linux: 9800 GTX or 9800 GT ?

[nbi1]

Sorry if I'm rehashing a previous thread, just point me in the right direction. :)

I'm about ready to ditch my 4850. The constant wrestling with driver issues is getting to be too much.

All I'm looking for is excellent 2D. Fast, responsive display and artifact free video. Not a gamer nor do I need 3D.

Been hearing good things about nVidia's linux support. I have a choice between a 9800 GTX for $160 or a 9800 GT for $100. nVidia's release notes for the january driver don't list the 9800 GTX. Not supported? It most definitely lists the 9800 GT though.

Based on my 2D under linux needs which is better and why? If there's another nVidia option that's superior I'd like to hear about that too.
Many thanks.

[Kano]

Well the 9800 GT is more or less a rebranded 8800 GT. 9800 GTX is usally faster and there exists a + version with higher clockspeed too.

[0nelove]

ur not a gamer and those are the cards you want for 2d? I didn't know the higher-end cards were better for 2d, but I'm no expert.

[martalli]

Just for 2d effects, you might be fine with Intel integrated graphics. Are you lookling for something else, like the HD decoding with higher end nvidia cards for mythTV, etc?

[Nexus7]

between a 9800 GTX for $160 or a 9800 GT for $100. nVidia's release notes for the january driver don't list the 9800 GTX.

Snag a 9800 GTX+ (it has a 55nm GPU) for around $150 after rebates. If you want another $50 in the mix, get a GTX260 (I think they are selling the 55 nm ones now).

VDPAU is supported, but not in mainstream MythTV, mplayer, etc. yet; however it is imminent because the development snapshots have it.

[BlackStar]

All I'm looking for is excellent 2D. Fast, responsive display and artifact free video. Not a gamer nor do I need 3D.
For this use, a 9500 or 9600 card will be a *much* better buy compared to a 9800. Cheaper, cooler, better video decoding - make sure it's passively cooled and you are set!

For comparison, I get excellent 2D and video on a 3 year old 7600 - there's absolutely no need to buy a hot, power-hungry card such as the 4850 or 9800 for 2D only. Older Ati cards are also suitable for these purposes, as long as you are using the open drivers (e.g. X1950 with the radeon driver.)

[a7v-user]

I'd recommend the 9600 also, there's no need for a 9800 gtx(+) and the 9800 GT is only marginally faster then the 9600 but not worth the extra cash unless you're a gamer on a tight budget.
The 9600 GT have way more gaming power then a 9500 card in case the original poster wants to play some 3D games in the future.

[deanjo]

better video decoding

Not true.

The Geforce 8400 GS, 8500 GT, 8600 GT, 8600 GTS, Geforce 8800 GS, 8800 GT, 8800 GTS (512MB/1GB), 9600 GSO, 9600 GT, 9800 GT, 9800 GTX, 9800 GTX+, 9800 GX2, Geforce 9400 GT, 9500 GT, GTX 260, 260 CORE 216, 280 are all VP2 devices with the same video decoding capabilities.

The only 8+ series cards that were not VP2 are the old G80 based cards which were VP1, those being 8800 Ultra, 8800 GTX, 8800 GTS (320/640MB).

The only VP3 class cards are G98 based cards and IGP's of which the 9500/9600 cards are not a part of.

There are also plenty of 8800GT/9800GT passive cards out there as well for a couple of bucks more then the 9600.

[Kano]

There are G98 8400 GS variants (like used on phoronix for benchmarking vdpau), but better get one of those 512 MB ones.

[deanjo]

There are G98 8400 GS variants (like used on phoronix for benchmarking vdpau), but better get one of those 512 MB ones.


Actually the one that Michael used was the older VP2 variant (not the G98 8400GS but still the old G84.) No VC-1 tests were done on the card because of it. But res there are 8400 G98 cards (Look for PCI-e 2.0 support and it should be a G98 based one)

[0nelove]

Actually the one that Michael used was the older VP2 variant (not the G98 8400GS but still the old G84.) No VC-1 tests were done on the card because of it. But res there are 8400 G98 cards (Look for PCI-e 2.0 support and it should be a G98 based one)

also, look for core clock of 567mhz. these may or may not turn out to be the best option when myth 0.22 comes out. if you want to get something with more muscle, you might be glad down the road. (just saying this because the weaker 256mb G98s are having more trouble with vdpau, apparently).

[deanjo]

also, look for core clock of 567mhz. these may or may not turn out to be the best option when myth 0.22 comes out. if you want to get something with more muscle, you might be glad down the road. (just saying this because the weaker 256mb G98s are having more trouble with vdpau, apparently).

That memory issue has been fixed apparently. They supposedly can handle the 1080p stuff easily now as well with the latest beta's and officials. Clock speed was never an issue. The 8100 IGP's were slower chips and handle playback fine if the framebuffer was set to 512 (although they were VP3 Gen).

From the changelog of the new 180.29's officials:

Improved GPU video memory management coordination between the NVIDIA X driver and VDPAU.

[nbi1]

Thanks to everyone for the great info.

At this point I'm leaning towards a 9800 GTX+. Both Newegg and TigerDirect have one for $150. That seems to be the sweet spot price wise. I can't imagine getting a similar horsepower card for much less than that.

Something I neglected to mention in my earlier post. I also do occasional video editing on my workstation. In addition to vlc and mplayer the video editing tools need a baseline level of video performance. While it may be true that older generation cards might fit the bill I wanted to strike a reasonable compromise that doesn't paint me into a corner. From that perspective I don't mind paying an extra $50 if it means peace of mind. BTW, I do agree with the comments on "just 2D". Before my recent workstation upgrade I made do with a Matrox Millenium for many years for which driver support was 2nd to none. :)

Although I've zeroed in on the card type (9800 GTX+) I'm unfamiliar with the various brands. EVGA has gotten some good reviews for support, but I've seen inconsistent feedback for others. I'm sure it's mostly YMMV unless there are systemic problems with a brand. I'll probably roll the dice with EVGA unless something clear comes up to the contrary.

[Nexus7]

Although I've zeroed in on the card type (9800 GTX+) I'm unfamiliar with the various brands. EVGA has gotten some good reviews for support, but I've seen inconsistent feedback for others.

EVGA has an upgrade program which (from my limited understanding) allows a trade-in to a newer card.

The EVGA 9800GTX+ is quite quiet. I noticed the cooler noise because the default Debian installation uses the free nv driver. Once I installed the Nvidia driver and restarted X, the fan noise stepped down as X came up. This may be the case with the other brands too.

Oh, and hurry up. It's $124 AR at Newegg now.

[nbi1]

EVGA has an upgrade program which (from my limited understanding) allows a trade-in to a newer card.

The EVGA 9800GTX+ is quite quiet. I noticed the cooler noise because the default Debian installation uses the free nv driver. Once I installed the Nvidia driver and restarted X, the fan noise stepped down as X came up. This may be the case with the other brands too.

Oh, and hurry up. It's $124 AR at Newegg now.

Hmmm. I'm not seeing that price. The EVGA 512-P3-N871-AR is $150 with rebate. The card you are looking at (EVGA 512-P3-N976-AR) is not a GTX+.

[Nexus7]

Hmmm. I'm not seeing that price. The EVGA 512-P3-N871-AR is $150 with rebate. The card you are looking at (EVGA 512-P3-N976-AR) is not a GTX+.

This one.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130420

[nbi1]

This one.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130420

Thanks. Do you have this working flawlessly? The Newegg reviews on this one don't inspire confidence. Contrast those reviews against the 380+ 5 star reviews for the $150 G92 version. 756 vs. 738 clock is a non-issue IMHO. Paying an extra $25 for dependability seems worth it to me (especially after my HD 4850 nightmares).

Just out of curiosity is that version you found 55nm ? That spec isn't shown in Newegg's "detailed specifications". I think the version you found is sold by Frys for $160 so the Newegg price is indeed a good deal relatively speaking.

Many thanks for the follow up.

[a7v-user]

All GTX+ should be 55 nm. That's what's separates the 9800 GTX from 9800 GTX+.

[Nexus7]

Thanks. Do you have this working flawlessly? The Newegg reviews on this one don't inspire confidence.

I've had it two weeks. I assembled it into a new machine I built, and finished the night before the SuperBowl. In my hurry to get the TV working for the game broadcast, I installed the 180.27 driver direct from Nvidia (not the Debian-packaged version). It installed fine. I couldn't test the VDPAU, because the MythTV from debian-multimedia.org doesn't use it, so it had the CPU do it (fortunately, a Core i7 has no problems with 1080i that NBC was broadcasting). And I haven't installed any games to use the 3D.

[MetalheadGautham]

I suggest you buy the cheapest nvidia card you can find from 8xxx or 9xxx series. It will do till the HD4850 drivers are sorted out.