A B3D Forums recommends List?

[Me]

I was reading the discussions about how un-educated 3D card buyers had no real understanding (or hope of understanding) the advantages/disadvantages of the various chips out there today. The GF4MX/Radeon9000 naming stupidity make it easy to confuse people even if tehy know approximatly what to look for.

So I was thinking it would be nice to have a continually updated article/forum at B3D where the forum members voted on what the best Chipset for each market segment was.
It would look something like: (forgive the crappy formating)

300+                DX Level    Votes
ATI 9800 Pro           9               36
NVIDIA GF 5800         9               12

200+
ATI 9700                9              23
NVIDIAGF4 4600          8              19

150+ 
ATI    9500 Pro        9              32

100+
NVIDIA GF 5200           9              32
ATI 9000                 8.1            16

100-

Card best avoided:
SIS Xabre          8.1            108


Every time a new chipset shipped we could add it to the list about a week later (giving enough time for sufficient time for real reviews). 

Any comments?

 

[mondoterrifico]

I long time reader first time poster.

I think your idea has merit, but not in the context of Beyond3D. After reading the forums here for the last several months, it's obvious that this would be preaching to the choir, as everyone posting (and I assume reading, although this might be a poor assumption) seems to have a high degree of knowledge/interest on the subject of video cards.

Anyways, just like to say this is a nice site, and a nice change from other places where I have to weed through tons of intolerant posts in the hope of reading something insightful.

 

[rachaelsdad]

A big no vote from a forever learning lurker.

This would change the nature of the forums here. The discussions do often get heated and with the input of a million card users who bought the cards based on the word of B3D they would be heated spam.

There are many of us hidden lurkers beneath the forum cover. This would really become nothing more than just another fanboi site, going back to the forums depths now.

 

[kyleb]

the problem is that you can't rightly believe that you just look at votes and say i'll go with the majority or you are only setting yourself up for a fall. every card has its own benefits and drawbacks the the performance/feature category that should be applied on a individual basis. even more important to consider is actual availability of the product; mrsp is cool and all but when it comes down to what you want to buy, it is really best to pay respect to the actual price you, personaly, can buy the product for from people that you trust to deal with. i do understand that the intentions of your idea are to be helpful Me, and i don't mean to insult that by any means; but simplifying the situation down to such a point would be anything but helpful for many people.

 

[epicstruggle]

First Id like to say welcome to the first time posters .
About the idea, although not a bad one, we would be inviting alot of advocates of each company to try and swing their card to win.

later,

 

[Pete]

Interesting proposition, but I'd rather have the uneducated educate themselves just like all of us did and read good reviews on the cards in their price point. So maybe a thread for the best reviews for a certain card would be more appropriate for B3D?

 

[Dave Baumann]

That would be a rather short thread, Pete, since they only need to point to B3D's review

 

[BoardBonobo]

Maybe it would make sense to have something like that as a spin off site? That could include the beginners guide to 3D architecture and programming, maybe have lots of links to places like GameAI, and provide a separate area where such information wouldn't mean you were preaching to the converted..

 

[Pete]

Dave:



Now get back to work on that 5200/5600 review

 

[Colourless]

Nice idea, but it will never work. Too easy for fan-persons from other sites to screw the polling up.

 

[Dave Baumann]

Re: Dave:

Now get back to work on that 5200/5600 review

No boards yet. I'll probably get them after CeBit, as they know we like to take our time with them (and really prop them about a bit!).

 

[Saem]

No boards yet. I'll probably get them after CeBit, as they know we like to take our time with them (and really prop them about a bit!).

Bah, that's no excuse.

 

[Pete]

Dang. Do you have an RV350 review in the works I can look forward to? I don't want to see you slacking off now.

 

[epicstruggle]

That would be a rather short thread, Pete, since they only need to point to B3D's review

 

[Dave Baumann]

Dang. Do you have an RV350 review in the works I can look forward to? I don't want to see you slacking off now.

Not yet, I don't think any boards have gone out yet.

Currently in the works is the P4 3.06GHz review I owe Intel (you may have seen it in a few of the recent reviews already <whistles sheepishly>). I'm also trying to look at getting to CeBit, the ATI/NV high end matchup and whatever boards happen to come my way in the meantime.

 

[Pete]

Hmmm, they're supposedly shipping in April (same as the 9800P). Doesn't ATi usually release cards for benchmarking about four weeks in advance? Are they simply holding the RV350 closer to their chest, are they still waiting for (sufficient) production cards, or will the 9600P ship a few weeks later than the 9800P?

 

[Joe DeFuria]

Hmmm, they're supposedly shipping in April (same as the 9800P). Doesn't ATi usually release cards for benchmarking about four weeks in advance? Are they simply holding the RV350 closer to their chest, are they still waiting for (sufficient) production cards, or will the 9600P ship a few weeks later than the 9800P?

If I remember from the launch video:

9200: chips actually shipping right now to IHVs....
9800 Pro: Will be shipping in "March"
9600/Pro: Will be shipping "within about 4 weeks" (Late March / Early April)
9800 and 9800 256 MB: Shipping in "April".

ATI is getting into the habit of "announcing" cards no more than 4-6 weeks before they ship. Having actual benchmarks (in p/revivew form) has happened anywhere between the day they announce it, and the day they ship.

So, while we have a good idea when the 9600s will ship, we really don't know when 9600 P/Reviews will happen. Sometime between now and the first week of April probably.

 

[Dave Baumann]

I think there is also an element of cat and mouse going on between ATI and NVIDIA at the moment.

 

[epicstruggle]

I like the idea of shipping cards about 4-6 weeks after announcing them. Hope ATI keeps doing this.
Timing just seems to be in ATIs favor.

later,

 

[Dave Baumann]

I think there is also an element of cat and mouse going on between ATI and NVIDIA at the moment.

Mmmm, I definitely think this is the case now. Word has it that there may now be a variant of 9600 that has a power connector, which means....