Well, I'm obviously biased, since I have a GTX 580 and love it, but still, I have to quote this guy:
Nimbus said:
Poll: ATI vs. Nvidia for a serious gaming machine.
- Thread starter Delta-1138
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First things first, both SLI and Crossfire don't work. They consistantly deliver more bugs and lower frames rates than single cards whilst also using masses of power (high end Nvidia cards in SLI eat close to 1000W/hr!). So don't bother with it.Delta-1138 said:
At the high end of single cards it's really a wash. Nvidias seem to use memory more efficiently whilst ATIs have more processing power, but both deliver comparable frame rates.
I would buy a HD6970 2GB as they're a good price and can be hugely overclocked (10-15% on the bas clock, more on some really high end ones like the MSI lightning). With more than one monitor they also perform a lot better than a HD6990 despite having half as many cores (go figure).
But really any of the 6970, Nvidia 570 or 580 ranges will work extremely well.
Below £150-ish, ATI 6850 utterly cards destroy everything else.
Nvidia any day, they have better support, better software, they cost more though. Most games tend to be optimised for nvidia, and have Phsyx written into the game somewhere.
The new GTX 580s are breaking artifact texture records. Also Nvidia drivers are far higher quality.
Just make sure your case is large enough. The cards are around 10 inches long.
Just make sure your case is large enough. The cards are around 10 inches long.
I would say ATI as I've been using it for as long as I can remember, but recently I realised how ass Alice Madness Returns looks on any other card besides an Nvidia, what with the particle effects. I'd complain that developers shouldn't favour development for one specific card but I guess that technically proves it's more capable. I'd have one if they weren't so hideously expensive.
Have to go with nVidia.
ATI always did have driver issues, and the one ATI card I ever had pissed the shit out of me.
Had to change drivers and reboot just to play a different game.
To be fair, they're infinitely better now than they used to be, but they're still bad with older games.
Whereas nVidia cards have never let me down apart from one occasion.
My brand new 8800GT was dead on arrival.
So I sent it back, forgetting to include the game I got with it, Company of Heroes.
And I got a brand new 8800GT within 4 days, including another copy of Company of Heroes, for free.
It's been soldiering on ever since.
I think my old GeForce 3ti still works too.
That was a great card.
Held out so long.
As did my 7600GT.
Also, the included PhysX functionality is badass.
It's not 'favouring' development, it's just making use of something ATI cards doesn't have.
ATI always did have driver issues, and the one ATI card I ever had pissed the shit out of me.
Had to change drivers and reboot just to play a different game.
To be fair, they're infinitely better now than they used to be, but they're still bad with older games.
Whereas nVidia cards have never let me down apart from one occasion.
My brand new 8800GT was dead on arrival.
So I sent it back, forgetting to include the game I got with it, Company of Heroes.
And I got a brand new 8800GT within 4 days, including another copy of Company of Heroes, for free.
It's been soldiering on ever since.
I think my old GeForce 3ti still works too.
That was a great card.
Held out so long.
As did my 7600GT.
Also, the included PhysX functionality is badass.
Like I said, nVidia includes PhysX whereas ATI doesn't.Motakikurushi said:
It's not 'favouring' development, it's just making use of something ATI cards doesn't have.
I was a nVidia fan till I got a HD4850GT some years ago. Since then, I'm all over ATI. Runs cooler, demands less from the power supply, and the driver issues are largely a thing of the past. The cost/benefit seems always to shift towards an ATI card. Their mid-range cards are dirt-cheap and GREAT products. Dependable, durable, economic and very customizable, due to great overclocking capabilities.
nVidia has good cards, but they require some serious collection of hardware to work at their best (and at this point, they are more powerful than similar ATI cards). So, if money is not a problem, go bananas and build a powerhouse for your GTX 580. Just remember you need a superior power supply and a 0 Kelvin cooling system (I kid, I kid).
nVidia has good cards, but they require some serious collection of hardware to work at their best (and at this point, they are more powerful than similar ATI cards). So, if money is not a problem, go bananas and build a powerhouse for your GTX 580. Just remember you need a superior power supply and a 0 Kelvin cooling system (I kid, I kid).
ATI/AMD driver support went down the tubes recently, even though that's a moot point for now, It got me thinking straight so now my response to the question is...
It purely depends on your fucking motherboard. Always, ALWAYS choose your motherboard first, and base the rest of the system around that.
It purely depends on your fucking motherboard. Always, ALWAYS choose your motherboard first, and base the rest of the system around that.
price and raw power ==== amd/ati
smoothness/drivers/support ===== nvidia
they are both great, but i'd build your machine based off your processor/motherboard combo, not depending on your video card mostly. there will always be deals/combos on newegg that blow whatever you thought you were going to get into what they are offering.
smoothness/drivers/support ===== nvidia
they are both great, but i'd build your machine based off your processor/motherboard combo, not depending on your video card mostly. there will always be deals/combos on newegg that blow whatever you thought you were going to get into what they are offering.
not bad but you could easily knock 150 bucks off that price just by simply using different brands on your monitor and sound card, your motherboard, especially a good high priced one, will be more than sufficient on sound quality, if anything get a slightly better power supply (800-850). also that extra cpu cooler will NOT be needed unless you are overclocking to super saiyan x3, your i5 will be more than good enough to handle anything for the next 5 years without overclocking.ravenshrike said:
now that's just IMO of course, but just saying you can save some bang in a few spots and spend a little more on the power supply for long term usage.
I'm pretty much in the same boat as you, OP. In the months ahead I'm hoping to have a new machine built, but I'm not sure whether to get an ATI 5970 or an Nvidia 580. One has extreme benchmarks and is basically 2 videocards put together, plus I'm an ATI guy ... but the other has PhysX ... but then again, currently only a handful of games (those using the Unreal 3 engine) have PhysX. Decisions, decisions ... <:-[
But that's really where it boils down to. Do you want faster games or PhysX?
Here's a comparison.
Good luck!
But that's really where it boils down to. Do you want faster games or PhysX?
Here's a comparison.
Good luck!
As was posted earlier, check out the Tom's Hardware link, judge each card on its own merits.
This lists the best cards in the respective price slots.
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/gaming-performance-radeon-geforce,review-32274.html
If you plan to run multiple monitors, I suggest you go for ATI, as Eyefinity is much more mature than Nvidia's technology.
If you want to go for 3D games, this provides a comprehensive overview of the benefits and drawbacks for each manufacturer:
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/tridef-stereoscopic-3d-gaming,review-32285.html
On PhysX, it is possible to run an ATI card for rendering and an Nvidia card to do PhysX.
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/nvidia-physx-hack-amd-radeon,review-32051-7.html
A low end card is enough for dedicated PhsyX.
On Multi-Card setups. I run two GTX 460's in SLI, and I think it works great. SLI or Crossfire is often a cheaper way to get performance than buying a single expensive card (as you see in the first link). I have not had any issues with drivers, and the games which do not support multi-GPU setups tend to be the ones that do not need the power. However, some people notice something called micro-stuttering, details on which can be found here:
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/radeon-geforce-stutter-crossfire,review-32256.html
In the end, get the best card in the price range with the features that you want, and don't be so concerned about the name on the box. Like others have said, make sure that the rest of your system, specifically the motherboard and PSU, are compatible with your chosen solution.
This lists the best cards in the respective price slots.
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/gaming-performance-radeon-geforce,review-32274.html
If you plan to run multiple monitors, I suggest you go for ATI, as Eyefinity is much more mature than Nvidia's technology.
If you want to go for 3D games, this provides a comprehensive overview of the benefits and drawbacks for each manufacturer:
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/tridef-stereoscopic-3d-gaming,review-32285.html
On PhysX, it is possible to run an ATI card for rendering and an Nvidia card to do PhysX.
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/nvidia-physx-hack-amd-radeon,review-32051-7.html
A low end card is enough for dedicated PhsyX.
On Multi-Card setups. I run two GTX 460's in SLI, and I think it works great. SLI or Crossfire is often a cheaper way to get performance than buying a single expensive card (as you see in the first link). I have not had any issues with drivers, and the games which do not support multi-GPU setups tend to be the ones that do not need the power. However, some people notice something called micro-stuttering, details on which can be found here:
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/radeon-geforce-stutter-crossfire,review-32256.html
In the end, get the best card in the price range with the features that you want, and don't be so concerned about the name on the box. Like others have said, make sure that the rest of your system, specifically the motherboard and PSU, are compatible with your chosen solution.
AMD/ATi by FAR. I don't know what people are talking about with ATi driver issues. The only cards I've ever had driver issues with were NVIDIA cards. Starting with an FX5500, Geforce 6600GT, and an 8800GT. Driver problems with every single one. I went through 3 6600s because the fan kept dying.
By contrast, I've also owned an 9800, a X1600 Pro, a 2600XT, a 4670, a 5770, and now two 5770s in Crossfire. Never had a single issue with any of them. I think AMDs driver program is far better than NVIDIAs. Plus, AMD cards are generally better bang for the buck than nvidia these days. I have two 5770s in crossfire, and I can run any game max at 1080p, and FPS never drop below 35, usually it's in the 40-60 range depending on the game.
By contrast, I've also owned an 9800, a X1600 Pro, a 2600XT, a 4670, a 5770, and now two 5770s in Crossfire. Never had a single issue with any of them. I think AMDs driver program is far better than NVIDIAs. Plus, AMD cards are generally better bang for the buck than nvidia these days. I have two 5770s in crossfire, and I can run any game max at 1080p, and FPS never drop below 35, usually it's in the 40-60 range depending on the game.
fair enough, if you have the money for it then i see no problem (i'm used to gaming on a budget and out of the 7 pc's i've built so far those were also built on a budget.)ravenshrike said:
Going to have to give it to the first response and say go with that advice. I've run both setups multiple times. Both work just fine in every capacity.Nimbus said:
The two sweet spots for value for money seem to be the GTX 560 from Nvidia and the HD 6970 from ATI/AMD. The ATI/AMD gets slightly more frames per second but the Nvidia consumes a lot less power for almost the same performance. Swings and round-a-bouts.
I avoid SLI and Xfire as I like to keep my setup as simple as possible. I have been driven to distraction by stuttering on dual card rigs. Even on a machine with a 5970.
I have two desktop computers one running XP 32bit, OSX and Linux with an HD 4890 from XFX and one running Windows 7 64bit with a GTX 580 from EVGA. Both my cards are strong and reliable and have worked well for me. I have had more issues with compatibility with the HD 4890 though and from memory it was only with GTA IV which didn't work at all with Radeon cards.
I avoid SLI and Xfire as I like to keep my setup as simple as possible. I have been driven to distraction by stuttering on dual card rigs. Even on a machine with a 5970.
I have two desktop computers one running XP 32bit, OSX and Linux with an HD 4890 from XFX and one running Windows 7 64bit with a GTX 580 from EVGA. Both my cards are strong and reliable and have worked well for me. I have had more issues with compatibility with the HD 4890 though and from memory it was only with GTA IV which didn't work at all with Radeon cards.