Tom's Graphics Card Guide: 32 Mid-Range Cards Benchmarked

[badb0y]

If the cooler works and you have a decent PSU, who cares what it draws?

Please, DO NOT say "it costs more to own it" - I don't feel like proving for the millionth time that an extra 100W costs you 4 coffees a year to run.

I do. The heat is just dissipated within the case warming other components. You can't just eliminate heat it just transfers to other components in the case, especially with coolers that come with OC'ed cards that don't exhaust the air out of the case.

 

[Bill Brasky]

I never said I was worried about the card running warm did I?

I said I like "cool and quiet". I don't give a flying fart about card temperature, and have never measured mine.

I care about *my* temperature.

Stop trying to make up arguments. Just accept that everyone doesn't have to be like you and move on.

This, this, this. Hot cards heat up my room more quickly and make me uncomfortable. Plus they are *generally* more noisy (faster fan speed, etc).

 

[Blue Shift]

Android, if you really don't care about power draw... Try running a 480 for a couple of weeks. My A/C is rather subpar, so the room heats up whenever I do any gaming.

 

[AtenRa]

This, this, this. Hot cards heat up my room more quickly and make me uncomfortable. Plus they are *generally* more noisy (faster fan speed, etc).

Im sorry but no,

The correct will be, higher TDP cards heat up your room more quickly and not hotter cards.

GTX590 and HD6990 will heat up your room faster even if they operate at lower temperatures than a GTX560ti or HD6950 simple because they dissipate more heat due to higher TDP.

 

[busydude]

The correct will be, higher TDP cards heat up your room more quickly and not hotter cards.

But Nvidia and AMD use different methodologies to test TDPs.

 

[LuluTheMonk]

Not many 6950s that are OCed exist, it seems. And the ones that do, look to be over 300. Compared to some of the 560s, that seems to be a higher cost than they wanted to include. Oh, and there ARE OCed AMD cards in there. Just not 6950s.

GIGABYTE GV-R695OC $248 + Dirt 3
XFX HD-695X-ZNDC Radeon HD 6950 1GB $260 - $30 MIR + Dirt 3
HIS IceQ X Turbo H695QNT2G2M Radeon HD 6950 2GB $260 - $20 MIR + Dirt 3
XFX HD-695X-CNDC Radeon HD 6950 2GB $280 - $20 MIR + Dirt 3

All with some sort of OC?

For reference:
MSI N560GTX-Ti Hawk GeForce GTX 560 Ti
$270 - $20 MIR

 

[AtenRa]

But Nvidia and AMD use different methodologies to test TDPs.

OK, AMD HD6990 will heat up your room faster even if it operates at a lower temperature than AMD HD6870,

Satisfied ???

 

[tigersty1e]

why no OC'd 6950 cards?

 

[AnandThenMan]

why no OC'd 6950 cards?

Mind control. Nvidia has the ability to convince review sites to use their hand picked hardware, sometimes special delivered to their doorstep. AMD has not yet mastered this skill. D:

 

[Imouto]

As someone said few ago "this is the first generation of cars where ppl is willing to pay a premium price for such minimal fps difference". I really dont understand the popularity of top cards these days.

 

[notty22]

AMD wants the potential buyers to buy 6970's for the 80mhz difference separating the 6950/70. *6970 has more shaders also. Its not a coincidence that its almost impossible to find a o/c 6950 over the 880mhz 6970. Most are 810mhz- 850mhz. Gigabyte offers 1@ 870mhz.
AMD's reference clocks are closer to the maximum possible from design, in part because they use less power.
Nvidia's design is a compromise for their workstation models.

edited

 

[busydude]

And don't you love when people use PM as a medium of communication? It makes one happy.

Seriously.. it annoys me the most.

 

[Imouto]

Both brands are at fault here, my point is brainless ppl paying largely such small premiums.

The whole thing is insane, 5 different commercial references for the very same chip laser cut, gimped at factory or design limited. And the continous shit like 6950 unlock feature or the overclock capabilities in NVIDIA's mid range prove it. For the same chip who's more dumb/smart, the guy with the cheapest lowest performance or the guy with the most expensive highest performance? I think it's the guy thinking about what he gets for his money. That just can't be measured but things in this hobby are getting more retarded day by day.

 

[cusideabelincoln]

Im sorry but no,

The correct will be, higher TDP cards heat up your room more quickly and not hotter cards.

GTX590 and HD6990 will heat up your room faster even if they operate at lower temperatures than a GTX560ti or HD6950 simple because they dissipate more heat due to higher TDP.

That's what he meant, hence why he agreed with Phynaz who stated, "I never said I was worried about the card running warm did I? I don't give a flying fart about card temperature."

 

[AtenRa]

got it ok

 

[3DVagabond]

Mind control. Nvidia has the ability to convince review sites to use their hand picked hardware, sometimes special delivered to their doorstep. AMD has not yet mastered this skill. D:

:ding!-ding!-ding!-ding!: We have a winner folks.

This is one of my favorites. They take a stock clocked 6950 and put it against the Gigabyte SOC on their charts. Doesn't matter that the SOC is clocked @ 1000MHz and hardly exists in the wild (There's a 950MHz model with the same name, just to confuse the masses further). Also, if you don't read the test system specs, the only place they mention the model they are comparing, you'll never know it's an SOC. On the charts they just say 560ti OC.

http://www.hardwareheaven.com/revie...dition-graphics-card-review-introduction.html

 

[RampantAndroid]

If the overclocked GTX560 costs as much as a 6950, gives you roughly the same performance, costs the same, has almost no overclocking heardroom due to the factory OC, and uses 100+ watts more...

It's not the cost of the power use, but it would appear the GTX560 is really pushed to it's limits here, it's a bit outside of it's comfort zone. I think what makes the GTX560 (and 460 before it) so appealing is that you can buy a cheap reference clocked model and have a ton of room to push it to where you'd like. Most everyone would put up with the extra heat and power use to save money compared to the 6950. But paying nearly the same price as a 6950 for a GTX560 to come from the factory with an overclock makes it a lot less appealing in my opinion.

I'm not arguing for someone to buy one. I'm saying why no OCed 6950s are in there. TH likely said "cards costing X to Y are in the review" and thus many 560s fit, and no OCed 6950s fit.

Moreover, how many people buy a card an never OC it?

Android, if you really don't care about power draw... Try running a 480 for a couple of weeks. My A/C is rather subpar, so the room heats up whenever I do any gaming.

Given I have an OCed 580 with an apartment that needs no heat in Winter and AC in summer...yeah, sorry. No points gained.

 

[AnandThenMan]

Also, if you don't read the test system specs, the only place they mention the model they are comparing, you'll never know it's an SOC. On the charts they just say 560ti OC.

http://www.hardwareheaven.com/revie...dition-graphics-card-review-introduction.html

I've seen these tactics used by several other sites, it's dishonest at best. But people need to realize how important it is to have the top of the graph. Many readers just skim over the articles, and conclude that the first product in the graph is the best. It doesn't matter if it's only by 1%, the best is the best. And even if the card or other piece of hardware they buy is in fact a lower grade part, doesn't matter most people will never know or notice.

I believe it is the responsibility of review sites not to be complicit with these kinds of tactics, and inform readers clearly about them. More importantly, people need to ask themselves why this is happening. I personally tend to question the entire set of results from sites that play along with this kind of thing.

 

[3DVagabond]

I've seen these tactics used by several other sites, it's dishonest at best. But people need to realize how important it is to have the top of the graph. Many readers just skim over the articles, and conclude that the first product in the graph is the best. It doesn't matter if it's only by 1%, the best is the best. And even if the card or other piece of hardware they buy is in fact a lower grade part, doesn't matter most people will never know or notice.

I believe it is the responsibility of review sites not to be complicit with these kinds of tactics, and inform readers clearly about them. More importantly, people need to ask themselves why this is happening. I personally tend to question the entire set of results from sites that play along with this kind of thing.

Yes. If a site wants to be considered a serious review/news site then they have to put the readers first. Some of these reviews need to have "advertisement" written across the top.

 

[jacktesterson]

Well, that reviewed sucked.

where's the factory overclocked AMD cards?

 

[notty22]

The results are duplicated at many sites. Techpowerup has tested many custom versions of current offerings.ZOTAC GeForce GTX 560 Ti AMP! Edition 1 GB

By the way, the review at TH , has many overclocked 6870's , which reflect the market, much like there aren't many o/c 6950's.

 

[RussianSensation]

It was widely known for a long time that an overclocked GTX560 Ti is as fast as a GTX570. From many reviews we also know that a GTX570 is slightly faster (2-3&#37 than an HD6970 at 1920x1080 4AA. Therefore, if you don't need 2GB of VRAM for 2560x1600, the GTX560 Ti overclocked = HD6970, not 6950 2GB.

On the NV side, you can pick up a solid overlcocked GTX560 Ti with lifetime warranty for $230. On the AMD side, you can pick up an HD6950 2GB with Dirt 3 for $240. Both are great options depending on what resolution you are gaming at and how much power consumption matters to you. Neither card is a clear winner.

But you can also pick up a stock GTX560 Ti with lifetime warranty for just $195. Overclock it to 950-1000mhz and you get HD6970 level of performance. That's cheaper than most 6950s.

At the end of the day, the performance is so close, just pick based on the games you play. Crysis 2? NV. FEAR 3? AMD.

 

[3DVagabond]

The results are duplicated at many sites. Techpowerup has tested many custom versions of current offerings.ZOTAC GeForce GTX 560 Ti AMP! Edition 1 GB

This link is to a specific review of an O/C'd card. All of the cars in that chart, except the subject card, are reference cards. He then highlights the 560ti reference card so you can more easily compare the performance of the O/C'd card to it to see what the extra clocks are giving you.

This is not at all the same tactic as the comparison that's the subject of this thread.

 

[Imouto]

Is an AMD policy to not allow factory OCs past a breakpoint. If you ask me I would choose a factory OCed card based on its temps and cooler since I won't stop at those clocks.

 

[BFG10K]

If the cooler works and you have a decent PSU, who cares what it draws?

If a card is pulling 300W by itself then it better offer GTX580 levels of performance.