# HD4890 or GTX 275



## mab1376 (Apr 11, 2009)

I'm looking to buy one of these for an upgrade, I usually play all my games at 1920x1200.

Which do you think would be best?


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## a_ump (Apr 11, 2009)

GTX 275 for sure, the 896mb one also. I don't thk there is much advantage to be had from more memory on that card with that bus width


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## alexp999 (Apr 11, 2009)

a_ump said:


> GTX 275 for sure, the 896mb one also. jI don't thk there is much advantage to be had from more memory on that card with that bus width



+1. Its what I would get.


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## Tatty_One (Apr 11, 2009)

Either way they are fairly close performance wise, I have the Palit GTX275 with the 3rd party cooler which is excellent, I play at 1900 Res and with 4xAA and 16xAF with Max detail in COD WaW the fan never spins above 60% and temps stay in the 50's and idle at 30C   It's a great card!

In the UK, I found my 275 cheaper than the cheapest 4890, if it's the other way round for you then it's more of a difficult decision.


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## btarunr (Apr 11, 2009)

I'd pick GTX 275 1792. It's (relatively) a good bargain, and the extra memory helps at high-resolutions.


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## Marineborn (Apr 11, 2009)

honestly id go with the 4890, seeing if your looking for something that can easily break 1gig gpu, without much of a sweat, and if so get the asus version with the voltage tweak mod, plus them 4890 have the havok chip on them which is gonna most likely be patched in 9.5 Its gonna be fricking sweet, them 4890's are gonna start ball stomping!


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## oli_ramsay (Apr 11, 2009)

4890


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## DrPepper (Apr 11, 2009)

Marineborn said:


> 4890 have the havok chip on them which is gonna most likely be patched in 9.5 Its gonna be fricking sweet, them 4890's are gonna start ball stomping!



What havok chip ? I've never heard of it.

I'd get the GTX275 with the 1.7gb of vram. My gtx260 kicked ass and this card kicks more ass.


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## iandh (Apr 11, 2009)

I would say 4890 depending on what type of deal you are able to get. I got mine for $242-$25 instant coupon + free shipping so it was pretty much a no-brainer in comparison to the 275. If you are paying MSRP on both, then things get blurry.


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## Marineborn (Apr 11, 2009)

DrPepper said:


> What havok chip ? I've never heard of it.
> 
> I'd get the GTX275 with the 1.7gb of vram. My gtx260 kicked ass and this card kicks more ass.



its there comeback at nvidia's ageia physx, and in my honest opinion, i would take havok physics that have been around for ages over ageia.


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## DrPepper (Apr 11, 2009)

Marineborn said:


> its there comeback at nvidia's ageia physx, and in my honest opinion, i would take havok physics that have been around for ages over ageia.



Ah right I thought there was an actual chip on the gpu that was dedicated for that I was like omg need to see!!! I can't tell the difference between the two physX engines really.


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## Marineborn (Apr 11, 2009)

DrPepper said:


> Ah right I thought there was an actual chip on the gpu that was dedicated for that I was like omg need to see!!! I can't tell the difference between the two physX engines really.



ill try to find the article, give me a second i think there might be a chip, dont quote me on this, me memory is not the greatest


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## r9 (Apr 11, 2009)

I just know that MSI GTX 260 216 OC edition is 159$ after mir that is sick cheap.


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## iandh (Apr 11, 2009)

DrPepper said:


> Ah right I thought there was an actual chip on the gpu that was dedicated for that I was like omg need to see!!! I can't tell the difference between the two physX engines really.



From what I've seen physx seems to like flappy cloth like or liquid things more than havok... havok seems to like lots and lots of wireframes flying all over the place.


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## Marineborn (Apr 11, 2009)

heres the article..

http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=88739&highlight=havok


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## MKmods (Apr 11, 2009)

lol, im happy with my 9600s.. I cant even imagine what having a monster card would be like
(I have to imagine either card would be an excellent choice)


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## iandh (Apr 11, 2009)

MKmods said:


> lol, im happy with my 9600s.. I cant even imagine what having a monster card would be like(I have to imaging either card would be an excellent choice)



Well, TBH it really isn't all that cool when the only game you play is L4D that could run on a 7600GT. 

I guess I am comforted knowing I _could_ fire up Crysis:WH if I wanted.


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## MKmods (Apr 11, 2009)

One thing I noticed (very nice) is the 4890 seems shorter than the GTX series.

I fricken love the ease of use with Nvidias drivers but if they continue to stretch their cards so long pretty soon no case will house them.


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## a_ump (Apr 11, 2009)

lol, yea. i still wonder when dual-core gpus will be produced. there were rumors of AMD making a dual core gpu Pentium D style but i don't thk that's so anymore


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## Kursah (Apr 11, 2009)

I voted for the GTX275 896Mb card, faster than a GTX280 with a little less memory, the smaller 55nm fab, and solid stock cooling solution when ramped up to 60-70% fan speed. My GTX260 still impresses me at how powerful it is and how well it performs, granted I'm only gaming at 1680x1050 now and my new Asus 24" is a 16:9 that does only 1920x1080, should be fine there too. NV Drivers are solid and easy to work with, folding is definately a plus for both sides now. The 4890 is a damn solid card too, a lot of people are bragging about the 1GHz OC...which is good and great, but I've seen many struggle to get that far at this point. Out of the 3 options you have, the larger framebuffer if 1700MB would be good, but imo I don't think it'd be necessary as almost 1GB should be enough for most modern games now and into the future, you have 6GB of ram, I'd say beyond this getting a quad would be the next step worth taking for future gaming. Every card you chose will perform very well, I'd say take a look at TPU's reviews of GTX275's and 4890's too, I haven't done much more than skim at reviews recently, but I definately prefer TPU's reviews and graphs. A lot of good info and help to be had either direction, I don't necessarily think there is a clear winner, but I would ditch spending extra on the larger frame-buffer model and save that for a future quad core (even a q6600) to replace that e6600. It does help with some games now to have more cores and will definately in the future.


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## Homeless (Apr 11, 2009)

I would get the 4890 as i've seen it as much as $50 cheaper than the gtx 275


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## mab1376 (Apr 11, 2009)

well beased on the remarkable amount of replies im going to get the GTX275 896MB, im gonna start shopping now and i'll make my final decision tomorrow, if anyone has any input on which i should go with let me know.


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## Kursah (Apr 11, 2009)

Don't waste your money getting a pre-OC'd one, sure if it's cheaper or the same price as a regular version, fine. Pre-OC'd are generally just a change in bios clocks, you might get a better binned GPU, but the way the GTX GPU's increase in steps (generally +/- 15-20MHz), a better binned chip might not have enough to get to that next step. These cards seem to OC very similar to my GTX. But a regular GTX275 will treat you quite well and should be very oc-able, at least to the point of the fastest pre-oc'd 275 on the market if not quite a bit more.

EVGA is a great brand to go with, I will buy my next vid cards from them without a doubt, I'd spend an extra 10-20 bucks just because of how well they've treated me, how easy step up was, and how fast they respond to questions and inquiries, plus lifetime warranty is always good!


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## Jeffredo (Apr 11, 2009)

If I were in the market today I would get an HD 4890.  There is a really good deal at http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?name=XFX-4890 on an XFX (good warranty) - after the 5% cash back from live search and the $20 off any video card over $200 promo code (20bunny) it would come to just *$195.15*! 

I like Nvidia products but I'm not crazy.


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## LittleLizard (Apr 11, 2009)

4890. better if is the asus one and OC LIKE HELL!


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## ShadowFold (Apr 11, 2009)

HD 4890 has better tech and it's definitely faster.


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## Jeffredo (Apr 11, 2009)

ShadowFold said:


> HD 4890 has better tech and it's definitely faster.



Wrong on both counts.  "Tech" is no more current or better and its "definitely faster" under the usual ATI friendly games.  Under Nvidia friendly games its not.

But it is HELLA cheaper at the moment.  And since they are pretty much the same that's what counts.  All things being equal - go for the best deal.  And right now the best deal is the HD 4890.


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## Tatty_One (Apr 12, 2009)

ShadowFold said:


> HD 4890 has better tech and it's definitely faster.



Lol, I just read 4 reviews and the 4890 lost out in all of them, I agree though, if they overclock well then they may well be competative...... like I said earlier, I would go for the cheapest out of the 2, there is not a great deal in it, in UK the 275 is the cheaper so thats what I went for, still got the trusty x2 though!


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## ShadowFold (Apr 12, 2009)

They're faster when you up the voltage and clock that sucker to 1.1ghz  That's what I mean, and the better tech, it's got a built in voltage changer thing, can't get much better than that.


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## Tatty_One (Apr 12, 2009)

ShadowFold said:


> They're faster when you up the voltage and clock that sucker to 1.1ghz  That's what I mean, and the better tech, it's got a built in voltage changer thing, can't get much better than that.



You mean Asus has got the voltage adjustment, not all 4890's, and contrary to popular belief, the majority of them dont hit 1000mhz from what I have read, if they do though, i agree they would definatly give an overclocked 275 a run for their money!


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## BrooksyX (Apr 12, 2009)

I say 4890. But ill admit it. I am an Ati fanbay.


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## ShadowFold (Apr 12, 2009)

The ones that are out now are all identical reference designs. So until some official software comes out, just flash the bios to an ASUS 4890.


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## Tatty_One (Apr 12, 2009)

BrooksyX said:


> I say 4890. But ill admit it. I am an Ati fanbay.



So am I...... but the 275 is still the better card


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## BrooksyX (Apr 12, 2009)

Tatty_One said:


> So am I...... but the 275 is still the better card



Yeah but the 4890 is about $50 cheaper if you shop around. Is the 275 50 bucks better?


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## ShadowFold (Apr 12, 2009)

I would say it's not worth it. My 4870 1gb can max Crysis, Stalker, Left 4 Dead at 1920x1080 with AA and I get 60+ fps. Just get what's cheap, use the rest of the money to buy a game.


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## EastCoasthandle (Apr 12, 2009)

Jeffredo said:


> If I were in the market today I would get an HD 4890.  There is a really good deal at http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?name=XFX-4890 on an XFX (good warranty) - after the 5% cash back from live search and the $20 off any video card over $200 promo code (20bunny) it would come to just *$195.15*!
> 
> I like Nvidia products but I'm not crazy.



This is a very good deal!


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## BrooksyX (Apr 12, 2009)

EastCoasthandle said:


> This is a very good deal!



It really is. I would be tempted to jump on it myself but I just found out today that I got accepted in to WSU. No more spending money on computer stuff for me. Gotta start saving.


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## Tatty_One (Apr 12, 2009)

BrooksyX said:


> Yeah but the 4890 is about $50 cheaper if you shop around. Is the 275 50 bucks better?



No I doubt it, as i said before, it's the other way round in UK, the 275 is a little cheaper.


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## Jeffredo (Apr 12, 2009)

BrooksyX said:


> It really is. I would be tempted to jump on it myself but *I just found out today that I got accepted in to WSU*. No more spending money on computer stuff for me. Gotta start saving.



  Awesome!  Good luck in college (and have fun in Seattle )!


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## BrooksyX (Apr 12, 2009)

Jeffredo said:


> Awesome!  Good luck in college (and have fun in Seattle )!



Thanks. Oh and your thinking of UW. I'm going to WSU in Pullman, which is in the northeast corner of Washington. Right below Spokane and like a 5 min drive from Idaho. Its a really cool college town.


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## lemonadesoda (Apr 12, 2009)

I'd go for this one: GTX 275 1792MB 

1./ The larger memory option is better. It wont make much difference in average FPS, but bigger framebuffer/texture memory will help avoid slowdowns. Marginally useful now, but possibly more of a bonus for future games with bigger texture detail offerings esp. at 1920x1200 and higher.

2./ CUDA and physx.  Depending on what game you run, these might make a big difference to your gameplay. Mirrors edge is a popular example. And the more memory, the less interference between graphics memory use and physx memory use keeping frame rates high.

3./ IIRC GTX275 is quieter/cooler. Although it really isnt that cool or quiet. LOL.

4./ Not sure who is winning on the encoding front: which GPU will mp3 and divx encode faster. (Assuming you use the right software).

5./ Remember to look at RECENT REVIEWs with the *new* nV drivers. Performance has increased a lot since those early reviews. Keep that in mind. I'm not sure of the figures but I do believe that with latest drivers the GTX 275 is measurably ahead. No longer neck and neck.


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## Jeffredo (Apr 12, 2009)

BrooksyX said:


> Thanks. Oh and your thinking of UW. I'm going to WSU in Pullman, which is in the northeast corner of Washington. Right below Spokane and like a 5 min drive from Idaho. Its a really cool college town.



Ah, you're right - I was confusing the two.


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## mab1376 (Apr 12, 2009)

lemonadesoda said:


> I'd go for this one: GTX 275 1792MB
> 
> 1./ The larger memory option is better. It wont make much difference in average FPS, but bigger framebuffer/texture memory will help avoid slowdowns. Marginally useful now, but possibly more of a bonus for future games with bigger texture detail offerings esp. at 1920x1200 and higher.
> 
> ...



I just ordered the baseline 896MB eVGA version, since it was easily obtainable and a decent price. $259 on Newegg with COD5 for free. eVGA also released a voltage modification utility so OCing should be sweet especially once i get an aftermarket heat sink on it once one is available.

The only real benefit to the vram i see as far as games are concerned is GTA IV since it uses a ridiculous amount.

The ATi card is appealing but for some reason just doesn't live up to the expectations and the Phyx and overall game support by nvidia is outstanding.

I will be building a HTPC soon and will definitely be using an ATi card for that since ATi has a way better encoding scheme in my opinion


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## btarunr (Apr 12, 2009)

Tatty_One said:


> Lol, I just read 4 reviews and the 4890 lost out in all of them, I agree though, if they overclock well then they may well be competative......



Did you see how far W1z was able to take the Zotac 275 Amp ? That too without any fancy cooling or volt-mods?


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## aCid888* (Apr 12, 2009)

The 275 is a great card and I'm sure you will love it. 


On a side note, I keep hearing the fanboys and their "get a 4890 and clock it to 4.2trillionMHz!!!!11!1111111!@11!1!@11111" yet I see only one person on this forum (tell me if I'm wrong) has managed to nudge 1GHz...even Wiz never managed to get it to 1GHz core. 






I really did hope they would do 1GHz regularly, but it does appear that part was mainly marketing hype and isn't so readily achievable


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## Tatty_One (Apr 12, 2009)

lemonadesoda said:


> I'd go for this one: GTX 275 1792MB
> 
> 1./ The larger memory option is better. It wont make much difference in average FPS, but bigger framebuffer/texture memory will help avoid slowdowns. Marginally useful now, but possibly more of a bonus for future games with bigger texture detail offerings esp. at 1920x1200 and higher.
> 
> ...



Agreed, I just loaded the new 85.68 beta's and I can already see the difference, also my 275 idles at 30C and hits 50C full load on less than 60% fan speed which is pretty much in-audible.

I must admit honestly though, I couldnt decide between the 2 cards, the only thing that decided for me was the cheaper price of the 275, I would have been happy with either but I will probably sell it in a couple of weeks anyways as I think I will keep my x2.


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## grunt_408 (Apr 12, 2009)

RED Team for sure


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## eidairaman1 (Apr 12, 2009)

aCid888* said:


> The 275 is a great card and I'm sure you will love it.
> 
> 
> On a side note, I keep hearing the fanboys and their "get a 4890 and clock it to 4.2trillionMHz!!!!11!1111111!@11!1!@11111" yet I see only one person on this forum (tell me if I'm wrong) has managed to nudge 1GHz...even Wiz never managed to get it to 1GHz core.
> ...



and your no better than they are


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## Hayder_Master (Apr 12, 2009)

maybe you see a bit performance in gtx275 , but my vote go for DX 10.1


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## wiak (Apr 12, 2009)

HD 4890 uses latest technology, GTX 275 does not


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## DrPepper (Apr 12, 2009)

wiak said:


> HD 4890 uses latest technology, GTX 275 does not



The only thing that matters is the FPS. The GTX275 beats the 4890 asfaik.


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## aCid888* (Apr 12, 2009)

eidairaman1 said:


> and your no better than they are



Your comment is helpful. 

If you checked my SysSpecs you'd see I support both camps....get your facts worked out next time or read more than at least one of my posts.


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## Registrat (Apr 12, 2009)

Way too closely matched in performance. Just get the cheaper one, aka the 4890 (for now)

90+% of the tests have either card tied or 1-2 fps differences are present. In terms of power one uses a lot more in load (PSU considerations) and the other idle (manual downclock using tools are a "hassle" according to nVidia users), compromise between thermals and acoustics are BOTH reasonable too.


So get the cheaper one and spend the rest on a nice dinner and such. You won't feel better paying extra, this I tell ya.


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## mab1376 (Apr 12, 2009)

Due to the overwhelming responses I changed my order to this card http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121308


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## btarunr (Apr 12, 2009)

When I make a public-visible poll, I look for who chose what, and for what reason (posted). I really hope it's not too late for this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814143183

If it is, you still have a decent card (vTweak).


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## aCid888* (Apr 12, 2009)

Save even more money and buy this
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131148

The extra cash could go to something else you want.


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## eidairaman1 (Apr 12, 2009)

DrPepper said:


> The only thing that matters is the FPS. The GTX275 beats the 4890 asfaik.



So explain why the 4890 Crossfire Beats the 295 when both are technically 2 cards.


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## TooFast (Apr 13, 2009)

go for the 4890! dx10.1, better overclocking. plus nothing can beat 2 of these!!!!!


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## iandh (Apr 13, 2009)

I'd like to add that at this point, it is hard to make a call on which card is faster based on drivers. We've already seen the difference that one month makes.

The 4890 supposedly has no architectural performance enhancements but in some games it inexplicably does better than 4870 even when the two are clocked same. I would say anyone making a judgement of "faster" should really hold their horses.

As far as heat/noise issues, I have owned GTX 280, 260, 260 55nm, and HD 4870, 4890, and they are all essentially identical in terms of heat and noise. The NV cards are _slightly_ quieter, and I mean _slightly._ Unless you wear your computer as a hat, have embarrisingly poor case airflow, or have one of those cheesy hearing enhancers seen on late night infomercials, there is little chance that will be much of a concern.


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## DrPepper (Apr 13, 2009)

eidairaman1 said:


> So explain why the 4890 Crossfire Beats the 295 when both are technically 2 cards.



Fairydust by the red camp. I think ATI has better crossfire optimizations plus it has the benefit of using two x16 pci-e slots while the 295 only uses one.


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## eidairaman1 (Apr 13, 2009)

whats the diff, the 295 uses a PCI E Bus on the PCBs themselves where the Crossfire boards use the NB, so there really isnt much diff.


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## DrPepper (Apr 13, 2009)

eidairaman1 said:


> whats the diff, the 295 uses a PCI E Bus on the PCBs themselves where the Crossfire boards use the NB, so there really isnt much diff.



Good point I was tired when I wrote that 

I think the drivers still haven't matured for the 295. I don't know why I even care about that I don't have my 260


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## eidairaman1 (Apr 13, 2009)

It Broke!?

Ouch, that really sux

4890 is newer board so i dont expect drivers to be perfect for it either but i guess Crossfire is finally making strides.

I expect Sapphire to be the manufacturer to release a 4890X2.


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## DrPepper (Apr 13, 2009)

eidairaman1 said:


> It Broke!?
> 
> Ouch, that really sux
> 
> ...



Yeah its been broke for ages and ocuk are taking thier time replacing it been a month now


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## eidairaman1 (Apr 13, 2009)

Ya that happened to my First Sapphire 1950 Pro, started causing POST to complete very slow or not complete at all, I RMAd and low and behold it took some time- like 1 month but it was expected because the board had to go to HK. I hope you get a perfect board, because Im not trusting Etailers with RMAs. I trust the Manufacturers- Because I got the board back and it was the Second Gen and it runs Flawlessly to this day, i play COD4 on it with Nary a problem (believe weakness is the CPU/Mobo atm)


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## DrPepper (Apr 13, 2009)

eidairaman1 said:


> Ya that happened to my First Sapphire 1950 Pro, started causing POST to complete very slow or not complete at all, I RMAd and low and behold it took some time- like 1 month but it was expected because the board had to go to HK. I hope you get a perfect board, because Im not trusting Etailers with RMAs. I trust the Manufacturers- Because I got the board back and it was the Second Gen and it runs Flawlessly to this day, i play COD4 on it with Nary a problem (believe weakness is the CPU/Mobo atm)



It went to EVGA Germany. I hope they give me my board back because I am sick and tired of playing everything on the 3450. The guy at ocuk said that after 28 days they will let me pick another card worth the same  GTX275 anyone ? or possibly the 4890 since I have a crossfire board now.


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## eidairaman1 (Apr 13, 2009)

if your going to do that, get Driver Sweeper, Driver Cleaner Pro, and also Follow Tweakguides Driver Removal Proceduces for Both NV and ATI cards. Trust me doin that stuff enabled a flawless Driver Transition, also for additional measures, Reinstall the motherboard driver that controls the PCI E slots if any (GART-like driver?)


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## DrPepper (Apr 13, 2009)

eidairaman1 said:


> if your going to do that, get Driver Sweeper, Driver Cleaner Pro, and also Follow Tweakguides Driver Removal Proceduces for Both NV and ATI cards. Trust me doin that stuff enabled a flawless Driver Transition, also for additional measures, Reinstall the motherboard driver that controls the PCI E slots if any (GART-like driver?)



I need to reformat anyway this install feels wierd plus I get a lot of wierd errors. I reformat after every hardware change anyway although I'l keep that in mind for future.


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## Binge (Apr 13, 2009)

wiak said:


> HD 4890 uses latest technology, GTX 275 does not



Proof?


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## DrPepper (Apr 13, 2009)

Binge said:


> Proof?



I think he means GDDR5.


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## yogurt_21 (Apr 13, 2009)

DrPepper said:


> I think he means GDDR5.



umm that's retarded their both using unified shader architecture each done differently but works well. i don't see how you can call one new and the other old when both came out with their unified architecture around the same time. tech wise both are using carhcitectures setup by the 8800/2900 series obviously ati has come along way from the 2900xt fiasco but that doens't make it new tech compared to nvidias. 

memory type doesn't really seem to matter too much considerieng a 4850 can match a 4870's performance (and sometimes beat it) when clocked the same. it comes down to the core which as I said before both are operating on revisions of the technoilogy setup by the 8800/2900.


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## DrPepper (Apr 13, 2009)

yogurt_21 said:


> umm that's retarded their both using unified shader architecture each done differently but works well. i don't see how you can call one new and the other old when both came out with their unified architecture around the same time. tech wise both are using carhcitectures setup by the 8800/2900 series obviously ati has come along way from the 2900xt fiasco but that doens't make it new tech compared to nvidias.
> 
> memory type doesn't really seem to matter too much considerieng a 4850 can match a 4870's performance (and sometimes beat it) when clocked the same. it comes down to the core which as I said before both are operating on revisions of the technoilogy setup by the 8800/2900.



I didn't say it was old tech it was wiak.


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## Binge (Apr 13, 2009)

275 and 4890 are also newer refined architecture of their old GPUs, and you know what could also be considered older technology is a restrictive 512MB of bandwidth.


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## yogurt_21 (Apr 13, 2009)

DrPepper said:


> I didn't say it was old tech it was wiak.



oops sorry.


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## DrPepper (Apr 13, 2009)

yogurt_21 said:


> oops sorry.



its ok


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## newtekie1 (Apr 13, 2009)

I went with the GTX 275, only because it offers marginally better performance.  Honestly though, go with whichever is cheaper.



eidairaman1 said:


> So explain why the 4890 Crossfire Beats the 295 when both are technically 2 cards.



AFAIK, this isn't a discussion about crossfire results, the OP is looking for a single card solution.  And since the OP has an SLi motherboard, crossfire results become even less important...

However, I will humor you and explain why two cards performance better than one.

The single card, even though it is essentially two GTX275 cards, it has to share a single PCI-E x16 slot.  This effectively gives each core the bandwidth of a PCI-E x8 slot.  It has been shown many times, that SLi and Crossfire both lose performance in situations like this.

Now two HD4890's in two different PCI-E x16 slots, provides the full PCI-E x16 bandwidth to each core.


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## Binge (Apr 13, 2009)

295s are clocked VERY slow in comparison to a 275, and use very low voltage.  My OC results will beat a 4890 CF overclocked, but newtekie makes the best point of all.  Love it.


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## newtekie1 (Apr 13, 2009)

Binge said:


> 295s are clocked VERY slow in comparison to a 275, and use very low voltage.  My OC results will beat a 4890 CF overclocked, but newtekie makes the best point of all.  Love it.



Also very good points, obviously clock speeds and voltages had to be reduced to get the two PCB's to survive in a two slot package.  Dual-Cards do not have to deal with this limitation.

The nearly 60MHz clock speed reduction on the core, nearly 200MHz clock speed reduction on the shaders, and nearly 125Mhz reduction on the memory has a definite affect on performance.


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## btarunr (Apr 13, 2009)

eidairaman1 said:


> So explain why the 4890 Crossfire Beats the 295 when both are technically 2 cards.



Because the GPUs and memory in the GTX 295 are clocked lower than GTX 275. Overclock a GTX 295 to 633/1131 MHz, and you got yourself a match.


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## TooFast (Apr 15, 2009)

the 4890 x2 will own all theses cards... just wait for that.


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## DrPepper (Apr 15, 2009)

TooFast said:


> the 4890 x2 will own all theses cards... just wait for that.



They said there wont be one so don't hold your breath.


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## ShadowFold (Apr 15, 2009)

DrPepper said:


> They said there wont be one so don't hold your breath.



Today they said they were going to make it


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## newtekie1 (Apr 15, 2009)

ShadowFold said:


> Today they said they were going to make it



No, Tom's reported that AMD said they were going to make one...of course Tom's tends to just make shit up and call it news a lot of the time too...


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## PCpraiser100 (Apr 15, 2009)

Perhaps the GTX 275 is good for folding and Crysis, however I would go for the HD 4890 for high res games.


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## newtekie1 (Apr 15, 2009)

PCpraiser100 said:


> Perhaps the GTX 275 is good for folding and Crysis, however I would go for the HD 4890 for high res games.



Why?  The GTX275 performs better than the HD4890 all the way up to 1920x1200, how much higher are you talking about?


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## Tatty_One (Apr 15, 2009)

newtekie1 said:


> Why?  The GTX275 performs better than the HD4890 all the way up to 1920x1200, how much higher are you talking about?



Beat me to it


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## mab1376 (Apr 15, 2009)

I must say the HD4890 has not disappointed, I played everything I could think of yesterday to test it, and all games ran phenomenal, including GTA IV at 1920x1200.

I also overclocked the card to 975MHz core and 1150MHz RAM (4600GHz effective) (1.375vcore) which gave a significant boost. (std clocks are 850MHz core and 975MHz ram).

It does run a little hot (like a space heater behind my PC) which I believe an aftermarket cooler should fix that, such as the AC Accelero twin turbo.


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## cowie (Apr 15, 2009)

i like the cards equal but i have limited knowledge with ati drivers and the ccc cp and that pisses my off sometimes.
for clock speeds the 275 does not run 1000+ lik the 4890 but out of the box 770/1270 is ok.
i dont play many games,i just run a few benches here and there.
i'm leaning to the 275,but others may feel different


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## mab1376 (Apr 15, 2009)

cowie said:


> i like the cards equal but i have limited knowledge with ati drivers and the ccc cp and that pisses my off sometimes.
> for clock speeds the 275 does not run 1000+ lik the 4890 but out of the box 770/1270 is ok.
> i dont play many games,i just run a few benches here and there.
> i'm leaning to the 275,but others may feel different



I bought the 275 and exchanged for the 4890, I would have gotten the 1792MB version but I couldn't find one, oh well.

I cant want to do crossfire!!  Just gotta buy the rest of my PC, (probably in July-ish)


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## 3870x2 (Apr 15, 2009)

I voted 4890 also.  With GDDR5, Havok, voltage tweak, and DX10.1, it all is newer technology, and I believe, by personal speculation, that It will go further in being a better buy in the future.  I feel that it will be worth more than the GTX275 in 4-5 months down the road.  It doesn't help that Nvidia will end up with a GTX 235 240 245 *250* 255 *260* 265 270 *275* *280* *285* 290 *295*, with just a few more to go to complete the series of the most forgettable graphics lineup known to man


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## Pickles Von Brine (Apr 15, 2009)

Get a GTX260 (and maybe in SLI) or a 4890. Those boys will eat a GTX275 alive and a 4890 runs close to a GTX275 performance wise (until you OC it to 1000 core).


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## newtekie1 (Apr 15, 2009)

3870x2 said:


> With GDDR5, Havok, voltage tweak, and DX10.1, it all is newer technology



Newer, but not worth anything.  

GDDR5 is nothing more than marketting, it adds little to these higher end GPUs because they aren't memory bandwidth starved.  So it really comes down to nothing more than marketting.  If the GDDR3 cards are still outperforming the GDDR5 cards, claiming GDDR5 makes the cards magically worth more isn't accurate.

Havok...well Havok is a lot older than Physx...so all I can say about that is...get your facts straight.

And DX10.1 is turning out to be totally useless as game developers seem to be completely ignoring it, in fact some have even gone as far as removing DX10.1 features from their games...

It all comes down to performance, none of this gimmicky crap matters.  The two cards perform almost identically, so the best buy is whichever is cheapest.


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## Tatty_One (Apr 15, 2009)

3870x2 said:


> I voted 4890 also.  With GDDR5, Havok, voltage tweak, and DX10.1, it all is newer technology, and I believe, by personal speculation, that It will go further in being a better buy in the future.  I feel that it will be worth more than the GTX275 in 4-5 months down the road.  It doesn't help that Nvidia will end up with a GTX 235 240 245 *250* 255 *260* 265 270 *275* *280* *285* 290 *295*, with just a few more to go to complete the series of the most forgettable graphics lineup known to man



So pretty similar then to HD4650, HD4670, HD4830, HD4850, HD4870, HD4890, HD4850x2, HD4870x2? ........... ahhh look, ATi ACTUALLY has more cards released in it's HD4 range than NVidia does in it's GT200 range (as of today), ohhh sorry I forgot, it's OK for ATi to have a mediocre multi model range


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## Registrat (Apr 15, 2009)

Tatty_One said:


> So pretty similar then to HD4650, HD4670, HD4830, HD4850, HD4870, HD4890, HD4850x2, HD4870x2? ........... ahhh look, ATi ACTUALLY has more cards released in it's HD4 range than NVidia does in it's GT200 range (as of today), ohhh sorry I forgot, it's OK for ATi to have a mediocre multi model range



You forgot 100 120 130 150, and 9800GTX+ 9800GTX 9800GT 9600GT 9600GSO 9500GT 9400GS

Catch is nVidia has MULTIPLE model ranges that they continue making cards for and support.


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## cowie (Apr 15, 2009)

newtekie1 said:


> Newer, but not worth anything.
> 
> It all comes down to performance, none of this gimmicky crap matters.  The two cards perform almost identically, so the best buy is whichever is cheapest.



that somes it up pretty much.


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## 3870x2 (Apr 15, 2009)

Wow newtekie, manners at the table please!
I should specify that when havok is utilized, there will be advancements in the current technology that the card has, making it have more value.
I guess I should be ready for fanboy hits....   BTW before any more sharks come towards my 'tube, i should mention that i have a 9800GX2, b4 that an 8800GTS 512, and 7900GS b4 that?



Tatty_One said:


> So pretty similar then to HD4650, HD4670, HD4830, HD4850, HD4870, HD4890, HD4850x2, HD4870x2? ........... ahhh look, ATi ACTUALLY has more cards released in it's HD4 range than NVidia does in it's GT200 range (as of today), ohhh sorry I forgot, it's OK for ATi to have a mediocre multi model range



not necessarily.  If you look, the HD46xx series cards are more HTPC type of cards, meanwhile the cards I specified are not only much higher priced than the hd46xx series, they are performance oriented.

any more care to attack me?¿? all in good fun I guess.


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## DrPepper (Apr 15, 2009)

3870x2 said:


> Wow newtekie, manners at the table please!
> I should specify that when havok is utilized, there will be advancements in the current technology that the card has, making it have more value.
> I guess I should be ready for fanboy hits....   BTW before any more sharks come towards my 'tube, i should mention that i have a 9800GX2, b4 that an 8800GTS 512, and 7900GS b4 that?
> 
> ...



Grabs his big stick for bashing heads in


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## boredgunner (Apr 15, 2009)

GTX 275.  Better performer, more efficient, runs cooler, and can run PhysX games much better.


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## Tatty_One (Apr 15, 2009)

Registrat said:


> You forgot 100 120 130 150, and 9800GTX+ 9800GTX 9800GT 9600GT 9600GSO 9500GT 9400GS
> 
> Catch is nVidia has MULTIPLE model ranges that they continue making cards for and support.



Lol, did you not know you can still by all the models from the HD3 series?, that argument could go on forever, the point is, current gen range, the practices between the 2 are pretty similar, yes the main difference is that NVidia actually rename theirs but in fact, they sometimes actually improve them also, personally I dont like the practice but it's not all one sided here.


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## Tatty_One (Apr 15, 2009)

3870x2 said:


> Wow newtekie, manners at the table please!
> I should specify that when havok is utilized, there will be advancements in the current technology that the card has, making it have more value.
> I guess I should be ready for fanboy hits....   BTW before any more sharks come towards my 'tube, i should mention that i have a 9800GX2, b4 that an 8800GTS 512, and 7900GS b4 that?
> 
> ...



Fanboy hits?  Check my specs   Does it really mattter whether they are HTPC "type" cards, they are all cards in a range, my point was only made because your origional point was purely one sided and fanboyish or at least it came across that way but it's good to liven things up once in a while


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## newtekie1 (Apr 15, 2009)

3870x2 said:


> I should specify that when havok is utilized, there will be advancements in the current technology that the card has, making it have more value.



I find this happens alot when people are trying to make ATi cards look like better buys then they really are.  The "once X technology gets implemented Y card will be so much better" argument always comes up.  It isn't a legit argument, buying a card now in hopes of technology being implemented to make it better isn't smart.  How many are still waiting for Sideport to be enabled on the HD4870x2?  That was supposed to make the cards so much better...and a year later it still hasn't come.

On top of that, using the argument with havok is very odd, and then claiming it is new technology is even worse.  All havok implementation on ATi cards is, is taking physic APIs and running them on the GPU using streams.  Sounds a lot like PhysX running on CUDA, doesn't it?  Well that would be because it is.  This "advancement" that makes the card more valuable, has already been implemented on nVidia cards, so they are already more valuable by your logic.




3870x2 said:


> not necessarily.  If you look, the HD46xx series cards are more HTPC type of cards, meanwhile the cards I specified are not only much higher priced than the hd46xx series, they are performance oriented.
> 
> any more care to attack me?¿? all in good fun I guess.



Of course you only actually specified 5 cards that exist, and made the rest up.  And of the 5 you mentioned, one has already been replaced in the lineup.

Of course nVidia is going to have more cards, their performance barrier is higher, if you look just between the $90 to $500 price points, which is where the HD4800 series occupies you get:

HD4870x2
HD4850x2
HD4890
HD4870
HD4850
HD4830

GTX295
GTX285
GTX275
GTX260
GTS250
9800GT

Looks about even to me, I'll even give you the GTX295, which is beyond the $500 price point.

Though in the end, I still fail to see where how many different cards are available has anything to do with HD4890 vs. GTX275, or why it was even brought up.


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## wolf (Apr 16, 2009)

GTX295 ftw, equals or bests a hairdryer/turbojet 4890 easy.

its a simple choice, if you value your sanity.


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## iandh (Apr 18, 2009)

wolf said:


> GTX295 ftw, equals or bests a hairdryer/turbojet 4890 easy.
> 
> its a simple choice, if you value your sanity.



Umm, have you owned a 4890?

I've used or owned 4830,4850,4870,4890, and GTX 260,260 55nm, 280, 285, 295, and if anything is a is a hairdryer out of all of those, it is the 295.

The reviews claim that 4890 is loud, I have both 4870 and 4890 here and they are exactly the same. My 4890 even runs cooler at stock fan settings than the 4870. A LOT cooler.


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## ShadowFold (Apr 18, 2009)

wolf said:


> GTX295 ftw, equals or bests a hairdryer/turbojet 4890 easy.
> 
> its a simple choice, if you value your sanity.



Noise makes me sane. I'm a sedatphobist


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## dccmadams (Apr 18, 2009)

2 4890s....I have a stepup gtx 275 on the way from evga......I may sell and get 2 hd 4770 cards for my son's pc....don't know which would do better...gtx 275, or hd 4770 cf.

My 4890s dont go over 35% fan on auto, they stay cool and quiet...I am surprised really.....thought iI would need aftermarket hs to keep noise down, but no louder than the gtx 285 I had while gaming anyway.


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