GTX 260 vs HD4870

[Vos17]

hey everyone, i was looking at benchmarks today for video cards.
So far it seems either the hd4870 1gb is a close match to the GTX 280 216SP.

My rig is
Corsair 750watt Power Supply
GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3R
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550
COOLER MASTER Hyper Z600
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400)
Video Card: ((UNDECIDED!!)) =[

Alright, i know some questions will arise like.

Monitor: 24" 1900 x 1200
Games: Fall out 3
CoD: WaW
Dead Space
Star craft II
Diablo III
These are just some games i want to play with my computer, i would like to know anyone with personal experience.
How well does any of their cards run any of these games (excluding the ones that are not out yet of course).

Please, no fan boys, i want honest unbiased opinions. Thanks for reading once again!

 

[cjl]

It's honestly hard to go wrong with either one. I'd tend to lean towards the ATI card though, as with the Intel chipset, you could potentially crossfire in the future, but SLI is out of the question.

 

[Vos17]

Which card would be better for future games? Like.. i am really really anticipating Elder scrolls V (2010 release date) Think either one would fair better at that time frame?

 

[cjl]

It's basically impossible to say. They're pretty darn close in most cases.

 

[JAYDEEJOHN]

You will get more having DX10.1, but who knows how much? So far, real full DX10.1 shows a lessor hit using AA, but again, who knows

 

[Vos17]

No cards right now support dx10.1, right?
I don't know how much gaming has changed since i have a long time ago.
I want something that at least a year or 2 from now i go well.. at least my card can run medium wit 0xAA at least...

am i hoping for too much?

 

[JAYDEEJOHN]

More than likely, 2 years is a long time in gpu performance. Todays cards are more than60% faster than those 2 years ago. ATI offers DX10.1, and as DX11 and DX10.1 games come out, youll get that extra performance, not alot of extra eye candy over DX10, but DX10.1 allows for better AA usage, if the games compliant

 

[Vos17]

In your opinion then, GTX 260 or HD4870 1GB?
any added reasons would be greatly appreciated.
I know alot about computers, don't get me wrong.
But i have been out of the Computer part scene for so long i have no idea whats good right now XD

All i have to go on is benchmarks, and figures.
Come on, when i was building computers last the Radeon 9800pro was 300 somethin dollars and it was AWESOME =D

 

[Noya]

hey everyone, i was looking at benchmarks today for video cards.
So far it seems either the hd4870 1gb is a close match to the GTX 280 216SP.

I would go with the gtx260 core 216. A pal of mine was in the same dilemma, and after reading tons of reviews and looking through pages of benchmarks the Nvidia card came out ahead most of the time. The only place it really lost to the 4870 1gb was in newer, arcade style racing game (boring) like GRID, Need for Speeds, DIRT rally, etc. But it doesn't sound like you're a fan of cheezy racing games so I'd go with the 216.

 

[JAYDEEJOHN]

To me, its a toss up. And truly, DX10.1 may be of help down the road, or it may not be much of one, so shouldnt be considered a deal breaker. Id get the one that is priced best, as both cards have similar performance

 

[Noya]

It's honestly hard to go wrong with either one. I'd tend to lean towards the ATI card though, as with the Intel chipset, you could potentially crossfire in the future, but SLI is out of the question.

His board only has one PCI-e x16 lane and his next upgrade to an x58 (SLi and crossfire) is probably too far away for this card to matter much.

*edit*

Vos17, just to let you know both jaydeejohn and cjl use ATi cards if I remember correctly...

 

[JAYDEEJOHN]

The 216 currently is 1 driver release or so ahead of the 4870, as its a month older, and before those 216 drivers came out, they were even, so, Id bet theyll end up that way. Dpnt let a single driver release sway your decision, tho, like I said, theyre even

 

[Vos17]

I just don't want to buy a card, plug it in and set everything up, and feel like i made the wrong choice, ~250 isn't money for testing out. (well for me anyway). Fall out 3, Call of duty: World at War, and some games coming out later in the year are what i'm also looking forward to.

Anyone play any of those games with either of those cards and can offer any feedback?

 

[Noya]

My friend plays CoD World at War with his core 216, but only on a 22" 1680x1050 monitor.

Just look up some benchmarks.

edit:

Here, core216 vs 4870 1gb at 1680x1050 and 2560x1600 (sorry, no 19x12)
http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/hardware-canucks-reviews/13533-evga-gtx-260-core-216-55nm-superclocked-edition-video-card-review-10.html
http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/hardware-canucks-reviews/12681-games-christmas-08-gpu-performance-part-1-a-6.html

Dead Space
http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/hardware-canucks-reviews/12681-games-christmas-08-gpu-performance-part-1-a-8.html

Fallout 3 (4870 barely pulls ahead)
http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/hardware-canucks-reviews/12681-games-christmas-08-gpu-performance-part-1-a-17.html

 

[Vos17]

That is another thing i need to figure out, The display i want.
either a 22" or 24"
And i was pretty much set on 1920 x 1080, unless someone has a opinion on that =p (is it worth the extra $$?)

 

[Noya]

That is another thing i need to figure out, The display i want.
either a 22" or 24"
And i was pretty much set on 1920 x 1080, unless someone has a opinion on that =p (is it worth the extra $$?)

You'll get higher frames, higher settings and the card will last longer with a 22" 1680x1050 since it's easier to push.

I personally would want a gtx295, 4870x2 or some sort of crossfire or SLi setup for 1900x1200 (not 1920x1080p...lame unless you watch LOTS of movies and TV shows on your PC).

Also, do you already have the q9550? Because the i7 is way better for the same price, if not cheaper.

 

[Vos17]

the only problem with going with the i7 is im forced to pay close to 300 for a motherboard, and damn high prices for ddr3. It WAS considered, honestly. But because im forced into pricier stuff.

besides, this computer im saving up the money for, March (with bills and stuff) seems like the best time frame for me to purchase everything. who knows, maybe the stuff will be cheaper.

I like to plan ahead, i been researching and everything so i don't jump on something completely over the top when the time comes, you know lol

 

[JAYDEEJOHN]

Well, by March, check the performance again on these 2 cards, as Im sure it will change

 

[Vos17]

Here is a better clarification of what i am choosing between

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102801

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130398

ok? Did i miss something because last week the EVGA card was 40$ cheaper, maybe it was on sale... but if performance is the same why don't i stick with ATI for 40$ cheaper? and i get dx10.1 support?

Options, options, options >.< give me opinions lol

 

[cjl]

His board only has one PCI-e x16 lane and his next upgrade to an x58 (SLi and crossfire) is probably too far away for this card to matter much.

*edit*

Vos17, just to let you know both jaydeejohn and cjl use ATi cards if I remember correctly...

Ahh - I missed that (I didn't look up the full specs of the board, just that it has an Intel chipset).

In that case, I'd be tempted to go for a 260, unless there's a significant price difference. If you like running with a lot of AA, the 4870 gains some ground, but on the whole, the 260 does slightly edge it. Without the possibility of future crossfire, the ATI falls behind IMO. As for me running an ATI card? Yes I do in my primary machine, but I have also run Nvidia cards (my last one had a 7950 in it). I just go for whichever provides the best performance that is within my budget at the time. At the time of my latest build, my budget was fairly high, and the GTX 280 was more expensive than it is now, so it has a 4870x2 in it. It's as simple as that.

 

[Noya]

Yeah, by march you'll be buying an i7 920 / DDR3 / x58.

I've seen deals on the i7 920...$230 at a Fry's special.

There's a $205 gigabyte x58 ud3r on newegg.

DDR3 is dropping in price.

 

[Vos17]

There is about a 40$ difference, AA isn't too much of a concern for me, if your telling me the gtx 260 would be a better performer on my machine, well.. i don't know, i am -TRYING- to budget myself but it seems less and less possible. lol

maybe... which one would be better possibly later on? the Nvidia (Higher Bit rate, and more pixel shaders) or the ATI (Higher bandwith, and gddr5)

 

[Vos17]

Think the price of a i7 pc will drop into my price range around that time? i am trying to stick with around 1k

 

[cjl]

Honestly, an i7 isn't that far off of 1k right now, especially as you already have a good PSU. If you get a board for $300 (such as a P6T deluxe), an i7 920 for $300, 6GB Of RAM for $150, and a $250 GPU, you're at 1k.

Oh, and as for the GPU thing, if there is a $40 difference, go for the cheaper one. There is a slight performance benefit to the 260, but it is truly slight. It is definitely not $40 worth.

 

[JAYDEEJOHN]

Ummmm, Im not using a ATI card. Im trying to be honest here, and going on my knowledge. I really cant give you a recommendation, because, as Ive said, these 2 cards are even, and thats my opinion, period