Which Geoforce4???

[Shrew462]

I'm going to be picking up a Geoforce4 Ti. I'm on the fence between a 4400 and a 4600. I'll most likely go with the 4600. There are plenty of manufacturers to go with. Leadtech, Gainward, Visontech (even though they've been bought out) and the list seems to go on and on. I've done some reading on it, but the articles I've run into seem to focus on comparring the Nvidia 4200's, 4400's and 4600's, or they're comparing Nvidia against ATI. I don't see much that addresses how different card manufacturers compare with the same chipset.
Anybody have any thoughts? Is there a better brand to go with? Does it matter at all?

 

[gistech1978]

i like gainward

 

[BurnItDwn]

performancewise ... there are pretty much no real differences brand to brand (except an ocassional special edition that they sell overclocked or with faster ram ...) The main difference between the different brands is the different styles of HSFs and the combo items that come with the card. I have had Nvidia vidcards from a variety of different companies ... and i could care less what brand i get .... its the features and the medel that are important.

 

[AnAndAustin]

All GF4TI cards of the same version (4200, 4400 etc) are essentially and for all intents and purposes identical regardless of manu. There are some faster/enhanced versions which are clearly sold and priced as such and bundles often differ but basicly the actual cards are the same thing, cooling solutions and fancy HSF / HS don't make any important diff. There are a few manus who are known to skimp on their 4200 cards (slower clcoks, cheaper RAM type of thing), namely Evga, AOpen and non-GS Gainward. I'd advise you to shop for a Rad9500 - 9700 if you want something more than a GF4TI4200 offers as those Radeons are much better in ALL areas and often at 4400 - 4600 pricing too. If you really want GF4TI then don't worry about brand, if you want more than a 4200 offers grab a Rad9500 -9700 or else wait to see how the newer Rad and GF-FX work out.

TomsHW Rad9500PRO

AnAndTech Rad9500PRO

HardOCP Rad9500PRO

Firing Squad Rad9500PRO (inc o/c'ing)

Tech Report GF4TI4200 roundup (many brands)

AnAndTech GF4TI4200 roundup (many brands)

 

[Shrew462]

 

[Shrew462]

I've got a Radeon 8500 All-in wonder now. I've run into many graphics problems running various games. I've scrolled through some of Bioware's forums (for example) and began to see a pattern of people having significant problems with ATI cards and Bioware games. Many more so than problems reported from Nvidia card owners. I've Looked at testimonials on NewEgg's site for some of the Nvidia cards. There are many posts which site people replacing their older Radeon's with Geoforce 4's and running into significantly less problems gaming.
Do i think this will be the panacea for all gaming glitches, crashes, hangs, etc? No, but it seems to have worked for many others. I'm hoping that I'll be able to minimize a lot of the tweaking required to get games running. Some games, such as warcraft III, and Neverwinter nights I still have yet to get running. It's probably the dumbest reason to purchase hardware. If it doesn't work, i'll find a home for it. so, no i don't think I'll try any of the other ATI cards out there just yet.

 

[bigdon]

deleted by author

 

[cmdrdredd]

I personally would go with a 9700Pro. I'm a fan of graphics and detail and the 9700 Pro has alot of features that make the game look better while still maintaining the high FPS required for competitive online play.

 

[KiltedFool]

Well, you have the option through this Saturday of picking up a Ti4600 for $219 at Best Buy, the manufacturer is BFG, card is called the Asylum card, best price point I've seen to get into the 4600 range.

I play Dark Ages of Camelot, which is optimized for nVidia since the expansion, so the choice was easy for me.

KF

 

[nick1985]

the ti4200 is the best bang for your buckd