Still waiting for that AhAA!! moment. (NV2xx vs 9xxx)

[hythos]

I understand the hierchy of 'mainstream' and high-end GPU's, though I'm still a bit confused about the nVidia 200-series in comparison to their 9x00's

I've read the 240-250 cards run the same GPU as the 9800GTX, though why the confusion? Did nV simply decide they needed to rebrand the still-good GPU while needing a newer product labeled as a low-end series?
I believe a 250 > 9800GTAny, but are the 210, 220, or 240 on-par to the 9400 - 9600's?

While I'd rather not have to, I've practically already written off nVidia 'cause my Ph-720 +4890 runs *solid*, and even my e8500+4650/1gb puts out as good of framerate as I could need... given I'm not running Crysis on max settings, I don't care to.

 

[4745454b]

If only it were that simple. The GT 220-240 cards are completely unrelated to anything else Nvidia has released. You could say they are more advanced then the GTX260-295 as those are only DX10 cards and the GT 220-240 are DX10.1. The GTS250 is a 9800GTX+ with a 1GB frame buffer.

It's my belief that Nvidia is simply trying to confuse people. If they don't understand what they are buying, they will buy whatever is in their price range. (have you seen the confusion with the 9600GSO?) They have rebaged one card as another without making any changes, (8800GT to 9800GT, 9800GTX to GTS250, etc) they have called completely different cards the same card (96SP 9600GSO and 48SP 9600GSO), they have used allowed the GT series to have a higher DX level then the GTS (GT240 vs GTS250). They either dont' care, are incapable of naming correctly, or are doing this on purpose. Take your pick.

As I always say, if it works for you, don't change things.

 

[Mousemonkey]

They have rebaged one card as another without making any changes, (8800GT to 9800GT, 9800GTX to GTS250, etc)

It's not even as simple as that mate, the 9 series were originally billed as being on a smaller process with Hybrid Power added but that didn't happen as a lot of early 9 series cards were still on the 65nm process and the same thing happened with the GTS250 which again was supposed to be 55nm only but some examples out there have a 65nm GPU instead.

 

[4745454b]

There are other differences to. The 8800GT can't do Tri-SLI while the 9800GT can. As a general rule however, they are all the same. Heck, they didn't even change the clock speeds between the 8800GT and 9800GT. (and you thought that other post was long winded, I almost can't believe I wrote that drivel)

 

[Mousemonkey]

There are other differences to. The 8800GT can't do Tri-SLI while the 9800GT can. As a general rule however, they are all the same. Heck, they didn't even change the clock speeds between the 8800GT and 9800GT. (and you thought that other post was long winded, I almost can't believe I wrote that drivel)

The 9800GT can only do two way SLi, it's the GTX & GTX+ that do three way.

 

[4745454b]

Looks like we are both right. I can find both kinds on newegg right now. I think its one of those "leave it up to the manufacturer" things.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814141105
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121352

 

[Mousemonkey]

Looks like we are both right. I can find both kinds on newegg right now. I think its one of those "leave it up to the manufacturer" things.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814141105
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121352

It's one of those things that probably sounded OK in the boardroom meeting but went tits up somewhere along the lines and rather than go back and correct the mistake they just carried on, the original idea may have been to make all of the 9 series on the 55nm process but someone cocked up and put a 65nm GPU onto the new PCB with the Hybrid Power bits and it worked so they just carried on, if they had done the 55nm's as the 8850GT/GTS I don't think they would have taken half as much stick.

 

[hythos]

SO, pretty much what I had suspected, it sounds...

I've been quite partial towards nVidia ever since I had replaced my Diamonds (1mb+2mb Monster board) to a TNT2.
More recently however, I've found a great deal of success in ATI (4650's, 5570, 4890); and with the hub-bub over all of this (8x00, 9x00, 2x0's), I think I'll just stick to what I know is working...

Maybe I'll consider looking at the nV next-gen once they get their act straight... 300-series perhaps?


Thanks guys

 

[Mousemonkey]

300-series perhaps?

400 series, the 300's are going to be OEM parts by all accounts.

 

[4745454b]

400 series, the 300's are going to be OEM parts by all accounts.

Well that might be the boardroom plan, but something is going to go tits up at some point and....