What's up with ATI's 256mb 9800?

[bkswaney]

I cannot seem to find a listing on ATI's site now.
Did they only release a few or something?
How long before u can buy one?

Selling a handfull is not a full release. :(
Not one site has one for sale.

My wife is getting me a 256mb card for my b-day and it's looking
like I will not be getting one.
Nvidia nor ATI seems like there r going to be any to buy by june. :(

[GlowStick]

Well ATi's website said they are only makeing a few of them for select OEM's eg. Alienware, voodoo and those other new high end start ups.

Im gonna have to say the reason why is there is no preformance gain, but the name sells the comptuer for OEM's.

If you really wanted 'a' 256mb card 'now' id contact Voodoo,Alienware and basicly beg them to mark it up by a cuple hundred dollers and sell it to you, or buy a pc from them.....

Maybe talk to small stores with good distrubtors, they may beable to snag you one... of course for a marked up price..

Or just wait a month : O

[Majestik]

ATI's Sapphire 256 meg card is for sale and in-stock online at Newegg (listed as ATI OEM SAPPHIRE RADEON 9800 PRO 256MB DVI/TV 8X AGP
) and some other shops online currently. Akiba web page shows this on the Sapphire card:

http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/akiba/hotline/20030524/etc_rad98256.html

They even took a ram sink off to show the GDDR2 ram as shown:

http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/akiba/hotline/20030524/image/nra4.jpg

I hope your wife gets you the card you want! Enjoy.

[bkswaney]

Thanx for the replies guys. :)

I really do not want to pay 525 for a OEM card.
So ATI is not going to have retail 256 meg cards? " that sucks" :argh:

I guess it will be a NV35 if they ever release it.

[Spiritwalker]

Sapphire makes the ATi retail cards.
You will be getting the exact same card as if your bought from the ATi store. Only the box will be different

[GlowStick]

Originally posted by Spiritwalker
Sapphire makes the ATi retail cards.
You will be getting the exact same card as if your bought from the ATi store. Only the box will be different

You dont get a warrenty though!

I have had alot of experinces with warrentys, and there is one true fact, havieng one is allways better than not : O

[Majestik]

I do not know the warranty information that Sapphire provides on OEM cards? Maybe someone else does?? The hardware itself is the reference board from ATI that spiritwalker already confirmed so it seems theres no worries there but the retail box versions of the cards should be available soon enough if you really want the box. Visiontek announced their 256 meg already but I don't see it anywhere yet or the other brands for sale and they have a lifetime warranty. The 5900 Ultras should be out the 3rd week of June for sale if you like Nvidia better. Retail price on both cards is $499US though.

[GlowStick]

Originally posted by Majestik
I do not know the warranty information that Sapphire provides on OEM cards? Maybe someone else does?? The hardware itself is the reference board from ATI that spiritwalker already confirmed so it seems theres no worries there but the retail box versions of the cards should be available soon enough if you really want the box. Visiontek announced their 256 meg already but I don't see it anywhere yet or the other brands for sale and they have a lifetime warranty. The 5900 Ultras should be out the 3rd week of June for sale if you like Nvidia better. Retail price on both cards is $499US though.

Yes, id wait for a VisionTek, they have free support, compared to ATi's 30 day support, and lifetime warrenty, i forget how long ATi's warrenty is though, its eather 30 days or 1 year.

[euan]

I've bought 2 OEM ati cards in the past, and they both had warrenties, so I don't know what you mean by having no warrenty. All new video cards have one. :confused:

[GlowStick]

Originally posted by euan
I've bought 2 OEM ati cards in the past, and they both had warrenties, so I don't know what you mean by having no warrenty. All new video cards have one. :confused:

Oh really

OEM Processors have a 30day/DOA warrenty, its nothing compared to the 3year boxed warrenty.

What kind of warrenty did they have compared to the boxed one? The reason why i bought my intel board is its 3 year warrenty compared to asus's and abits 1 year, i belive Iwill offers a 3year also but I forget.

[Rogozhin]

My oem sapphire has a three year warranty through sapphire.

rogo

[Matthyahuw]

it's "warranty"...thank you...

[eagle17]

Ok Glowstick euan was not talking about processors, I believe he said "video cards". Although that is still a irresponsable remark as I am sure he did not scour the world to check "every" video card makers warranty policy.

As far as the main thread is concerned I would have to agree with majestik go with whatever card you would rather have, if you feel more comfortable with Nvidia than buy the nv35. or if you want the radeon get the 9800 it is not rocket science and both perform within an acceptable margin of each other... (leave your doom3 BS at the door, we'll wait to see how well they both perform when the first demo is released)


I use a 9700AIW to output to HDTV and have to say it really rocks... but (the current 3dmark mess not withstanding) I really like the nvidia drivers... they just can't compete with output image quality to hi-res displays, but that is another story and I have not had the chance to play with the 5800 or 5900 yet .. the way it looks I may not get a card from nvidia either, they are really being tight all of a suddan.

[Geforce4ti4200]

dude get the 128 megs, its just as fast and like $400. no game needs even that much ram for years. If you really want 256 megs, wait for the next radeon cards