Lookin to get a top of the line vid card. I know both nvidia and ati have 512 vid cards now but i dont know which one to get... any suggestions?
I would go with Nvidia. Main consideration would be what motherboard you have and if you ever intend to run two together, is your board crossfire or sli? ATI have been known to doctor their drivers for compatibilty with test software, rather than real life applications, this is giving false indications on what the performance really is.
And nvidia have been known to drop image quality to achieve better performance in tests, just to get extra fps. This was proven true at least with the entire FX series. Go 512MB X1900XT-X, they've price dropped recently, and are 3/4 of the price of an identically-performing 7900GTX. Plus of course you have the advantage of AViVo and proper compatibility - I note a 7900GTX failed a benchmark test in one review, whilst the X1900 that underperformed it by about 2% sailed straight through. ATi cards are usually a lot less hassle as well, all I say is avoid the catalyst control center and you'll be better off. Generally crossfire isn't quite as good as SLi, but it's far more user friendly, and also cheaper. I don't wish to be termed an ATI fanboy, but I've stuck with ATi products and always been pleased with the results.
Nvidia VS ATI both really good cards i have a pc set up with a ATI and one with Nvidia.Although the Nvidia is the better card this is only because i spent more on the one for my main computer.Had i purchased a ATI for around same spec as the Nvidia i would probably been just has happy with it.There is very little if nothing between the two makes of graphic cards to be honest as they both make superb cards and it all simply boils down to personal preference and how much you have to spend.If you looking for a good deal and working on a budget then ATI can be slightly cheaper for the same spec as some Nvidia.
The fact is, which ever card you go for at the top end, it will blow away anything you've used so far and will easily play any game you want in top settings. ATI or NVIDIA’s top end cards are both superb performers (Aren't we lucky to have the choice?)
So John: If I spent less money on a card that does the same thing as a card that costs more then how are they equal? Ya the specs are the same but we are hard working people so money plays an important factor in the quality of card we can afford. So why do you say, "If you looking for a good deal and working on a budget then ATI can be slightly cheaper for the same spec as some Nvidia." Then why would you buy Nvidia?
to have 2% more performance. I worked it out through a massive database today (yeah I'm a bit sad like that, but when it comes to spending £350 on a GPU, I want to make the right choice!!!) and on a points-based system (based on rankings in each benchmark test) the X1900XTX Crossfire came out at 564 points, versus 579 for two 7900GTXs (which cost 15% more). A single X1900XTX came in at 404 points, versus 445 for a 7900GTX (which costs 30% more) Note however how there's only a 40% increase for having two GPUs (Double the cost, or more in the instance of crossfire). The only dual GPU setups that seem viable are 7600s and 6600s at around 75%, but even then, for the money you end up spending, a 7800GT or X1800XL will be cheaper and faster, so why bother?
