9800 or wait?

[slughead]

I'm going to buy a DP2.5G5 and I've found out that, when using my Educator discount and macmall, I can get the FX5200 AND the 9800 Special edition (faster than the XT for mac) for $30 more than just getting the 9800XT built in.

So regardless, my G5 is going to be equipped with the FX5200 to start with.

My question is, should I get the 9800 Special Ed (heh) card for mac, or wait for something better and spend my $370 on that?

My feelings are that with the release of the X800 and FX6800, the 9800 is a big bunch of crap. However, I'll run into more performance walls with the 5200 waiting for the new generation of cards to come out for mac (but I can deal with it for a while).

I'm willing to wait till september for a new video card (I can deal with the FX5200 until then), do you think the new cards (FX6800, X800) will be out for Mac by then?

[note this is different from my previously posted question in that I know how long I'm willing to wait]

For those who don't know about the x800 and FX6800, have some benchmarks!:
http://www6.tomshardware.com/graphic/20040504/index.html

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[DavPeanut]

no brainer

WAIT! with specs like those, the current top-of the line cards will be obsolete times 2! if u can afford to wait for the apple friendly versions of the cards than do.

 

[yoda13]

Forgive my ignorance, but I thought that those new versions of the those new video cards were PCI-Express? Are they going to be AGP instead? If that is the case, then there is nothing to prevent me from getting a new PowerMac. This reason is why I didn't like the updates, no PCI-Express. Somebody please correct me if the new Post 9800 graphics cards are going to be AGP rather than PCI-Express. In the meantime, I am going to go and find the guy that told me that and have a small word with him

 

[QCassidy352]

I don't think you can use your educator discount at macmall (or any place other than apple, for that matter).

and I would wait for the better cards to be brought to the mac, if I were you (assuming you'll make good use of those cards...)

 

[slughead]

I don't think you can use your educator discount at macmall (or any place other than apple, for that matter).

You're absolutely right.

I meant that since we educators get a discount on part upgrades (or downgrades) when custom building from apple, the difference between the FX5200 and 9800XT from the apple store is $340. Macmall's standard 9800 Special Ed. is $370, so if I just get the FX5200 with my mac (using the edu discount), the $340 I saved could almost pay for a totally new (and better) card.

Thanks for the advice guys! I'll save my scratch for when the next generation cards move to Mac (hopefully before Mid-July or whenever my G5 ships!).

[EDIT: PS cassidy, I love your sig! http://lp.org ]

 

[Bigheadache]

Forgive my ignorance, but I thought that those new versions of the those new video cards were PCI-Express? Are they going to be AGP instead? If that is the case, then there is nothing to prevent me from getting a new PowerMac. This reason is why I didn't like the updates, no PCI-Express. Somebody please correct me if the new Post 9800 graphics cards are going to be AGP rather than PCI-Express. In the meantime, I am going to go and find the guy that told me that and have a small word with him

They are AGP cards, the PCI Express versions are shipping soon. The generation after these will probably be only PCI Express.

 

[yoda13]

They are AGP cards, the PCI Express versions are shipping soon. The generation after these will probably be only PCI Express.

OK, that is what I thought, thanks for clearing that up Does that mean that anyone who buys a PowerMac G5 right now is buying a computer that will be obsolete soon as far as being able to upgrade the video card goes? My friend has entimated this to me and that is why I am still waiting for another PowerMac revision. That in the fact that I have no realy "need" for it right now

 

[Bigheadache]

OK, that is what I thought, thanks for clearing that up Does that mean that anyone who buys a PowerMac G5 right now is buying a computer that will be obsolete soon as far as being able to upgrade the video card goes? My friend has entimated this to me and that is why I am still waiting for another PowerMac revision. That in the fact that I have no realy "need" for it right now

NVidia GeForce 6800 (NV40) is an AGP chip, they will use a bridge chip to make it PCI Express
ATI X800 (R420) is AGP, R423 is the PCI Express native version of same chip shipping soon

The next gen GPUs are likely to be PCI Express native only, but i imagine that if there is a need to fill the AGP market, they can sell versions which use AGP bridge chips.

Having said that, I agree with you, a speed bump is not enough for me to buy a new G5. I think not achieving 3Ghz is ok, but would prefer if they made some system improvements to the G5, like PCI Express slots, 4 HD bays. I know some people change machines often, but I tend to keep my machines 2-3 years so would prefer to have some future upgradability.

 

[slughead]

OK, that is what I thought, thanks for clearing that up Does that mean that anyone who buys a PowerMac G5 right now is buying a computer that will be obsolete soon as far as being able to upgrade the video card goes? My friend has entimated this to me and that is why I am still waiting for another PowerMac revision. That in the fact that I have no realy "need" for it right now

You can do what I'm planning to do: buy the lowest end card built into the computer, and since apple overcharges for cards )), you'll have enough money left over to almost pay the $400 for the X600 or mid-range Nvidia when they're released for mac.. hopefully 3rd party mac vid cards will start to follow street prices by then (heh, yeah right), in which case you might be able to afford THE top of the line card.