9800 Question

[MJCfromCT]

Hi all,

I am starting to compile an early x-mas / bday list, and wanted SysOpt's advice on what video card I should get. I am looking at getting a 9800 Pro, but am not sure which manufacturer offers the best value. Should I stick with the "built by ATI" cards, or go with a third-party manufacturer. Also, I have 786 MB of generic DDR 333, would I notice a huge performance increase if i upgraded to a gig or pc3200? Thanks in advance :)

P.S. This will be my first ATI vid card, i've been using NVidia for the longest time, but I think it's time i "converted"

[bob05]

Why not get a Shappire 9800 Non Pro and mod it to a 9800 Pro? That will save you $100 and buy even more DDR ram or the rest of the things on your list. :t

[MJCfromCT]

that is another option i am considering....

how easy is it to mod the sapphire 9800 and make it perform like a 9800 Pro? I have been building computers for a while now, but haven't modded hardware extensively...

...also, after being modded, does it truly perform at a 9800 Pro level? If so, and if the mod itself is relatively simple, I might very well choose the 9800 np by sapphire

[fishybawb]

http://www.sysopt.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=145610

The mod itself is just a BIOS flash, and seems to be pretty straightforward :)

[Bigjakkstaffa]

how easy is it to mod the sapphire 9800 and make it perform like a 9800 Pro?

Piece of pith ;)

Sapphire 9800 non-pro (but not SE!), and the mod, you got yourself a 9800 Pro and keep a hundred notes in your wallet to boot

--Jakk:t