What am I missing? What makes one better than the other?

brycematheson712

brycematheson712

New Member
It seems that whenever I make a thread on here comparing 2 graphics cards I'm always wrong on which one is faster/better. What am I missing?

For example, this card:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130085

And this card:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127284

Why is the second one better? They both have 256MB of Memory, both are using a 128-bit bus, both are using GDDR3, and both are PCI-E 16x! Why is the second one better when they seem to me to be exactly the same? An explanation would be greatly appreciated.
 
Word of advice, comparing the specs of dissimilar cards is futile sometimes. It's like apples and oranges.

We "pro's" do this to discover where certain cards stand; Google the name of the card + reviews/benchmarks. Then look at the benchmarks and measure FPS difference with different setting on different games. Works wonders, all the noobs think we're just super smart or something.. :D
 
It is the clocks. Take a look at the 'specifications' tab. The GT has a core clock of 540mhz while the GTS has a 700mhz clock. The memory is also different. 1400/2100mhz. Even if those were the same model, you also have to look at what comes with the package, what kind of warranty the company has etc.
 
hermeslyre said:
Word of advice, comparing the specs of dissimilar cards is futile sometimes. It's like apples and oranges.

We "pro's" do this to discover where certain cards stand; Google the name of the card + reviews/benchmarks. Then look at the benchmarks and measure FPS difference with different setting on different games. Works wonders, all the noobs think we're just super smart or something.. :D
Click to expand...

So video cards have benchmarks just as CPUs do? I've given up trying to compare CPUs just by what their specs say and go to websites to find benchmarks. I should do this with GFX cards as well?
 
Massios said:
It is the clocks. Take a look at the 'specifications' tab. The GT has a core clock of 540mhz while the GTS has a 700mhz clock. The memory is also different. 1400/2100mhz. Even if those were the same model, you also have to look at what comes with the package, what kind of warranty the company has etc.
Click to expand...

Even the clocks make little difference when trying to compare ATI/Nvidia or even G73/G80/G92. It's the architectural differences which make the specs not so comparable.

brycematheson712 said:
So video cards have benchmarks just as CPUs do? I've given up trying to compare CPUs just by what their specs say and go to websites to find benchmarks. I should do this with GFX cards as well?
Click to expand...

Yes. Anandtech Is a very good site to find benchmarks, most of the time google will suffice, directing you to all relevant articles. Make sure to look at all the tests, many times a video card will perform very well in certain games, utilizing certain engines (the source engine favors ATI cards, for example), while at the same time perform less admirably in other games. Some specs are easier to interpret, the most stand alone being memory.
 
You mentioned G73/G80/G92 in your previous post. Is that chipset or the architecture that the card is using?

Thanks for referring me to the Anandtech website. It seemed to be pretty good. I also am a fan of PCStats.com as well as Tom's Hardware. From now on, when looking for more hardware, I'll look more towards benchmarks and reviews than basing everyone on specs alone. Thanks for all your help guys.
 
G80/G92 etc refer to the core architecture. Core being the GPU chip itself.

No problem, it's always good to dispel misconceptions and myths regarding tech. :D
 
while were on this topic is the 8600gts a decent card...cause i was ganna get a 7900gt cause its a good card but it doesnt support direct X10 and my new computer does
 
notsmart101 said:
while were on this topic is the 8600gts a decent card...cause i was ganna get a 7900gt cause its a good card but it doesnt support direct X10 and my new computer does
Click to expand...
The 7900GT is a better card.

What people don't seem to understand is, with a low/mid-ranged DX10 card such as the 8600GTS, you arent going to be able to play DX10 games on high enough texture settings to even notice the difference between maxed out DX9 settings.
 
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