HD4890 vs GTX275 reviews!!

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

They seem very evenly matched TBH:

http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/articl...50aHVzaWFzdA==

http://www.hexus.net/content/item.ph...=17863&page=22

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/S...D_4890/33.html

http://firingsquad.com/hardware/ati_...75//page14.asp

http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid...=expert&pid=11

http://www.guru3d.com/article/geforc...review-test/20

http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3539&p=22

The GTX275 does seem slightly ahead but the differences are tiny at higher resolutions and settings(where these cards ar going to be used TBH) and the peak power consumption is quite high too.

Idle power consumption of the HD4890 seems to be the same as the HD4870!! However peak power consumption seems only slightly higher and is in fact much lower than a GTX275!! Seems there have been some improvements in power efficiency in the cards too!!

Seems most RV790 cores will do 900mhz+ easily!! It also seems that it has a few million transistors more than the RV770.

Edit!! Regarding power consumption this review says that it is actually lower than an HD4870:

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/vid...0_6.html#sect0

[LuckyNV]

GTX280/285 seem really bad bad buys now

[Badbonji]

Don't worry price drops all round soon enough

[WhiteGiant]

Bring on the 4870 price drops! Daddy needs some double graphics card action!

[SiM]

GTX280/285 seem really bad bad buys now

I'm happy with mine for £145... I don't play games any more though

[Turbotab]

Can't be too long until the GTX 260 OR 4870 hits £ 100!

[Aelred89]

I must say that the 4890 is looking like a very tempting upgrade from my 8800GTS. Although I think I'd always regret having not waited for the 5800 series to come out

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

I must say that the 4890 is looking like a very tempting upgrade from my 8800GTS. Although I think I'd always regret having not waited for the 5800 series to come out

I would put the money towards the ATI R800 and its Nvidia equivalent TBH. Considering that they will be probably 40nm parts means at least for the same TDP and price as the HD4890 and GTX275 there will be a big performance increase!

[Aelred89]

I would put the money towards the ATI R800 and its Nvidia equivalent TBH. Considering that they will be probably 40nm parts means at least for the same TDP and price as the HD4890 and GTX275 there will be a big performance increase!

Yeah I think that's what I'll end up doing. I havn't really been keeping track of the R800 progress, is there an ETA floating around yet?

[Netjock]

Yeah I think that's what I'll end up doing. I havn't really been keeping track of the R800 progress, is there an ETA floating around yet?

It is like chasing a white elephant, go for the best bang for the pound if you NEED a card. Otherwise wait until you do need one and choose the best value for money. The hardware/software race is to pry money out of your pockets.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Yeah I think that's what I'll end up doing. I havn't really been keeping track of the R800 progress, is there an ETA floating around yet?

The longer you can wait between upgrades the bigger increase you will see in performance for you money.The only time it makes sense to upgrade earlier is to sell your old card when it still has some value and use the sale to reduce the cost of the newer one.

However I tend to keep my cards as long as possible. Even if it means I have to play newer games at lower settings I can always replay them later on with the new card and the highest quality settings.

[TooNice]

I don't have the time to replay games, so what I tend to go for something that little better than the best bang for buck card and stick with (older games) I can play with the settings maxed. This has a dual benefit: it means I can get most games much cheaper, and most issues patched by then.

[Turbotab]

I'd love to wait for the 40nm cards, but I need a new card right now( I imagine that the next-gen parts will launch sometime around July, as happened with this generation. There is speculation that Nvidia is having trouble with its 40nm parts, unlike ATI, who will be launching their 40nm (RV740) mainstream card in May.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

I don't have the time to replay games, so what I tend to go for something that little better than the best bang for buck card and stick with (older games) I can play with the settings maxed. This has a dual benefit: it means I can get most games much cheaper, and most issues patched by then.

When I mean replay I mean not the entire game but some of the best bits in their full graphical glory. When I got my HD3870 I could play Bioshock on maximum settings (unlike with my x1900gt) so it was fun to replay some of the better levels.

[Aelred89]

I know the logical thing is to wait untill i need to upgrade but like most enthusiasts the new stuff is always sooo tempting. I just need to convince myself that my current card plays all of my games fine

[Badbonji]

40nm's are due September/October as far as I am aware from both sides, so upgrade now!