nVidia’s GeForce 7950 GX2

**Landiin** · #1 09-19-2006, 11:34 AM

Does any one use this video card with EQ2? I was thinking of picking one up with my new system. But wasn't sure how well EQ2 would utilize the SLi techno.

Before I toss the cash I want to make sure EQ2 will use the power of this card.

bobbiac · #2 09-19-2006, 11:58 AM

not worth it imo something like the Geforce 7950GT 512MB is much better.. save a bit of cash too

also unless you really need a card ... please PLEASE wait for DX10 cards... you wont be let down

GeForceTony · #3 09-19-2006, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobbiac

not worth it imo something like the Geforce 7950GT 512MB is much better.. save a bit of cash too

also unless you really need a card ... please PLEASE wait for DX10 cards... you wont be let down

Aye, I have to agree... Unless you've got the cash to spend now (or your current card is sub-GeForce 6x00 or Radeon Xx00 Series), and then again when DX10 comes out then I suggest waiting a bit... DX10 is going to change EVERYTHING... Possibly just as big a jump as it was going from DX7 to DX8 with the first programmable shaders.

**Landiin** · #4 09-19-2006, 01:22 PM

Yes that was something I forgot about was the close release of DX10.

With the new windows coming out next year should I just wait to upgrade then? I've been pondering to do just that but I have the upgrade itch! lol

Rassal · #5 09-19-2006, 01:45 PM

Well, i will give you my humble opinion here... If you want to upgrade, go for it. Never let technology change stop you, why? Only because adaptation to that technology takes time.

DX10 won't be out before Vista is out. And everyday M$ seems to push the release date... so, basicly, Vista is due in late january 2007... and with every damn release of DirectX, it takes the programmers at least 1 year to adopt the new ways used with new instructions. Basicly, this means, when DX10 gets released, EQ2 and most of the existing games won't perform better under it, until they patch the core of those games to use DX10 instead of DX9.0c.

I remember playing EQ1, and it took sony over a year to release a patch that changed the core EQ1 from an older version of DirectX to the other one. So this means that for EQ2, don't expect a DX10 integration before at least low to mid 2008... this is almost 2 years... can you wait 2 years up front? And if there are released cards that support DX10 when vista is OUT in January, when games will go out that needs DX10 to run, you will need to replace that slow 1st generation DX10 card for a faster one... Don't forget, both NVidia and ATI now have 2 dev teams releasing new chipsets every 6 months or so... 2 years is a lot of time to wait to benefit the use of a DX10 card and the release of DX10... (and if i remember well, they did this twice, from DX7 to DX8 and from DX8 to DX9, that was over 5 years... )

So yes, i would say a 7950 GX2 is worth it... if you got the CPU to drive it... cause at those speed, you need a FAT CPU to process all that data... i just upgraded from an X850XT to a X1950XTX and i was using an FX57 processor, and i just doubled my video speed (according to 3DMark) but in EQ2, i haven't seen much of an upgrade... why? Because EQ2 was using my X850XT to the max already... adding a more powerful video card without upgrading the CPU didn't change much... If you get a Core2 Duo Extreme CPU along with the 7950 GX2, you will see the difference for sure (friend of mine upgraded to this and runs EQ2 at extreme quality with no visual lag) thing i cannot do... and we are only 1000 apart in 3DMark06... so video isn't the only thing in EQ2....

Decision is yours mate... don't let technology fool you....

**gm9** · #6 09-19-2006, 02:15 PM

What Rassal said. And you gotta listen to your upgrade itch.

Feeling it too at the moment, but still being on an old AGP system it would involve changing mainboard, processor, memory and graphics card. I'm not there yet where I can justify to shell out that kind of money (but I'm close, EQ2 in performance mode just does not look good...).

**Landiin** · #7 09-19-2006, 02:24 PM

I was gonna go with a Core 2 Duo CPU but was gonna skimp on the Core 2 Extreme CPU as it's double the price lol. But being the author of eXtremeUI maybe I should get it:P

**Landiin** · #8 09-19-2006, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gm9

What Rassal said. And you gotta listen to your upgrade itch.

Feeling it too at the moment, but still being on an old AGP system it would involve changing mainboard, processor, memory and graphics card. I'm not there yet where I can justify to shell out that kind of money (but I'm close, EQ2 in performance mode just does not look good...).

Aye same boat, AGP system so I'm basically going to have to gut it all

This is what I was planning on:

1 x Intel Core 2 Duo E6700 (2.67 GHz) Dual Core Retail
1 x Asus P5W DH Deluxe Intel 975X Retail
1 x Corsair XMS DDR2-800 1 GB TwinX Pack
1 x XFX GeForce 7950 GX2 Extreme Edition PCIe 1 GB Retail
1 x Viewsonic VX922 Black 19" LCD Flat Screen ( mine is a crappy analog flat screen)

Rassal · #9 09-19-2006, 02:42 PM

Your rampack is a 2gb total? huge difference in EQ2 with 2gb or ram.

If your pack is 2x 512mb for a total of 1gb... i would suggest strongly to upgrade this to a 2x 1024mb instead...

Most new games will run better under 2gb of ram... and if you upgrade your PC for a couple of years, think about Vista, that uses LOTS and LOTS of ram... the 1st slap i had about 1gb of ram was Battlefield 2... the second one was EQ2.... now i have 2gb, and won't ever have under that amount for a gaming rig... in fact... drop your processor to the 2.4g version instead of the 2.67 and the price difference should get you that 2gb of ram... you will see a better improvement from that... than from a 200mhz step on a Core2Duo... 2gb for the win!

VX922 is a really great monitor, but, based on the 1280x1024 resolution it has, it's hard to pack lots of stuff on a 1280x1024 screen... next upgrade i am gonna grab is a widescreen monitor, so i can have more than 6 hotbar at the same time with all my other mods....

**Landiin** · #10 09-19-2006, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rassal

Your rampack is a 2gb total? huge difference in EQ2 with 2gb or ram.

If your pack is 2x 512mb for a total of 1gb... i would suggest strongly to upgrade this to a 2x 1024mb instead...

Most new games will run better under 2gb of ram... and if you upgrade your PC for a couple of years, think about Vista, that uses LOTS and LOTS of ram... the 1st slap i had about 1gb of ram was Battlefield 2... the second one was EQ2.... now i have 2gb, and won't ever have under that amount for a gaming rig... in fact... drop your processor to the 2.4g version instead of the 2.67 and the price difference should get you that 2gb of ram... you will see a better improvement from that... than from a 200mhz step on a Core2Duo... 2gb for the win!

VX922 is a really great monitor, but, based on the 1280x1024 resolution it has, it's hard to pack lots of stuff on a 1280x1024 screen... next upgrade i am gonna grab is a widescreen monitor, so i can have more than 6 hotbar at the same time with all my other mods....

I was under the impression it was 1G x2 for a total 2G, I'll have to go back and double check now you have me doubting lol. Yes 2G+ is a must I run 1G now and it isn't enough.

Hmm I'll have to use another monitor if that one is based off off 1280x1024 as I play at 1600x1200 now on mine. Guess I'll have to research them now. I just dumbly figured any new monitor would be more then happy past 1280x1024. I didn't think/want I needed a wide screen for my PC. I never watch videos on it. I've did the two monitor thing with my current 5950 but after the new was gone I all but quit using the 2nd monitor lol.

Rassal · #11 09-19-2006, 03:52 PM

Mostly, any 19" LCD Monitor has a matrix of 1280x1024... mostly 20" are a mix of 1280x1024 and some higher... but if you want 1600x1200 and a good quality image, you will need a 21" or higher in a non widescreen LCD monitor.

**lordebon** · #12 09-19-2006, 04:14 PM

I have one of those video cards, and I love it.

I run around with all the textures at maximum, and few things off (only the things that annoy me and some lighting and shadows) and rarely stutter.

You can probably go with the 7950GT and still have it look great. I went with this because its better than that (although not quite up to 2 of them) but a lot cheaper than 2 of them, and it still gives me helluvaperformance. Compared to the GeForce 4 Ti4200 I had, this thing is GOD.

depechenode · #13 09-19-2006, 05:01 PM

7900 GT is JUNK. Three DOA for me NOB. Not sure about the 7950 GT.
Finally, I opt'ed for the 7950GX2 1GIG Ram and I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is worth the cost IMO and the only way to go.

I have Dual Core as well.. AMD 64 X2 4000+ Toledo with 3 GB ram.

bobbiac · #14 09-19-2006, 05:57 PM

Sadly enough i would get a dell 24" widescreen.. they finance well and DAMN is it nice

**Landiin** · #15 09-19-2006, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordebon

I have one of those video cards, and I love it.

I run around with all the textures at maximum, and few things off (only the things that annoy me and some lighting and shadows) and rarely stutter.

You can probably go with the 7950GT and still have it look great. I went with this because its better than that (although not quite up to 2 of them) but a lot cheaper than 2 of them, and it still gives me helluvaperformance. Compared to the GeForce 4 Ti4200 I had, this thing is GOD.

What CPU are you using, if you don't mind me asking?

**lordebon** · #16 09-19-2006, 06:44 PM

Nothing too special... AMD 64 X2 4600+ (AM2)

It gets the job done =)

**Landiin** · #17 09-19-2006, 11:47 PM

So how does this sound? I havn't really researched MB and have never used an Asus before but it seems thats the brand I see in all the benchmarks on the CPU and video's I've read.

Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 (2.4 GHz) Dual Core Retail
Asus P5N32-SLI SE Deluxe nVidia nForce4 SLI X16 Retail
Corsair XMS DDR2-800 2 GB TwinX Pack
Western Digital Raptor 74GB 10,000 RPM OEM
XFX GeForce 7950 GX2 Extreme Edition PCIe 1 GB Retail

I could sub then Core 2 Dua with the AMD Anthlon64 4600+ (2.4Ghs) Doul core for about 100 buch cheaper but all the reviews and benchmarks show the Core 2 dua blowing away the AMD's

Rassal · #18 09-20-2006, 08:30 AM

I personnaly think:

1 x Asus P5W DH Deluxe Intel 975X Retail

That was a better choice... but that's my opinion... I think there are some glitches with NF4 Chipset for intel, but since i am not on an intel CPU, i can't say (i got an AMD Athlon64 FX-57)...

You now have 2 gb of ram, and tell me... if you buy only one raptor drive, you aren't getting any improvement on a basic raid configuration... you would get faster speed with 2 normal 7200rpm 80gb hard drive than with one single 74gb raptor... for the same price... so, why bother? Raptor are used to get speed over traditional drives, of course any pair of raptor will be faster in raid than any other pair of drives in raid... but, they cost a lot, and don't offer great storage... if you only want 1 raptor drive, and don't plan any future upgrade, then it would be wiser to grab 2 normal 7200rpm drive and raid-0 them out... for the same price, you would have the same speed, and twice the storage...

**gm9** · #19 09-20-2006, 08:53 AM

Personally I would also take the Intel chipset, if only for the dedicated SATA bus (not sharing the PCIe bus). Asus is a good brand, personally I've been happily using Abit boards for a while now. If you want to overclock, however, I think the 965 chipset is easier to overclock than the 975 solution.

I also don't see the benefit of going for a Raptor drive unless you do not want to take the risks of having a RAID-0 and absolutely want to reduce your disk access time by a few milliseconds over a fast 7200 rpm drive.

If you want to save further money, I suppose you can go for DDR2-667 memory with good timings. The speed difference will be minimal but there is usually a big price difference.

**Landiin** · #20 09-20-2006, 10:57 AM

I already have one Raptor 74GB 10,000 RPM in my current system. I just figured I would add another one; run the OS and every thing else but games on one and games on the other.

I know zero about RAID configuration. ( yes I know I'm bad).

Eloora · #21 09-20-2006, 11:47 AM

Glad I stumbled upon this discussion. I too am in the market for a new PC, and my planned components are very similar to what Landiin was going for. However, the only thing I am 100% sure about getting is that 7950 GX2 1GB card. I haven't come accross a single negative thing about it, and it's a great first step into an SLI (like) configuration.

The motherboard is something I too have been going back and forth on. Intel chipset vs. nvidia chipset...I'm really not savvy enough to wade through all the data supporting either types. I did hear that the Intel chipset has more room to OC, but the nvidia chipset boards have better onboard audio. Any truth to these rumors? And Landiin, did you plan to use onboard audio with your new system, or do you have a certain sound card in mind as well?

GeForceTony · #22 09-20-2006, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Landiin

Aye same boat, AGP system so I'm basically going to have to gut it all

This is what I was planning on:

1 x Intel Core 2 Duo E6700 (2.67 GHz) Dual Core Retail
1 x Asus P5W DH Deluxe Intel 975X Retail
1 x Corsair XMS DDR2-800 1 GB TwinX Pack
1 x XFX GeForce 7950 GX2 Extreme Edition PCIe 1 GB Retail
1 x Viewsonic VX922 Black 19" LCD Flat Screen ( mine is a crappy analog flat screen)

Looks awesome, however, I've got a couple of inputs on your choices...

First, is the videocard... STAY AWAY FROM XFX... PLEASE!!! Why? I have an XFX 6800 GT AGP, and when I bought it, it was essentially DOA (would artifact in Windows within a mere 30 seconds of boot). So, I tried RMA'ing it, and lets just say that XFX's RMA\support department is HORRIBLE... And that's putting it lightly. To make a long story short, I had to RMA the card not once, not twice, but THREE times to get a working card. My card works now, and has been working fine, but it was pathetic... If you get a working card, great, more power to ya, but you'll be in hell if you ever have to get a replacement...

Second, is the monitor... I've loved ViewSonic for quite a while, but I've heard horror stories about their support as well, and while their products are solid, IMO, the best 19" gaming flat-panel out there is Dell's 1907FP. I just bought this thing, and there is virtually NO backlight leakage, no ghosting, color reproduction is AWESOME, and it's a VERY solid gaming LCD. Go for that, IMO, its cheaper than the VX922 (The VX922 was what I was originally looking at) and as I said, in my opinion, better...

BTW, When you DO get your new videocard, don't forget to check out Tweaks R Us' XTreme-G Drivers. I'm the author of the laptop-GPU variant of the drivers, called XTreme-G MobileForce, so I have to promote the brand

.

**gm9** · #23 09-20-2006, 12:34 PM

Actually the Dell 1970FP is the flatscreen we are using in our office (for work, not gaming

). The color rendering looks ok, but there are noticable differences in the lighting. But this varies with each device. Personally I love my NEC 1970 GX. It has a glossy screen, and while some people hate that, you cannot get more brilliant colours than that.

But I have to ignore this thread, all this talk about upgrading erodes remaining resistance against doing the same.

Although I'll definitely not get a GX2, that's pushing the price limit a bit much. I was looking at the 7950 GT or the X1900 XT. The ATI card is probably better, but has much higher power consumption so I think I'd rather got with the NVidia solution. Not a consideration any of you are making I suppose, but energy prices are high where I live.

**Landiin** · #24 09-20-2006, 03:09 PM

Eloora, I was just planning on using the onboard audio. As I don't have a lot of music or video's I use on the PC. Plus I mostly use a headset (TS and vent) so getting a highend sound card isn't that important to me.

GeForceTony, I picked the XFX because of the reviews and I have read that they are nVidia's premier resellers. I've always used BFG in the past and haven't had any trouble out of them thus far, may see if they offer the GX2.

gm9, You can't resist the need:P

**lordebon** · #25 09-20-2006, 04:13 PM

I have the MSI version of the GX2.

I'm a big fan of MSI's stuff... nothing I've bought from them has been DOA or even bad and anytime I've needed support with them they've been top-notch.