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Best PCI Express (PCIe) Card For ~$50: Tie
Good 1680x1050 performance in most games
Radeon HD 4650 DDR3 (Check Prices)
| Radeon HD 4650 DDR3 | |
|---|---|
| Codename: | RV730 |
| Process: | 55 nm |
| Universal Shaders: | 320 |
| Texture Units: | 32 |
| ROPs: | 16 |
| Memory Bus: | 128-bit |
| Core Speed MHz: | 600 |
| Memory Speed MHz: | 700 (1,400 effective) |
| DirectX/Shader Model: | DX 10.1/SM 4.1 |
We've seen some DDR3-equipped Radeon HD 4650 cards approaching the $50 price point, and this makes for a card that packs a lot more punch than its DDR2-equipped cousins do. Overclocking this card might bring it surprisingly close to Radeon HD 4670 performance, so it's an especially good value for tweakers.
Check the lowest price we could find on a Radeon HD 4650 DDR3
GeForce 9500 GT DDR3 (Check Prices)
| GeForce 9500 GT DDR3 | |
|---|---|
| Codename: | G96 |
| Process: | 65 nm |
| Universal Shaders: | 32 |
| Texture Units: | 16 |
| ROPs: | 8 |
| Memory Bus: | 128-bit |
| Core Speed MHz: | 550 |
| Memory Speed MHz: | 800 (1,600 effective) |
| DirectX/Shader Model: | DX 10/SM 4 |
There are also GeForce 9500 GTs available around the $50 price point that are equipped with DDR3 memory. Just be sure to stay away from the DDR2 versions of the 9500 GT, as the slower memory affects performance negatively with this card.
Check the lowest price we could find on a GeForce 9500 GT DDR3
Best PCIe Card For ~$70: Tie
Good 1680x1050 performance in most games
Radeon HD 4670 (Check Prices)
| Radeon HD 4670 | |
|---|---|
| Codename: | RV730 |
| Process: | 55 nm |
| Universal Shaders: | 320 |
| Texture Units: | 32 |
| ROPs: | 16 |
| Memory Bus: | 128-bit |
| Core Speed MHz: | 750 |
| Memory Speed MHz: | 1,000 (2,000 effective) |
| DirectX/Shader Model: | DX 10.1/SM 4.1 |
The Radeon HD 4670 is superior to slightly cheaper cards like the GeForce 9500 GT and Radeon HD 4650 because its complex architecture and fast DDR3 memory allow it to deliver remarkable performance at this low price. The Radeon HD 4670 is also notable because it's the only card in our recommended list that doesn't require an auxiliary power connector.
GeForce 9600 GSO (Check Prices)
| GeForce 9600 GSO | |
|---|---|
| Codename: | G92 |
| Process: | 65 nm |
| Universal Shaders: | 96 |
| Texture Units: | 48 |
| ROPs: | 12 |
| Memory Bus: | 192-bit or 128-bit |
| Core Speed MHz: | 600 |
| Memory Speed MHz: | 900 (1,800 effective) |
| DirectX/Shader Model: | DX 10/SM 4.0 |
The 9600 GSO remains competitive with the Radeon 4670 at the same price point. It uses a bit more power than the Radeon 4670, which doesn't require a PCIe power connector, but performance is right on par.
Check the lowest price we could find on a GeForce 9600 GSO
Best PCIe Card For ~$105: Radeon HD 4850 512 MB (Check Prices)
Good 1920x1200 performance in most games
| Radeon HD 4850 512 MB | |
|---|---|
| Codename: | RV770 |
| Process: | 55 nm |
| Universal Shaders: | 800 |
| Texture Units: | 40 |
| ROPs: | 16 |
| Memory Bus: | 256-bit |
| Core Speed MHz: | 625 |
| Memory Speed MHz: | 993 (1,986 effective) |
| DirectX/Shader Model: | DX 10.1/SM 4.1 |
With Radeon HD 4850 512 MB prices dropping to a surprising $105, this card easily takes the price/performance crown from the previous $100 card (which is snaking its way up to $119 due to availability issues), the Radeon HD 4770. With generally-better performance compared to the Radeon HD 4770 and equal performance with the more expensive GeForce GTS 250, the pressure is on Nvidia to drop prices in order to compete.
Of course, we're wondering how e-tailers feel about hacking down the prices on 4850 in response to 4770, only to see 4770 inventory levels evaporate. Ouch.
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- geforce 9500 gt vs 9600 gso
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Oops!
Copy paste error @ Radeon HD 4850 1 GB.
In "Mención Honorífica: Radeon HD 4870 X2, in the pic is the 4850 x2" xD
Thx for review!
It is really annoying to have the "see more products" table before the previous page/article index/next page selection. Its like you are trying to trick people into clicking on them. shady.
Also just a fyi, for best cards for $455 you state it is 2 4890's in crossfire, but your table directly underneath says 4850 X2 2 GB.
Even better and clearer than before. Keep up the good work!
If you were able to purchase 2 4770s, which you still recommend the now cheaper 4850s? Even with 1GB per card, they still seem to lose to 2 * 4770s
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/v [...] firex.html
Seems like you getting a bad deal paying an extra 2 * $30 for 4850s that consume more power and perform similarly.
If you were able to purchase 2 4770s, which you still recommend the now cheaper 4850s? Even with 1GB per card, they still seem to lose to 2 * 4770s http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/v [...] firex.htmlSeems like you getting a bad deal paying an extra 2 * $30 for 4850s that consume more power and perform similarly.
Feel free to check out this one, as well: http://www.tomshardware.com/review [...] ,2288.html
If you already bought the 4770s, then you got a great deal--probably in the neighborhood of $99 apiece. Unfortunately, they've since gone up in price to reflect current supply.
This month's recommendations reflect the current state of the market, where you have to take into account few, if any, 4770s available for purchase and a load of 4850s that were beaten down in price as a result of the 4770s and actually *are* available. =)
I swear I've read that article before. A little copy here and a little paste there. That said when not much changes, there's not much point in changing a good article.
Thanks for the Updates, though these prices don't tally to prices in India.
I don't see how there can be a "tie" between 4650ddr3 and 9500gt.4650ddr3 is quite a bit faster than 95gt.
So since 4850 has replaced 4770 I've got to ask - do versions of this card exist, that clock down in 2d mode like the 4770? or are all of those 'better' cards 4 times as hungry in idle mode?
yay my GTX 275 SLI made the list finally. You don't have to tell me about falling 4850 prices, it's killing me because I got a pair I am selling now. Bought for 160 each, 30 MIR each, trying to sell for 85 each!
Its a sad reason, but I am pretty much upgrading because:
1) I can
2) I play Crysis a lot and need more than 4850 CF
3) I play Crysis a lot on a 24" monitor
Have to enjoy being a kid as long as I can
Nice article as usual. I wish I live in the states! If only you guys know the prices here..:sigh:
"We acknowledge that recommendations for multiple video cards, such as two Radeon cards in CrossFire mode or two GeForce cards in SLI mode, typically require a motherboard that supports CrossFire or SLI and a case with more space to install multiple graphics cards. They also require a beefier power supply compared to what a single card requires and will likely produce more heat than a single card."
If you acknowledge it, how can you continue to recommend 2 cards when there are so many intangibles regarding total cost? Even single-card SLI solutions are not without their issues as well (microstutter, buggy performance and support in some games).
Thanks for adding the alternating colors on the hierarchy charts again! Makes it so much easier to read.
whenever people criticize TH, I just think about how great the video card articles are, and how wrong the critics are. can someone tell me which GeForce cards have an HDMI on them?
can someone tell me which GeForce cards have an HDMI on them?
All of them. Even if they don't have the port, DVI is the same as HDMI, and you can purchase (and most of the time they come with the card) an adapter between the two interfaces.
Nice article. Over time you've seemed to manage to accommodate everyone - fanboys, single pci-e's, and duals. I think these are written well and well thought out.
DVI is the same as HDMI
Well, DVI lacks audio. But they're electrically compatible, both digital and such. Hopefully you know what I mean.
Can't complain, i still have my 8800GT and its working flawlessly. The only thing i hate about it is the fan...very inadequate cooling. Raising the fan speed makes it loud, but i'm used to it now. It plays everything from Cysis, GTA4, Assassins Creed and tons more perfectly ^_^
This list is about price/performance tiers. To that end, you neel to include ALL the costs. The sli/cf solutions initially look good because they do not include all the costs. I would suggest that those entries be adjusted by the extra costs associated with dual cards:
1)PSU upgrade $30.
2)mobo with dual pci-e slots/sli license. $20.
3)increased case cooling $20.
------total about $70.