R520 Video Cards

I can't wait til R520 Video Cards come out! I wish ATI released some
information, I would love for them to come out with a SLI or dual core
version (SOON!)

I have a Radeon 9800 Pro but I'm waiting for the next gen video cards to
spend money on it.

/rant off

Sorry if this is as informative as your free daily newspaper, I just
wanted to rant a bit (been waiting for the r520 for a few months now)

Any news on the next gen video cards?

>I can't wait til R520 Video Cards come out! I wish ATI released some
>information, I would love for them to come out with a SLI or dual core
>version (SOON!)
>
>I have a Radeon 9800 Pro but I'm waiting for the next gen video cards to
> spend money on it.
>
>/rant off
>
>Sorry if this is as informative as your free daily newspaper, I just
>wanted to rant a bit (been waiting for the r520 for a few months now)
>
>Any news on the next gen video cards?

I heard ATI is waiting for kids to save up allowance money before releasing the
R520

"Manuel" <> wrote in message
news:xYmdnbEiC4EiKkPcRVn-...
>I can't wait til R520 Video Cards come out! I wish ATI released some
>information, I would love for them to come out with a SLI or dual core
>version (SOON!)
>
> I have a Radeon 9800 Pro but I'm waiting for the next gen video cards to
> spend money on it.
>
> /rant off
>
> Sorry if this is as informative as your free daily newspaper, I just
> wanted to rant a bit (been waiting for the r520 for a few months now)
>
> Any news on the next gen video cards?


I don't know when we might see the R520, but depending on who you ask, they
could be coming out anytime between May and November. As far as SLI goes, I
think ATI has no choice but to offer it since nVidia is their chief
competitor.

I myself have a Radeon 9800 Pro and think I will be holding out for an R520
card, or something of that generation. I don't plan to do anything major to
my PC this year, but I will look at building a whole new computer in about a
year's time. I won't be buying the very best video card money can buy, but
I can rest assured that by early 2006 that even a mid-range gaming card
would easily do circles around my 9800 Pro.

NightSky 421 wrote:

> "Manuel" <> wrote in message
>
>>Any news on the next gen video cards?
>
>
>
> I don't know when we might see the R520, but depending on who you ask, they
> could be coming out anytime between May and November. As far as SLI goes, I
> think ATI has no choice but to offer it since nVidia is their chief
> competitor.

Has any hardware site offered input on the power consumption for the
SLI? I mean, this just has to drink more juice than your average PSU
can offer.

"Nada" <_killspam> wrote in message
news:crttbs$k8h$...
>
> Has any hardware site offered input on the power consumption for the SLI?
> I mean, this just has to drink more juice than your average PSU can offer.
>


That's a good point. I don't know of any hardware sites who have
specifically spoken about power requirements, but a dual video card rig is
something that requires some thought ahead of time. It was OK in the
Voodoo2 days, but here in the 21st century, power consumption and heat are
major concerns. You're going to need a monster power supply and a case with
excellent all-round cooling. This is especially true since you aren't going
to see dual video cards to (much of) their potential unless you have a
high-end processor, which means even more heat.

Right now, I have a 2.8GHz Pentium 4 Northwood C with a 9800 Pro video card
and dual 120GB 7200RPM hard drives. Last summer was brutal running that
computer sometimes because of the amount of heat it was spewing out. I
shudder to think what it would be like with two current-gen cards with an
even faster processor. I think such a computer in the hot summer climate
would strictly have to be a basement computer.

NightSky 421 wrote:
> Right now, I have a 2.8GHz Pentium 4 Northwood C with a 9800 Pro
> video card and dual 120GB 7200RPM hard drives. Last summer was
> brutal running that computer sometimes because of the amount of heat
> it was spewing out. I shudder to think what it would be like with
> two current-gen cards with an even faster processor. I think such a
> computer in the hot summer climate would strictly have to be a
> basement computer.

I had the same problem before, and that with in the moderate Dutch summer...
I cheanged to watercooling, which makes my PC a lot less vulnerable for high
temperatures.

--
Thomas

NightSky 421 wrote:

> "Nada" <_killspam> wrote:
>
>>Has any hardware site offered input on the power consumption for the SLI?
>>I mean, this just has to drink more juice than your average PSU can offer.
>>
>
> That's a good point. I don't know of any hardware sites who have
> specifically spoken about power requirements, but a dual video card rig is
> something that requires some thought ahead of time. It was OK in the
> Voodoo2 days, but here in the 21st century, power consumption and heat are
> major concerns. You're going to need a monster power supply and a case with
> excellent all-round cooling. This is especially true since you aren't going
> to see dual video cards to (much of) their potential unless you have a
> high-end processor, which means even more heat.
>
> Right now, I have a 2.8GHz Pentium 4 Northwood C with a 9800 Pro video card
> and dual 120GB 7200RPM hard drives. Last summer was brutal running that
> computer sometimes because of the amount of heat it was spewing out. I
> shudder to think what it would be like with two current-gen cards with an
> even faster processor. I think such a computer in the hot summer climate
> would strictly have to be a basement computer.

Stability is going to be an issue when the heat waves arrive in warmer
parts of the globe. I'm sure they'll manage in Iceland, but in Texas
and other warmer sides of the planet have a hellova lot to deal with. I
have roundabout the same rig as you do with AMD Barton, and while I
didn't have any lockups during the peaks of summer, it didn't exactly
give me a peace of mind to think there was a sauna inside my Chieftec
tower. The Pentiums up in their +3GHz will have a heckova hard time
dealing with two SLI 6800GTs installed when the processor is already
having major workload coping with temperatures exceeding over 70 Celsius
with an average heatsink. I personally don't like the idea that my PC
is sweating like a sprinter after a race. If I'd install an SLI combo
right now, I'd go for the 6600GTs instead of their big brothers.

The hardware magazines and online services should take a closer look on
this issue, because it will most deifnitely give some the enhusiasts a
headache.

"Thomas" <thomas_@lycos.nl> wrote in message
news:...
>
> I had the same problem before, and that with in the moderate Dutch
> summer... I cheanged to watercooling, which makes my PC a lot less
> vulnerable for high temperatures.
>


For those willing to brave it (I'm not one of them!), watercooling can be
very effective at helping with system temperatures.

"Nada" <_killspam> wrote in message
news:cs06c1$rs5$...
>
> Stability is going to be an issue when the heat waves arrive in warmer
> parts of the globe. I'm sure they'll manage in Iceland, but in Texas and
> other warmer sides of the planet have a hellova lot to deal with. I have
> roundabout the same rig as you do with AMD Barton, and while I didn't have
> any lockups during the peaks of summer, it didn't exactly give me a peace
> of mind to think there was a sauna inside my Chieftec tower. The Pentiums
> up in their +3GHz will have a heckova hard time dealing with two SLI
> 6800GTs installed when the processor is already having major workload
> coping with temperatures exceeding over 70 Celsius with an average
> heatsink. I personally don't like the idea that my PC is sweating like a
> sprinter after a race. If I'd install an SLI combo right now, I'd go for
> the 6600GTs instead of their big brothers.
>


Good point about system stability.

Despite my favoring ATI at the moment, I do have to admit that a pair of
6600GT's would provide great performance while not being as hot as 6800GT's
(for example). A person could even start out with one card and then add a
second one when prices go down and when the boost in performance is needed.
My understanding is that the 6600GT is as good, if not better, than the 9800
Pro.

You're right about the Pentium 4's above 3GHz. I'm kinda glad I settled in
at 2.8GHz, but I still felt the heat from it (and my overall system) last
summer! My second computer is an Athlon XP 2500+, which has even greater
temperatures. Luckily, the components I have in it aren't as powerful.


> The hardware magazines and online services should take a closer look on
> this issue, because it will most deifnitely give some the enhusiasts a
> headache.
>


I agree.

NightSky 421 wrote:

> "Nada" <_killspam> wrote in message
> news:cs06c1$rs5$...
>
>>Stability is going to be an issue when the heat waves arrive in warmer
>>parts of the globe. I'm sure they'll manage in Iceland, but in Texas and
>>other warmer sides of the planet have a hellova lot to deal with. I have
>>roundabout the same rig as you do with AMD Barton, and while I didn't have
>>any lockups during the peaks of summer, it didn't exactly give me a peace
>>of mind to think there was a sauna inside my Chieftec tower. The Pentiums
>>up in their +3GHz will have a heckova hard time dealing with two SLI
>>6800GTs installed when the processor is already having major workload
>>coping with temperatures exceeding over 70 Celsius with an average
>>heatsink. I personally don't like the idea that my PC is sweating like a
>>sprinter after a race. If I'd install an SLI combo right now, I'd go for
>>the 6600GTs instead of their big brothers.
>>
>
>
>
> Good point about system stability.
>
> Despite my favoring ATI at the moment, I do have to admit that a pair of
> 6600GT's would provide great performance while not being as hot as 6800GT's
> (for example). A person could even start out with one card and then add a
> second one when prices go down and when the boost in performance is needed.
> My understanding is that the 6600GT is as good, if not better, than the 9800
> Pro.

That's the PC hardware beef of the year really. I've complained
Nvidia's middle sector offers a lot in the past two years, but I have
zero reasons to do so this year. I really like my 9800 Pro. It runs
silent, offers enough speed even today, but 6600GT has stolen the
sweetspot market place. And if you look the card's specs, it fools you
somewhat to realize it has 128bit bandwith against 9800 Pro's 256bits.
It's the card that 5900 Ultra should had been.


> You're right about the Pentium 4's above 3GHz. I'm kinda glad I settled in
> at 2.8GHz, but I still felt the heat from it (and my overall system) last
> summer! My second computer is an Athlon XP 2500+, which has even greater
> temperatures. Luckily, the components I have in it aren't as powerful.

I've been hesitating for going over certain speed in both CPU
manufacturers' models. With the Athlon XP line I've sticked to 1914MHz
and if I'd choose P4, I'd choose the same model as you have right now.
I used to be more of a speed enthusiast when I was younger, but I guess
with age you start looking for stability more than just pure speed. Not
that I wouldn't have a Ferrari fever, it's just that I like to keep my
nerves under Zalman heatsink.