Upgrading my ATI card...9600 to 9800 or X800??

[GolfNut]

Can't quite decide which card to go for...i currently have a 9600 Pro
128MB DDR

considering...
9800 Pro 128 or 256 MB DDR

or the

X800 Pro 256MB DDR???

suggestions?? i use my system for all different things from general
use to gaming to digital photo editing.

side consideration...i use a giga-byte motherboard based on the Nvidia
chipset...should i consider switching to an Nvidia based video card
for better compatibility or does it really matter??

thanks in advance!
tw

 

[Mike]

VIdeo card doesn't matter. And the 9800pro is quite a bit faster than the
9600pro but I personally won't spend the money for a single generation (or
equivalent) upgrade, so if I couldn't live with the 9600pro I'd spring for
the x800pro now. But I'd wait for the x800 to drop in price before I bought
it except...
For a person in your position, although I'm partial to ATI, I'd recommend
the nvidia 6800, it lands in a good price/performance area right now and is
a good bit faster than a 9800pro for another $100 or so. It lands between
the 9800pro and x800pro in performance and price... I'm tired right now, so
make sure thazt id the nvidia card model before you buy... there's only one
card that fits this description just douyble check the numbering on the
card...

Mike

 

[Pete D]

VIdeo card doesn't matter. And the 9800pro is quite a bit faster than the
9600pro but I personally won't spend the money for a single generation (or
equivalent) upgrade, so if I couldn't live with the 9600pro I'd spring for
the x800pro now. But I'd wait for the x800 to drop in price before I
bought it except...
For a person in your position, although I'm partial to ATI, I'd recommend
the nvidia 6800, it lands in a good price/performance area right now and
is a good bit faster than a 9800pro for another $100 or so. It lands
between the 9800pro and x800pro in performance and price... I'm tired
right now, so make sure thazt id the nvidia card model before you buy...
there's only one card that fits this description just douyble check the
numbering on the card...

Mike

If you shop around it is probably not even $100 more but much, much better.