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Best PCIe Card For ~$455: Tie
Good 1920x1200 performance, 2560x1600 in most titles with some lowered detail
Two Radeon HD 4890 cards in CrossFire Configuration (Check Prices)
| 2 x Radeon HD 4890 in CrossFire Configuration | |
|---|---|
| Codename: | 2 x RV770 |
| Process: | 55 nm |
| Universal Shaders: | 1,600 (2 x 800) |
| Texture Units: | 80 (2 x 40) |
| ROPs: | 32 (2 x 16) |
| Memory Bus: | 256-bit |
| Core Speed MHz: | 850 |
| Memory Speed MHz: | 975 (3,900 effective) |
| DirectX/Shader Model: | DX 10.1/SM 4.1 |
Two Radeon HD 4890 cards should, on average, perform on par or better than a single GeForce GTX 295 (and the Radeons cost $80 less). If you have a CrossFire motherboard and want some serious high-resolution performance, this is the way to go, and the graphics cards will cost about $440, or $30 less than a pair of GeForce GTX 275 cards.
Two GeForce GTX 275 cards in SLI configuration (Check Prices)
| 2 x GeForce GTX 275 in SLI Configuration | |
|---|---|
| Codename: | 2 x GT200b |
| Process: | 55 nm |
| Universal Shaders: | 480 (2 x 240) |
| Texture Units: | 160 (2 x 80) |
| ROPs: | 56 (2 x 28) |
| Memory Bus: | 448-bit |
| Core Speed MHz: | 633 |
| Memory Speed MHz: | 1,134 (2,268 effective) |
| DirectX/Shader Model: | DX 10/SM 4.0 |
Two GeForce GTX 275 cards will cost you a few bucks more than a couple of Radeon HD 4890s, but if you have an SLI-only motherboard, it doesn't matter that much, does it? Two GeForce GTX 275s in SLI will deliver performance superior to the GeForce GTX 295 for about $370, which is $50 less than the SLI-on-a-card GeForce GTX 295.
Best PCIe Card For ~$520: None
Honorable Mention: GeForce GTX 295 (Check Prices)
Exceptional 1920x1200 performance in most games, 2560x1600 in most titles (some with lowered detail)
| GeForce GTX 295 | |
|---|---|
| Codename: | 2 x GT200b |
| Process: | 55 nm |
| Universal Shaders: | 480 (2 x 240) |
| Texture Units: | 160 (2 x 80) |
| ROPs: | 56 (2 x 28) |
| Memory Bus: | 448-bit |
| Core Speed MHz: | 576 |
| Memory Speed MHz: | 999 (1,998 effective) |
| DirectX/Shader Model: | DX 10/SM 4.0 |
Nvidia's GeForce GTX 295 with SLI-on-a-card is the most powerful single graphics card on the planet. With two attached GeForce GTX 275 cards that have been merged, the GeForce GTX 295 offers very notable gains over the Radeon HD 4870 X2 in the great majority of game titles. Even more impressive is that it does so while consuming less power than ATI's flagship card, which is no small feat.
This is the fastest single graphics card you can get. To get more performance, you'd have to look to extreme solutions such as multiple GeForce GTX 285s in SLI or Radeon HD 4870 X2s in CrossFire, but unless you have a 30" monitor, that would likely be a gratuitous waste of money.
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Oops!
Copy paste error @ Radeon HD 4850 1 GB.
In "Mención HonorÃfica: 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.