So, no BS, are the ATI 2600s worth it?

[Adriano]

I got a 1950 Pro. Been considering a DX10 part. Think it's worth jumping to the 2600 XT, or should I aim higher? Also, what is the best NVIDIA equal at the same price point? Am I actually even upgrading? I know gaming is still a bit faster with the 1950, but I do want to secure myself for the next year.

[UnknownSouljer]

Think about what you're saying.
It makes absolutely no sense to buy a part that is slower than what you have to be able to play games that won't be out until next year.

You should know how much hardware prices drop in a 4-6 month period of time. We're expecting several new hardware releases which will force every current card to drop in price.

Logically you should NEVER buy a card before you need it. That's why people got messed up in that whole: 'I NEEEEED A CARD FOR HALF-LIFE 2 8 MONTHS BEFORE IT'S OUT!!!!!!' And that was a seriously dumb debacle.

By the time you need it, you might be able to get a 2950pro for the price that the 2600xt is currently... or alternatively you might have save up more cash by then so you could afford it anyway.

Also to answer your other original questions... the equivalent part would really be the 8600... both the 2600 and the 8600 are inferior parts to what you have. You would be downgrading. You should see DX9 and DX10 shots next to each other. As it stands right now the image difference isn't big enough to force a switch for me.

[VoOdoO]

Just to add support to Souljer's post, the 2600XT/8600GT performs just under an X1800GTO, more so when you apply Anti-Aliasing etc. Your X1950 Pro will out perform them both easily. Unless you have a DX10 game in mind to play right now, it's just not worth upgrading. Rumors of the X3800 parts have started to hit the net already ...