video capture and editing devices

my current system:
intel motherboard (i'm at work and i don't know exactly which one)
p4 2.5GHz
768mb rd ram
120gb hard drive
audigy2 sound card
(all of which came in a Dell Dimension 8250)

i picked up the 9800 last week after using an ATI 9700tx card for several months. the 9700tx is a sweet card if you play all but the most intense games. even with the most demanding games, the 9700tx made the games look great, but i started to run into issues with the frame rate dropping on games like Unreal 2 and ut: 2003 when there was a lot going on at once (like multiple characters all fighting at the same time and/or large, seriously cpu-intensive environments, etc.). this issue was also caused by the resolution being turned up all the way and all of the bells and whistles being turned on (including EAX audio features). so, with the res and some details turned down, the 9700tx was able to take on everything out there (including the Tron 2.0 demo, with no problems and the demo looked sweet!)... but i didn't want any of the goods turned off. for once, i wanted to see everything a game had to offer.

i installed the 9800 pro card with no issues (the card comes with directions if needed). you uninstall the old drivers, turn the machine off, pull out the old card, slide in the new card, turn your machine back on, pop in the cd included, install the new drivers = you're set. i haven't had a problem with this card on any of my games or apps yet.

basically, this card is a monster. frame rates jumped so much that i had to turn the mouse sensitivity down on most games because the games were running so much faster than what i was used to. the more demanding games didn't see as much of a jump in frame rate, but they did become very stable and the issue with the frame rate dropping was completely eliminated (so taking on a server full of folks playing ut: 2003 was no problem). details in games looked better with more features turned on, but the increase in frame rate was the big plus of the 9800. no skips, no jerks, no lag, no problems with games running on full tilt, on or off-line.

i'm not sure what else to say about this card since i don't test hardware for a living or hobby and i don't have any specs to throw out. most games now run at 60-80 fps with all of the details and filtering abilities turned on. other games that are more demanding ran at 40-50 fps, but were very stable and i'm really happy with the overall performance of the 9800.

yeah, the card is pricey but if you can swing the $$$, definitely give the ATI 9800 pro card a look. basically, there's no game out right now that this card cannot take on (and then some). i played the following pc games using the 9800 with no issues: Aliens vs. Predator 2 (and the PH mission pack), NOLF 2, Unreal II, Unreal Tournament, Unreal Tournament 2003, GTA: III, GTA: Vice City, Quake III, Red Faction, Ghost Recon (and both mission packs), Max Payne (and the Kung-Fu mod), Mafia (demo), Vietcong (demo), Tron 2.0 (demo), XIII (demo - cool game), Serious Sam II (demo), and Battlefield 1942 (demo).

(the price is the only thing that kept this one from five stars... but that will drop soon enough.)

I have been using my $xx.00 geForce Ti4200 for a long time. The 4200 runs pretty good for the money and it doesn't get hot like this 9800 Pro. Speed wise, though, there is no comparsion. The 9800 Pro is at least 3-4 times faster than the Ti4200. Everything runs very smooth. For the visual, I really cannot tell. Both cards look the same to me. Although installing the software for the ATI is not as smooth as the nVidia but it does get the job done. I get the 9800 on sale for a little bit less than what they charge for the 9600XT. So, this may be a pretty good deal. But for the same money, I could have got a PlayStation2 special with 2 controllers, 2 games, and a network adapter for less than just one video card alone. If you are a console fan, just get yourself the PS2 special. If you like to keep Bill Gate the richest man on earth for longer, this ATI is not a bad deal.

CONS:
I have no problem running this ATI in my computer. However, it gets really hot. My computer used to be running around 80 degrees. It is running over 100 now. I'd suggest to get a bigger power supply and an additional case fan. My Antec 350W seems to be sweating because the power supply is cranking the fan full speed after I installed this ATI in my computer.

This card is very close to the 9800 XT, and not very noticably different from the X800, which was just released. Both of these cards are much more money, and only increase video quality by very little and unnoticable amounts. The 9800 Pro is half the price of all its competitors and just as good in my mind. This card is top shelf now and will be for years to come. It is compatible with every game coming out, and every game that is out now. I now turn up all my quality on all my games to as high as it can go, and I experience no lag. I dont recommend for people who wont be using high end applications and gaming, because those are these cards main purpose. Excellent quality, very reliable.