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Vid Card Question
Topic Started: Jun 29 2010, 02:45 PM (119 Views)
Genjis Jun 29 2010, 02:45 PM Post #1
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 Seems like there are some pretty knowledgeable folks here, maybe you can help me decide which way to go.

Getting ready to start my first computer build, I have my component list just about complete but I'm having trouble making a decision on the video card; I've narrowed it down to these two:

GeForce GTX260 Core 216 896MB
GeForce 9800GTX 1GB

Somewhere in my research I ran across a statement that these two cards are nearly identical in processing capabilities, with the primary difference being physical dimensions and power usage...and about $70 difference in price.

The pc is primarily going to be used for gaming, and more specifically MMO gaming; I'm planning to use a Core i5-750 cpu in this computer also if that makes any difference.

Any help, comments, suggestions, and/or rants are appreciated!
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br4dz Jul 3 2010, 02:14 AM Post #2
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 Those two cards are far from being nearly identical performance wise. The only instances where they'd be similar is if you were running a low end CPU that cannot keep up with the GTX 260. In your case, you're CPU is far from low-end.

The 9800 GTX uses old tech, using a G92 die which is an architecture that has been rehashed over and over again. If you meant to say 9800 GTX+ (emphasis on the "+") instead of 9800 GTX, than it uses a G92b, same statement as the G92 though. The 9800 GTX/GTX+ utilizes 128 shaders, 64 TMUs, and 16 ROPs, running on a 256-bit bus width and clocks that vary between the two models, and overclocked variants. The GTX 260 core 216 has 216 shaders, 72 TMUs, and 24 ROPs, with a 448-bit bus width but lower clocks than the 9800 GTX/GTX+. The higher clocks on the 9800 GTX/GTX+ does not make up for it's somewhat lacking core makeup, but it does help close the distance performance wise between the two cards. In short, the GTX 260 core 216 is a decent amount more powerful than a 9800 GTX/GTX+, in some games it will only be a few FPS, in others it could be a huge margin, just depends on the game and how it's coded.

However, GTX 260's are in a very very limited supply, causing prices to be about ~$50+ higher than they were about a year ago. If you can find a GTX 260 for ~$180 or less, it would be a great option, but there are other video cards out there that are worth looking at if you can't find it that cheap (such as if it is ~$200+). One such video card is the HD 5770. It is less powerful than the GTX 260, but they can also be gotten for ~$160 and it features DX11. A lot of newer games will easily stress any of the cards previously mentioned, which brings me to recommending an HD 5830 (~$220) or HD 5850 (~$300). If you'd rather just keep it on the cheaper end, I'd still have to recommend the HD 5770 over any, seeing how you did say you'd be sticking to MMO's for the most part, and the HD 5770 is newer tech, with DX11, and consumes less power and produces less heat than the GTX 260 core 216.
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