Opinions - AMD vs. NVIDIA - who really won in HD 6850 and GTX 460 battle

[Jimbo75]

Firstly, what are you going on about? 300W is the maximum of the PCI-E spec, thats why you get an 'underclocked' 5970 as a 'proper' clocked 5970 would be over the 300W - how you've made the transition to single 6 pin cards being compared is beyond me. Maybe i do need some red tinted specs after all.

Well you were the one who brough pci-e specs into it. FYI, the gtx 480 consumes more power than the 5970 does, at least in any power draw benchmark I've seen so your theory doesn't really work.

AMD can suggest a cherry picked O/C'd 5970, whether or not that fits in the PCi-e spec and likewise with the proverbial Nvidia offering is another matter. Not to mention its likely that the GTX 580's competition will be a 6970/90 - not a 5970.

So you think Nvidia is going to drum up a single gpu that can match the dual gpu or top of the range AMD card and stay below 300w - something the 480 can't even manage - ?

Keep dreaming terbinator.

[kalniel]

I can tell you how it went down.

NVIDIA's preferred card for the Radeon HD 6850/70 review was the EVGA GTX 460 FTW. It represented the pinnacle of GF104's performance and was put forward because it would probably beat the HD 6850 and get close to HD 6870.

We were offered the very same card to include in the review. I chose not to include it after hearing it was going to be selling for £200-plus - in fact, more expensive than a GeForce GTX 470.

However, for the sake of completion, both stock-clocked and overclocked GTX 460 768MB and 1,024MB cards were added to the review. The stock-clocked models gave you an apples-to-apples comparison, insofar as that was possible, and the partner-overclocked GTX 460s' pricing was such that it gave you a good idea of how to spend that £150 or £200.

I have no problem with any site including the EVGA GTX 460 FTW with the proviso that stock-clocked cards were included as well.

Thanks for being transparent Tarinder.

I've also noticed 3Dmark vantage has appeared in the test suite, while the gaming suite has changed dropping crysis warhead battlefield and Dirt 2, and adding Just Cause 2 and Mafia 2. I know you state the gaming suite is in flux, but could you also tell us if any company recommends you use particular benchmarks for their cards? (Absolutely NOT implying you are by the way!)

[Jimbo75]

Thanks for being transparent Tarinder.

I've also noticed 3Dmark vantage has appeared in the test suite, while the gaming suite has changed dropping crysis warhead battlefield and Dirt 2, and adding Just Cause 2 and Mafia 2. I know you state the gaming suite is in flux, but could you also tell us if any company recommends you use particular benchmarks for their cards? (Absolutely NOT implying you are by the way!)

I read somewhere that AMD recommends Far Cry 2 as a benchmark. They really need to drop that one lol.

[Terbinator]

Well you were the one who brough pci-e specs into it. FYI, the gtx 480 consumes more power than the 5970 does, at least in any power draw benchmark I've seen so your theory doesn't really work.

*mental block of cooling chamber supporting 400W on AMD's own slide, engaged *.

So you think Nvidia is going to drum up a single gpu that can match the dual gpu or top of the range AMD card and stay below 300w - something the 480 can't even manage - ?

Keep dreaming terbinator.

I didn't say match because that won't be possible- everyone knows that. What it doesn't detract away from is that Nvidia's new 5xx card, if real, would be competing against the newer 6 series. Could it do this with lower TDP than or equal too the 480? Possibly as the leaked 'specs' I've seen suggest its built on a new core: GF110 IIRC, so it isn't a dream, just an observation from figures banded around the webs. again whether their true or not is another matter.

[TheWizard]

I read somewhere that AMD recommends Far Cry 2 as a benchmark. They really need to drop that one lol.

Care to say where you read this? I am sure AMD have their reason i.e. their card is faster in FC2 than the competitor but if this ploy was indeed used, its not the first or the last time to be used by anyone. NVIDIA have done the same in past cases.

[Jimbo75]

Care to say where you read this? I am sure AMD have their reason i.e. their card is faster in FC2 than the competitor but if this ploy was indeed used, its not the first or the last time to be used by anyone. NVIDIA have done the same in past cases.

It's not, farcry 2 is pretty much AMD's worst game, hence why they need to drop it. I read it on beyond3d I think, from Carsten who does the pcgh reviews I believe.

[sadbuttrue]

http://www.scan.co.uk/products/1gb-g...s-dl-dvi-mhdmi

1GB Gigabyte NVIDIA GTX 460 OC Graphics Card - £123.92 delivered

Let the price war commence

[Terbinator]

£123 :|

Hmmm, not sure if should take the dive.

[Jimbo75]

Looks like a good buy to me. I'd take that over a £150 6850 anyway, at £135 or so it's a close call.

[TheWizard]

http://www.scan.co.uk/products/1gb-g...s-dl-dvi-mhdmi

1GB Gigabyte NVIDIA GTX 460 OC Graphics Card - £123.92 delivered

Let the price war commence

Thats more like it. Gainward wants to capture the marketshare in EU zone which is more than likely the reason for such a price cut. I believe those cards were going for £158... thats over £30 cut. Excellent news indeed.

The interesting thing now is if AMD counters this with "price cut" and the cards go down to around £130. Single connector vs dual connector... I don't know yet - my XFX sits snugly in the packaging that it came with.

[sadbuttrue]

Looks to have been a pricing error tbh. Back up to £152 now.

[Terbinator]

Looks to have been a pricing error tbh. Back up to £152 now.

Maybe someone flipped the switch before they was supposed too.

I hope anyway

[ianshep57]

Maybe someone flipped the switch before they was supposed too.

I hope anyway

I have just been into the scan store,it was indeed a pricing error,back up to £152 now but now out of stock as well

[Tarinder]

Thanks for being transparent Tarinder.

I've also noticed 3Dmark vantage has appeared in the test suite, while the gaming suite has changed dropping crysis warhead battlefield and Dirt 2, and adding Just Cause 2 and Mafia 2. I know you state the gaming suite is in flux, but could you also tell us if any company recommends you use particular benchmarks for their cards? (Absolutely NOT implying you are by the way!)

3DMark was only included for the reference cards; it won't be included in future reviews.

Yup, AMD and NVIDIA both have a list of preferred titles.

Call of Duty: Black Ops will definitely replace MW2.

I've spent a while looking into Civilization V and cannot get repeatable results each time. CrossFire scaling is also erroneous compared to the numbers AMD gets.

F1 2010 DX11 will be in, when the patch arrives.

Medal of Honor isn't much cop.

Anyone want to see Crysis Warhead back in?

[miniyazz]

I'd consider it worth having the most demanding game in the benchmark. Obviously it might not be entirely clear which game this is, and may change with different quality settings, but presuming Crysis: Warhead is up there, IMO it should remain in until clearly superceded by a more demanding game still. Your decision, of course

[Terbinator]

I'd consider it worth having the most demanding game in the benchmark. Obviously it might not be entirely clear which game this is, and may change with different quality settings, but presuming Crysis: Warhead is up there, IMO it should remain in until clearly superceded by a more demanding game still. Your decision, of course

Metro 2033

Curious how your going to benchmark F1 2010. Also, bring back Dirt 2!