Best Gaming Card

I

INYNN

Limp Gawd
Joined
Feb 27, 2004
Messages
298
My video card died today,

I'm looking for the best gaming card around... I've had zero time to research it and I'm hoping you can help me out.

What should I be going for?
GX280 OC?
4870?

Dont care about cost really. (<$650)
 
INYNN said:
My video card died today,

I'm looking for the best gaming card around... I've had zero time to research it and I'm hoping you can help me out.

What should I be going for?
GX280 OC?
4870?

Dont care about cost really. (<$650)
Click to expand...

the single best card currently available hands down is a 4870X2. That may change in a couple of months. having said that there are other options available and posting your system specs would help. your mother board, cpu, PSU and the what resolution your gaming at.
 
EVGA GTX 260 Core 216 Super Clocked

Nearby as fast as GTX280, but no heath problems etc. (GTX280 has much higher RMA rate)
Faster then HD4870 1GB (deny it or not, it's so)
Cheaper then HD4870 1GB (at least in USA, not in Europe)
No problems with CF / Sli crap like HD4870 X2

Unless you want problems or have too much money or want to game at 2560x1600 with EVERYthing at high, go with a single single chip card.
 
jcvjcvjcvjcv said:
He asked for the best, not the fastest ;)
Click to expand...

then you can forget the 216 core, not any faster by H standards (does not allow a better game play experience) then the 192 core just cost more because it does better in canned benchmarks. . and it trades blows with a 4870 1gb. and it does not allow the same game play experience as a then a GTX280.
 
Uberbob102000 said:
The 4870X2 hands down right now.
EDIT: jcvjcvjcvjcv: Stop being such a fanboy/troll.
Click to expand...

I'm not. For recomendation I always fever the fastest single chip solution. Right now that is the GTX280. But because the GTX280 is that much more expensive ans has a lot of problems I get down to the GTX260 216

Sometimes the HD4870 1GB is a little faster, but mostly not. Combine that with the lower price of the GTX 260 and the higher idle energy consumption of the ATI and I come to the conclusion: GTX260 216
 
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If the drivers are fixed the 4870x2 would probably be the fastest single card solution (its really 2 4870's in one card). If the drivers still suck like at release avoid it.. its a nightmare and sporadic performance. I would assume drivers have matured by now though.. not certain as I have not looked into it. I had a 4870x2 at launch and returned it 2 weeks later.. was a driver nightmare. I am extremely happy with my 260's though.. run great, overclock to 280 speeds and maintain consistent frame rates.
 
jcvjcvjcvjcv said:
I'm not. For recomendation I always fever the fastest single chip solution. Right now that is the GTX280. But because the GTX280 is that much more expensive ans has a lot of problems I get down to the GTX260 216

Sometimes the HD4870 1GB is a little faster, but mostly not. Combine that with the lower price of the GTX 260 and the higher idle energy consumption of the ATI and I come to the conclusion: GTX260 216
Click to expand...

One, the 216 core is not worth the extra money, here is what mark had to say about it:
Woes of the 216 Core GTX 260

The only problem we have with the new GeForce GTX 260 is this: it has no right to be more expensive than the original GTX 260, and yet it is. It is no faster than the original, regardless of how many more shaders or texture units it has, and yet it consistently costs more. It is hard for us to see the "revised" GeForce GTX 260 as anything but an excuse for NVIDIA to raise prices back up to where perhaps they should have been competition notwithstanding. NVIDIA maniacally cut prices in the face of stiff competition from AMD, and perhaps cut a little too deep. It is convenient, then, that this supposedly updated GeForce GTX 260 GPU comes out at a higher price tag.

Remember that it was initially supposed to supplement the original GTX 260, not supplant it. All that has changed now, and the "old" GTX 260 is going away. While we can understand that NVIDIA and its partners need to make money as much as any other business, we very much feel like this has been a case of bait-and-switch, and while we're expected to spend more money on this "new" GTX 260, we aren't really getting anything more out of it according to every game we have tested so far. Thankfully, prices on the “new” GTX 260 are starting to drop this holiday season, and we hope to see that continue.
Click to expand...

and that was from a review of a game Nvidia did well in.

Two, the the 4870 1gb and the GTX260 trade blows, in features, performance, and somewhat in price (in the hot deals forum the 1gb was 35 dollars more then the GTX). they do one up one another from time to time depending on drivers or particular games but both provide more or less the same game play. Go read the last three games they reviewed. going for the single chip solution is fine, but that really only leave the GTX280 (I am quite happy with mine) and it can be had for around 300 dollars right now in the hot deals forum. as for driver performance if your playing TWIMTB games don't be surprised that ATI cards don't do well at release, that is not the fault (not always to be fair) of ATI nor is it unintentional. The fact is that most 4870X2 owners are quite happy with their.
 
4870x2 is the best thing out right now that you can get for under $650.

If you're looking to be more reasonable and don't need the 4870x2 (or if your psu cannot handle it), then go for the GTX 260 or 4870.
 
gtx 260 or hd 4870 1Gb are the cards you should be looking at op. Newegg had some crazy deals on hd 4870 1Gb version a while back, maybe if you ask the newegg webmaster in the Hot Deals section he might do another deal on the cards.
 
INYNN said:
Dont care about cost really. (<$650)
Click to expand...

Since your card just died I suggest you use an older card or borrow one while you do some of your own research. Nvidia will have some new cards coming out fairly soon (supposedly this month or January). These are supposedly refreshes and maybe a dual gpu card. Whichever one is better, prices on current cards will be lower by then and you will see reviews of those new cards vs each other/current cards with then current drivers.

I would wait a month or so to see what the new choices are. To me, $650 is a lot to spend on a videocard and I would want to get best available around that time (even if it meant waiting for a few weeks).
 
Everyone, Thank you VERY much!!! :)

incoming huge post...

This has been very helpful and it confirmed the direction I was thinking I would like to go with my GPU.

Normally I'm always on the up and up about new computer hardware but work has been so busy in the last 2 months that im not current. I just think about computers latly and just get mad because of stupid clients with crappy internet connections, slow routers, no clue how to configure a vpn connection correctly and they all are growling for support. I've been cleaning up all the mess at work but it takes so much time to get them all organized. *whew* rant over.

Also, someone asked about my hardware... the sig is current.

I really wanted to wait and get a card closer to when Diablo 3 comes out because I'm really looking forward to that game and all the vendors seem to get new stuff out there when new huge game titles are on the way. Also with christmas here money is tight... but if I'm going to HAVE to get something now im not going to do it on a tight budget.

I was thinging of waiting like 'needmorecarnitine' said... but I dont want to piss around I just want to get it over with and be able to use my home comp for games again.

My issue is this: I go into games, or ANY 3D application and I get the screen go black for a few seconds and then come back with a frozen picture and then go black again... it will loop 3-4 times then bluescreen. If it happens in windows ill get:

"Display driver nvlddmkm stopped responding and has successfully recovered."

Event ID: 4101
Source: Display
0x80000000000000

If it happens in games it will do its cycle thing 3-4 times and just BSOD.

its a EN8800GTX 512mb. (asus), single, no sli, roughly 2 years old. (beaten to death playing crysis on max everything for a month)

I play @ 1680x1050 max everything.


Thanks again to everyone! I love the [H].
 
I just bought a EVGA, so I have a card during the christmas vacation and can do step-up when the 55nm cards arrive. Warm in the Winter, cool in spring, haha!
 
dunno if it matters, but im on the comp now... i can surf the web with it... so long as I dont go to a site with any video or animations. if I do things get weird quick.

Drivers are current to within 1 version... (what i found most stable)

Case cooling is very good also.
 
try cleaning out your drivers, and then re-install them.

On a much heavier not, if it does not work, install xp on another partition of your hard drive, install some basic drivers, and run a 3d game. see if it works or not. If it does not its a hard ware problem, if it does its a software problem.
 
sounds like alot of work...

I kinda just want to replace it unless anyone pulls a "OHH I KNOW WHAT THAT PROBLEM IS!"

Thanks again everyone for the input!
 
INYNN said:
Everyone, Thank you VERY much!!! :)

incoming huge post...

This has been very helpful and it confirmed the direction I was thinking I would like to go with my GPU.

Normally I'm always on the up and up about new computer hardware but work has been so busy in the last 2 months that im not current. I just think about computers latly and just get mad because of stupid clients with crappy internet connections, slow routers, no clue how to configure a vpn connection correctly and they all are growling for support. I've been cleaning up all the mess at work but it takes so much time to get them all organized. *whew* rant over.

Also, someone asked about my hardware... the sig is current.

I really wanted to wait and get a card closer to when Diablo 3 comes out because I'm really looking forward to that game and all the vendors seem to get new stuff out there when new huge game titles are on the way. Also with christmas here money is tight... but if I'm going to HAVE to get something now im not going to do it on a tight budget.

I was thinging of waiting like 'needmorecarnitine' said... but I dont want to piss around I just want to get it over with and be able to use my home comp for games again.

My issue is this: I go into games, or ANY 3D application and I get the screen go black for a few seconds and then come back with a frozen picture and then go black again... it will loop 3-4 times then bluescreen. If it happens in windows ill get:

"Display driver nvlddmkm stopped responding and has successfully recovered."

Event ID: 4101
Source: Display
0x80000000000000

If it happens in games it will do its cycle thing 3-4 times and just BSOD.

its a EN8800GTX 512mb. (asus), single, no sli, roughly 2 years old. (beaten to death playing crysis on max everything for a month)

I play @ 1680x1050 max everything.


Thanks again to everyone! I love the [H].
Click to expand...

at 1680 by 1050 you do not need anywhere close to what we were talking about. a 4850 would be fine. 130 dollars. if you wanted to go high end a 4870 512mb of ram would be great. or an "old" GTX 260. Really anything over that and you need to get a good monitor to make use of it.
 
My concern is being very futureproof, and getting nice high framerates with max settings. I already made the decision to get a high end card. Thats why I asked for the BEST gaming card.

Thanks for your input, it all helps.
 
Well, i'm sorry to hear about your card failing; as to your question of best vid card i would tell you what others have said the 4870x2. If you would like my personal opinion though i would go with the 4850x2 as i have been searching around like a mad man : P and have found the from every review site that i have viewed using the current drivers and stock timings that the 4850x2 2gb version is faster than the gtx 280 placing it just behind the 4870x2. I also have found the sapphire 4850x2 2gb for $309.00 minus $20 mail in rebate = $289.00 on newegg. Hope this helps your decision and doesn't complicate your choice more.
 
INYNN said:
Everyone, Thank you VERY much!!! :)
"Display driver nvlddmkm stopped responding and has successfully recovered."
Click to expand...

try:
turning off uac

Uninstall the chipset drivers, reboot and install the latest from nv.
 
As a follow-up to my previous post, since your budget would allow, you could pick up 2 4850x2's and crossfire to have the best bang for you buck within your budget.
Price would be $289 after rebate x 2 = $576, which is huge bang for your buck.
 
Sherloc said:
Well, i'm sorry to hear about your card failing; as to your question of best vid card i would tell you what others have said the 4870x2. If you would like my personal opinion though i would go with the 4850x2 as i have been searching around like a mad man : P and have found the from every review site that i have viewed using the current drivers and stock timings that the 4850x2 2gb version is faster than the gtx 280 placing it just behind the 4870x2. I also have found the sapphire 4850x2 2gb for $309.00 minus $20 mail in rebate = $289.00 on newegg. Hope this helps your decision and doesn't complicate your choice more.
Click to expand...

I'm going to look at that card now. I'll also look at the 4870x2 I think I might do a little price vs. performance searching.

Thank you
 
Sherloc said:
As a follow-up to my previous post, since your budget would allow, you could pick up 2 4850x2's and crossfire to have the best bang for you buck within your budget.
Price would be $289 after rebate x 2 = $576, which is huge bang for your buck.
Click to expand...

no x-fire mobo. I love this mobo too and im not going to change it right now.

Thanks tho.
 
Sherloc said:
As a follow-up to my previous post, since your budget would allow, you could pick up 2 4850x2's and crossfire to have the best bang for you buck within your budget.
Price would be $289 after rebate x 2 = $576, which is huge bang for your buck.
Click to expand...

Would my PSU take that?
 
Oh, and firingsquad tested the 1gb edition not the 2gb edition so the benches are actually slightly lower then they would be with the 2gb edition : D.
 
Ye tell me about it, thats why i'd go for the 4850x2 for $289 vs the 4870x2 for $489 (newegg), but for that cheap you can crossfire the 4850x2's and be pretty future proof on the graphics card front. (4gb gddr3 : D).
 
INYNN said:
sounds like alot of work...

I kinda just want to replace it unless anyone pulls a "OHH I KNOW WHAT THAT PROBLEM IS!"

Thanks again everyone for the input!
Click to expand...

Cleaning drivers is a lot of work?

WOW!! :eek::eek::eek:

Don't bother getting a new card then...because that's sure to be a lot of work.
 
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