4870 or 260 ?

[Pain|Killer]

Which one to choose between Radeon HD 4870 or GeForce GTX 260?

[Ozzfest05]

4870 due to price unless you have more money go 55nm gtx 260

[moiraesfate]

The 260 is better. You can overlock it and get a 280. All tests say it even beats out the 280. But you'll have to deal with the price.

[newls1]

The 260 is better. You can overlock it and get a 280. All tests say it even beats out the 280. But you'll have to deal with the price.

I voted for the GTX260 aswell (216 version of course) However, im sure I agree with you on the comment, "OC the 260 and get 280 performance." I cant see that happening. Yes, GTX260 Can OC to 280 speeds no biggie, but the 280 has the 512bit bus, and 240sp

[[XC] Hicks121]

The 260 is fast fast fast!! I just got one.

[Caveman787]

The gtx260 can overclock higher than the gtx280 can.

He doesn't mean to just overclock it to the same clocks as the gtx280 because then it'd still lose by a little atleast. He meant towards the max stock air overclock which is somewhere around 730+ core/ 1450+ shaders/2200+ memory

I don't think the slightly larger bus makes to much a difference in performance.

How come everyones on the gtx260 bandwagon now? The 4870 performs just as good as the gtx260 and for a cheaper price.

[aztec]

How come everyones on the gtx260 bandwagon now? The 4870 performs just as good as the gtx260 and for a cheaper price.

Because they've bought the hype once again, as usual.

Here's a review that's tested both since Cat. 8.12's. IOW, the 4870 & 260 are about as equal as you're gonna get. General conclusion is:

...From the performance aspect, ATI made some nice improvements with their 8.12 driver, and they're reflected here. Although the HD 4870 1GB didn't manage to overtake NVIDIA in every test, they did catch up in some, and even overtook in a couple. Those couple being Crysis Warhead and Fallout 3. We also saw some great performance in non-holiday titles as well, which included S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky and Unreal Tournament III. In fact, we found that ATI performed better on all the non-holiday titles used here.

To fine-tune our results a little bit more, let's take our highest-available resolution for each game, 2560x1600. This resolution is the most intensive available right now, and as a result, it's a good one to see where one GPU excels over another. If we take a look at performance data at that resolution for each game (1920x1200 for Dead Space), we see that ATI performed the best in four titles (Crysis Warhead, Fallout 3, Clear Sky and UT III), while NVIDIA lead the other four (Call of Duty: WaW, Dead Space, Far Cry 2 and Left 4 Dead). From that standpoint, the cards appear to be almost identical, each having their own set of games in which they excel....

So I'd say pick the one that works best with the games you play most, and quit worrying about it.

[lochabar]

I voted GTX260-216. Mine is clocked at 720/1520/1230. I have run every performance heavy game out there at the highest settings possible in each case and this card has never blinked. The GPU has never even passed 49C for temp, no matter what I throw at it.

[moiraesfate]

The gtx260 can overclock higher than the gtx280 can.

He doesn't mean to just overclock it to the same clocks as the gtx280 because then it'd still lose by a little atleast. He meant towards the max stock air overclock which is somewhere around 730+ core/ 1450+ shaders/2200+ memory

I don't think the slightly larger bus makes to much a difference in performance.

How come everyones on the gtx260 bandwagon now? The 4870 performs just as good as the gtx260 and for a cheaper price.

Yes exactly what I meant. Thanks.

psst... I'm a girl. Its Moirae (the three greek fates), not Murry. Though that seems to be a common mistake

[Penny]

However, im sure I agree with you on the comment, "OC the 260 and get 280 performance." I cant see that happening. Yes, GTX260 Can OC to 280 speeds no biggie, but the 280 has the 512bit bus, and 240sp

Actually any 260 that can hit 700+mhz on the core and 1500+mhz on the shaders will outperform a stock 280 regardless of the slightly bigger bus and extra shaders.

There used to be a ton of game benchmarks around from anandtech, guru3d, firingsquad.com that would back this up too comparing the value of an overclocked 260 to a 280.

My 192shader 260 runs at 760core 1534shader and 2500mem 24/7 gaming use with the stock cooler, thats a good bit faster than a 280 and it would actually take a slightly overclocked 280 to be able to keep up with it.

[Penny]

How come everyones on the gtx260 bandwagon now? The 4870 performs just as good as the gtx260 and for a cheaper price.

The 260 wins the majority of game benchmarks but both are good cards. Plus with Nvidia you get very solid drivers these days, the same cant be said about ati.

[Penny]

Because they've bought the hype once again, as usual.

It isnt hype, its a fact. I have owned both a HD 4870 and a GTX 260 so I speak from experience and once both are overclocked the 260 leaves the 4870 in the dust. The 4870 does not really overclock all that well and gains very little from the OC, the 260 on the other hand overclocks like mad and scales very well in making performance gains from its overclock.

Bottom line once both are overclocked the HD 4870 cant hang.

[zanzabar]

The 260 wins the majority of game benchmarks but both are good cards. Plus with Nvidia you get very solid drivers these days, the same cant be said about ati.

were do u get that if u properly install at drivers u get perfect drivers for the most part and u dont get stuck on one beta for new games and one for older ones, and its not polite to triple post when u can edit

also, the 4870 will last longer since ati updates drivers for optimization affter the card isnt the top card, were NV will leave u and your g200 when the new 3xx are out in 8 months.

then u have to consider what games u have and if u like video playback more and IQ or the most fps, and if u want to play dx9 (NV) and dx10 overlays or dx10.x and ogl (ati). so if its a quick upgrade path then the 260 but if u keep it then the 4870 for gaming or if u do workstation or videos then ati

[Caveman787]

The 4870 can overclock to 850 core/ 4800 memory. The first few mhz on the core to 800 I agree doesn't make a massive difference but when you get to 830+ it gets a big boost from higher shader ratio I believe.

Last I knew they were pretty even in all benchmarks a few go one way or another but overall there right there with each other.

Crysis should be ignored essentially and some early benches were drivers weren't available for new games or the review used old drivers for 1 card and brand new 1's for the other. That seemed to happen in some unfair reviews. Crysis because it was so very pro nvidia before that ati card performance was crippled then it balanced out and I think it went back to ati doing crappy in that game for some reason.

[Penny]

were do u get that if u properly install at drivers u get perfect drivers for the most part

Where did I say anything about properly installing drivers? and what does that have to do with the fact that Nvidias drivers are leagues ahead of ATI's?

also, the 4870 will last longer since ati updates drivers for optimization affter the card isnt the top card

Uh no, you have it backwards. When the 4870 and the 260 were first released it was ATI who was winning, Nvidia optimized their drivers and as an end result the 260 is now the faster card.

were NV will leave u and your g200 when the new 3xx are out in 8 months.

ROTFCOPTER That doesnt mean that the GTX 260 stops getting support, you do realize that the 8800GTX which has been out for over 2yrs now is still being supported by Nvidia do you not?

And do you honestly think ATI will not be releasing new cards either?

[Penny]

The 4870 can overclock to 850 core/ 4800 memory. The first few mhz on the core to 800 I agree doesn't make a massive difference but when you get to 830+ it gets a big boost from higher shader ratio I believe.

Mine ran at 850core stable but it really didnt make the kind of difference that the GTX 260 makes with its overclock.

[Talonman]

260

[zanzabar]

NV cut the IQ with the 180, and added quad support ati adds quad support with this months driver. u or i cant say that one is better they each have different things that they are better at

and i said driver optimization, sure they will make it not crash but the highly optimized drivers go away


also if u care for dx9 with dx10 overlays go NV if u want it to last or do things other than 3d gaming go with the ati

[Glow9]

Any 4870 xfire vs. 260 SLI reviews? This might help in deciding too

[Penny]

NV cut the IQ with the 180

You need to stop spreading fud Nvidia did not cut IQ with the 180 drivers.

Seems like most of what you say is stuff that you completely make up on your own.

[Ket]

*sniff sniff* I smell a "my nVidia penis is better than your ATi penis" thread in the making.

[SNiiPE_DoGG]

Nvidia did not cut IQ with the 180 drivers.

I'll play you game here man: prove to me they didn't cut IQ and I will believe you....

there is no "fact" in this drivers argument so leave it to die please, both drivers have issues for some; but for the vast majority in both camps both companies drivers work perfectly fine and dandy.

[Penny]

I'll play you game here man: prove to me they didn't cut IQ and I will believe you....

I dont have to prove anything to realize that he is spreading fud. If he is gonna post such fud then it is he that should be prepared to back it up, not I.

[SNiiPE_DoGG]

I dont have to prove anything to realize that he is spreading fud. If he is gonna post such fud then it is he that should be prepared to back it up, not I.

no, you have no way to say nvidia didn't cut IQ so how can you say this?

You are not an nvidia software engineer and neither is Zanzabar so neither of you can validly argue this point to the affirmative or the negative.

lets keep these discussions to performance numbers alone, and those numbers tell me that the 260-216-55nm beats a 4870 1gb by 4% on average, with wins and losses on both sides and extremely similar power consumption.

the cards are the same: pick the cheaper one (currently the HIS 48701gb on newegg)

[zanzabar]

i cant afford to have a bunch of cards but i would do a review if i had them, there was one review with SS in the news section i cant find it, im looking though