ati vs nvidia

[Worgen]

ok this isnt a real vs thread but Im thinking about getting a new vid card but Im not sure if I should stick with nvidia or if its time to give ati another shot

I used to use ati cards but after one update they had I stopped using them since the driver update messed up some of my games, well it really just made the games crash at points and it took them forever to fix it

 

[mad825]

don't really know.

If you are on a budget and like the Eyefinity technology then go with ATI even though you can't be on a budget if you have 3 monitors.

I prefer the NVIDIA PhysX Technology partly because I cannot be asked to have 3 monitors and I like my in-game physics.

 

[Sajuuk-khar]

They're both good. I'm not completely 100% up to date, but both make great high end cards. I believe at the moment is Nvidia's flagship is a little bit faster than AMD's, but AMD generally has a better price for the quality you get.

And yeah like Xzi said, if you want 3D go for Nvidia.

 

[mad825]

ATi cards do great with physics engines. All Nvidia did was patent a name for theirs specifically to make you think that their cards are the only ones that can handle physics. Complete bunk.

I know but when there is a PhysX compatible game I.E Metro 2033. there is no way of experiencing the enhanced physics engine without PhysX...unless you have hacked drivers on the system.

 

[MR T3D]

modern ATI since the 4000 series have really shined over nvidia's counterparts, it seems there is an ebb and flow to which is better, for now its ati, I'm not sure if the latest have switched, but both are good.

 

[Hashime]

Both companies make good cards. I have used both in my builds and was happy with them. I would go with whichever card is the better deal.

 

[oplinger]

For general stuff ATI is best, as they have a lot of raw processing power (they handle everything) Nvidia has a separate shader clock, with a reduced general processing clock. So they get less power for everything, but shaders are done faster (shaders are a BIG part of games.)

However Nvidie has an edge with some things because they can also use the GPU to handle some tasks the CPU handles (particle physics being one of them) however it's obsolete with DX11.

So...depends what you want them for really.

 

[Turbo_Destructor]

I would probably go for nVidia myself, I have a friend who's had a bunch of problems with ATI's - driver problems and the like, and apparently they're not isolated to him. This is just my opinion, but I would probably go for nVidia simply because I've always used them and they've had a great track record with me.

 

[Fiend Dragon]

Well, technically they are both good cards, and in theory you would do well with either card, but I honestly cannot recommended that anyone purchase an ATI card. The last 10 years or so, through multiple machines and cards, the ATI cards have always given tons of issues. Driver crashes, failed installs, and below optimal performance in general. Switched to an NVIDIA card earlier this year and never looked back. They are just so much easier to manage, and I've never had any sort of graphics issues that I could trace back to the card.

That's just my personal experience with them, and I'm sure loads of other people have had good experiences with ATI, and/or bad ones with NVIDIA, but it sounds like you've been having problems with them too, and in my experience, the grass really is greener on the other side

 

[Worgen]

hmm, still hard to choose, which chipset has a better card for around 150?

 

[oplinger]

hmm, still hard to choose, which chipset has a better card for around 150?

ATI. they get cheap fast. you might not get top of the line, but you could get a nice one for that much, that's much more powerful than a comparable Nvidia.

 

[Wicky_42]

Nvidia's got great drivers - they just automatically overwrite the old ones, no need to un-install and re-install them There was a time when ATI were better, then Nvidia pulled ahead (when I built my current comp) - I dunno how they're balanced now, though. It's kinda hellish trying to find the best bang for your buck, the way they name stuff and how some distributors make their own tweaked versions of each card -_-U

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

http://www.overclock.net/graphics-cards-general/502403-graphics-card-ranking-5th-time-last.html

Use that, I myself have always been an Nvidia man, but it's just down to personal preference really.

 

[oplinger]

Nvidia's got great drivers - they just automatically overwrite the old ones, no need to un-install and re-install them There was a time when ATI were better, then Nvidia pulled ahead (when I built my current comp) - I dunno how they're balanced now, though. It's kinda hellish trying to find the best bang for your buck, the way they name stuff and how some distributors make their own tweaked versions of each card -_-U

...ATI's driver installer kinda does the same thing. Has for years >.>

But if you're that curious you'll be happy to know they're about dead even now. They aren't really better or worse. They equal out to be about the same. It just depends on what games or software you're using them for.

As for who puts the card together...-that- is a different argument. x.o

 

[moostar]

nviidia :]

 

[loc978]

Nothin' wrong with ATI procs, and their drivers have been getting a lot better lately. That said, I tend to go with Nvidia just because they absorbed my old favorite GPU manufacturer in 2002. The fact that they absorbed Ageia recently doesn't hurt either... the system I'm typing this on is actually running an Nvidia GPU and a separate Ageia PPU (I built it in early '07, last upgraded in late '08)... I'll see how they did with integrating both processors into one card (and subsequently one bus channel >.< when I finally need to upgrade.

Additionally, in choosing a video card, look at more than just the GPU and RAM involved. Different companies can tease different results out of the same processor and RAM combo. In that department, both Sapphire and eVGA have failed me before... everyone else I've tried has been basically equivalent. Currently running all BFGTech.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

nvidia and ati are both great cards however this is how i think about it

amd/ati = very good reliable cards that are cheaper than their counterparts, but might have a few hiccups here and there

intel/nvidia= top of the line shirt right thurr, its not too much better in any category, but generally runs flawlessly besides the pricing.