So, what exactly is the difference between Radeon and GeForce?

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5hadowking115

5hadowking115

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Apr 10, 2014
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I'm almost done with my build list, but I've been going back and forth between GPUs. The Gigabyte GeForce I've been looking at (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-video-card-gvn98twf3oc6gd) and the PowerCooler (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/powercolor-video-card-axr9390x8gbd5ppdhe) are two candidates for my PC, but I can't really make a final decision. What exactly do they have in common, and what's different? Here's what I know:

- As a face value, more VRAM seems to be better
- GeForce tends to be the fan favorite
- Radeon is cheaper
- AMD gets a lot o hate for Radeon
- Some people have told me Radeon is better for multiple monitors and GeForce is better for gaming overall, but I'm not sure.

I could use a little help deciding, if it's no trouble. Thanks!
 
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wheeler522
Hello, I will share my "opinions" on the matter and hope they help you a little :)

What they have in common is they are both very powerful cards! The 390X has 8gb of vram which is plenty to run just about any game at high settings. where as the 980ti has 6gbs. Both will run any game with good fps on 1080 and 1440 monitors with max settings. will dip down on 4k screens on max settings.

Where they differ is Radeon cards typically run hotter and are a little less stable under load. So if you are getting a small case with low airflow I would sway towards a cooler card. Maybe one with a reference design (blows air out the back of the card)... They both will do great for multiple monitor setups. I found the Eyefinity (AMD's surround mode)...
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wheeler522

wheeler522

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Oct 11, 2012
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Hello, I will share my "opinions" on the matter and hope they help you a little :)

What they have in common is they are both very powerful cards! The 390X has 8gb of vram which is plenty to run just about any game at high settings. where as the 980ti has 6gbs. Both will run any game with good fps on 1080 and 1440 monitors with max settings. will dip down on 4k screens on max settings.

Where they differ is Radeon cards typically run hotter and are a little less stable under load. So if you are getting a small case with low airflow I would sway towards a cooler card. Maybe one with a reference design (blows air out the back of the card)... They both will do great for multiple monitor setups. I found the Eyefinity (AMD's surround mode) to be a tad glitchy here and there... Also had more trouble with game support when using eyefinity. Geforce surround has been great for me so far-no complaints. Also, radeon cards use more power as well.

The reason I have come to my "opinions" is I have three Asus 27" IPS led 1080 monitors and had a MSI R9-390 for about 4 months. The card ran hot just idling and would get really hot and loud under load. I switched to two Asus GTX970 OC strix cards and liquid cooled them a few weeks ago, The cards use a lot less power and I love the Nvidea software a lot better than the AMD software.

So my advice (take it with a grain of salt)- If you have a decent budget I would go with the 980ti. If you would be sacrificing the quality of say the motherboard and/or processor to afford the 980ti than go with the 390x and get a nicer motherboard and processor. hope it helps! :)
 
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fgin23

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It really depends on what resolution you're gaming on. Between those 2 cards you listed, I would buy the 980ti no doubt. It's just a better card in general. The r9 390x is just a rebranded r9 290x. Now if it was between the r9 fury x and the 980ti, then thats a different story.
 
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Ad Hoc

Ad Hoc

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Out of the two, the 980 ti is the better card. It's also a lot more expensive. The 980 (non-ti) is more on par with the 390x.

As someone who has owned both brands, Nvidia tends be more power efficient, cooler, and has better driver support, while AMD cards are often a bit less expensive and usually have more VRAM than their Nvidia counterparts. Both companies design good, fast chips, so you really can't go wrong unless you buy a bad cooler.

If you're playing at 1440p or 4k, the extra VRAM is nice to have as higher resolution AAA games eat it up nowadays.

The 980 ti is a good card for sure, but if you're going to end up skimping on other parts because you spent half your budget on it than I'd buy the 390x 8GB.

 
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5hadowking115

5hadowking115

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Hmm. Well, I guess I'd go with the GeForce, since I'd be just about a hundred under the budget line if I go with it. But I think I"m gonna wait a little longer. I heard that the GeForce GTX 1000 series was coming out next year, and I wanna check those out before making a final decision. And once I move to wherever for university and have a bit more money, I'm gonna upgrade to whatever the best thing is at the time. Maybe a Titan so I can show off XD. But thanks guys, you've all been a big help. I wish I could award the solution to everyone, but Tom's doesn't let me D: .
 
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