nVIDIA, AMD, what are the pros and cons of each side?

[chinmi]

The card has the performance you need within your budget.

As for reviews, look here: http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/

Agree with this. For your budget, the 290 is the best bang for the buck.

 

[Exodus]

Check out the review section that I posted above for the R9 290. The reviews list various games and the performance you get in them.

The GTX 770 costs the same as a R9 290... but gives you less performance. You don't want that.


I remember having that issue once in a while while using Internet Explorer a way back. I don't use IE now, no problems.

The gtx 770 is like 50$ less than the R9 290 and for the same price I could get the Evga 4gb classified edition or FTW edtion. Those ones:

- http://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-video-card-04gp43777kr
- http://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-video-card-04gp43776kr
- http://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-video-card-04gp43778kr

I've read that high end gtx 770 can get the same performances and sometime even better if overclocked than a r9 290. Is it true?

so then both brand does it, i never ran into a driver problem or card problem from my 1st nV card or ATI/AMD card until today, except BSOD while i was being a bit too optimistic with OC'ing.
driver tweak with AMD to get it right? never had one, CFX problem? ok some little stuttering but case per case and the issue is going less and less since a while, SLI problems, except a little overheat problem when i ran a GTX580 Matrix never had one (2x3 slots is insane ) youtube well as erocker wrote: no IE no problems

100-120fps nope and neither with Nvidia (unless 690/Titan Z/7990/295X2 and then you face SLI/CFX problem as they are dual gpu board but as said CFX/SLI problems tend to get better with time) the thing is once above 30fps you notice more smoothness but your eyes make no difference 50-60fps is good enough (unless you run in med/low settings ofc and then 100fps+ is attainable)

equivalent to the 290 then : on the same perf level (but not price) 780/Titan, higher perf level (and totally not the same price price/perf ratio) 780Ti/Titan Black

PhysX hum ... no game that ask me to install PhysX driver bother me, calculation by CPU and i have a AMD FX 6300 (which is "way" weaker than what you plan to get) so PhysX is not a valid enough argument.
Tesselation nVidia does it a bit better but except for some heavy tesselated benchies no games is a problem with it.

Wait, you can make physX work on the CPU? Do you still have good perfs? And if I can't get 100-120 fps on a game, than doesn't a 120hz monitor become kind of pointless? Do you think I should get a IPS/1040p monitor instead?

Questions like these I usually tell them to get the best their budget permits be it nvidia or amd. If they are dead close in terms of price, then there goes reviews.

In my case what do you think it would be and why?

 

[GreiverBlade]

That said, I just saw an EVGA 780 non reference card that's only slightly over your budget on Newegg's Shell Shocker for $475 w/ MIR. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...4130951&cm_re=evga_780-_-14-130-951-_-Product

They also have an MSI 780 that's well within your max budget, but it's clocked lower and not reviewed as well. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127746&cm_re=GTX_780-_-14-127-746-_-Product
.

too bad those 2 are still at a higher price than a R9 290 and doesn't beat one.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...4202080R&cm_re=r9_290-_-14-202-080R-_-Product
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131569&cm_re=r9_290-_-14-131-569-_-Product
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161453&cm_re=r9_290-_-14-161-453-_-Product
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127774&cm_re=r9_290-_-14-127-774-_-Product (only if its a rev.2)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125500&cm_re=r9_290-_-14-125-500-_-Product
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121842&cm_re=r9_290-_-14-121-842-_-Product
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202103&cm_re=r9_290-_-14-202-103-_-Product

but the OP stated he doesn't trust Newegg

I think a GeForce GTX 770 is a good candidate with oc headroom; easily comparable to a Radeon R9 290 for about $50-80 less.

lol what? a 770 on par with a 290??? i know my 770 AMP! could reach a stock 780 level (which is by incidence the level of a stock 290) but any factory OC custom model of 290 are out of reach of a 770

i had a 770 and now a 290 : day and night, both 2nd hands 250$ for the 770 and 190$ for the 290 (3month of use pristine condition and smooth stable)

for instance i will use Unigine Valley (a more nVidia inclined bench )
ok not so much difference but i use a FX 6300 here and a Xeon E3 1275V2 i wish i still had the Xeon for that test xD but the 290 is a notch above my max OC 770 (yep 50hz more was sadly the max i could get, i had a bad clocker) and is only stock cooler and slight OC

but in any games i play the 290 feels smoother than the 770 (except when i still played WoW:MoP but it's known to run better on nV cards.)

13% more in perf for 5% less in perf/price ratio? pretty clear for me (talking stock ofc ... custom model dig a bit more that difference in both aspect)

PS: a 770 is only a "updated" 680

Wait, you can make physX work on the CPU? Do you still have good perfs? And if I can't get 100-120 fps on a game, than doesn't a 120hz monitor become kind of pointless? Do you think I should get a IPS/1040p monitor instead?

well ... if a game ask me to install PhysX driver (IE: Mass Effect3 did) the PhysX is enable and calculated by CPU (you can also choose that option on nV cards in the driver options.)

and why would you run at 100-120fps constant : it is pointless by default unless benching (for max FPS) no a 120hz monitor isn't pointless even if you run at 60fps FPS=/=refresh rate (hz)

last edit for me it's : 270X=>760=>280X=>770=>780=>290=>Titan=>290X=>780Ti=>Titan black=>7990=>690=>Titan Z=>295X2

 

[Frag_Maniac]

too bad those 2 are still at a higher price than a R9 290 and doesn't beat one.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...4202080R&cm_re=r9_290-_-14-202-080R-_-Product
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131569&cm_re=r9_290-_-14-131-569-_-Product
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161453&cm_re=r9_290-_-14-161-453-_-Product
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127774&cm_re=r9_290-_-14-127-774-_-Product (only if its a rev.2)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125500&cm_re=r9_290-_-14-125-500-_-Product
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121842&cm_re=r9_290-_-14-121-842-_-Product
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202103&cm_re=r9_290-_-14-202-103-_-Product

but the OP stated he doesn't trust Newegg

I was only giving Nvidia examples because it appeared obvious he was leaning that way. Also, of all your examples I'd only trust the MSI, ASUS and Sapphire models you showed, and the 1st two are very close in price and perf to the MSI 780 I listed, and the Sapphire very close in price and perf to the EVGA I listed. The others have very shoddy reviews and aren't much cheaper than the MSI I listed. Hell, don't know if you even noticed but the first one you listed is open box too.

As for his comments on Newegg, don't care, I'm just giving price scenarios, but he is being a bit delusional if he thinks he can work within the budgets he mentioned (with a 120Hz display no less) and get better service and prices elsewhere.

 

[Shambles1980]

i like sapphire for their cooling of cards. usually not to bad designs. usually not very moddable regarding voltage though. and rma is a joke.

 

[GreiverBlade]

Hell, don't know if you even noticed but the first one you listed is open box too.

well if open box means "Demo model" like my usual Retailer does, then it's a new one just been taken out for display and price lowered for obvious reason
ofc a 780 is similar but usually not cheaper i hope the OP can find some 780 at the price you listed, yet even 1% more for a similar price is worth the shot? isn't it

also

I've read that high end gtx 770 can get the same performances and sometime even better if overclocked than a r9 290. Is it true??

well yes ... but if you can OC a 770 to reach a 780/290 level then you can also OC a 780/290 to reach higher... (then the 50$ difference means nothing)

 

[v12dock]

I switched from a 660 to a 280x and it seems smoother. AMD has done a good job with frame pacing issues in their latest drivers.

 

[Jetster]

I took advantage of the Bitcoin bubble and sold my 2 X 7950 and bought a GTX780 with the money. Best decision all year

 

[GhostRyder]

The gtx 770 is like 50$ less than the R9 290 and for the same price I could get the Evga 4gb classified edition or FTW edtion. Those ones:

- http://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-video-card-04gp43777kr
- http://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-video-card-04gp43776kr
- http://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-video-card-04gp43778kr

I've read that high end gtx 770 can get the same performances and sometime even better if overclocked than a r9 290. Is it true?



Wait, you can make physX work on the CPU? Do you still have good perfs? And if I can't get 100-120 fps on a game, than doesn't a 120hz monitor become kind of pointless? Do you think I should get a IPS/1040p monitor instead?



In my case what do you think it would be and why?

The GTX 770 is a weaker card, it is a rebranded/overclocked GTX 680 from last generation while the 780 or 290 are the new generation cards with higher performance and overclocking that will render the 770 still weaker in the end. A GTX 770 is right on par with a 280X in most game the 280X is an HD 7970 from last round. A R9 290 for 400 would end up being a much better deal than a GTX 770 FTW because you can still overclock it/buy pre overclocked variants that will beat a 770.

Yes PhysX will work on the CPU, I play batman and borderlands with it (Though I do hybrid PhysX now) and it works fine. Just is not as good without an Nvidia GPU helping out, but PhysX is a dieing breed.

I think you should get an R9 290 in the end.

 

[Naito]

A 780ti is faster but lacks VRAM which is bad for lastability and high resolution setups which to me is very important.

W1zzard's review of a GTX 780 with 6GB of VRAM seems to say otherwise. 6GB barely makes a difference, so it seems 3GB is optimal for the GK110... at least for gaming.

 

[Exodus]

Guys don't worry about newegg prices. The site I'm ordering on has a great price match policy. Although they don't match mail in rebate and I would prefer not buying open box or things like that.

I was only giving Nvidia examples because it appeared obvious he was leaning that way. Also, of all your examples I'd only trust the MSI, ASUS and Sapphire models you showed, and the 1st two are very close in price and perf to the MSI 780 I listed, and the Sapphire very close in price and perf to the EVGA I listed. The others have very shoddy reviews and aren't much cheaper than the MSI I listed. Hell, don't know if you even noticed but the first one you listed is open box too.

As for his comments on Newegg, don't care, I'm just giving price scenarios, but he is being a bit delusional if he thinks he can work within the budgets he mentioned (with a 120Hz display no less) and get better service and prices elsewhere.

Why do you think I should get a gtx 780?
I might be able too cheap of a couple things in my build and add a 20$ to my build but only if its really worth it. As for maxwell, I made a thread recently and people seemed to think that they will have approximatively the same performances.
And I don't think I'll be able to make the summer without a computer since my old one broke. But I'll be buying in around a month and I'm really worried of getting a card so expensive when the next gen is so close. Do you think we will have more info on the next gen then?

well if open box means "Demo model" like my usual Retailer does, then it's a new one just been taken out for display and price lowered for obvious reason
ofc a 780 is similar but usually not cheaper i hope the OP can find some 780 at the price you listed, yet even 1% more for a similar price is worth the shot? isn't it

also

well yes ... but if you can OC a 770 to reach a 780/290 level then you can also OC a 780/290 to reach higher... (then the 50$ difference means nothing)

What about their stock OC?
Also what do you mean by fps=/=hz? Could explain a little please?

The GTX 770 is a weaker card, it is a rebranded/overclocked GTX 680 from last generation while the 780 or 290 are the new generation cards with higher performance and overclocking that will render the 770 still weaker in the end. A GTX 770 is right on par with a 280X in most game the 280X is an HD 7970 from last round. A R9 290 for 400 would end up being a much better deal than a GTX 770 FTW because you can still overclock it/buy pre overclocked variants that will beat a 770.

Yes PhysX will work on the CPU, I play batman and borderlands with it (Though I do hybrid PhysX now) and it works fine. Just is not as good without an Nvidia GPU helping out, but PhysX is a dieing breed.

I think you should get an R9 290 in the end.

Aren't the r9 2** rebranded hd 7***? And I'm not really good at OC'ing. In fact I have never tried. Is it hard? Anyways I don't except much comming from me but I can try
If we are only talking about stock speed, who would win between the r9 290 directCU II/triX and the one I listed?

I took advantage of the Bitcoin bubble and sold my 2 X 7950 and bought a GTX780 with the money. Best decision all year

So you are recommending me to get the 780? And why was it the best decision you made?

 

[Jetster]

So you are recommending me to get the 780? And why was it the best decision you made?

Traded two AMD cards for one Nvidia and get the same performance, less power, less heat and newer generation of card.

There is no difference between AMD and Nivida. Get what is the best deal for the money. I don't know any other way to say it

Brand loyalty is stupid

 

[HumanSmoke]

If we are only talking about stock speed, who would win between the r9 290 directCU II/triX and the one I listed?

The difference are barely worth mentioning and something you wouldn't be able to see in a real world scenario. I would tend to look at possibly cooling ability and noise factors rather than any infinitesimal difference in framerate, although both designs are fine. I personally lean more towards Sapphire than Asus purely from personal experience with the respective support apparatus of both companies.

Aren't the r9 2** rebranded hd 7***?

Not the R9 290, R9 290X, and the dual GPU R9 295X. They are based on a new-ish design Hawaii GPU not seen in the HD 7000 series

And I'm not really good at OC'ing. In fact I have never tried. Is it hard?

No it isn't, although expect to spend some time making sure the overclock is stable. If you haven't tried it before then I'd say put it at the bottom of your "must have" list. Overclocking seldom nets any worthwhile actual real-world gains with the exception of benchmarks where the end product allows people to wail incessantly about one card "destroying" another card because it is 0.5% faster.

If you plan on keeping the card for a while, get the best bang for your buck. At the present time (and talking about new retail pricing) it is the R9 290.
If you plan on upgrading soon and/or frequently then look at a vendor that allows transfer of warranty without hassle. The vast majority of GPUs don't fail within their warranty period, but it doesn't stop prospective secondhand card buyers placing a premium on cards that have an intact warranty. This is a reason that EVGA cards tend to hold value since the warranty is tied to the card (and its serial number) rather than any particular owner.

 

[GreiverBlade]

What about their stock OC?
Also what do you mean by fps=/=hz? Could explain a little please?

stock OC if a 770 can do it a 780/290 can do it better so again 50$ isn't a valid enough argument + a 4gb 770 would cost more and a 780 has 3gb stock 290 4gb stock

FPS=/=hz simple the monitor refresh rate doesn't have to match the FPS you can get, for matching a 120hz monitor you would need a CFX/SLI setup or a single board dual gpu card. why go for a 60hz monitor than a 120hz if your card can't achieve more than 100ish fps, my 30" 1080P TV is a 60hz unless i use Vsync i can get higher FPS but the refresh rate of the screen show tearing/stuttering in case of huge FPS variance, as i used SWTOR in a previous thread, i get 55-140fps depending the scene complexity/PJ on screen with Vsync it cap to 55-60fps (drop under 40fps sometime but its due to my CPU) less tearing due to FPS variance yet with a 120hz i would have a 55-120, most of the games in review (also most of the one i play) never go above 60-80fps (except BF3 where i get quite often 105-110) short: in case of a 60hz screen FPS=hz if Vsync on without it FPS=/=hz

i will not enter in the G-sync spot since for me it's a closed over-expensive and non beneficial tech, i would really like to see what freesync has to answer to it (on Displayport 1.3 and once finished) since it's more open ended. (AKA: not able to decide yet since only one tech is available and cost versus utility is a bit "meh" imho)

as you can see (in case of a 1080p) above 110fps its Titan/290X/690/7990/295X2 domain

a little heavier game and a known Geforce favored example for the second graph (tho the bench is with PhysX off, not that PhysX bring anything in the end)

and some 295X2 ofc at 1500$~ it's out of question. yet still interesting to see

 

[Exodus]

The difference are barely worth mentioning and something you wouldn't be able to see in a real world scenario. I would tend to look at possibly cooling ability and noise factors rather than any infinitesimal difference in framerate, although both designs are fine. I personally lean more towards Sapphire than Asus purely from personal experience with the respective support apparatus of both companies.

What I meant was which card would be faster when running at stock OC between a high end gtx 770 and a mid end r9 290. For example the gtx 770 classified ,one the card I listed higher, vs a r9 290 Asus or Sapphire.
Although thanks for giving for sharing your toughs on these companies.

If you plan on keeping the card for a while, get the best bang for your buck. At the present time (and talking about new retail pricing) it is the R9 290.
If you plan on upgrading soon and/or frequently then look at a vendor that allows transfer of warranty without hassle. The vast majority of GPUs don't fail within their warranty period, but it doesn't stop prospective secondhand card buyers placing a premium on cards that have an intact warranty. This is a reason that EVGA cards tend to hold value since the warranty is tied to the card (and its serial number) rather than any particular owner.

I haven't thought about that. Thanks for the advice. I change my GPU every 1.5-2 years. What would recommend me? And btw I like your profile pic.

Traded two AMD cards for one Nvidia and get the same performance, less power, less heat and newer generation of card.

There is no difference between AMD and Nivida. Get what is the best deal for the money. I don't know any other way to say it

Brand loyalty is stupid

I agree with you. For my needs (check first post if you don't remember), what would recommend me?

 

[HumanSmoke]

What I meant was which card would be faster when running at stock OC between a high end gtx 770 and a mid end r9 290. For example the gtx 770 classified ,one the card I listed higher, vs a r9 290 Asus or Sapphire.

A GTX 770 would need to be running a sizeable overclock to approach an R9 290. Overclock the 290 and it will leave a GTX 770 in the dust (comparatively).

I haven't thought about that. Thanks for the advice. I change my GPU every 1.5-2 years. What would recommend me?

Probably the R9 290. Two years is approaching the end of the warranty period for a lot of vendors so a transferable warranty wouldn't be that high a priority. 1.5 - 2 years also means at least one architecture change and one refresh, so resell value takes a sizeable hit.
I tend to upgrade every 6 - 8 months, and also upgrade (sidegrade) to better performing cards of the same model as the opportunities present themselves. Selling what is basically current performance/architecture with a sizeable amount of warranty remaining means top dollar resell prices that almost pay for upgrades. To do this you really need to be able to pull the trigger on a new card (or cards) when and where the opportunity arises ( wholesaler overstock, Black Friday specials) and be prepared to sell to a buyer in an area/country where retail prices are very high - usually from a limited distribution infrastructure, and/or high imports tax.

And btw I like your profile pic.

Thanks. I'm a chef who learned his trade in some pretty brutal kitchens - the logo is very apt.

 

[Jetster]

EVGA W/ACX cooler SC GTX770 or 780. I haven't used a R9 290 though but I'm happy with my choice

 

[Exodus]

Thanks for your help guys. I think I'll follow the advices of the majority and get the R9 290.

 

[GhostRyder]

Aren't the r9 2** rebranded hd 7***? And I'm not really good at OC'ing. In fact I have never tried. Is it hard? Anyways I don't except much comming from me but I can try
If we are only talking about stock speed, who would win between the r9 290 directCU II/triX and the one I listed?

So you are recommending me to get the 780? And why was it the best decision you made?

Basically the R9 290 and 290X are a new GPU and the other below are rebrands similar to Nvidia. The R9 280X is an HD 7970, the R9 280 is an HD 7950, the R9 270X and 270 are an HD 7870 (The X variant are just higher clocked and overclock better) and so on and so forth. There are others that are new but they are on the low side.

Thanks for your help guys. I think I'll follow the advices of the majority and get the R9 290.

The R9 290 is the best bang for buck card on the market except in the exceptions of used cards on ebay but that's if you want to take that risk. for a 120hz setup though your probably going to have to drop a few things down a bit to do it as normally you would need a dual GPU setup to get those frames at ultra.

If your picking coolers, the most loved one this round tend to be the Sapphire Vapor X variants seem to cool the best and allow the best overclocks (cooler wise I mean). I like the MSI gaming editions as they come with great overclocks and I like the sound of the MSI gaming coolers personally (Sounds weird I know but ive heard them running overclocked and you do not hear much to my ears), and the gigabyte ones are always pretty darn good.

 

[GreiverBlade]

high end gtx 770 and a mid end r9 290.?

after two time i see that nonsense... i can't help ... A mid end R9 290 doesn't exist : it's a high end, and there is no low end, mid end, high end for one model of GPU, also even on Stock OC from a custom model, a 290 will allways be above a 770 be it for a small %, and OC isnt that complicated now with the "power limit" you set it to 50% (or less ... ) you push the core/mem to 25-50mhz more you test the stability, rinse and repeat
and since nVidia has launched the 780Ti the 770 seems mid end now for me (a bit like a 760Ti ultra or a 680 extrem edition) since the high end is occupied by 780/780Ti/Titan/Titan black/Titan Z, comparatively AMD its 290/290X/295X2 (its a 5 model versus 3 model )

I haven't thought about that. Thanks for the advice. I change my GPU every 1.5-2 years.

i do kinda same ... (or i should say i GPU jump switch each time i see a magic deal ... ) that's why i took that 290 i have in my sys specs. (tho i don't care about warranty ... i only had one RMA in 24yrs )

Thanks for your help guys. I think I'll follow the advices of the majority and get the R9 290.

well i see you made your choice and i can't but agree, i saw a lot recommending the 290, and i approve: best bang for bucks at the time and can last a good while until you need to upgrade (specially with the build you plan to assemble)

also beware with MSI: specifically ask for a Rev.2 model because the Rev.1 had some issue (the Twin Frozr IV cooler is soo effective that the fan sometime didn't spin and the VRM were cooled only by a small alu heatsink and suffered overheat problems, now iirc that heatsink is a bit bigger.)

 

[Frag_Maniac]

well if open box means "Demo model" like my usual Retailer does, then it's a new one just been taken out for display and price lowered for obvious reason

Open box can cover a range of scenarios and sometimes means lesser warranty. But that was not my point. My point was if you look at OB prices in AMD scenarios, it's only fair to do the same with Nvidia ones. Meaning it's an apples to oranges comparison price wise.

@Exodus,
Actually I first stated you might regret it if you DO get something Nvidia now, vs waiting to see the high end Maxwell performance and pricing. I only gave scenarios in case you insist on getting something before then and happen to prefer Nvidia, as it sounded.

If you DO go with a 290 though, just make sure you get a decent brand. There's been some problems with some of them.

 

[GreiverBlade]

Open box can cover a range of scenarios and sometimes means lesser warranty. But that was not my point. My point was if you look at OB prices in AMD scenarios, it's only fair to do the same with Nvidia ones. Meaning it's an apples to oranges comparison price wise..

not wrong, it's like i could say i have a 3 month demo model (who ran in a shop with a Crysis 3 demo in loop, stock no OC) for 190$ and 21 month warranty left. and compare it to any 190$ nV cards instead of a 780 who is her counterpart ...


but not matter how i look at Newegg for me 780 are all priced in between 290 and 290X (and closer to 290X) except for some deal, ranging from 499$ to 600+ (not only on Newegg ofc) okay refurbished one can be cheaper but not under 400$

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125505&cm_re=290_r9-_-14-125-505-_-Product
Shady deal? (btw i rarely trust customers review on Newegg)


well it's also a land to land case xD where i live the cheapest 780 is 470.60chf and the cheapest 290 is 369chf for example (and the cheapest 290X is 473.20 for a BF4 edition ... ok stock cooler )

 

[FordGT90Concept]

I prefer AMD because they cooperate better with KVMs. On the flipside, if you intend to use *NIX, you really have to use NVIDIA because AMD slacks on support.

 

[el etro]

What I meant by more detail in game was the little sparks and moving sheets of paper that physX adds. Does AMD haves an equivalent? And which card would you recommend me that suit my needs?

AMD have TressFX, but it don't have all the features Physx haves. I personally don't see Physx as a determinant factor to buy a card, i personally don't care about little extra detail. Buy cards based on performance/price, is better.

 

[Frag_Maniac]

...but not matter how i look at Newegg for me 780 are all priced in between 290 and 290X (and closer to 290X) except for some deal, ranging from 499$ to 600+ (not only on Newegg ofc) okay refurbished one can be cheaper but not under 400$

But as you said, Newegg isn't the best price examples for him anyway, cuz he don't trust em for some reason.

As far as AMD vs Nvidia in general, it's really hard to predict which will be the better to go with. They both have their pluses and minuses and both seem to be waffling lately. I was really pleased with my $330 purchase on my 7970 for a yr or two, and it came with 3 decent games, but lately there's a lot of top games it doesn't do as well with as I'd like. The problem is, it's sometimes hard to tell whether it's mostly game coding, endorsement favoring, bad drivers, drivers that are written more for newer models than older models, etc. The latter is what I experienced a lot with my last ATI/AMD cards, then they up and relegated them to Legacy support. Nvidia's drivers in the past have always worked longer for older models, and it's looking like more of the same now maybe.

One of the things I'm waiting to find out is if Nvidia will increase the VRAM on high end Maxwells. I'd like to see 4GB.