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128MB 9200 or 64MB 9600?

zen.state

zen.state

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Mar 13, 2005
2,181
8
I just want some quick feedback on which card would be better to get. I have found both on ebay with buy now prices that I like. they are both about the same price.

I don't game much but do from time to time. The 9600 will give me core image but the 9200 has double the ram.

Please help me make this choice. Its driving me crazy!@# :(
 
Get the 9600, as it is 400 more than the 9200. The 128 vram is only 64 better than the 64. It makes sense.
 
zen.state said:
I just want some quick feedback on which card would be better to get. I have found both on ebay with buy now prices that I like. they are both about the same price.

I don't game much but do from time to time. The 9600 will give me core image but the 9200 has double the ram.

Please help me make this choice. Its driving me crazy!@# :(
Click to expand...

For gaming the 9200 is a bit better, what else do you do with a computer? If you say use pages calculator safari and game from time to time for with the 9200, if you would utilize for image often get the 9600.
 
fivetoadsloth said:
For gaming the 9200 is a bit better, what else do you do with a computer? If you say use pages calculator safari and game from time to time for with the 9200, if you would utilize for image often get the 9600.
Click to expand...

I do a lot of image editing in photoshop, use expose a lot, surfing, email, watch movies etc.
 
zen.state said:
I do a lot of image editing in photoshop, use expose a lot, surfing, email, watch movies etc.
Click to expand...

Photoshop (And in the cs3 beta) still fails to utilize core image the rest of them also wouldnt be effected much not having it. Id say go with the 9200.
 
Jiddick ExRex said:
Which apps actually take advantage of Core Image?
Click to expand...

The entire system uses it. And with future releases (Leopard) more things on the OS will be processed by GPU, which will (and does) require video cards with Core Image support.

9600 is better for gaming, because it has higher core and memory frequences, has more pixel pipes and has vertex shader engines (9200 doesnt).

The extra 64 MB in 9200 means almost nothing, because the memory is so much slower than in 9600!

9200 was a very low-end card, while 9600 was mid-range.

Lol, extra VRAM on low-end cards is like megapixels on consumer photo cameras. They say - the more, the better, but in reality, a pro camera with fewer pixels produces pictures of much higher quality ;)
 
That is true...the 9600 kicks the 9200. In no way is the 9200 "a bit better" for gaming or for anything else. You can look up the tech specs and benchmarks to see for yourself. Mostly the difference would be noticeable with gaming or other apps that push 3D. It's the same principle as getting a 128MB 9800 over a 256MB 9600...the 9800 is just plain better, and more VRAM can't begin to make up for the older tech.

--Eric
 
Between the two, 9600.
But, uh, why bother upgrading?
Honestly your comparing a snail to a tortoise.

The 9600 was only good back in ~2002 as a mid range/budget gamers card. Think about it now, 2007...

I'd look at something a few generations newer, not something half a decade old.
I've been through two upgrades since I had the 9600.
 
booksacool1 said:
Between the two, 9600.
But, uh, why bother upgrading?
Honestly your comparing a snail to a tortoise.

The 9600 was only good back in ~2002 as a mid range/budget gamers card. Think about it now, 2007...

I'd look at something a few generations newer, not something half a decade old.
I've been through two upgrades since I had the 9600.
Click to expand...

He said he doesnt do any graphics-card intensive stuff, except an occasional game or two. I still have 9600 in my iMac and its a decent card for semi-modern games. Doom 3 for example runs at 25-40 fps @ High settings.
 
booksacool1 said:
The 9600 was only good back in ~2002 as a mid range/budget gamers card. Think about it now, 2007...
Click to expand...

Considering his computer is from 2002...

The 9800 Pro is the "best" card available for his machine, I think. But those still cost silly money - up to £150 or so.

However, I was reading here about adding other cards to the G4. Could be worth looking into.
 
I ended up buying the 9600. thanks for your advice everyone!

I get the point about them both being older cards but I am still using my MDD dual 867 and its all the power I need. I'm not one of those people that needs the latest and the greatest. My mac suits me in every way other than video. I'm still using the stock 32MB Nvidia Geforce 4 and it leaves a lot to be desired at 1680x1050 as it uses every bit of the vram to run that res in millions of colours..

I am also really looking forward to core image. The seller even claims the 9600 supports core animation!
 
zen.state said:
I ended up buying the 9600. thanks for your advice everyone!

I get the point about them both being older cards but I am still using my MDD dual 867 and its all the power I need. I'm not one of those people that needs the latest and the greatest. My mac suits me in every way other than video. I'm still using the stock 32MB Nvidia Geforce 4 and it leaves a lot to be desired at 1680x1050 as it uses every bit of the vram to run that res in millions of colours..

I am also really looking forward to core image. The seller even claims the 9600 supports core animation!
Click to expand...

uumm.......so far, everyone has overlooked the fact that the 9200 is a PCI-based card, but your computer has an AGP video card slot.......

For working strictly in 2D apps, the video card, nor it's amount of vram, are NOT relevant factors anyways, but for OS X and it's eye candy, CoreImage support IS relevant and will help you much more than any amount of extra vram on a slower, pci based card.....
 
SmurfBoxMasta said:
uumm.......so far, everyone has overlooked the fact that the 9200 is a PCI-based card, but your computer has an AGP video card slot.......

For working strictly in 2D apps, the video card, nor it's amount of vram, are NOT relevant factors anyways, but for OS X and it's eye candy, CoreImage support IS relevant and will help you much more than any amount of extra vram on a slower, pci based card.....
Click to expand...


The 9200 I was considering was a flashed PC AGP version so I am glad I went with the 9600 as it is a genuine apple part from a G5 that has been modified to work in a G4.
 
zen.state said:
I get the point about them both being older cards but I am still using my MDD dual 867 and its all the power I need.
Click to expand...

Entirely sensible...your computer isn't really going to be able to push anything much beyond a 9600 anyway. The 9600 is a decent card for what it is...enjoy!

--Eric
 
Eric5h5 said:
Entirely sensible...your computer isn't really going to be able to push anything much beyond a 9600 anyway. The 9600 is a decent card for what it is...enjoy!

--Eric
Click to expand...


exactly what I was thinking. the fact that you feel the same reinforces my knowing of doing the right thing.

i'm also going to upgrade the system memory from 1GB to 2GB in the near future. the 9600 and ram upgrades will hold me over for the next 12-18 months while I save for a loaded mac pro.
 
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