Help Me Decide!

both good cards. if i were going to drop this much bank on a gpu right now, it would be from EVGA or BFG so I could take advantage of trade up/step up programs if new cards come out.

that being said, if it were me, i would go single gpu but that is personal preference. i believe most people are going to lean towards the ati card.
 
i am going with a single card solution that will last me for awhile. I have a 22" LCD and building a new rig right now. I want to be able to play any game i throw at it with no problems. Maybe i dont need this high of a card.... I have not looked into video cards since i got my 8800 Ultra
 
The AMD card will be faster at the moment, but the Nvidia 285 will be less buggy due to being a single GPU solution rather than a dual GPU solution. I'm not talking about NVidia vs AMD, rather just single GPU vs dual GPU. Both XFire & SLI have their own problems which don't exist if you purchased just a single 285 or 4890.

Anyway, the best bang for buck is probably the AMD 4890 which will run any game outside of Crysis at more than acceptable levels. Sure, there is a 90 day stepup from several companies such as EVGA and BFG, but the next series of cards are more than 90 days away.
 
Make no mistake, the 4890 isn't as good as the 285 (sorry AMD fans). But, with proper overclocking, you can get it to almost as fast, if not faster than a stock 285, while saving $100. It all comes down to what are you trying to do?

If you want to play Crysis, then wait until the next gen AMD & NVidia cards.
If you want to play any other game, than the 4890. Yes, it's not as fast, but do you really care that your game is running at 300 fps rather than 330 fps? (Although, once you get beyond 1920x1200, the AMD cards will become faster, especially if you use AA).
If you want to play Photoshop, then get a Quadro.

I'm just trying to be as objective as possible. NVidia 285's are nice. I have two. But it really comes down to a question of value. And honestly, if you have to ask what video card to purchase, chances are you don't really have a need where the 285 will have any noticeable impact other than making your wallet lighter.
 
at the resolution you are playing at both are total overkill. You would get 99% the same performance at that res with a gtx 260, 4870, 4890, gtx 275. Check this comprehensive review it shows less than 5 fps difference between most cards depending on the title.
 
If you get the 4890, don't pay more than $225 unless it comes with aftermarket cooling or pre-OC'ed to a decent degree.

You could also consider the GTX 275 or even a gtx 260 to save some money. They will both overclock well and handle 1680 x 1050 maxxed out. They will also handle 1920x1200, but in certain games there will be minor stuttering.

If you haven't looked into video cards for a while: we're at a time now when the mid-level cards are actually capable of satisfying the demands of the enthusiast gamer.
 
HIS Radeon HD 4890 1GB for $180 w/free shipping ($20 MIR) will fit you needs nicely for 1680x1050 gaming. $200 cheaper than those 2 cards you just listed in the OP. I agree with hossdaddy also, it is a waste to get a Radeon HD 4870X2 or GTX 285 for that resolution.
 
Thanks for all the input guys, i am still up in the air on what i am going to get. I would like a card to be future proof. Why i was looking to a higher end card. So i would not have to upgrade for awhile if i get a bigger LCD.
 
I would hang on to the Ultra and wait for the next gen of cards, I'm sure depending on res, the Ultra would have no trouble playing most current titles..
 
-(Xyphox)- said:
Thanks for all the input guys, i am still up in the air on what i am going to get. I would like a card to be future proof. Why i was looking to a higher end card. So i would not have to upgrade for awhile if i get a bigger LCD.
Click to expand...

The next gen cards are likely to beat current gen dual GPU and high end solutions so bad you'll want to upgrade anyway. Were I you, right now, I'd buy a used 4870 1GB (people are practically throwing them away on FS/FT, and new prices aren't much higher if you don't care about brand). That will destroy just about anything at your current resolution on the cheap, less than 1/2 what you were looking to spend, and you can sell it and upgrade without concern once you get a larger screen and the new cards are out. Don't throw money at a problem you don't currently have -- it'll just make for larger problems and regret in the future.

To be honest, I wish I'd waited until now and stuck with a single card myself for the time being, even at 1920x1200. I know myself, I'll pour another $1500 in to this machine in ~6-8 months, but I could've made it closer to $1000 with no real ill effects if I'd not gone "all out" right now. My current setup is stupid-fast, and no denying, but it's more than I need, even at 1920x1200. At 1650x1080 it'd be ridiculous and I'd be kicking myself for buying the second 4890 or a faster card.
 
I own an ASUS 4870X2 and an EVGA GTX 285 SC and I prefer the 4870X2 since it is generally faster.
However, the 4870X2 is somewhat less stable as Fallout 3 would crash once every 4 or 5 hours. I never had stability issue with the GTX 285 in any games I have played.
IMO, the return (higher performance) worth the risk (minor stability issues).
 
ojibewa said:
I would hang on to the Ultra and wait for the next gen of cards, I'm sure depending on res, the Ultra would have no trouble playing most current titles..
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I am not trusting anything in my computer after the power surge and brown out that killed my battery backup. My Insurance is paying for it, so the cost is not a huge deal.

RadXge said:
I own an ASUS 4870X2 and an EVGA GTX 285 SC and I prefer the 4870X2 since it is generally faster.
However, the 4870X2 is somewhat less stable as Fallout 3 would crash once every 4 or 5 hours. I never had stability issue with the GTX 285 in any games I have played.
IMO, the return (higher performance) worth the risk (minor stability issues).
Click to expand...

Thanks for the input, i am stuck trying to decide on what to get for 2 weeks now. I might be able to get a bigger LCD seeing i am not going to be spending all the money they are giving me. (Using some for another Turbo upgrade on my STi) :D
 
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