<Sapphire> 9600XT 256MB vs 9800SE 128MB

[Wayne Youngman]

Hi,
well, well I am getting busy! I just got a call from my brother and he wants
a computer upgrade and has asked me to build him a new box. He ain't got a
lot of cash but he has a boxed Athlon T-Bred XP2400+ and £450-00 cash

We did a quick spec and their was £140-00 in the budget for a graphics card.
He is a Photoshop/Flash master, and also a *old-school* 3D-Gamer!

I pretty much had a 9600XT 256MB (£124.49 UK) in mind for him but I am now
thinking of a 9800SE 128MB (£131.60).

What is the difference between the 9600XT and the 9800SE?

I have a Sapphire 9800 and its kicking! so I just wanna get my Bro as much
3D goodness as I can for £140-00 UK.

Am I right in thinking their is a chance to *softmod* the 9800Se into a
9800? (or Pro even?)

Thanks for any feedback, I seem to have a small business growing now

 

[Wayne Youngman]

Hi,

oops already I have seen that the 128MB version of the 9600XT has faster
memory! (but less of it).

9600XT 128MB - 325MHz Memory (650DDR) - Core 500MHz (? pipelines) 128bit
9600XT 256MB - 290MHz Memory (580DDR) - Core 500MHz (? pipelines) 128bit?

9800 128MB - 290MHz Memory (580DDR) - Core 325MHz (8 pipelines) 256bit
9800SE 128MB - 290MHz Memory (580DDR) - Core 325MHz (4 pipelines) ???bit?

Can you help fill the gaps please?

 

[Tomg]

The ATI website has a list of all of their video cards and the differences
between them - see link below.

http://apps.ati.com/ATIcompare/

Regards,
Tom

 

[Darthy]

Hi,
well, well I am getting busy! I just got a call from my brother and he wants
a computer upgrade and has asked me to build him a new box. He ain't got a
lot of cash but he has a boxed Athlon T-Bred XP2400+ and £450-00 cash

We did a quick spec and their was £140-00 in the budget for a graphics card.
He is a Photoshop/Flash master, and also a *old-school* 3D-Gamer!

I pretty much had a 9600XT 256MB (£124.49 UK) in mind for him but I am now
thinking of a 9800SE 128MB (£131.60).

What is the difference between the 9600XT and the 9800SE?

I have a Sapphire 9800 and its kicking! so I just wanna get my Bro as much
3D goodness as I can for £140-00 UK.

Am I right in thinking their is a chance to *softmod* the 9800Se into a
9800? (or Pro even?)

Read this;

http://www6.tomshardware.com/graphic/20031229/index.html

Out of the box, the 9800se is slower usually... but if the softmod
works, it'll be faster.... if not, you've paid the same for a slower
card.

 

[shanec]

Hi,
well, well I am getting busy! I just got a call from my brother and he wants
a computer upgrade and has asked me to build him a new box. He ain't got a
lot of cash but he has a boxed Athlon T-Bred XP2400+ and £450-00 cash

We did a quick spec and their was £140-00 in the budget for a graphics card.
He is a Photoshop/Flash master, and also a *old-school* 3D-Gamer!

I pretty much had a 9600XT 256MB (£124.49 UK) in mind for him but I am now
thinking of a 9800SE 128MB (£131.60).

What is the difference between the 9600XT and the 9800SE?

I have a Sapphire 9800 and its kicking! so I just wanna get my Bro as much
3D goodness as I can for £140-00 UK.

Am I right in thinking their is a chance to *softmod* the 9800Se into a
9800? (or Pro even?)

Read this;

http://www6.tomshardware.com/graphic/20031229/index.html

Out of the box, the 9800se is slower usually... but if the softmod
works, it'll be faster.... if not, you've paid the same for a slower
card.

 

[Timothy T. Doran]

Don't buy an ATI 9600XT based video controller unless it is a genuine retail
ATI 9600XT, as most other "builders" that are using the ATI 9600XT chipset
have not fully followed the ATI reference design, used old PCB's that were
"in stock"
to rush product out for Christmas holiday, and have not enabled the ATI
"OVERDRIVE"
feature.

I too was "duped'" by C.P.Technology Co., Ltd. aka/dba in United States as
Power Color USA Corp. in purchasing a R96A-C3T in a new system I had built
by Future Technologies International, Inc. (FTI), Great Neck, NY about two
weeks ago, who is an "authorized" distributor/reseller" Power Color
products.

The cost to me between the Power Color R96A-C3T and a genuine retail ATI
9600XT was less than five dollars, but I went ahead with the Power Color
Product since it seemed to have a better bundle. I was not aware that there
were any differences in the cards, as Future Technologies International,
Inc. (FTI) web site (as do most other resellers) still to this day state the
fact that the Power Color R96A-C3T has "OVERDRIVE", as does C.P.Technology
Co., Ltd. Main web site, only in the last week has the Power Color USA Corp.
web site quietly removed the statement about the Power Color R96A-C3T having
'OVERDRIVE" ability.