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    Quick question: x1600 256MB vs 8600 GT 128MB

    Discussion in 'Gaming (Software and Graphics Cards)' started by alpinestar junkie, Aug 13, 2007.

  1. alpinestar junkie

    alpinestar junkie Newbie

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    I am really new at this so please dont kill me... I want to buy a MacBook Pro and i've found these graphic cards available: ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 256MB, and NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics with 128MB. Which would be the faster GPU?
     
    alpinestar junkie, Aug 13, 2007
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  2. villageman

    villageman Notebook Evangelist

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    8600 easily
     
    villageman, Aug 13, 2007
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  3. imhungry29

    imhungry29 Notebook Evangelist

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    8600gt for sure. the x1600, though a good card, only has 128MB dedicated vram. in most cases that is. some really do have 256MB dedicated. oh and the 8600gt is alot faster all together.
     
    imhungry29, Aug 13, 2007
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  4. alpinestar junkie

    alpinestar junkie Newbie

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    Thanks for the quick reply
     
    alpinestar junkie, Aug 13, 2007
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  5. usapatriot

    usapatriot Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    Not to be a bugger here but those looking at the 8600GT 256mb to be a major performance improvement over the X1600 256mb will be disappointed...
     
    usapatriot, Aug 13, 2007
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  6. matt_h1

    matt_h1 Notebook Deity NBR Reviewer

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    The 8600GT is also a much newer card, As such it has better power saving features, Direct X 10 support, And full HD decoding offloading.
     
    matt_h1, Aug 13, 2007
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  7. Kierkes

    Kierkes Misanthrope

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    People have found the 8600M GT performs under the 7900 by just an amount. The 7900 > the x1600 by far.
     
    Kierkes, Aug 13, 2007
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  8. IIIM3

    IIIM3 Notebook Deity NBR Reviewer

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    If i were you, i would try and get something other than a Macbook pro. They are overpriced, and their GPU's and CPU's are underclocked, and have an XGA screen... if im not mistaken.

    I know that dell makes a Vostro with an 8600m GT, and its like 900 bucks with rebates.
     
    IIIM3, Aug 13, 2007
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  9. imhungry29

    imhungry29 Notebook Evangelist

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    i believe the x1600 also offer HD encoding. im not 100%.

    u also have to consider that the 8600GT is labeled a mid range/performance mobile GPU. a better comparison would be the 8700gt and that is still in the same category. Nvidia has yet to release their top-end Geforce Go 8 series. i am personally excited to see what kinda of juices they can pump out. especially die size and clock speeds. u know all the goods.
     
    imhungry29, Aug 13, 2007
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  10. knightingmagic

    knightingmagic Notebook Deity

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    MacBook Pros are expensive and get hot, but hey, they've got lit keyboards and a XGA screen.
     
    knightingmagic, Aug 13, 2007
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  11. usapatriot

    usapatriot Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    By just an amount? No way, the 7900GS is easily more card than the 8600GT, an acceptable comparison to the 7900GS would be the 8700GT.

    I am not going to pit the the cards head to head technology wise but performance wise they are not two far apart. (X1600/8600GT)
     
    usapatriot, Aug 13, 2007
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  12. matt_h1

    matt_h1 Notebook Deity NBR Reviewer

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    Considered the V1s? its basically the pc version of the MBP and its available for $1800 with 2.2ghz/8600gt 512mb
     
    matt_h1, Aug 13, 2007
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  13. Kierkes

    Kierkes Misanthrope

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    Sure, I suppose. But remember that until the 8700M GT came out, people were comparing the 8600M GT to the 7900GS, and people found that despite how the 7900 has some obvious advantages (256-bit memory bus for example) the 8600M GT was comparable to the 7900GS even though the 7900GS came out on top. The key word was that they could be compared at all. The X1600 cannot even be compared to the 7900GS. It CAN be compared to the 8600M GT, but the 8600M GT comes out on top, as it is "easily more card" than the X1600.
     
    Kierkes, Aug 13, 2007
    #13