Help choosing graphic card

[bharatwaja]

I am from India... Planning a new system build... I am in a dilemma about choosing my graphic card... First question

1. HD3870 or 8800GT?

HD3870 seems to have superior features than 8800GT but benchmarks lesser than 8800GT, why is that so? Is it because of the drivers on ATI?

Second, which manufacturer should I go with?
Asus 8800GT 512Mb or XFX 8800GT 512mb standard?

Also, I can afford the XFX 8800GT XXX edition... But does it have any noticeable performance difference from the standard one?

Asus and XFX are the only 2 choices available to me....

 

[Laminator]

> 1. HD 3870 or 8800GT?

The HD 3870 may have superior "features" than the 8800GT but it's actually a slower card. It's not the drivers; it's just slower. If you want pure speed, the 8800GT is a better choice. On the other hand, the HD 3870 has slightly better video decoding (I think) and support for DirectX 10.1. These features are probably irrelevant to someone who is in a market for one of these cards, but there you go.

2. Which manufacturer should I go with?

Get the XFX 8800GT 512MB standard. Their warranty is much superior to ASUS's. In addition to the double-lifetime coverage, you get overclocking protection and the ability to use an aftermarket heatsink.

3. I can afford the XFX 8800GT XXX edition, but does it have any noticeable performance difference from the standard one?

Not really.

http://www.hardocp.com/article...QyNiwsLGhlbnRodXNpYXN0

While the overclocked cards are faster in benchmarks, from a real-world gaming standpoint, there is no tangible difference. You can also always overclock the card yourself, and because it's from XFX, it will be covered under the warranty.

 

[bharatwaja]

Thank you laminator!