Radeon 9700 is finally available!

[Ironclad]

The rumor on the ArsTechnica board was correct - the Apple store now offers the Radeon 9700 Pro as a shipable item from the BTO option list. I just placed an order for a new Dual 1.42 with the Radeon 9700 option to celebrate the news!
Shipping time is estimated at 5 days, but I am not holding my breath.

 

[hugemullens]

Dual 1.42 with Radeon 9700. I'm jealous. I'll leave it at that.

 

[Mr. Anderson]

That is very cool - about time too. So what's better about this board.....

Apple's words on it ATI Radeon 9700 Pro
For the ultimate in graphics performance choose the Radeon 9700 Pro graphics processor. Through a combination of incredible 3D rendering performance, sophisticated real-time visual effects and unsurpassed image quality the Radeon 9700 Pro takes the visual graphics to a new level. With the industry's first 8-pixel pipeline architecture and a blazing 256-bit memory interface the Radeon 9700 Pro gives you the best 3D gaming performance available today. Supporting the latest in graphics programmability (SMARTSHADER 2.0) allows user to experience movie-quality effects in next-generation 3D games and applications. To complete the picture the Radeon 9700 Pro features a large 128 MB DDR frame buffer to support large textures in the latest games and design applications providing amazing image quality with no degradation in 3D performance.

Is it that much better than the NVIDIA GeForce4 Titanium? It costs the same for the BTO option as the NVIDIA card....

D

 

[Dont Hurt Me]

Way to go! that rig should do very nice! Top video card available for the mac.

 

[MacsRgr8]

Originally posted by dukestreet
Is it that much better than the NVIDIA GeForce4 Titanium? It costs the same for the BTO option as the NVIDIA card....

Yes.
Check out any PC hardware ratings. I don't understand why the GeForce4 Ti should cost as much as the 9700.
I just hope the retail version of the 9700 (or maybe even the 9800) will be available soon too. It would fit perfectly in my Dual 1.25.... drool, drool.

 

[Vlade]

The radeon 9700 is almost twice as fast as the nvidia TI card... why does apple sell overpriced hard drives and ram? Because some people are dumb enough to buy them

 

[aethier]

Hummm.... I need a job, (student) becuase a dual 1.42, radeon 9700 + ST-EF2 (when it comes out this summer) will make me one heck of a happy camper
-athier

 

[madforrit]

and....

Don't know if you guys checked out barefeats.com lately....they got some tests on the Radeon9700 vs. Ti that look pretty interesting.
Full report should be up tomorrow.

 

[Tom Light]

I have a friend that is using both cards...

(TI and 9700) on Wintel boxes at home, and he contends the TI is faster. (He's a big 3D gamer...)

I'm holding out for the 9700 unless someone comes up with compelling reasons *not* too.

Tom

 

[Kid Red]

Re: I have a friend that is using both cards...

Originally posted by Tom Light
(TI and 9700) on Wintel boxes at home, and he contends the TI is faster. (He's a big 3D gamer...)

I'm holding out for the 9700 unless someone comes up with compelling reasons *not* too.

Tom

Well, his contention is missplaced. According to the link on barefeats.com the Ti only came close on one game of like 7 and that was at a low rez setting, as soonas you take it up to 1600x1200 the 9700 wipes the floor with the Ti.

I can't wait till this is on the streets.

 

[bousozoku]

Re: I have a friend that is using both cards...

Originally posted by Tom Light
(TI and 9700) on Wintel boxes at home, and he contends the TI is faster. (He's a big 3D gamer...)

I'm holding out for the 9700 unless someone comes up with compelling reasons *not* too.

Tom

Even the latest GeForce FX cards are slower than the Radeon 9700. I think your buddy is confused.

 

[Vlade]

Re: Re: I have a friend that is using both cards...

Originally posted by bousozoku
Even the latest GeForce FX cards are slower than the Radeon 9700. I think your buddy is confused.

Actually most of the time the FX is slightly faster than the 9700, but the 9700 wins in a few spots. The 9700 is definitly a better card to buy than the FX though.

 

[Computer_Phreak]

Re: Re: Re: I have a friend that is using both cards...

Originally posted by Vlade
Actually most of the time the FX is slightly faster than the 9700, but the 9700 wins in a few spots. The 9700 is definitly a better card to buy than the FX though.

Ya, nVidia really F**'d up in their quest for 9 nm. The FX is super loud, hot, and takes up the nearby PCI slot to accomodate it's huge fan!

 

[Vlade]

I think nvidia is like Intel and ATI is like apple in a way, nvidia has faster clock speeds but less performance per MHZ, ATI has lower MHZ but still very high performace. ATI has a smaller market share, so does apple.

 

[Dont Hurt Me]

The ati 9700 is the fastest fastest card for mac, now if nvidea would get off their nvidea buttts and start showing us a 5800 or better for mac that doesnt blow out your house of every particle of wind bown dust? the 9700 is the card now can the mac feed it? and what about the 9800?