Which GTX 260 ? Or maybe a 285?

[z0rz]

I hope to upgrade my graphics card this weekend, but I can't decide between a GTX 260 or a 285. I have a 22" monitor at 1680x1050 and an Antec 550W PSU. Because of this, I'm leaning more toward a GTX 260. I'm unsure about which 260 I should get. I've limited it to Sparkle for price, and XFX for performance:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814187050

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150330

Does the overclock of the Black Edition make up for its higher cost? (Not much of a difference after rebates and it has a free game, but I've heard too many bad things about the game and rebates seem iffy).

Or would I be better suited getting a GTX 285? The prices scare me, but I really want to get a card that can last me the longest, and I really enjoy playing games at their absolute highest settings. Does the increased performance of a GTX 285 justify its higher price? Should I consider a GTX 280?

Thanks for any help.

 

[geofelt]

The XFX is a much better value.
1) It is the 216 version, not the older model which has fewer components.
2) It is a guaranteed overclock.

The new GTX285 will be 10% faster, but is probably not worth the $100 premium.

Even better, look at a GTX200-216 using 55nm technology. It will run cooler and overclock higher.
Here is an examole from EVGA:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130433

EVGA has solid support, and you will get the rebate.
They also have a "step-up" program where you can trade the card in within 90 days if you later want a stronger card.

 

[shiftstealth]

for 50 dollars more id just buy the gtx 280 not the 285.

 

[rescawen]

agreed but on the other there is the power consumption thingy

 

[goonting]

XFX GX260NADBF GeForce GTX 260 Black Edition Core 216

should be great in 1680x1050

 

[z0rz]

Thanks for the replies, guys.

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about the 55nm Nvidia cards. You're right that the 55nm EVGA card SHOULD run cooler and overclock higher, but I've read reviews that suggest quite the opposite, thanks to a "bastardized" heatsink/fan:

Cons:

- Priced slightly above 65nm version
- Offers no overclocking or power savings benefits over old card
- Color scheme may not be to your liking

http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/hardware-canucks-reviews/13533-evga-gtx-260-core-216-55nm-superclocked-edition-video-card-review-23.html

The review is a couple weeks old now, but it still seems pretty valid. Either way, I think I'll have a very formidable card. Can anyone confirm or deny the bad 55nm design?

 

[meodowla]

What's the difference between GTX260 Black Edition & GTX260 216 core?

 

[z0rz]

The Black Edition is just heavily overclocked (666MHz core vs. 576MHz stock, 2300MHz memory vs. 1998MHz stock). Normally I wouldn't consider a factory overclocked card, but I'm beginning to think that they have increased the voltages in these cards, allowing for a more stable/higher overclock. Both cards have the same 216 stream processors and 896MB GDDR3 with a 448-bit memory interface.

 

[febisfebi]

cant you raise the voltages manually when overclocking?

 

[z0rz]

As far as I know (which isn't a whole lot), you can only raise GPU voltage through physically modding the card. If you can raise voltage for video cards, it's probably through the BIOS, which I can't touch because I have a Dell.

 

[Avenger_K]

cant you raise the voltages manually when overclocking?

As far as I know (which isn't a whole lot), you can only raise GPU voltage through physically modding the card. If you can raise voltage for video cards, it's probably through the BIOS, which I can't touch because I have a Dell.

Evga is creating a tool for manually editing the voltages of your the card. It's being released sometime in the near future. Not quite sure when, exactly.

 

[febisfebi]

cool. so i'm assuming the xfx GX260NADBF is not a 55 nm version? its a good price, and would be a nice card if it is. I am thinking the evga 55nm would be a better overclocker. One guy on the evga forums oc'd his vanilla gtx 260 (65 nm I assume) to 760mhz with no mention of liquid cooling or anything. I'm hoping the 55nm version could be oc'ed even more