with something labelled 550W that functions like a 250 or 300W PSU, which isn't a problem until you load it like a 550W can be loaded, in which case you start getting stability problems and possibly even cooked hardware.

You can get a good 420W PSU (Enlight, Enermax, etc) starting at about $40-$50. Antec probably has the best PSUs on the market, period (their TruePower series), but they carry a significant price premium.
350W is generally held to be sufficient for a Northwood-based system that's not overclocked and/or running large RAID arrays, etc.