nVidia Geforce vs ATI Radeon question?

[MikeMoss]

Hi

Sorry if I sound like a dolt, I've been around computers for a long time but I just don't understand this new video card stuff.

I'm getting ready to buy a new computer that will be used for Graphics Arts apps and Gaming, About 50, 50. I'm probably going to buy the computer from Falcon Northwest.

What I want to know is...

Is the nVdia Geforce 295 GTX (1.8gig) worth the difference in price over the ATI Radeon HD4870X2 (2gig) video card? The price difference is about $370. Even the 1gig nVidia card costs more then the ATI.

Both cards would be paired with either an Intel Core i7 2.66 or Intel Core i7 3.0 processor.
Another decision I have to make.

Any input would be helpful, I really don't know enough about video card to see what the difference is. The specs on the ATI card look just as good to me but I assume there must be some difference for the price gap.

Mike

Funny when I looked up the price on these cards there isn't much difference in their retail price, with the nVidia card being slightly less?

[Khalil]

Graphics arts apps are more CPU reliant than GPU.
GTX295 is the king of Video cards currently, it is basicly 2 GTX275s in one card running SLI. It is substantially more powerful than the ATI 4870X2 however if you are not a hardcore power gamer the 4870X2 makes a better choice since it costs so much less.

[MikeMoss]

Hi

I'm am more or less retired, but my Adobe stuff including Premiere run well on my old computer so I guess I have to admit I'm getting the new computer for gaming!

I may consider going with the 1gig Geforce 285 GTX, which costs about the same as the ATI card.
From what I read it sounds like it will run anything that I want to do.

I have almost always used nVidia cards in the past and am happy with them.

I don't quite get all the tech stuff, the only thing that I can compare it the amount of ram on the card but it is now oblivious that there is more to it then that.

Thanks for the help...

Mike

[glc]

The only thing the amount of ram on the video card will help you with is game performance at extremely high monitor resolutions.

[MikeMoss]

Thanks for the info guys!

[MikeMoss]

Hi

I asked this in another post but didn't get any answer, but I'd like some opinions on the idea of running 2 Nvidia 250 video cards in SLI as opposed to running one Nvidia 275.

I have read a review that said that the 2 250s outperformed the single 275.
Since this is substancially cheaper it seems worth considering.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/vid...ts250-sli.html

Mike

.

[Khalil]

That is a great article, thanks for sharing.
I did the following tests in the past using Crysis Demo and Hellgate London:
2 x 9800GTs in SLI against a 9800GTX and the GTX won in frame rates and 3DMark06 score.
2 x 4850s in Crossfire against a 4870 and the 4870 won in frame rates and 3DMark06 score.
I am going to test the 250s against a GTX275 and see what kind of results I get, maybe things changed since the 9xxx series.