GTX 260 or ATI 4870?

[YukonTrooper]

No, it won't.

Your computer really needs that new video card. Your Q9550 is lonely and disappointed in the 7600GT's performance.

[texasreefer]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130433

so then this would be a good card for me to get in the near future?
its not the 1gb but 896mb. is the 104mb's less gonna make that much difference?

Thats a good card, no doubt, and considering you're using a 7600 right now. You would definietly feel the power of that 260. The big problem I see is that you are using a crossfire board, and you can't upgrade later to SLI.

[cincyrob]

No, it won't.

Your computer really needs that new video card. Your Q9550 is lonely and disappointed in the 7600GT's performance.

thats funny..lol ive heard that so many times..lol

Thats a good card, no doubt, and considering you're using a 7600 right now. You would definietly feel the power of that 260. The big problem I see is that you are using a crossfire board, and you can't upgrade later to SLI.

crossfire/SLI not really my thing either or. im not really a gamer so i seriously doubt i would ever use either of those.

should i stay with a Nvida card seeing thats what chipset my board is? or is ATI ok to use on this board??? like i said im no gamer. i do encodeing,transcoding and such. but i do loveto play COD4/5

[texasreefer]

YEah...your board is P45 chipset. It was the new revision to x38,x48 chipsets, which all three are Crossfire series NBs. So to answer your question, you have an ATI board.

That was my only reasoning for mentioning SLI. Your board cannot do SLI, however it can do Crossfire. I'll tell you the first crossfire system I ever had was with some old HD3870 cards. That was the most efficient gpu system I had run. I would say the same for a couple 4870s, but I noticed that those things are LOud. Thats my only complaint.

As i said previously, there are some 4870s that have quiet coolers (e.g. Powercolor makes one), and also Zalman makes a aftermarket cooler that snaps on as easily as changing out a CPU cooler. Just slap some Artic Silver on the GPU, and some non-conductive thermal paste on the RAM (which is all in the manual) and your good to go.

One Poewrcolor HD4870 would be good enough for you, and if you wanted you could buy a second and CroSSSFIRE.

[Smartidiot89]

Really you can't go wrong with either. Yeah I claim they are even steven and it totally depends on what games you prefer to play.

Buuuuut, as an AMD fanboy HD4870! And Crossfire that baby later when you want to... make sure you buy the 1GB version.

[Kumakichi]

Cheaper is nice. I didn't see any mention of quieter either but the Asus 4870 that I've been running is extremely quiet. My old radeon screamed like a banshee all the time. My ears are happier now.

Yukon your current avatar is nice but I miss the old stampeeders one.

[Glow9]

If you do go for the 4870 make sure it's a 1gb version. I didn't see if anyone mentioned that.
Either way though they are priced very well but you can pick up a 4890 sometimes for as much as one of them. Just food for thought.

[perkam]

You linked a $189 GTX 260. Spend $10 more and get this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814150359

Perkam

[ToTTenTranz]

You linked a $189 GTX 260. Spend $10 more and get this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814150359

Perkam

+1

That would do leaps around the GTX260 core 216.

Unless you're into GPU video encoding... then a nVidia card should be better.. for the moment.

[texasreefer]

yeah, i would have to approve, although that is the exact 'blower style'' that led me to water cool. I would recommend the Zalman VF1000 aftermarket cooler. Here is the link to that discussion xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=229499

[teeffaa]

i was in the same boat before you and i ended up getting the Gigabyte 4870 1g with Zalman cooler and its really great one , so i advise u to get the cheaper one

[zanzabar]

+1

That would do leaps around the GTX260 core 216.

Unless you're into GPU video encoding... then a nVidia card should be better.. for the moment.

actually amd is catching up (if not ahead) now that people code for the UVD2

http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid...e=expert&pid=1

they came to the conclusion that the NV card was better IQ but its subjective and i tend to like the softer images and they dont show the original so we cant tell who is closer but they are both vary good with the new software. (they all looked the same to me except for the eyes in the 1st one)


i love my 4890 its so nice and its rather quiet (it stays under 2600rpm), and its a noticeable noise drop over the 3870 and thats about the same as the duel slot NV coolers

[B.E.E.F.]

actually amd is catching up (if not ahead) now that people code for the UVD2

http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid...e=expert&pid=1

Riiiiight. I'll hold my breath for that one. ATi is good at making hardware and decent drivers. As far as software, forget about it.

they came to the conclusion that the NV card was better IQ but its subjective and i tend to like the softer images and they dont show the original so we cant tell who is closer but they are both vary good with the new software. (they all looked the same to me except for the eyes in the 1st one)

The ATi version looks like . Why? Because its done FAST, on the CPU. Avivo encoder doesn't actually use the GPU to encode. There was a patch awhile ago for it to enable it on any hardware since its working on the CPU only. That's why it looks smeared and blocky. The nVidia version actually encodes it properly on the GPU. With bugs mind you because its still new software.

[zanzabar]

so media show and power director (a power dvd tool) dont work, the AVIVO converter is garbage but there is the whole UVD2 and that is a great tool with a proper program

take a look at the samples
http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid...e=expert&pid=7

they all look fine and i know that the powerdvd director works and its faster with a gpu

[texasreefer]

So what is everyone using for DVD/Bluray/videoplayback... In general I use Arcsofts Total Media Theatre, but only because it was much cheaper that PowerDVD. Happy with it though, any thoughts.