Alright gonna post this in a couple of forums. Anyways, I am an nvidia fan. However, ati is cheaper for a better price on what looks like better specs. Rumor is though is ati is only good for games while nvidia is better for gaming and 3d design. So, I am wondering what your views are, and please back them up with proof if you can . http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16814103050 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16814130317 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16814127325 http://www23.tomshardware.com/graphics_200...7&chart=318
All the cards you listed are good, however, don't get the 8800GTS 640mb, it's EOL'd. A lot of people when going from ATI to Nvidia or vice versa prefer ATI's image quality over Nvidia's. Maybe it's just something in their heads, I've always thought ATI had slight better color reproduction and video playback. But I don't think it would be too noticeable. What games are you playing? Obviously the best card you have listed is the 8800GTS 512mb. If you have no budget, you should go with that card. If you're not a heavy gamer, and would like to stay on the "cheap" side <$200 go for an HD 3850, it has great "bang for the buck". And what is your monitor's resolution? That will play a factor in how much VGA memory you need.
GTS640 is a ripoff and is effectively obsolete. The new king of the hill is the GTS512 the 3870 or the GTS512 are the way to go. They both offer about the same bang/$ too FYI. personally I'd go with the 3870 since it's more economic and still offers performance in the same league and just put the money towards the "next card" since both will eventually be obsolete anyway. also most people say IQ belongs to ATi but IMO it's too close to really compare. Video playback is definately in ATi's support however.
Nvidia FTW ATI has a better look, but Nvidia operates on almost all computers better, have bettter heatsinks, and offer better tech support
Alright I've chosen 2 nvnidias based on specs and price. Now than, which brand do you think is better or does brand not matter really on 8800s? I already prefer evga cause I know I see a lot of peeps buying them for the 8800GTX or whatever. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814143119 5 star 77 reviews, BFG Tech http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130325 5 star 34 reviews EVGA http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16814127329 GT, 50 bucks less, MSI, bout same specs. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16814500006 GT, higher clocks, less stream processors.
EVGA, BFG, and XFX all have great customer service. Only two of the links you posted work. I've heard of OK customer service from MSI, haven't really heard anything from ZOTAC, they seem to be somewhat new to the field. You should be happy with any of them... Don't go for the "most overclocked one", because you can OC it yourself - Most of the companies even warrant it. Between the MSI and Zotac (only links that work) go for the MSI. It appears to have better stock cooling. Clocks are only slightly lower, but it shouldn't be a noticeable difference.
> saying one side is better than the other is very very pointless and ill informed. first of all half the engineers at both companies have worked for the other at some point. two they use a lot of the same fabs to manufacture three it's 3rd parties which decide what heatsinks to use, not ATi or nVidia. If a weaker heatsink is used it's usually because the card is more tolerant of heat or produces less of it. four 9800>5900, x800>6800, x1800> 7800, x1900>7900 and in this generation the midrange 3800s are pretty good too considering their cost. I buy from either and it depends on the product itself. As for tech support. Ehh I don't give a damn. Insert card and necessary power connectors, Install drivers, DONE. PERIOD. the only better support nVidia has is linux side and that might change since ATi open sourced their drivers.
Zotac has been in the industry the longest of any of those. They actually make the cards(not every card but a fair number) themselves and the likes of EVGA XFX etc. buy cards from them to resell. Zotac is basically an OEM manufacturer that just went onto the retail scene. I will say though it looks like that MSI based 8800GT uses the same heatsink as used on the 7900GTX. The 7900GTX had a kickass heatsink dang quiet and a great heatsink. also the rest of the links don't really work.
My personal choice is Nvidia, I do neither heavy gaming nor heavy image editing, so I rarely see a difference in video.
Foxcon does too, it's not just one company. Asus also makes cards as well though I will say I am not the expert when it comes to OEMs and the like.
The debate between Nvidia and ATI has been going on for a long time, I once felt it was necessary to voice my preference, but really, what it all comes down to, is simple, which company do you prefer....There is NO REAL DIFFERENCE between hardware if you buy the right cards to compare. It all comes down to price and which company has a better marketing strategy. I prefer Nvidia, myself, I have never been a big fan of ATI, and I think it is because Nvidia's product just seem to appeal to me more.. yes, I am falling victim to a marketing strategy, and I am aware of it.....which is a strange situation. But from what I see from the products you have listed, the ATI card is a bit more powerful than either of the Nvidia cards. The ATI card has a 770mhz core, and 320 steam processors, whereas the 8800 only has a 576/678mhz core and 96 Stream processors. The Memory clock is also quite a bit faster on the ATI card. But again, it really just comes down to preference, the ATI card may be more powerful, but I am not a fan of ATI's software, or the reliability of the product. I personally would recommend the MSI version of the 8800 because it is a bit better than the EVGA and it's an Nvidia core......But, I think you should take it upon yourself to decide which one is actually "better". Posting questions on forums and getting 5000 different opinions isn't going to help YOU make a decision for yourself at all.... Xlink, as far as "first of all half the engineers at both companies have worked for the other at some point." goes, I would be hard-pressed to beleive that, I would have to see some sort of proof for that to even begin to settle with me, it simply does not make sense.
I went with the Zotac, comes friday. I read a really nice lengthy review on the 8800 zotac AMP GT vs a ati 3870. Overall in like 3dmark or whatever ati benchmarked higher, however in real game playing nvidia usually had more fps and stuff.
