PC hardware: Radeon or Nvidia??
Radeon or Nvidia??
by borrism - 11/17/05 1:49 PMHi all ,
Having recently discovered some pretty awesome games for my PC, it has become clear that my 'on board' graphics card is not up to the job! I've looked at several review sites to help decide which graphics card to purchase and discovered that there are two main competitors - Radeon VS Nvidia. I would be interested to hear anyones personal experiences with either of these makes and I would welcome any advice in helping me choose a card (ideally suited to gaming - Americas Army for example). Many thanks, Robin
i am using a...
by ferraritt - 11/17/05 2:48 PM In reply to: Radeon or Nvidia?? by borrismhi
i am currently using a ati radeon 9600xt and it can still run the game F.E.A.R at 18fps, so i am fine with it as of now, what card is good depends on your personal preference, if you like blurred out image (smoother), or you want to be able to see every little grass in the game. i think the ati cards are more powerful, but because of that, it is capable of producing every little detail in a scene/picture, which makes the picture too sharp, thus not good looking, because i personally like blurred out images better. The Nvidia on the other hand, has worst specs than the radeons, but because of this, it is capable of creating blurred out images, which makes it smoother looking to the human eye, so depending on if you like smooth images or sharp images, it will determine your choice. But one note though, nvidia uses more power than ati cards, and radeon cards are more expensive. 
Interesting
by borrism - 11/19/05 1:25 AM In reply to: i am using a... by ferrarittHi and thanks for your suggestions. I find your debate about blurred/sharp images an interesting one and I hadn't considered choosing a graphics card on that basis. I would prefer smoother, faster graphics over sharp detail, so it sounds like the Nvidia is for me.
I appreciate your help.
Thanks again,
Robin
RADEON VS INVIDIA
by jpmccloud01 - 11/20/05 5:18 PM In reply to: i am using a... by ferrarittlook both companies are great and boath offer a wide range of products depending on needs or specifically how hard core you want to be and sound. I like nvidia,
their cards support a wider level of architecture like shader 3.0 and the unified driver system makes it easier to install. I currently have a 5200 graphics card and will be updating to the 6200 soon. But the 5200 has so fare taken on and run any game I've thrown at it. So to answer your question just go out buy any card, try it out if you like it keep it you don't buy something better. get a learning curve working
How would I know the difference?
by ciggieoxo - 12/26/05 10:59 AM In reply to: RADEON VS INVIDIA by jpmccloud01I agree with jpmccloud01's message. I too have a Nvida (the 5500). However, I am quite sure that if someone switched cards while was I wasn't looking, I probably couldn't tell the difference. Usually in a case where two products are well respected, I go with the best price.
do you no
by rego3998 - 11/17/05 4:38 PM In reply to: Radeon or Nvidia?? by borrismhi m8 reg here
i dont no how much ur up on pc but a maybe this might help you if you buy a graffic card make shure all your membery matches because if you are using sd or ddr it must be the same speed as your videocard other wise it will at the same speed as your membery in your machine so bear this in mind when choosing a video card
cheers m8
RE:
by damasta55r - 11/17/05 10:18 PM In reply to: do you no by rego3998If you have DDR memory, you don't need to get a DDR gfx card. THere's no relation. SO I DON"T KNOW HOW MUCH YOUR UP ON PCs EITHER. BTW, i've never seen you on cnet before...
ROger
Pick one
by Willy - 11/17/05 7:10 PM In reply to: Radeon or Nvidia?? by borrismBoth video chip makers provide "top end" performance, so it becomes what you like. Either one, IMHO fits the bill once you decide on the cost and level of performance you desire. So, expect to see a dent in wallet once you decide. If you want hi-frame rates, etc. and continued stable output, keep in mind what you're paying for is worth it. Also, better system cooling is a real plus on top of all this for sustained play.
tada -----Willy 
So it doesn't matter?
by borrism - 11/19/05 1:43 AM In reply to: Pick one by WillyHi WIlly,
I see where you're coming from about the 'dent in wallet'! Some of the cards I've looked at are almost as expensive as my actual PC, which is why I want to make the right choice. Having read the first reply to my post, I would say that I prefer smoother/faster graphics as opposed to sharp detail. This would suggest that Nvidia is probably the choice for me. What are your views on this and just out of interest, what card do you use? (you seem to be someone in the know!).
Thanks,
Robin
Just get nvidia then... Lots of people (Gamers)like Nvidia.
by damasta55r - 11/19/05 12:16 PM In reply to: So it doesn't matter? by borrismGood card would be 6800GS. Newegg.com sells for $200 is that too much? Keep in mind that this is a value card. Like medium end card.
Roger
he wants a gfx card that can handle america's army...
by nerdyboy1234 - 11/19/05 3:05 PM In reply to: Just get nvidia then... Lots of people (Gamers)like Nvidia. by damasta55rso just get a cheap card. somethin u can find for maybe $100.
i would suggest getting a vanilla 6600 agp.
that is if u have an agp slot which i am assuming u do as u did not post any specs.
You wanna make sure you know your PC.
by proflyer - 11/20/05 1:01 AM In reply to: he wants a gfx card that can handle america's army... by nerdyboy1234Depending on the age of you machine i.e. you bought it yesterday or you bought it in 2001 (like I did) you may be limited by the ports you have available in your computer. The older the PC the more limited your options are.
Video card ports are as follows AGP 4x, AGP 8x, PCI Express 16x (or PCIe).
PCIe is the newest (and best) port available. Typically available on pre-configed PCs (HP, Dell, Gateway, you get the idea) sold within the last year or two.(?)
AGP 8x is available on PCs 2 to 3 (+?) years old.
AGP 4x (the bane of my gaming existance *I hate you store bought PCs*) is available on computers built 2001 and earlier (I know from experience).
Make sure that you get all your ducks in a row before you pull the trigger on your purchase. Read reviews, study benchmarks and make sure that you understand your system so that you don't have to make the walk of shame (in addition to the dissapointment of not having a shiny new video card) back to the return counter when you figure out the components won't click with your current computer.
Just for your info I have a Nvidia GeForce FX5200, which is an entry level video card. I handle AA just fine, the graphics may not be completely revved up but I get pretty good frames with a decent compromise in graphics. However when I try to play BF2 it's a completely different story 
.
To me it doesn't matter
by Willy - 11/20/05 6:16 PM In reply to: So it doesn't matter? by borrismI'm not a gamer and overall found that these hi-end cards offer so much, you get painted into a corner only because you demand it all the time under gaming situations. Any card will start to stress out even if highly rated. The "whole system" must be configued to handle all demands because the simple fact is, gaming truly places the system into high gear though it may not seem like it. Each vendor has pretty much offered a card that the other offers at the same level or tier of output. You need to read the specs and thus you find little difference not only in performance but in price as well. So, I leave you to decide as really you can't make a bad choice once you do. FYI - I do tend to lean towards Nvidea only because they seem to be on the ball and don't hestitate to offer a new card or improvement(updates) quickly. In the same light, ATi/Radeon doesn't sit on its laurels either.
tada -----Willy
(NT) Ati or Nvidia?
by electroglide - 11/20/05 7:04 PM In reply to: Radeon or Nvidia?? by borrismhave used Ati as my past several upgrades, they have always been great at ease of install and running. My first attempt several years ago with a g-force 4400 series left me scratching my head. Had to go to tech support who directed me to a third party software to remove the defective software that was supplied with the video Then go to Nvidia site to re-install new drivers. After several attempts the card worked. It left me with a bad taste for any Nvidia tpye card. Never had that sort of problem installing any ATI tpye card be it ATI, Sapphire.
Using an ATI Radeon 9800 runs Far Cry, Call of Duty,
Medal of Honor without any problems and great screen displays. Good Luck!
ATI performance...
by dallen1055 - 11/26/05 7:26 AM In reply to: (NT) Ati or Nvidia? by electroglideI have just switched from a ati 9600xt (which ran most games quite well) to an ati x850 pro, only for the fact that I wanted to run my games in a higher res than was possible with the older card. Nothing against nvidia, matter of fact, when I built my computer that was the manufacturer of choice. But I have better performance from the ati card IMHO. Just keep checking the manufacturers website to make sure you have the latest drivers for your card, who ever you decide to use, that will help keep the performance better for newer games. good luck...dallen.
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