8800 GTS Vs 250GTS

[twinkcentral]

Quick question to all you graphic card aficionados out there.

Is a single 250GTS 1GB < or > 2 SLI 8800GTS 640MB?

What are your thoughts?

Oh I am using a 680i (122-CK-NF68) Motherboard and running a Intel Core2 6600 at 3Ghz.

I am thinking of upgrading to the 250GTS but not sure if it would be worth spending the money. Have like $90.00 in gift cards and currently get one for $159.00 this weekend at Best Buy. So cash out of pocket will be $70.00.


Any input is greatly appreciated.

 

[Maziar]

2 8800GTS 640MB would perform better than a GTS 250(since it performs like a 9800GTX+)
So if you want to upgrade,i would recommend looking at HD 5850/GTX 470,they would give a good performance boost

 

[HansVonOhain]

GTS250 is just a die shrink and overclocked version of the original 8800GTS 512. Many versions of GTS250 come with 1GB of Vram meaning that it will handle higher resolutions a little bit better, not much though. I suggest, like Maziar, get a more significant upgrade. It will be worth it.

 

[jerreece]

GTS 250 > 8800GTS 640MB.

There was an 8800GTS 320MB & 640MB version. The 8800GTS 512MB was the revised version of those, and was superior in performance to BOTH. The 9800GTX+ was the revised version of the 8800GTS 512MB, and it was later revised into the GTS250.

So, GTS250 > 8800GTS 640MB

 

[jyjjy]

You should spend slightly more for this;
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Asus+-+ATI+Radeon+HD+577+1GB+GDDR5+PCI+Express+Graphics+Card/9749039.p?id=1218166512457&skuId=9749039
If you really can't then get an HD5750 instead;
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/XFX+-+ATI+Radeon+HD+5750+1GB+GDDR5+PCI+Express+Graphics+Card/9715789.p?id=1218156773765&skuId=9715789
It's better than the GTS 250, uses much less power and is DX11 compatible.

 

[megamanx00]

8800GTS 640mb cards in SLI FTW!

The two 8800GTS 640 cards would be better than one GTS 250 1GB in most cases. here may be a few instances where the 8800GTS 640 cards run out of avaliable vmem and fall behind a single GTS250, but in those cases a single GTS250 generally isn't very playable either.

 

[jerreece]

You should spend slightly more for this;
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Asus+-+ATI+Radeon+HD+577+1GB+GDDR5+PCI+Express+Graphics+Card/9749039.p?id=1218166512457&skuId=9749039
If you really can't then get an HD5750 instead;
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/XFX+-+ATI+Radeon+HD+5750+1GB+GDDR5+PCI+Express+Graphics+Card/9715789.p?id=1218156773765&skuId=9715789
It's better than the GTS 250, uses much less power and is DX11 compatible.

If you even think about the ATI 5770, don't buy it from Best Buy. LOL

PowerColor ATI 5770 1GB RAM @ NewEgg.com for $149
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131330&cm_re=ati_5770-_-14-131-330-_-Product

The ATI 5770 is on par with the GTX260 Core 216 (which is a jump above the GTS 250).

It all comes down to budget though.

EDIT: Disregard, I missed the part where you had $90 in Best Buy gift cards available to you.

 

[4745454b]

The old GTS cards are similar to the 8800GS cards. If you can find a link, see if they in SLI were close to the 9800GTX. I get the feeling performance wise it will be close/not much of an upgrade. You'll use less power and emit less heat, thats good. You also won't have any SLI scaling/stuttering problems. Sell both cards, and you might just brake even as well.

 

[Maziar]

Guys the OP is asking about 2 8800GTS 640 vs 1 GTS 250,and 2 8800GTS 640 beat 1 GTS 250 in games,if it was 1 8800GTS vs 1 GTS 250,then you were right,and GTS 250 was faster.
Although moving from 2 8800GTS 640 to 1 GTS 250 may get rid of some stuttering problems in some games but in games which support SLI,it will give the OP a performance hit

 

[jyjjy]

Hmm, I was assuming the question was get another 8800 GTS for SLI or the GTS 250. You could be right though, it's not clearly stated.
If you already have the SLI setup then don't bother with the GTS 250. I do think the HD5770 would be a bit more powerful and will also use much less power, have no SLI scaling/compatibility issues and give you DX11 compatibility. So that may be a reasonable choice.

 

[twinkcentral]

Thanks for all the input and information folks.

Just to clarify my original post, yes I do currently have two 8800GTS 640 SLI.

Have had this setup since the 8800GTS hit the market like in Nov 2006.

Just have a little upgrade fever.....been a while.

Trying to determine if spending the 50 or 60 bucks would be worth going from current setup to the single card now.

 

[Maziar]

Thanks for all the input and information folks.

Just to clarify my original post, yes I do currently have two 8800GTS 640 SLI.

Have had this setup since the 8800GTS hit the market like in Nov 2006.

Just have a little upgrade fever.....been a while.

Trying to determine if spending the 50 or 60 bucks would be worth going from current setup to the single card now.

As i said,2 8800GTS 640 perform better than a single GTS 250,so keep them or if you want to upgrade take a look at GTX 470/HD 5850 which would give you a good boost in performance

 

[Maziar]

Nope, the 8600GTS SLI nets an original GTX260-ish performance, which is pretty much similar as the GTS250. So not much of an improvement, if not a step backwards.

You mean 8800GTS right ?

 

[notty22]

Well the GTX 260 is a much different animal than the 250. It has 50% more cuda cores.
This time last year, it was the best / bang for your buck. They were going as low as 160.00. Haven't seen them in stock at my Best Buy in a long time.

 

[notty22]

Unless you are referring to the 216SP version. The original GTX260 is pretty much on par with the GTS250.

[strike]Then you don't know at.[/strike] Your VERY mistaken.
The 216 vs 192 gave THE TWO 260's maybe 10% performance difference from each other, depending on the game. The Gts 250 has only 128.
IN these tests the GTX 260 core 192 was clocked at 576 and the GTS 250 clocked at 740
This shows CLEARLY the performance difference.
more to come.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-5770-overclocking,2473-10.html

 

[jyjjy]

Even in that article at high resolutions (1680x1050+) the card is 20% better which is quite significant. Why anyone would be talking about the original GTX 260 when it hasn't even been around for a long time I don't know but to state that it is "not far behind the GTS 250" is curiously inaccurate.

 

[magneezo]

Just from my own experience with the BFG GTS 250 OC 1GB it smokes my old PNY XLRB 8800GT 512.
It's obvious in every game I play and I never really thought much would change.
If you can get the newer technology by all means do so.
Two high speed GTS 250's could be a damn good combo
(then again two 5770's could smoke even that...)

 

[Maziar]

I wouldn't recommend getting the newer tech "Always" because although 2 8800GTS 640 are old but they still perform good and better than GTS 250,but if the OP has 1 of them,then i would have agreed,going from 1 GTS 640 to a GTS 250 would give a performance boost