Hardware Autumn 2009 Graphics Card Upgrade Guide

Didn't have time to read the whole article cos I'm at work but I spotted a few typos I thought I'd bring up.
Please feel free to delete this after rectifying them.

The link on the first page to the Bang for Buck on Page 10 is broken.

 

I don't know if anyone else has noticed this, but the highest "bang for buck" scores are actually at lower resolutions. This is kind of interesting, because it implies (accurately, in my view) that resolution has far less to do with fun factor than frame rate does, and that we should all be playing on larger, lower res displays - TVs, in other words, at higher frame rates, rather than insisting on everything being 1920x1200.

Maybe the console crowd got it right after all.

 

umm doesn't the GTX 275 have the full 240 shaders?

 

(gah, sorry about the quote fail )

 

Once we've seen more from this gen's cards it's my intention to test the Best Upgrade Ever (tm) - The Q6600 and an 8800GTX with 4Gb of DDR 2 vs whatever we recommend from this gen (likely a i7 920 with 6GB of DDR3 and whatever GPU we like the best). Should be a good comparison for all you upgraders.

4850 results -10% = done

 

It'll be fine, that PSU supplies 40A on the +12V rail; the GTX 260 only requires 36A.

 

There is some confusion probably on my part, but aren't the Fermi cards pushed back until 2010? Were the cards that were pushed back just the Tesla variants?

 

It is a gaming fallacy that AMD/AMD and nVidia/nVidia is the best way to go.
There have been many attempts over the years to prove/disprove it by hardware sites, but the results have always shown that any differences can be attributed to an acceptable margin of error (as Hustler states) or one brand of chipset is stronger/weaker than the other.
If you look at Bit-Tech's own motherboard reviews, you can often see a measurable difference between brands/models using the same chipset. It is all down to individual implementation.

 

No we shouldn't be playing PC games on TVs unless we're far away from them, TVs look horrible at desk distance, if you're sat at a desk then 1280x1024 on a 19" is big enough while also giving you a sharp picture.

 

@Phil Rodes: Unfortunately LCD's don't tend to do lower resolutions at all well, but still. I don't usually go above 1440x900.

 

Good to see my GTX275 isn't trailing too far behind yet. I'm sticking with my plan to drop in another one once their price drops a bit more, probably will once nvidia gets their DX11 cards out.

 

wow, gtx260-216 still hanging on there.

can't wait to see Bit-tech's Dx11 GPU upgrade guide come nVidia's GT300

 

This has been grinding at me for a while but what causes CPU limitation? How do you test for CPU limitation? If at lower resolutions your cpu limited is it therefore worth upgrading you monitor over your cpu provided your graphics card can handle it? I know thats an odd and nobish question but can anyone enlighten me?

Nice article. Im surprised the GTX260 is way down there on price to performance. when I built my mates PC I went for it over the HD4870, both where as low as £99 at the time but I went for bigger warranty the nvidia cards offer.

 

Here's me still running AGP into the ground haha.

 

Looks like my BFG 8800GT 512mb (coupled with C2D E6550, 2Gb ram, Samsung 2343BW (2048x1152) is due for an upgrade...

GTX260 looks best option from this? (prefer Intel for Linux drivers generally).

Would my Tagan 480w PSU cope with a GTX260?

 

my m8s still running agp lol and a 2.8 amd cpu (not 64 bit) and 1 gig of ddr memory, his graphics card is an ati rage 128 ultra lol, i want that 5870 soooo bad lol, but ill have to sell my sapphire 4890 oc first lol, its going on ebay saturday lol

 

It is good that is all still running, my s939 system died last week so it was out for a new one.

The 4890 is still a very capable card, my brother got one after my recommendation for £120. It generally seems to perform about 1/3rd slower than a 5870 but at that price you can't complain.

I did want to get a 5850 but nowhere has stock and then the 5870 turned up in stock at scan and I couldn't help myself. I'll be able to play some games that I've had for months but couldn't run on my 7800GTX (yes even on low res/setting).

 

We're 6th now in the world of folding guys... Was overtaken a week ago

 

Still happy with my recent 4850 purchase for £70 inc VAT, delivered. Don't game enough to justify any extra outlay, and think my PSU will thank me for it! Maybe in 18-months I'll check out the DX11 successor to the 4770.

Given that even 4670 cards run at £50-ish you can't suffer much in the way of depreciation with a card like this, cool as it is to have the latest and greatest.

Saved pennies will buy me a nice SSD, which will also depreciate like a stone but at least I'll feel the benefit every time I turn on my PC.

 

thing is if that lucid board pans out.. the x2 and 295 might not be such a good thing to have- value would probably drop pretty fast on those cards