Older Workstation Card or Newer Gaming Card??

sierra · 8th Oct 2006, 06:35 AM

Hello

I am a student on a budget that is next to nothing. I am trying to figure out what would be the best way to go. I am working with a program called ArcGIS which I am using for 3d modeling of Geographic Landscapes. Since I am on a budget I will have to try and get something for as little money as possible from Ebay.

From what I have seen on ebay I have a few choice

Older Professional Workstation Graphics Card
1.) Nvidia Quadro 980xgl (AGP 128meg)
2.) Nvidia Quadro FX2000 (AGP 128meg)

Newer Gaming Card
1.) Nvidia 6800 Ultra (AGP 256meg DDR3)
2.) Nvidia 7600 GT (AGP 256meg)

I have been trying to figure out what truely makes the diffrence between the Professional WorkStation Cards and Gaming Cards so that I can compare the Older Workstation to the newer Gamer. I have found if I were to compare a Current Gamer with a Current Workstation it seems to be mainly the support and extensive OpenGL drivers (by the chip mfg that are certified by the Sofware mfg.)that makes the big diffrence for the Workstation Card. I am just not sure for the purposes of my 3d rendering/modeling if I am better off going with an older Professional Workstation Card that has a more extensive OpenGL Driver that is certified by the Software Mfg or if the newer Gamer cards are so much more advance hardware wise that I would be better off with one of them. I do relize that the choices above show the newer cards with more memory but from what I have read even with current cards just because you have more memory does not mean that you will get a better performance.

If you have any other suggestion please feel free to let me know.

Thank You in advance for any help, thoughts or comments, they will be greatly appreciated!

the machine that I am using:
AMD Athlon 3000+
2 GIG DDR Ram
180 GIG HDD
what ever Graphics Card is the best bang for the buck

Thanks Again

Papercut · 8th Oct 2006, 12:58 PM

It's true that more graphics card memory doesn't necessarily translate to better performance, as we discussed in the Mythbusting series

But in this case, the newer gaming cards you are looking at are definitely much more advanced than the two Quadro cards, in terms of their hardware.

I suspect that the 7600GT 256MB would be the best option for you, but I may be wrong because I don't really understand the software side of it

Oh and welcome to ARP

8th Oct 2006, 06:35 AM	#1 (permalink)
sierra Newbie Join Date: 8 Oct 2006 Posts: 1 Reputation: 0 Rep Power: 0	Older Workstation Card or Newer Gaming Card?? Hello I am a student on a budget that is next to nothing. I am trying to figure out what would be the best way to go. I am working with a program called ArcGIS which I am using for 3d modeling of Geographic Landscapes. Since I am on a budget I will have to try and get something for as little money as possible from Ebay. From what I have seen on ebay I have a few choice Older Professional Workstation Graphics Card 1.) Nvidia Quadro 980xgl (AGP 128meg) 2.) Nvidia Quadro FX2000 (AGP 128meg) Newer Gaming Card 1.) Nvidia 6800 Ultra (AGP 256meg DDR3) 2.) Nvidia 7600 GT (AGP 256meg) I have been trying to figure out what truely makes the diffrence between the Professional WorkStation Cards and Gaming Cards so that I can compare the Older Workstation to the newer Gamer. I have found if I were to compare a Current Gamer with a Current Workstation it seems to be mainly the support and extensive OpenGL drivers (by the chip mfg that are certified by the Sofware mfg.)that makes the big diffrence for the Workstation Card. I am just not sure for the purposes of my 3d rendering/modeling if I am better off going with an older Professional Workstation Card that has a more extensive OpenGL Driver that is certified by the Software Mfg or if the newer Gamer cards are so much more advance hardware wise that I would be better off with one of them. I do relize that the choices above show the newer cards with more memory but from what I have read even with current cards just because you have more memory does not mean that you will get a better performance. If you have any other suggestion please feel free to let me know. Thank You in advance for any help, thoughts or comments, they will be greatly appreciated! the machine that I am using: AMD Athlon 3000+ 2 GIG DDR Ram 180 GIG HDD what ever Graphics Card is the best bang for the buck Thanks Again

8th Oct 2006, 12:58 PM	#2 (permalink)
Papercut Hold me back! I can't stop posting!!! Join Date: 14 Jul 2004 Location: Singapore! Posts: 5,124 Reputation: 2630 Rep Power: 37	It's true that more graphics card memory doesn't necessarily translate to better performance, as we discussed in the Mythbusting series But in this case, the newer gaming cards you are looking at are definitely much more advanced than the two Quadro cards, in terms of their hardware. I suspect that the 7600GT 256MB would be the best option for you, but I may be wrong because I don't really understand the software side of it Oh and welcome to ARP __________________ "Use in a cool dry place away from direct sunlight. Keep out of reach of n00bs. Overclock within 24 hours of opening. Do not read instructions before proceeding, do not use only as directed. May cause frustration, late nights and empty wallets. If symptoms persist please consult your hardware professional."