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Best PCIe Card: $130 To $180

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2:00 AM - 06/10/2009 by Don Woligroski

Best PCIe Card For ~$130: Radeon HD 4850 1GB (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

For $25 more than the 512 MB version, you can get a Radeon HD 4850 1 GB, which is still $20 less than the 1 GB version of the GeForce GTS 250. For those who can afford it, the extra memory may help at certain resolutions and detail settings.


Best PCIe Card For ~$170:  Tie

Good 1920x1200 performance in most games

GeForce GTX 260 (Core 216) (Check Prices)

GeForce GTX 260 (Core 216)
Codename: GT200
Process: 55 nm
Universal Shaders: 216
Texture Units: 72
ROPs: 28
Memory Bus: 448-bit
Core Speed MHz: 576
Memory Speed MHz: 999 (1,998 effective)
DirectX/Shader Model: DX 10/SM 4.0

While these cards might not sport a full 1 GB of RAM, they do offer advantages in titles that run better on the GeForce GT200 architecture. Once again, a little diligence is required on the part of the buyer to find out which card is the best adapted for his or her favorite titles and whether or not the motherboard supports SLI or CrossFire. (Ed.: Check out our recent Radeon HD 4890 review, which has numbers for the 512 MB and 1 GB Radeon HD 4870s, along with the GeForce GTX 260 Core 216).

Note that we are recommending the newer Core 216 version of the GeForce GTX 260 instead of the older version with 192 shader processors, which is now becoming hard to find. Regardless, check the specifications of any card before you purchase.

Check the lowest price we could find on a GeForce GTX 260

Radeon HD 4870 (Check Prices)

Radeon HD 4870
Codename: RV770
Process: 55 nm
Universal Shaders: 800
Texture Units: 40
ROPs: 16
Memory Bus: 256-bit
Core Speed MHz: 750
Memory Speed MHz: 900 (3,600 effective)
DirectX/Shader Model: DX 10.1/SM 4.1

The Radeon HD 4870 keeps pace with its close rival the GeForce GTX 260. For a few dollars less you can purchase the 512 MB version, and for a few dollars more than the GeForce GTX 260, you can find the 1 GB version. Both are solid choices.

Talkback
ColMirage 06/10/2009 8:14 AM
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Oops!

Copy paste error @ Radeon HD 4850 1 GB.

xg4mer 06/10/2009 8:40 AM
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In "Mención Honorífica: Radeon HD 4870 X2, in the pic is the 4850 x2" xD

Thx for review!

Anonymous 06/10/2009 9:58 AM
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Proximon 06/10/2009 10:22 AM
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Even better and clearer than before. Keep up the good work!

t-train 06/10/2009 10:49 AM
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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.

cangelini 06/10/2009 11:30 AM
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t-train :
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. =)

manitoublack 06/10/2009 11:33 AM
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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.

shreeharsha 06/10/2009 12:35 PM
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Anonymous 06/10/2009 1:17 PM
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I don't see how there can be a "tie" between 4650ddr3 and 9500gt.4650ddr3 is quite a bit faster than 95gt.

neiroatopelcc 06/10/2009 1:48 PM
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scook9 06/10/2009 1:59 PM
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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 ;)

avatar_raq 06/10/2009 2:56 PM
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Nice article as usual. I wish I live in the states! If only you guys know the prices here..:sigh:

glawk 06/10/2009 3:38 PM
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"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).

gwolfman 06/10/2009 4:32 PM
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Quote :...as the Radeon HD 4850's competition (the GeForce GTS 250) starts at $150 for both the 512 MB and 1 GB versions, oddly enough.
Really? I just bought a GTS 250 for someone else and it was only $129. No rebate required.

gwolfman 06/10/2009 4:40 PM
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Thanks for adding the alternating colors on the hierarchy charts again! Makes it so much easier to read. :D

duckmanx88 06/10/2009 4:53 PM
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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?

frozenlead 06/10/2009 5:24 PM
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duckmanx88 :
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.

frozenlead 06/10/2009 5:25 PM
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frozenlead :
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.

Kill@dor 06/10/2009 5:38 PM
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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 ^_^

geofelt 06/10/2009 5:44 PM
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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.


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