which one is better?

xirokx · 4 Aug 2009 at 11:53

surely this:-

Gainward GeForce GTX 260 Golden Sample 1792MB GDDR3 PCI-Express Graphics Card

is better then this:-

Asus GeForce GTX 260 TOP 896MB GDDR3 PCI-Express Graphics Card

or am i making a horrible mistake?

The specs of the 1792mb barr memory are showing its actually slower then the 896mb? therefore the 896mb must be better?

Please clarify...

thanks

kylew · 4 Aug 2009 at 12:05

Better then? Or do you mean than?

Save yourself a bit of money and buy a 1GB 4870, it's faster and cheaper.

If the Gainward one has fast clock speeds, it'll be the faster card until it runs out of memory, then the Asus TOP will pull ahead.

xirokx · 4 Aug 2009 at 12:12

sorry yes I meant between the two?

the gainward has slower clock speeds compared to the asus top so i wanted to find out if the asus top was faster despite the gainward having more memory?

antran · 4 Aug 2009 at 12:18

just get the gainward, only if you play at high resolution then the extra memory is a plus.

Speed · 4 Aug 2009 at 12:22

You can get a 1GB XFX HD 4890 for £130 elsewhere, I'd go with that tbh. Paying £130-150 for a GTX260 seems a bit silly with that in mind.

xirokx · 4 Aug 2009 at 12:37

wow!!! that 4890 is fast...

am i reading the specs of the 4890 correctly that is blows away both the 260 and 275?

if yes, what it is equivlant to that nvidia have?

also, I previously had a 4870 512mb that kept overheating and had to be sent back so I am a bit paranoid with ati cataylst drivers being unstable....

please continue to advise...

Speed · 4 Aug 2009 at 12:41

Well the best thing to do is to read some reviews, most of them compare the 4890 to nVidia cards like the 260, 275 etc. Just google "XFX 4890 Review" and you should get a load. I would link to some bit OcUK don't really like some of the better review sites due to their advertisements for other retailers on them.

Best thing to do really as certain cards will be better for certain games, is to compare them on the games you currently play and the ones you plan on playing.

kylew · 4 Aug 2009 at 12:45

xirokx said:
wow!!! that 4890 is fast...

am i reading the specs of the 4890 correctly that is blows away both the 260 and 275?

if yes, what it is equivlant to that nvidia have?

also, I previously had a 4870 512mb that kept overheating and had to be sent back so I am a bit paranoid with ati cataylst drivers being unstable....

please continue to advise...

Such incidents aren't restricted to the brand of the card. Early GTX280s were bad for overheating.

Look at this thread: 295 Poor performance

The OP in that thread used to be a terrible nVIdia fanboy, talking crap about ATi instabilities and what not.

The equivalent to a HD 4890 is a GTX275/GTX285, but in my opinion nVidia can't compete on price versus performance at the moment.

kylew · 4 Aug 2009 at 12:46

Speed said:
Well the best thing to do is to read some reviews, most of them compare the 4890 to nVidia cards like the 260, 275 etc. Just google "XFX 4890 Review" and you should get a load. I would link to some bit OcUK don't really like some of the better review sites due to their advertisements for other retailers on them.

Best thing to do really as certain cards will be better for certain games, is to compare them on the games you currently play and the ones you plan on playing.

A GTX260 doesn't compare, a 4870 1GB is faster than a GTX260, an HD4890 is quite a bit faster than a GTX260.

Speed · 4 Aug 2009 at 12:47

kylew said:
Such incidents aren't restricted to the brand of the card. Early GTX280s were bad for overheating.

Look at this thread: 295 Poor performance

The OP in that thread used to be a terrible nVIdia fanboy, talking crap about ATi instabilities and what not.

The equivalent to a HD 4890 is a GTX275/GTX285, but in my opinion nVidia can't compete on price versus performance at the moment.

Funny enough that link of yours doesn't work.

I've actually had some bad experiences with an early 4890, but would still recommend it at this price. That being said I still prefer nVidia drivers.

xirokx · 4 Aug 2009 at 12:50

whats pixel fill rate and is it vital to have the higher the better etc?

same with the shader clock? is higher the better

i appreciate the higher the better rule applies to a lot of things but is it something my eye will notice or will i need to have 20 / 20 vision to notice it?

so the 4890 is on parr with the 275/280 and better because its more value more money even though the 275/280 will outshine it with the majority of games on max settings and a higher res for which you pay £150- 200 more...

am paranoid about the drivers though

with the 4890 how do I know if there are loads of issues with it?

P.S. the 4890 does support tv out doesnt it I use that a lot

Just wanted to be sure as my previous 4870 didnt...

Speed · 4 Aug 2009 at 12:50

kylew said:
A GTX260 doesn't compare, a 4870 1GB is faster than a GTX260, an HD4890 is quite a bit faster than a GTX260.

Hence why I recommended a 4890. If you read what I wrote, I never said that the GTX260 compairs performance wise to a 4890, I said reviews of the 4890 usually compair it with the GTX260 (which the OP'er is currently looking at) as well as other models like the GTX275.

Speed · 4 Aug 2009 at 12:51

xirokx said:
whats pixel fill rate and is it vital to have the higher the better etc?

Higher is better yes, but I'd read some reviews and compair the real world performance in the games you play. Specs like this tbh mean very little.

kylew · 4 Aug 2009 at 12:52

Speed said:
Funny enough that link of yours doesn't work.

I've actually had some bad experiences with an early 4890, but would still recommend it at this price. That being said I still prefer nVidia drivers.

Oops, I've fixed that now.

As for drivers, I've never understood this. Driver preference should be at the bottom of the list of requirements when it comes to buying a graphics card, same as PhysX.

If you're talking about driver stability, then it's down to bad luck because I've used almost every ATi driver since the 9800pro and I've never had any major issues with them.

Not that I'm saying my experience is more valid than yours, I'm just highlighting that people all have different experiences and that driver preference is just bizarre.

Speed · 4 Aug 2009 at 12:56

kylew said:
Oops, I've fixed that now.

As for drivers, I've never understood this. Driver preference should be at the bottom of the list of requirements when it comes to buying a graphics card, same as PhysX.

If you're talking about driver stability, then it's down to bad luck because I've used almost every ATi driver since the 9800pro and I've never had any major issues with them.

Not that I'm saying my experience is more valid than yours, I'm just highlighting that people all have different experiences and that driver preference is just bizarre.

I agree, but I had no end of problems installing the older Catalyst drivers for the 4890, so things like that can put you off them. I've also had problems in the past, cira 9700 Pro and 9800 Pro. I'm certainally not saying I wouldn't try another AMD/ATi card, I'm just saying it makes me think a bit more about the card choice. It is like you say just luck how they install with the users particular setup of software, hardware and current drivers.

kylew · 4 Aug 2009 at 12:58

Speed said:
I agree, but I had no end of problems installing the older Catalyst drivers for the 4890, so things like that can put you off them. I've also had problems in the past, cira 9700 Pro and 9800 Pro. I'm certainally not saying I wouldn't try another AMD/ATi card, I'm just saying it makes me think a bit more about the card choice. It is like you say just luck how they install with the users particular setup of software, hardware and current drivers.

With that though, such situations wouldn't put me off a particular brand of hardware because I know that stuff like that just happens sometimes.

I'd just get over it and re-install windows. It takes me like an hour to re-install and get it back to how I like it anyway.

xirokx · 4 Aug 2009 at 13:00

i am slowly edging towards the 4890 the performance looks fab and is true value for money...just wish OCUK would lower their price or go with price match

Speed · 4 Aug 2009 at 13:01

xirokx said:
whats pixel fill rate and is it vital to have the higher the better etc?

same with the shader clock? is higher the better

i appreciate the higher the better rule applies to a lot of things but is it something my eye will notice or will i need to have 20 / 20 vision to notice it?

so the 4890 is on parr with the 275/280 and better because its more value more money even though the 275/280 will outshine it with the majority of games on max settings and a higher res for which you pay £150- 200 more...

am paranoid about the drivers though with the 4890 how do I know if there are loads of issues with it?

There are issues with every card and driver, I'd just get the card that has the most "bang for buck" for the games you play. Just do a fresh install of windows before switching card, or at the very least driver cleaner in safemode, that will likely clear up most issues when moving from nVidia to ATi/AMD drivers.

I personally would never base a purchasing decision on what people say on forums. There are far too many fanboys to get reliable info, do some research yourself, read reviews, make an informed decision. We are of course trying to help, but at the end of the day, it is your money and your decision. Don't let people talk you into anything, there are plenty of great reviews with good info out there which will help you make your own decision.

xirokx · 4 Aug 2009 at 13:05

thanks guys really appreciate the advise..

speed had you not have mentioned the "deal" i wouldnt of known so in that respect forums can be helpful and sure the rest is up to the individual researching the component they wish to purchase.In this case having done so I believe the 4890 is the card for me due to a) performance and b) price especially when compared to other cards on the market in terms of the games I play and the res I play them at. So thank you for pointing me in the right direction..

To the rest of you thanks for your support and advise

You all rock

Speed · 4 Aug 2009 at 13:06

xirokx said:
thanks guys really appreciate the advise..

speed had you not have mentioned the "deal" i wouldnt of known so in that respect forums can be helpful and sure the rest is up to the individual researching the component they wish to purchase.In this case having done so I believe the 4890 is the card for me due to a) performance and b) price especially when compared to other cards on the market in terms of the games I play and the res I play them at. So thank you for pointing me in the right direction..

To the rest of you thanks for your support and advise

You all rock

No worries, happy to help. Yeah that is true re: the price.