Which are you buying: X800 or Geforce 6800?

Assuming that you would purchase one or the other, which board would you buy?

ATI X800 XT:

Advantages:

Clocked pretty fast
Does well in all modes
Based on existing technology, so drivers have had more time to improve

Disadvantages:

Does not have built-in support any future DirectX9 technology
Is based on existing technology

nVidia Geforce 6800 Ultra:

Advantages:

Will allow for DirectX9.0c
Might have more performance waiting in driver improvements
Is new technology for nVidia

Disadvantages:

Takes (2) PCI slots
Requires (2) molex power connectors
Generates more heat than ATI
Might take a little time for performance to eclipse X800 XT



These are the advantages/disadvantages of each as I know them. If I am wrong, please correct me. Have fun voting and debating which will be superior both now and 6 months from now.

 

X800 XT Platinum
im an ATI man.
also, where is counts, it preforms better

 

I make it a point never to buy the first iteration of new generations of technology. I have no desire to be a guinea pig for the bleeding edge.

 

I am getting my X800 today.
http://atacom.com/program/print_htm...RCH_ALL&Item_code=VIDA_ATIX_X8_0B&USER_ID=www
nVidia's offering is strangly absent.
Production problems? Runs too hot? nVidia might lose again in the high end video game.

 

I gave up on Nvidia a long time ago.

ATI got their act together with their drivers, is faster, and better IQ.

Whats not to love?

 

I am going to go with the X800 pro or XT. Why? The X800 series you can still maintain your PSU and it only takes up one slot.

 

The ATI card does use ~20 watts less then the 6800U in all modes, but it almost needs a second molex adaptor itself. ATI recognises this, and would have to add another molex plug on the 6 month refreshed top model in order to gain higher clockspeeds or more transistors.
At computex this year, there were high end ATI and NVidia cards with a new 6 pin power adaptor. This looks like (to me) that both companies are collaborating on a new industry standard power adaptor for video cards. Makes sense, no more worries about using all your power connectors on your video card, and the new adaptor probably will specify a much cleaner, consistent power source (good for OC'ing to
Anyway, since ATI alread almost needs 2 molex connectors, and the 6800U can run non-3d with one, just needs 2 for 3d apps, it should overclock better (well, it has the advantage in the amount of power it can safely draw before running out or getting enough, but very dirty (computer = unstable) power).
Also, since the 6800U is all new, there hasnt been time for drivers to mature. The X800 is based on the 9700, so it has had years to extract every oz of performance and optimisations.
So, given that the 6800U has more available power (also means, that since its power supply isnt stretched to the max causing lots of small (or big) power spikes or surges etc, itll provide an advantage in overclockability and stability), and that there should be big performance jumps over the next 6-8 months with much improved drivers (and will continue to outpace ATI in driver performance increases for the duration of the first to die archecture, aka at least a year), id get the 6800U today.....
But Im not buying today. I have a (lucky) chance where i might be able to trade my 9800pro for an x800 pro, which would be awesome.
But if I do end up buying, or if I had to, Id buy in 6 months for the bargain (aka, Geforce4 Ti4200, 9500's that could be softmodded to 9800 pros (or watever all of hte numerous ati cards that are really just crippled superior hardware), 5900XT, types of cards like that. 6800XT, available Feb 2005, essentially the 6900 (same archetecture at 6800U, but with 512mb RAM and 450/1500 core/mem) core crippled.....380/1300 core/mem, 12 (from 16) pipelines, 128 or 256mb ram. But aha, softmoddable to 16 pipelines, core usually goes to 450, 480 with water and 550 with soft-voltmods, and uses 1400mhz mem (just chips that didnt meet 1600mhz validation that the 6900 uses), which usually OC's to 1550...all for $229.
Just you wait



Further counterpoint on power requirements; nvidia says that if you dont OC you can use a good 300 or 350W PSU and maintain full functionality. But ya, it sucks they want you to use 2 complete power lines...just get Y splitters, its not that much of a problem.
And who cares if it takes a pci slot...Id prefer if all cards used a larger more passive HSF that used the first pci slot, the IRQ for it is shared with the video card, so putting a card there is a bad idea anyway (not to mention airflow/heat considerations)