Hi Guys, With the new swath of graphics cards out or nearly out, my mind is wandering over the topic of which brand is best .... I'd be interested to hear your thoughts. Obviously some of the later models with custom coolers have clear temperature or noise differentiation, but what about the models that appear to be reference models? Why would you pick one brand over another? Do you think that the component selection is different? Do you focus on good historical RMA experiences? Does MSI's 'Full Solid State Capacitior Design' matter? A good example is the current swath of 580s. On Scan we have a Palit card for £400 and a Gainward card at £445. Palit actually owns Gainward, so is this just the same card with a different sticker, or does brand matter?
I feel if you're talking reference cards then brand is irrelevent. You'll get a slightly different bundle of games/drivers and different conditions of warranty though, and some companies are better than others when it comes to RMA.
My personal favourite is Gigabyte. Not only do they have an RMA address that's in the UK (for cheaper postage and faster turnaround) but when my old 3870 broke after 2 years of heavy usage they gave me a free 4850. I've just bought a Gigabyte 6870 as a result... well, it was also the cheapest by about £10 but my previous experience of their customer service also came into it.
Thanks guys. Anyone else have an opinion on this? I'm on the verge of picking up a reference Palit card ... never used that brand before.
I asked the same question but a few days ago... Clicky General consensus is that, as the initial production of a card is done by the chip maker themselves the rebranded cards will/should not be different in quality or performance. Even if the price of them is somewhat different. It is only after the brands put their own spin on the cards and they are no longer produced in the chip maker's factories that a good brand (and increased price) plays it part.