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Tom's Hardware > Forum > Graphics & Displays > Graphics Cards > Who really does offer better quality?

Who really does offer better quality?

Forum Graphics & Displays : Graphics Cards Who really does offer better quality?

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I am looking to upgrade my 8600 GT and I was all set to purchase a Radeon 4850 because pound-for-pound it appears to be the best value of any new gen card, until I saw this...

http://www.elitebastards.com/cms/i [...] &Itemid=27

I am NOT a gamer! I use my PC for movies, streaming video, converting video tapes to DVD and SVCDs and occasionally other formats too. For me quality matters, and by the looks of it ATi has a long way to go.

So am I right? For video and digital quality is nVidia really the best?

Reply to tripperdude
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CUDA has more software support as far as video conversion goes, when compared to stream.

As far as how the video "looks" when you play it, they would both be exactly the same. That review is only mentioning GPU assited video transcoding. Which generally is faster on NVIDA cards.

If you are not a gamer there is no real reason for you to upgrade the card anyway. The only thing you would gain would be a bit faster conversion when compared to a cpu program in software that supports CUDA.

------------------------------ CPU: Q9550 at 3.6ghz (FSB 425mhz) | MB: P5E3 Premium | Ram: 4*2Gb Corsair DDR3 @1417mhz | GPU: 2 HD4890 1Gb (925core/1025mem) CF | PSU: OCZ ELiteXtreme 800W | Sound: Creative Titanium Fatal1ty Pro | 2*120gb OCZ Vertex SSD Raid0 and 2 500gb Raid0 HDDS
Reply to daedalus685

There is absolutely no reason to ugrade your card!

Reply to fpsdominator

That link doesn't mention "quality" at all, only transcoding speeds using different hardware.

Your question is a bit flawed, as quality usually means how the picture "looks" in this context.

If transcoding times are all taht matter to you CUDA is better, asmore software supports it, and it is a bitmroe mature.

------------------------------ CPU: Q9550 at 3.6ghz (FSB 425mhz) | MB: P5E3 Premium | Ram: 4*2Gb Corsair DDR3 @1417mhz | GPU: 2 HD4890 1Gb (925core/1025mem) CF | PSU: OCZ ELiteXtreme 800W | Sound: Creative Titanium Fatal1ty Pro | 2*120gb OCZ Vertex SSD Raid0 and 2 500gb Raid0 HDDS
Reply to daedalus685

the badaboom transcoder works great. im very pleased with it.

my only complaint about cuda is that it doesnt take advantage of how powerful your videocard is.

a 9800 with cuda pretty much performs the same as a gtx285 with cuda. in cuda apps.
kind of dissappointing when you buy a gtx285. ;p

Reply to neon neophyte
- 0 +

fpsdominator wrote :

There is absolutely no reason to ugrade your card!



agreed

------------------------------ defeating idiot fan boys since 2008.
Reply to ct1615

i have a 4850 i love it no problems drivers all work good except the 9.6 i had a problem but 1 out of 10 or how ever many they got it very good... they seem to keep coming out with new 1ns every month so there not slackin

if your going to be gaming go for the New 4890 its lookin good so Far if not going from a 8600 to a 4850 wont be worth it go Big or go home LOL just kiddin its up to you ATI Nvidia there both Awesome company's i switch back and forth every few years i picked ATI this time cause they are Holding there ground thought i would support them a little cause Nvidia was trying to take over like Microsoft :sol:

Reply to malstrom
- 0 +

there is no need 4 u to get a new g card, may i ask y ur interested in getting a new 1,
and if its because of transcoding time, can i find out wat cpu u have also?

------------------------------ Athlon X2 5800+|ECS A740GM-M|Kingston 2GB DDR2
Reply to xaira
- 0 +

you would be better off with the ATI card, it will walk all over the 8600gt plus the image is better, and cuda will be a short foot knot in the history of nvidia

Reply to rangers
- 0 +

There is no need to upgrade if you don't game. Keep your current card and save your money

Reply to Jaysin

Generally, visual quality is subjective when the output of both cards look good.

ATI used to be the leader, but nVidia has caught up. Both are so good, that you need to have both to determine which is subjectively better.

For now I would say stick with what you have.

------------------------------ Q9450 |Corsair XMS 4GB DDR 800 | ABit IP35 Pro | HD 5850 | Audigy 2 | Seasonic S12 550 | Cooler Master Centurion 532 | NEC LCD2690WUXi and Planar PX2611w | WinXP

Peace on Earth by means of the destruction of all life on Earth.
Reply to jaguarskx
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