AMD R9 270x vs nVidia GTX 660 (and more)?

[Boyan Kushlev]

I'm building a new PC, and I've picked the processor for the most part (Xeon E3-1231-v3 3.4GHz), and now, I have to focus on video cards. As from what I can see in my local stores, AMD chipsets are slightly cheaper than nVidia's, and they have better results on benchmarks (for the same price). Still, I've heard that nVidia has better support, better drivers, and more games are optimized for their cards. However, I want to compare specific models and manufacturers. So here's the deal. I plan on spending about $250, but if there is something much better for a little more, I'm willing to pay it. Let me introduce you to the prices at my local stores in Bulgaria:

1. Sapphire R9 270X 2GB - $250
2. MSI R9 270X 2GB - $265
3. Asus R9 270X 2GB - $280
4. Asus R9 270X 4GB - $310
5. Palit GTX 660 2GB - $240
6. Gigabyte GTX 660 3GB - $270
7. Gigabyte GTX 660 2GB - $230
8. Asus GTX 660 2GB - $240

These video cards have similar specifications, but the GTX has a 192-bit bus, while the 270x has a 256-bit. Quite a difference in my opinion. Here is a benchmark including most of these cards: Click

As you can see the 270X has better results than the nVidia, and it is a little more expensive, but I'm definitely willing to spend the extra dollars. Here comes the tricky part - manufacturer! I've heard that Asus, MSI and Gigabyte are the best out there (at least from the ones I listed above). They all have a 36 month (3 years) warranty from the stores. The Sapphire and Palit models have only 2 years, hence the lower price. I've only had experience with Sapphire and Asus. I had a Sapphire ATI HD 4780, and it burned down in a couple of years (something I didn't believe could happen), and I replaced it with the same chipset, but this time made by Asus (I even think I got it second hand, too). I have it for 2-3 years now, and I haven't had any problems. It's even more silent than the Sapphire one. Actually, I've never had any problems with an Asus product whatsoever, and I'm a HUGE fan of the company. However, I've not had any interest in the new video cards since probably 2010, and I don't know what is the "word on the streets" as to which company makes the best graphics cards. So I want to hear you advice/opinion on the cards I listed in terms of both chipset and video card manufacturer. Which companies have the best cooling solutions, and the lowest noise levels? Feel free to mention any other video cards that are worth mentioning in your opinion (better performance, cheaper, etc...) Thanks a lot!!


P.S. I'll use the card on a 1600x1200 4:3 screen.
P.P.S. GTA V is coming people!

 

[Suztera]

All R9 270X performs similarly.
Get either MSI or ASUS R9 270X 2GB model. 4GB model is not worth the cost. If you prefer to avoid Sapphire due to your past experience, you could but they have improved.
If you plan to play Nvidia games, consider the GTX 660 then Gigabyte model or the ASUS.

The R9 270X is faster overall in most games than the GTX 660.

I based the performance via this website:
http://gamegpu.ru/action-/-fps-/-tps/watch-dogs-test-gpu.html

 

[ksham]

Hello,
The R9 270X is overall more powerful than a GTX 660. It is more comparable to a GTX 660 Ti. Out of all the cards, I would recommend that you buy the cheapest one. All are good brands. The 4GB is a bit excessive and a waste of money if you are only playing in 1600x1200 resolution. To properly answer the cooling question, I would need to know more details of the card. Which Sapphire card is that?

 

[Boyan Kushlev]

Hello,
The R9 270X is overall more powerful than a GTX 660. It is more comparable to a GTX 660 Ti. Out of all the cards, I would recommend that you buy the cheapest one. All are good brands. The 4GB is a bit excessive and a waste of money if you are only playing in 1600x1200 resolution. To properly answer the cooling question, I would need to know more details of the card. Which Sapphire card is that?

The first one: Sapphire R9 270X 2GB (Sapphire R9 270X 2GB GDDR5 Boost OC exactly)

 

[Boyan Kushlev]

The GTX 660 is a little cheaper, and more games are optimized for nVidias. Do you think optimization is a big problem?

This is a big list: http://www.geforce.com/geforce-experience/supported-games

 

[ksham]

The first one: Sapphire R9 270X 2GB (Sapphire R9 270X 2GB GDDR5 Boost OC exactly)

I'm guessing the cooler is a dual-x?

The GTX 660 is a little cheaper, and more games are optimized for nVidias. Do you think optimization is a big problem?

This is a big list: http://www.geforce.com/geforce-experience/supported-games

The only main difference would be that nvidia cards generally produce smoother transitions which makes the game appear more refined as compared to an AMD card. But unless you're really picky about that, you won't notice it. AMD cards are generally cheaper and have more horsepower. There are games more optimized for AMD cards, just like games that are optimized for nvidia cards. It goes both ways.

 

[Suztera]

The question to you is do you play these games often or not? Some games on that list will still run fine with a R9 270X

 

[Boyan Kushlev]

Dual-x, yes! Anyways, it has only 2 years warranty. I'm willing to pay the extra $30 for an Asus one I can trust more.

 

[Boyan Kushlev]

The question to you is do you play these games often or not? Some games on that list will still run fine with a R9 270X

I would definitely play more nVidia games than AMD games (which are very few). Watch Dogs and the upcoming GTA V (which would definitely be an nVidia featured game) are on the top of my list of really demanding games. Battlefield, Call of Duty and Assassin's Creed are all games I'd like to play, and they are all nVidia optimized. But nVidias are more expensive... If I get a cheaper card, I would be able to save up some money for an SSD to put my Windows on!

 

[Boyan Kushlev]

Another question! Do you think a 530 Watt PSU is OK for the 270X? It's load power consuption is about 250W.

 

[ksham]

I would recommend the Sapphire Dual-X R9 270X. Yes, there are games optimized for nvidia cards, but it's really not that big of a difference. The extra 10% performance boost of the R9 270X has over the GTX 660 pretty much offsets that slight advantage.

As for power supply, the main importance is not its wattage report. What power supply is it? Please supply name and brand.

 

[Boyan Kushlev]

FSP Blue Storm II 500: http://www.trustedreviews.com/opinions/500-700w-power-supply-group-test_Page-4

 

[Suztera]

FSP Blue Storm II 500: http://www.trustedreviews.com/opinions/500-700w-power-supply-group-test_Page-4

Well at least the power supply says what it does, a blue storm.
You should replace it with a better quality psu.


XFX 550W is always a good choice.
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/xfx-power-supply-p1550sxxb9

 

[Boyan Kushlev]

What's wrong with the power supply? Because I cannot afford to spend another $80 on a new power supply...

 

[ksham]

What's wrong with the power supply? Because I cannot afford to spend another $80 on a new power supply...

It is a decent power supply but its voltage regulators are a bit of a disappointment. The PSU does not handle high temps well. So just be careful with that, especially if you are overclocking.