ATI or Nvidia

[jallard]

Hi!

I need some help in deciding on which video card to upgrade to?
Currently I am using an EVGA GeForce 9800GT. Can some tell me which of the following is the better card?

The XFX Radeon HD 5850 or the EVGA GeForce GTX 460?

Current system:

System Model: Gigebyte GA-MA785G-UD3H
Processor: AMD Athlon II X2 250 3.2GHz
Video Card: EGVA NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GT
RAM: 3326MB SLI RAM
OPS: WINDOWS 7 HOME PREMIUM
Sound Card: SoundBlaster X-Fi Titanium

 

[JMMD]

Better in what way?

Their performance is pretty close in most benchmarks but some games will favor the ATI and some the Nvidia card. I would suggest looking at the reviews for both cards and see how they perform in the games you play.

Will your current power supply support these cards?

 

[jallard]

I have a 600w power supply and currently I am only playing Dragon Age Origins / Awakening and Mass Effect 2

Better in what way?

Their performance is pretty close in most benchmarks but some games will favor the ATI and some the Nvidia card. I would suggest looking at the reviews for both cards and see how they perform in the games you play.

Will your current power supply support these cards?

Over heating and crashes and the best 3D graphics.

 

[Rage_3K_Moiz]

Over heating and crashes and the best 3D graphics.

? :S

What're the specs on your PSU? (brand, model no., total power output in W etc.)

 

[EXCellR8]

there is no such thing as the best graphics card... period.

if you're looking for an upgrade, the best way to go about deciding on a new card is to first look at the performance charts. The 5850 is slightly more expensive than the GTX 460, but is also faster out of the box. On the other hand, GTX 460 has what's commonly referred to as "overclocking headroom" which may give you a boost in performance. This is great if you going for a more-bang-for-your-buck approach.

Secondly, find a review on the card from a trusted source. There are some right here on TS but some other good sites are AnandTech and LegitReviews. Read up on the cards' features, performance in games, power consumption and how it stacks up against other cards in the same class. You will probably be surprised that cards will sometimes both outperform and be outperformed, but it depends on the game. Make sure to also read the "Final Thoughts" section where reviews will summarize what is good and bad about the card and give you some insight on tweaking.

Either card would be good for the games you play but there is simply no option for getting the very best. Like I said earlier the 5850 is slightly more powerful out of the box but the GTX 460 is cheaper and offers similar performance in most games. There are plenty of "5850 vs GTX 460" articles out there, so start searching around.

 

[jallard]

there is no such thing as the best graphics card... period.

if you're looking for an upgrade, the best way to go about deciding on a new card is to first look at the performance charts. The 5850 is slightly more expensive than the GTX 460, but is also faster out of the box. On the other hand, GTX 460 has what's commonly referred to as "overclocking headroom" which may give you a boost in performance. This is great if you going for a more-bang-for-your-buck approach.

Secondly, find a review on the card from a trusted source. There are some right here on TS but some other good sites are AnandTech and LegitReviews. Read up on the cards' features, performance in games, power consumption and how it stacks up against other cards in the same class. You will probably be surprised that cards will sometimes both outperform and be outperformed, but it depends on the game. Make sure to also read the "Final Thoughts" section where reviews will summarize what is good and bad about the card and give you some insight on tweaking.

Either card would be good for the games you play but there is simply no option for getting the very best. Like I said earlier the 5850 is slightly more powerful out of the box but the GTX 460 is cheaper and offers similar performance in most games. There are plenty of "5850 vs GTX 460" articles out there, so start searching around.

Thanks a lot for the info. I am pretty certain at this time that I will be going with the 5850. When I first built my system I purchased everything "SLI" ready thinking I was going to over clock everything. However, once I started to play Dragon Age Origins and Mass Effect I didn't see the need. Just like I really don't see the need for having two cards either. An acquaintance of mine has a system with two cards and one of them failed and he has had all sorts of problems. Those are problems that I don't need. Then again, I am not some much of a gamer that I see the need for speed and extremely high end gadgets. Playability and picture quality is my thing. Thanks again.