Best PCIe Card: ~$90 To $140
Best PCIe Card For ~$95: Tie
GeForce 9800 GT (Check Prices)
Exceptional 1680x1050 performance in most games, 1920x1200 in most games with lowered detail
| GeForce 9800 GT | |
|---|---|
| Codename: | G92 |
| Process: | 55nm |
| Universal Shaders: | 112 |
| Texture Units: | 56 |
| ROPs: | 16 |
| Memory Bus: | 256-bit |
| Core/Shader Speed MHz: | 650/1,625 |
| Memory Speed MHz: | 1,000 (2,000 effective) |
| DirectX/Shader Model: | DX 10/SM 4.0 |
The GeForce 9800 GT is essentially a rebadged GeForce 8800 GT, and offers the same great performance it has for years now (that sure sounds funny to say in reference to graphics cards).
With the rising price of ATI's Radeon HD 4850 giving it space to breathe, this legendary card is once again a recommended buy. But once again, we're looking forward to seeing technological progress put new, faster, and cooler products loaded down with more features in this space rather than revisiting history.
Fortunately, there's still PhysX and 3D Vision support to like about this aging board.
Radeon HD 4830 512MB (Check Prices)
Exceptional 1680x1050 performance in most games, 1920x1200 in most games with lowered detail
| Radeon HD 4850 512MB | |
|---|---|
| Codename: | RV770 |
| Process: | 55nm |
| Universal Shaders: | 640 |
| Texture Units: | 32 |
| ROPs: | 16 |
| Memory Bus: | 256-bit |
| Core Speed MHz: | 575 |
| Memory Speed MHz: | 900 (1,800 effective) |
| DirectX/Shader Model: | DX 10.1/SM 4.1 |
Just as the GeForce 9800 GT can once again be recommended due to the rising price of the Radeon HD 4850, so can the Radeon HD 4830. While availability is low, this Radeon is still a viable option under the $100 price point if you can find it. You'll discovered that it offers great performance on par with the GeForce 9800 GT, with the added benefit of DirectX 10.1 support.
Best PCIe Card For ~$110:
GeForce GTS 250 512MB (Check Prices)
Good 1920x1200 performance in most games
| GeForce GTS 250 512MB | |
|---|---|
| Codename: | G92 |
| Process: | 65nm |
| Universal Shaders: | 128 |
| Texture Units: | 64 |
| ROPs: | 16 |
| Memory Bus: | 256-bit |
| Core/Shader Speed MHz: | 738/1,836 |
| Memory Speed MHz: | 1,100 (2,200 effective) |
| DirectX/Shader Model: | DX 10/SM 4.0 |
The dissapearance of the $100 Radeon HD 4850 has not only opened up the GeForce 9800 GT and Radeon HD 4830 for recommended status, but also the GeForce GTS 250.
At $110, the 512MB version of this card offers respectable performance, and nothing else in the price range can compare to it. As fast as the Radeon HD 4850 and new Radeon HD 5750 (and notably cheaper), the GeForce GTS 250 has no real competition from the rest of the sub-$150 market at this time.
Bear in mind that going this route instead of the Radeon HD 5750 will cost you DirectX 11 support and Eyefinity. But in the context of gaming, you'll need to make other quality sacrifices long before trying to enjoy either value-add in the $110 range.
Best PCIe Card For ~$120:
GeForce GTS 250 1GB (Check Prices)
Good 1920x1200 performance in most games
| GeForce GTS 250 1GB | |
|---|---|
| Codename: | G92 |
| Process: | 65nm |
| Universal Shaders: | 128 |
| Texture Units: | 64 |
| ROPs: | 16 |
| Memory Bus: | 256-bit |
| Core/Shader Speed MHz: | 738/1,836 |
| Memory Speed MHz: | 1,100 (2,200 effective) |
| DirectX/Shader Model: | DX 10/SM 4.0 |
For $10 more than the 512MB version, an interested gamer can get the benefit of a full gigabyte of memory. At the highest resolutions and levels of anti-aliasing, this extra memory might provide a performance boost, though it's unlikely the GeForce GTS 250 is powerful enough to run at those detail levels. Still, many buyers might find the slight $10 price increase worthwhile in something like Grand Theft Auto IV.
i lol'd when i saw the 295 as an honerable mention. By the way where is this 5890 they mention?
Thanks for this wonderful article. I look forward to it every month. I was able to pick up a PNY GTS 250 1GB for $73. It's connected to an Acer 21.5" 1920x1080 monitor I got for $84. I paired it with an AMD 240. I'm currently playing Bioshock, Mass Effect, and Left 4 Dead getting a smooth 60 FPS on all three games at high settings.
why 2 5770 in crossfire with the slow bandwidth bus? 3d and faster refresh screens will be here soon and kinda wondered bout that
Nice to see Old 9800GT and HD4830 in the recommended list.
I'm surprised how much time 9800GT/8800GT have remained in the recommended list.
i lol'd when i saw the 295 as an honerable mention. By the way where is this 5890 they mention?
There is no 5890, and yes how ATi label their models is kinda confusing but it goes to this order 5770, 5870, 5970 and replace the 70 with a 50 for the 2nd tier of that group.
Sorry for double post but there is no 5950 lol.....
Lack of research alert. You listed a $200 card for $150. I mean seriously, did you need to create all those new categories so you can squeze in a nVidia. Since nVidia still hasn't dropped prices its only logical in 1 price segment, $100~$130.
Good Article, but I have two comments:
1- Shouldn't you switch the GT 240 GDDR5 and DDR3 positions in the list?
2- Why do you consider the GTX 280 to be of the same level of HD 5850 (in the list), isn't the 5850 significantly faster?
Yeah HD5970 is at the TOP of the graphics card hierarchy chart and GTX 295 bumped into the second tier sobbing.
I fail to see how a non-DX11 card ties with a DX11 card. If the two offer similar performance at a similar price point, but one offers more future-proofing, then there is a clear winner.
It gets a little confusing with so many categories.
Lack of research alert. You listed a $200 card for $150. I mean seriously, did you need to create all those new categories so you can squeze in a nVidia. Since nVidia still hasn't dropped prices its only logical in 1 price segment, $100~$130.
"Like many cards, the GeForce GTX 260 is becoming very hard to find, and may soon be end-of-life'd"
The prices have changed heavily since the article was written. Presumably someone who bothers to read articles like this knows enough not to pay $200 for a GTX260 anyway. Agree that Nvidia needs to drop prices, but it needs to be added that the 295 is still very competitive.
error with the 4670, 1000(4000) effective? it's gddr3 not 5
There really isn't much to see here. HD 5000 are fast but they are so scarce that their impact on the mainstream gamers is small.
This watch artificially pushes geforces to every random price point. 9600GT @ $85, GTS250 @ $110, GTX295 @ $465. What is this best card for $123.45 logic? Why not mention e.g. HD4870x2 ~$429?
Thanks again for the article. I always check it out each month, even if I won't be in the market to purchase.
It's amazing to me that even though it has been awhile, the 8800GT/9800GT and the GTS 250 (rebadged 8800GTS/9800GTX, etc) still make the chart and do OK.
I guess it's not quite time to upgrade (still playing OK).
Thanks again for the article.
The bias from Tom's favouring Nvidia is more clear with each passing day... How I miss Tom's from the old days...
Good Article, but I have two comments:1- Shouldn't you switch the GT 240 GDDR5 and DDR3 positions in the list?2- Why do you consider the GTX 280 to be of the same level of HD 5850 (in the list), isn't the 5850 significantly faster?
HD5850 IS faster than GTX285 no matter how they put it. Well, if they bench Last Remnant, Last Remnant and Last Remnant, then perhaps not.
4890 is currently the top dog for conscious gamers under $200, no point discussing here a fact already proven on tomshardware article a few days ago. I currently own a 3870, 9800Gtx+, gtx 260 core 216, gtx 275, 4890 and a gtx 295(yes, I'm a freaking maniac) and just realized how overpriced the gtx 200 series are with the sole expection of the fantastic and unique for its price/performance ratio: gtx 295. If you don't have an Icore 7 you are wasting your money on gtx 200 series cards(Including the amazing gtx 295), simply because nvidia cards don't scale properly on heavy games as farcry 2 and crysis warhead(with very high settings) . I was checking prices today at newegg trying to find 4870x2 and saw a EVGA OC gtx 275 for a ridiculous price of $349. 4890 and gtx 275 are basically on same league and just got my 4890 for $169(on sale), why we need to spend almost double or at least $100 more on a video card which perform identical to 4890. people need to start reading and checking specs on real games with real configuration based on their current CPU/GPU combination to get the most of it. Currently nvidia gtx260,gtx 275 and gtx 285 are a rip off for customers.