Gtx 260 or 4870 1gb ?

[imported_DangerMouse]

Hi
Going to build a new comp. Prices of Gtx 260 and 4870 are approximately the same.
To tell the truth over the years i became kinda suspicious of ATI due to drivers issues.
Maybe it's not so anymore.
Will have Samsung LCD 24' 1920x1200 ,i7920, gskill 1333 3gb tri channel ddr3,Corsair 650W psu,Gigabyte ud3r mobo and winXP pro.
Anandtech buyers guides dont even mention gtx 260 for some reason, while other sites claim performance is very similar with 4870.
Will appreciate some input from knowledgeable people.
Thanks

 

[toyota]

well they are basically even with each other so just go with which ever one you feel comfortable with and can get a good deal on. I used a 4670 for a few months and never had any driver issues in the three sets of drivers I used. as for your build you might as well go ahead with 6gb ram.

 

[LOUISSSSS]

4870 can trade blows with a gtx280 iirc, a gtx260 doesn't...

why xp instead of vista?

 

[toyota]

Originally posted by: LOUISSSSS
4870 can trade blows with a gtx280 iirc, a gtx260 doesn't...

why xp instead of vista?

what? perhaps the reviews have escaped you lately but the 4870 1gb and gtx260 216sp trade blows.

 

[imported_DangerMouse]

Toyota: well what use of 6Gb Ram in 32bit OS?
Not that many applications make use of 64 bit anyways and Vista has many issues.
Right now i see no real reason to buy it. Maybe i will get 64-bit Windows 7 if it proves to be good.

 

[toyota]

Originally posted by: DangerMouse
Toyota: well what use of 6Gb Ram in 32bit OS?
Not that many applications make use of 64 bit anyways and Vista has many issues.
Right now i see no real reason to buy it. Maybe i will get 64-bit Windows 7 if it proves to be good.

I switched to Vista 64 bit a few months ago and I havent had one single problem. you are really being paranoid about Vista and theres sense in building a nice i7 machine and using just 3gb and XP 32bit on it.

 

[o3srt4me]

+ 1 just bought my 4870 1gb yesterday and I love it! cant wait to CF em!

search anywhere and read any comparison and they will show that the 4870 1gb is more a rival with the gtx280, the 260 really isnt even in the picture...


lol and let us not forget the price difference! save some $$$ and go 4870!

 

[toyota]

Originally posted by: o3srt4me
+ 1 just bought my 4870 1gb yesterday and I love it! cant wait to CF em!

search anywhere and read any comparison and they will show that the 4870 1gb is more a rival with the gtx280, the 260 really isnt even in the picture...


lol and let us not forget the price difference! save some $$$ and go 4870!

the gtx260 216sp not in the picture? yeah right. please show me the reviews that have the gtx260 216sp NOT being competitive with the 4870 1gb. MOST sites actually have the gtx260 216sp being basically dead even and trading blows with the 4870 1gb.

 

[evolucion8]

Originally posted by: toyota

Originally posted by: o3srt4me
+ 1 just bought my 4870 1gb yesterday and I love it! cant wait to CF em!

search anywhere and read any comparison and they will show that the 4870 1gb is more a rival with the gtx280, the 260 really isnt even in the picture...


lol and let us not forget the price difference! save some $$$ and go 4870!

the gtx260 216sp not in the picture? yeah right. please show me the reviews that have the gtx260 216sp NOT being competitive with the 4870 1gb. MOST sites actually have the gtx260 216sp being basically dead even and trading blows with the 4870 1gb.

What he means is that in some scenarios, the HD 4870 trade blows and sometimes, it can outperform the GTX 280, it does happen in games like GRID and FallOut 3, I've never seen a GTX 260 216+ outperforming the GTX 280 unless if is heavily overclocked, but in general, the HD 4870 1GB trade blows with the GTX 260 which are in the same budget.

 

[conlan]

Originally posted by: DangerMouse
Hi
Going to build a new comp. Prices of Gtx 260 and 4870 are approximately the same.
To tell the truth over the years i became kinda suspicious of ATI due to drivers issues.
Maybe it's not so anymore.
Will have Samsung LCD 24' 1920x1200 ,i7920, gskill 1333 3gb tri channel ddr3,Corsair 650W psu,Gigabyte ud3r mobo and winXP pro.
Anandtech buyers guides dont even mention gtx 260 for some reason, while other sites claim performance is very similar with 4870.
Will appreciate some input from knowledgeable people.
Thanks

OP, HERE is a good article on the HD 4780 1GB. IMHO, it is the best bang for your buck.
Either way you decide, they're both solid performers.

 

[Wreckage]

The newer GTX260s generally outperform a 4870, especially in newer games
http://techreport.com/articles.x/15651/1

Not to mention PhysX
http://www.nvidia.com/content/...csplus/us/download.asp

Also it's great for running folding@home.

 

[lavaheadache]

Originally posted by: Wreckage
The newer GTX260s generally outperform a 4870, especially in newer games
http://techreport.com/articles.x/15651/1

Not to mention PhysX
http://www.nvidia.com/content/...csplus/us/download.asp

Also it's great for running folding@home.

Give me an "n" !!

Wreckage are you really gonna start vomiting green splurge in here. The GTX 260 is a great card, we know. To say it generally beats the hd4870 is blasphemy. The 2 cards are neck and neck, up in some titles down in others. Others have noted that in titles that favor ATi hardware show that the 4870 will beat a 280.

Listen I have an hd4870 and a GTX280. I admit the 280 is a Little more powerful here and there but the "measly" hd4870 is no slouch.

Also STOP promoting physx. Still unproven tech that hasn't stood the test of time.

I remember all those nvidia cheerleaders spouting off about HDR and sm3 with the geforce 6 series. What a joke that was. Anybody that had a 6 series GPU that tried to use hdr was greeted with nothing more than a pretty slide show. My point here? Don't hold your pom poms up and start cheering about physics, stereo or whatever other pr gimmicks you have up your sleeves. Cold hard facts are what need to be used to educate other pc enthusiast here.

 

[SlowSpyder]

Originally posted by: evolucion8

Originally posted by: toyota

Originally posted by: o3srt4me
+ 1 just bought my 4870 1gb yesterday and I love it! cant wait to CF em!

search anywhere and read any comparison and they will show that the 4870 1gb is more a rival with the gtx280, the 260 really isnt even in the picture...


lol and let us not forget the price difference! save some $$$ and go 4870!

the gtx260 216sp not in the picture? yeah right. please show me the reviews that have the gtx260 216sp NOT being competitive with the 4870 1gb. MOST sites actually have the gtx260 216sp being basically dead even and trading blows with the 4870 1gb.

What he means is that in some scenarios, the HD 4870 trade blows and sometimes, it can outperform the GTX 280, it does happen in games like GRID and FallOut 3, I've never seen a GTX 260 216+ outperforming the GTX 280 unless if is heavily overclocked, but in general, the HD 4870 1GB trade blows with the GTX 260 which are in the same budget.

Right, the 4870 competes with the GTX260, they are neck and neck. But, occasionally the 4870 is even faster in a handful of games then a GTX280.

Originally posted by: Wreckage
The newer GTX260s generally outperform a 4870, especially in newer games
http://techreport.com/articles.x/15651/1

Not to mention PhysX
http://www.nvidia.com/content/...csplus/us/download.asp

Also it's great for running folding@home.

Not sure what you expected to show from that review... pretty much every page, depending on the game sometimes the GTX260 is faster, sometimes the 4870 is faster then the GTX260, once in a while the 4870 is faster then the GTX280 too. I think Crysis Warhead was the only game that clearly favored the GTX cards, every other game either card could be the faster one depending on the resolution tested. If anything I think that link shows that the 4870 and GTX260 are very close cards, and occasionally the 4870 pulls ahead of the GTX260's big brother, the 280.

 

[Wreckage]

Here's another recent review.
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articl...216-55nm_14.html#sect0

EVGA GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 Superclocked Summary

Highs:

* 55nm G200 core;
* High performance in contemporary games;
* Outperforms ATI Radeon HD 4870 1GB in many cases;
* With additional overclocking outperforms Nvidia GeForce GTX 280;
* Performance doesn?t depend on software multi-GPU support;
* Wide range of supported FSAA modes;
* Minimal effect of enabled FSAA on performance;
* 216 ALU, 72 texturing units, 28 RBE;
* PhysX acceleration support in the GPU;
* Hardware HD-video decoding support;
* S/PDIF sound over HDMI;
* Relatively low power consumption and heat dissipation;
* Relatively low level of generated noise;
* Good overclocking potential;
* Full version of Far Cry 2 game bundled with the card.

 

[lavaheadache]

Originally posted by: Wreckage
Here's another recent review.
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articl...216-55nm_14.html#sect0

EVGA GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 Superclocked Summary

Highs:

* 55nm G200 core;
* High performance in contemporary games;
* Outperforms ATI Radeon HD 4870 1GB in many cases;
* With additional overclocking outperforms Nvidia GeForce GTX 280;
* Performance doesn?t depend on software multi-GPU support;
* Wide range of supported FSAA modes;
* Minimal effect of enabled FSAA on performance;
* 216 ALU, 72 texturing units, 28 RBE;
* PhysX acceleration support in the GPU;
* Hardware HD-video decoding support;
* S/PDIF sound over HDMI;
* Relatively low power consumption and heat dissipation;
* Relatively low level of generated noise;
* Good overclocking potential;
* Full version of Far Cry 2 game bundled with the card.

direct quote from the very page you quoted........ I bolded a particular piece that I thought pertinant to the general consensus around here.... minus you

"As a result, the EVGA GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 Superclocked showed itself a worthy opponent to the ATI Radeon HD 4870 1GB. The EVGA card is faster in many tests, but the average advantage is only 5% (at resolutions no higher than 1680x1050) due to its loss in such games as Fallout 3, Race Driver: GRID, X³: Terran Conflict and Red Alert 3. Thus, the choice between the two cards should be based on the gamer?s personal preferences."

FYI that is no regular 260 216, it is also Superclocked.

 

[Wreckage]

http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/...wxMCwsaGNvbnN1bWVyLq4=

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky

None of these 3 video cards had a distinct advantage in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky. The two NVIDIA-based video cards gave us a higher framerate than the ATI Radeon HD 4870, but that alone did not necessarily improve the experience, since it was not enough to allow us to increase our playable settings.

Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures

Age of Conan turned into an AA contest between the Galaxy GeForce GTX 260+ Overclocked Version and its competitors. The Galaxy GTX 260+ allowed us to use 4X MSAA at 1920x1200, while the original GTX 260 allowed 2X MSAA and the ATI Radeon HD 4870 did not have the performance to use any AA at all. In certain areas of Age of Conan, aliasing can be a huge visual distraction, but in many areas, it is not a deal-breaking problem.

Certainly there is not a huge performance gap, but one does exist.

Also with features like PhysX, 3D Vision, better folding@home support & CUDA, it has more than just a performance advantage.

 

[SunnyD]

Originally posted by: Wreckage
http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/...wxMCwsaGNvbnN1bWVyLq4=

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky

None of these 3 video cards had a distinct advantage in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky. The two NVIDIA-based video cards gave us a higher framerate than the ATI Radeon HD 4870, but that alone did not necessarily improve the experience, since it was not enough to allow us to increase our playable settings.

Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures

Age of Conan turned into an AA contest between the Galaxy GeForce GTX 260+ Overclocked Version and its competitors. The Galaxy GTX 260+ allowed us to use 4X MSAA at 1920x1200, while the original GTX 260 allowed 2X MSAA and the ATI Radeon HD 4870 did not have the performance to use any AA at all. In certain areas of Age of Conan, aliasing can be a huge visual distraction, but in many areas, it is not a deal-breaking problem.

Certainly there is not a huge performance gap, but one does exist.

Also with features like PhysX, 3D Vision, better folding@home support & CUDA, it has more than just a performance advantage.

Funny, sometimes it seems like Rollo multiplied before he left.

The only real "use" of any of those topics is PhysX. It's gaining support across the industry, so it can't be discounted. 3D Vision = uselessly expensive. Folding support? Who cares other than a small niche market. CUDA? Again, who cares other than devs?

 

[lavaheadache]

Originally posted by: SunnyD

Originally posted by: Wreckage
http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/...wxMCwsaGNvbnN1bWVyLq4=

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky

None of these 3 video cards had a distinct advantage in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky. The two NVIDIA-based video cards gave us a higher framerate than the ATI Radeon HD 4870, but that alone did not necessarily improve the experience, since it was not enough to allow us to increase our playable settings.

Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures

Age of Conan turned into an AA contest between the Galaxy GeForce GTX 260+ Overclocked Version and its competitors. The Galaxy GTX 260+ allowed us to use 4X MSAA at 1920x1200, while the original GTX 260 allowed 2X MSAA and the ATI Radeon HD 4870 did not have the performance to use any AA at all. In certain areas of Age of Conan, aliasing can be a huge visual distraction, but in many areas, it is not a deal-breaking problem.

Certainly there is not a huge performance gap, but one does exist.

Also with features like PhysX, 3D Vision, better folding@home support & CUDA, it has more than just a performance advantage.

Funny, sometimes it seems like Rollo multiplied before he left.
The only real "use" of any of those topics is PhysX. It's gaining support across the industry, so it can't be discounted. 3D Vision = uselessly expensive. Folding support? Who cares other than a small niche market. CUDA? Again, who cares other than devs?

lol yeah, but he didn't "leave" he was booted.

 

[imported_DangerMouse]

Heh, still have 2 undecided parts in my rig: GPU and Case so i kept digging.
Seems only significant difference between gtx 260 and 4870 is physical dimension.
It's 10'5 inch vs 9'5 length . Strange nobody mentioned it.
Implies gtx 260 is not an option for Centurion 534 (case hotly recommended on this forum). Leaves choice for Antec 300, Antec 900 or Coolermaster 690.

 

[lavaheadache]

i have an Antec 900, very nice case with a beastly cooling system. All fans are 3 way adjustable. Very solid construction. One thing I think needs mentioning is that some power supplies may not have long enough cords to reach the motherboard plugs cause the power supply is mounted at the bottom of the case. Oh also plan on using your air compressor a lot or buy stock in a canned air plant cause this thing acts as a dust filter for whichever room you put it in. I blow mine out monthly, and boy does it need it.

 

[TC91]

If you plan to play a lot of your older games as well as newer ones, I would strongly recommend the GTX 260 over the 4870. I've had a horrendous time with my 4870 1GB and a couple of my older games (coming from an 8800gts which ran them with zero issues).

 

[Painman]

The cards are comparable enough that you can base your decision on which is better in the specific titles you play.

There are other considerations that may or not matter to you. Warranties, physical logistics (card/case size), aftermarket cooling options.

For example, I bought a 260 partly because of the availablilty of this thing which complements my Swtfty waterblock perfectly. That, and the co. I bought the 260 from doesn't void my warranty for watercooling.

So again -- evaluate your specific needs and concerns, then choose. You can't really go wrong with either.

 

[SlowSpyder]

Personally, I'd get whichever is cheaper (assuming similar warranties and bundles of course). I doubt you'd have a significantly better/worse gaming experience on either card vs. the other. Nor do I think either company has significantly better or worse drivers.

 

[gamergrrrl]

I'm going to get the HD 4870, but I'm not sure what brand to get. I'm looking at the Saphhire. I want it to be quiet and cool. Cool is more important to me than quiet. Should I get an overclocked card?

 

[dguy6789]

+1 vote for the 4870 1GB. As fast or faster most of the time(faster than the GTX280 sometimes), better image quality, better drivers, DX10.1, has more memory, more efficient, smaller company so you feel good supporting the underdog, etc... See I can do it too. In all seriousness, both cards are fine, get whichever one you can find the better deal on.