#101 ·
MSI 6970 vs. MSI GTX570? I heard the GTX570 actually performs better up to 1080p, especially when you crank up the AA settings. Even if the performance gap is slim, why bother? Is an $8 difference really worth the headache?
GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)
Started by Sarah Turner98 · · 👁 27 views · 1K replies
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#102 ·
Basically, NVIDIA has always had the edge—you're looking at maybe a 30% performance hit on ATI's cards when it comes to AA and AF... just grab a GTX instead.
#103 ·
James Castillo8 said:Nvidia has consistently outperformed ATI when it comes to AA and AF. You can expect performance to drop by about 30% on ATI cards. Just go with a GTX.
I disagree:
http://www.guru3d.com/article/radeon-6950-6970-review/1
#104 ·
GTX 570 running Dirt 2 versus HD 6970 running Dirt 2
GTX 570 playing Crysis Warhead versus HD 6970 playing Crysis Warhead
Given his resolution, the 570 actually outperforms the 6970. Plus, there are plenty of other games to consider, so just look at the bigger picture.
GTX 570 playing Crysis Warhead versus HD 6970 playing Crysis Warhead
Given his resolution, the 570 actually outperforms the 6970. Plus, there are plenty of other games to consider, so just look at the bigger picture.
#105 ·
James Castillo8 said:Generally speaking, NVIDIA has always held the edge with AA and AF—performance can drop by as much as 30% on ATI cards—so just stick with a GTX.
Actually, quite the opposite—AMD takes the lead once you turn on AA, thanks to more efficient ROP units.
#106 ·
James Fisher11 said:gtx 570 dirt 2 vs hd6970 dirt 2
gtx570 crysis warhead vs hd6970 crysis warhead
At his resolution, the 570 outperforms the 6970. There are plenty of other games to consider as well.
The link you posted for Crysis clearly shows the HD 6970 is stronger, but my point wasn't about that. I was addressing the claim that "Nvidia has always been better at AA and AF by at least 30%."
#107 ·
Times have changed, I guess—my bad... Now you’ve got a GTX running maybe 5-10% faster in things like COD 4 or Dirt 2, while ATI holds the edge elsewhere, or sometimes they're just neck and neck. Personally, I never touch AA settings so I don't know how much that actually matters to him, but he might want to consider overclocking instead of just sticking to the defaults—there's definitely some headroom there... though NVIDIA still has that lead where games utilize PhysX, if I recall correctly.
#109 ·
I always butcher the spelling—but yeah, they have an edge in certain games. I just can't bring myself to believe ATI is actually *that* good... out of the six cards I've owned, they all felt pretty mediocre compared to NVIDIA's reference models in the same class.
#110 ·
All those tests mentioned above? They were done over five months ago when the drivers weren't even remotely ready. Now, with the latest Catalyst drivers released nearly a month ago, the 6970 is actually faster—especially if you overclock it to 950MHz or play at 1920x1200. Isn't the 6970 clearly the better long-term investment?
#111 ·
Hey everyone, is this graphics card actually worth picking up? I’d mostly be using it for PES and some newer titles. My current setup has a 3.0 GHz processor, 2.5 GB of RAM, and a 400W power supply. The PC is about 5 or 6 years old and I'm still running Windows XP. Any thoughts? Cheers!
#112 ·
Amanda Ward10 said:Hey guys, is this card actually worth it? I mostly want to play PES and some newer titles. My setup has a 3.0 CPU, 2.5 GB of RAM, and a 400W power supply. The PC is about 5 or 6 years old and I'm running XP. Thanks!
http://www.bestbuy.com/products/example-link
That looks like a solid pick. It’s probably the best value you'll find since it uses faster GDDR5 memory... plus it doesn't pull much power. Maybe run Speccy just to be safe and check your exact processor model (I'm guessing a Pentium 4?) and see what brand your power supply is. If it's just some random off-brand or a cheap unit from a place like Micro Center's budget line, you might need to swap the PSU, even if this card is pretty efficient.🙂
By the way, I think this one is a bit cheaper here:
http://www.newegg.com/product_info.php?id=9935
#113 ·
Yep, I'm running an Intel Pentium 4 processor here. As for the power supply, I think it's a Microsoft unit, but I don't feel like cracking the case open right now to check 🙂. I haven't been able to find which version of DirectX this graphics card actually supports. Should I make the jump to Windows 7 if it supports DirectX 10 or 11? I'm under the impression that XP doesn't really handle the newer DirectX versions, right? Also, does anyone have a recommendation for a solid, budget-friendly power supply that'll get the job done?
#114 ·
I mean, if you're planning on running DirectX 11, you might as well move over to Windows 7 😁
But honestly, that GPU can barely handle DirectX 11 anyway—it'll probably struggle—so it's not like you absolutely need it installed. I guess DX9 would still work fine 😉
Regarding the power supply:
http://www.newegg.com/p/product...kl=052.740.030
Or, if you aren't really looking to break the bank 😬
http://www.amazon.com/product_info.php?c...oducts_id=8517
But honestly, that GPU can barely handle DirectX 11 anyway—it'll probably struggle—so it's not like you absolutely need it installed. I guess DX9 would still work fine 😉
Regarding the power supply:
http://www.newegg.com/p/product...kl=052.740.030
Or, if you aren't really looking to break the bank 😬
http://www.amazon.com/product_info.php?c...oducts_id=8517
#115 ·
Right now I'm running an E2200 stock setup with 2GB of DDR2, a GMA 3100, and some generic 400W power supply. I'm wondering if it's actually worth upgrading this rig with a used 4850 and a power supply. Is that enough juice to handle newer games at 1024x768, or is this CPU just going to bottleneck the 4850?
#116 ·
No, just setting up the office. Anyway, how long do you think it'll take for that 4850, and what's the exact
#117 ·
Regarding the GPU, I'm looking to drop maybe $167 max. I've been scrolling through classifieds and spotted a few 4850s for around 400-$167 from AMD, ASUS, or EVGA.
I'm not really feeling the ASUS cards because they sound like jet engines, so I'm stuck choosing between AMD or EVGA—unless there's some other card in that same ballpark that actually works.
I'm not really feeling the ASUS cards because they sound like jet engines, so I'm stuck choosing between AMD or EVGA—unless there's some other card in that same ballpark that actually works.
#118 ·
Are you out of your mind? $167 Paying that much for an old GPU instead of something NEW with 512MB DDR3
I'd honestly rather just go stretch my legs for $17 than deal with that. Just grab this
http://www.bestbuy.com/product_info.php?c...oducts_id=7946
It’s a hundred times better.
EDIT: Take a look at what else they have in stock. There are plenty of newer cards available for a lower price.
http://www.bestbuy.com/product_info.php?c...oducts_id=8926
http://www.bestbuy.com/product_info.php?c...oducts_id=9935
I'd honestly rather just go stretch my legs for $17 than deal with that. Just grab this
http://www.bestbuy.com/product_info.php?c...oducts_id=7946
It’s a hundred times better.
EDIT: Take a look at what else they have in stock. There are plenty of newer cards available for a lower price.
http://www.bestbuy.com/product_info.php?c...oducts_id=8926
http://www.bestbuy.com/product_info.php?c...oducts_id=9935
#119 ·
Anthony Ramos6 said:For the GPU, I’d cap my budget at $167. I spotted a few 4850s on Craigslist for about 400-$167 from AMD, ASUS, or EVGA.
I’m not a fan of the ASUS cards—too noisy for me. So, it's down to AMD or EVGA, unless I find something else in that tier.
#120 ·
I picked up an Nvidia GeForce GTX 460 and went to check my updated specs in Windows 7—before I could even get started, the whole system just locked up. I couldn't even pull up Task Manager or move the mouse. I tried installing the latest drivers and attempted to launch CS, but I ran into the exact same issue. Any ideas what might be going on? Everything worked perfectly fine when I was running a 9600GT...
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