Upgrading GFX Card....ATi or nVidia?

vodkaphile · 07-01-11, 07:36 PM

Now I have gone back and forth over the years, first favoring 3dfx voodoo cards way back haha, and some others before that but anyway...more modern.

Around 2004 I switched from nVidia based cards to ATi then switched back to nVidia around 2008.

Now it is time for a new GFX card. My PC is a year or so old but It was designed by me to last a long time, i.e. intel quad cores, etc...8gm ram, 10000 RPM SATA HDs, actually an older Audigy 3 or 4 Gamer sound card.

So right now my gfx card is bottlenecking me. GeForce 8600GT OC'd card with 1gb video ram i think.

SORRY FOR THE LONG WINDED POST.

Anyway -

2x SLI nVidia GeForce GTX 590 or AMD Radeon HD 6990 ?

I know it is unfair to compare two cards to one but the 6990 will not run in crossfire mode or whatever ATi calls it as far as I'm aware.

Also the GeForces are a significantly greatest investment due to having to buy two cards as well as a new PSU for me which will also cause more effort on my part.

So you guys decide, hell what about just a single 590 vs 6990?

To me the ATi wins out but I've only seen specs not comparisons or benchmarks.

Arclight · 07-06-11, 08:23 PM

Er if you want multi-GPU stuff go with Ati. Crossfire seems to do better in general.

For single cards I'd say stick with Nvidia but that entirely depends on personal preference and what you play. If you're an avid Falcon 4 fan for example, avoid Nvidia like the plague.

FIREWALL · 07-06-11, 08:43 PM

What do's your mobo support best ?

Matt86 · 07-07-11, 04:27 AM

All depends what resolution your running and what games you play.

Feuer Frei! · 07-07-11, 05:24 AM

There are lots of factors to consider before buying/committing.
Like all things in life.
Firstly, budget.
From this and this alone you will be able to short-list a few cards.
Do your research, consider what you want to use it for, be it gaming, multi-media, or both, check online reviews of temperatures at full load and idle, benchmark reviews, do you want to be future-proof: ie last you for a while?
Is your case big enough? Does it have enough cooling? Does your mobo support the card(s) you have short-listed?
Does your cpu bottleneck the card? Do you have enough RAM?
Ok, i think you get the picture, i have an ATI 6990 in this, my main rig, and a GTX 570 in my 2nd rig.
Obviously not comparable, but no problems with either, drivers, temps, cooling all good.
But you need to ensure all that, not just slap a gpu in and game away.

07-01-11, 07:36 PM	#1
vodkaphile Torpedoman Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Louisiana, USA Posts: 115 Downloads: 64 Uploads: 0	Upgrading GFX Card....ATi or nVidia? Now I have gone back and forth over the years, first favoring 3dfx voodoo cards way back haha, and some others before that but anyway...more modern. Around 2004 I switched from nVidia based cards to ATi then switched back to nVidia around 2008. Now it is time for a new GFX card. My PC is a year or so old but It was designed by me to last a long time, i.e. intel quad cores, etc...8gm ram, 10000 RPM SATA HDs, actually an older Audigy 3 or 4 Gamer sound card. So right now my gfx card is bottlenecking me. GeForce 8600GT OC'd card with 1gb video ram i think. SORRY FOR THE LONG WINDED POST. Anyway - 2x SLI nVidia GeForce GTX 590 or AMD Radeon HD 6990 ? I know it is unfair to compare two cards to one but the 6990 will not run in crossfire mode or whatever ATi calls it as far as I'm aware. Also the GeForces are a significantly greatest investment due to having to buy two cards as well as a new PSU for me which will also cause more effort on my part. So you guys decide, hell what about just a single 590 vs 6990? To me the ATi wins out but I've only seen specs not comparisons or benchmarks. __________________ -VP Missing targets since 1990.

07-06-11, 08:23 PM	#2
Arclight Navy Seal Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Land of windmills, tulips, wooden shoes and cheese. Lots of cheese. Posts: 8,467 Downloads: 53 Uploads: 10	Er if you want multi-GPU stuff go with Ati. Crossfire seems to do better in general. For single cards I'd say stick with Nvidia but that entirely depends on personal preference and what you play. If you're an avid Falcon 4 fan for example, avoid Nvidia like the plague. __________________ Contritium praecedit superbia.

07-06-11, 08:43 PM	#3
FIREWALL Eternal Patrol Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: CATALINA IS. SO . CAL USA Posts: 10,108 Downloads: 511 Uploads: 0	What do's your mobo support best ? __________________ RIP FIREWALL I Play GWX. Silent Hunter Who ???

07-07-11, 04:27 AM	#4
Matt86 Sailor man Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: South Africa Posts: 47 Downloads: 144 Uploads: 0	All depends what resolution your running and what games you play. __________________ E8500 @ 3.8ghz, DFI BloodIron P45 Elite T2S, Corsair VX550W, 4gb 800mhz Xms2, MSI 6850 OC @ 950/1150 1.148v, Seagate 7200 250gb

07-07-11, 05:24 AM	#5
Feuer Frei! Navy Seal Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Valhalla Posts: 5,295 Downloads: 141 Uploads: 17	There are lots of factors to consider before buying/committing. Like all things in life. Firstly, budget. From this and this alone you will be able to short-list a few cards. Do your research, consider what you want to use it for, be it gaming, multi-media, or both, check online reviews of temperatures at full load and idle, benchmark reviews, do you want to be future-proof: ie last you for a while? Is your case big enough? Does it have enough cooling? Does your mobo support the card(s) you have short-listed? Does your cpu bottleneck the card? Do you have enough RAM? Ok, i think you get the picture, i have an ATI 6990 in this, my main rig, and a GTX 570 in my 2nd rig. Obviously not comparable, but no problems with either, drivers, temps, cooling all good. But you need to ensure all that, not just slap a gpu in and game away. __________________ "History is the lies that the victors agree on"- Napoleon LINK TO MY SH 3 MODS