Best Video Cards For The Money: Oct '08

[cleeve]

Detailed graphics card specifications and reviews are great—that is, if you have the time to do the research. At the end of the day, what a gamer needs is the best graphics card within a certain budget, and that’s what we’re going to show you.

Best Video Cards For The Money: Oct '08 : Read more

 

[Duncan NZ]

Nice, glad to see a Tom's article actually acknowledging the existance of the 4870X2. Biggest complaint, you put a $340 config in the $350 and up section...

 

[genored]

Well if you recommend that we should check how the graphics card work in the games we want shouldn't you also recommend a site where the GPU charts aren't bias. For example Every other site except tom's. BTW people at tom's, how are thous new Computers from INTEL and NVIDA?

 

[johnbilicki]

I like how you guys added relative resolution/performance estimates. It's good to see 1920x1200 wide screen LCD's starting to flirt with the $300 mark. Five years ago I paid what I did for my KDS 24 inch wide screen for a regular 19 inch LCD with only a resolution of 1280x1024. I'm not going to hold my breathe on resolutions greater then 1920x1200 though with the price mark around $1,200!

You guys may want to also consider wide-screen resolutions for performance estimates as well. Oddly enough I fired up Warcraft III and it doesn't have a 1920x1200 option though rather 1920x1440? Thanks for the article, it's one of my monthly joys to watch the prices fall.

 

[Luscious]

Would be nice if you guys included the 9600M GT and 9800M GTS in your hierarchy there, laptops have been shipping with them for the last few months.

I don't see how you cannot recommend a 4870x2 for folks serious about gaming, especially when $1800 easily gets you a "complete" gaming rig to your door with one of those in it. You may think it's overkill, but with all the newer and more demanding games coming out, you want a video card that can scream framerates and eye-candy, not bog down and force you to upgrade a year from now.

 

[spaztic7]

YES!!! GOOD ARTICLE! Thank you so much for including the 4870X2! Although it sounded like you are was being pulled, I am just glade that you guy put it in there.

 

[romioforjulietta]

the best GPUs for the buck are:
1-HD4870x2 > 280gtx in SLI in all the games.
2-HD4870 1 GIG version >280gtx in all the games at 2560.1600 RES.
3-HD4870 512 version>280gtx at 1680.1050 and 1920.1200.
4-HD4850 devastating power for 150$>9800GTX+ in what ever you want.
5-HD4670 >>>>>>>>>>>>>9600GSO for LOVE.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ed2pZ0Ehh6U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZZLZjinKiA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sA23Edh6QU
http://www.techreport.com/articles.x/14990/9
http://www.techreport.com/articles.x/14990/11
http://www.techreport.com/articles.x/14990/12
http://www.techreport.com/articles.x/14990/13
http://www.techreport.com/articles.x/15559/6
http://www.techreport.com/articles.x/15559/8
http://www.techreport.com/articles.x/15559/9

 

[homerdog]

Minor nitpick: The table for the HD3870 incorrectly states that it's a 128 bit card :-/

For the record I just ordered a factory OCed GTX260 for $240, $199.99 after rebate! I think I'll actually send this rebate in just say I got a GTX260 for $199.99

 

[cushgod]

Hehe !! love the 1-5! and I love my 4870!! DONT TOUCH MY PC now!! AHAHAHAHAHAH it will vaporize you!! Yes thats how powerful it is!!! dont F with me!! no I really love my card!! Yes I would marry it!!

 

[Leandri]

Good article. Not much change from last month, as expected. I'm also glad to see 4850 CF is still a good choice, I plan on upgrading my rig eventually, just need to get that other 4850.

 

[Annisman]

Yes, thank you for mentioning the 4870X2 Toms. I hope they continue to include the top ranking card in every "best card for the money" articles, because let's face it: if I have pleanty of money in my pocket, the best card for my money is the best one.

 

[10boohee]

im probably gonna sound like an idiot but what was the conclusion for the best card?

 

[computerninja7823]

what about the gtx 280 core 216? great article though

 

[computerninja7823]

the best card 10boohee depends on your price range. i have 8800gt 512mb and i love it! crysis maxed out 1240x768!!!

 

[cleeve]

[citation][nom]Duncan NZ[/nom}Biggest complaint, you put a $340 config in the $350 and up section...[/citation]

Not $350 and up... it's ~$350

"~" means "about"

 

[cleeve]

[citation][nom]Luscious[/nom]You may think it's overkill, but with all the newer and more demanding games coming out, you want a video card that can scream framerates and eye-candyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_candy , not bog down and force you to upgrade a year from now.[/citation]

Well... IMHO, two 4850's aren't going to become obsolete notably faster than a 4870 X2.

But you guys wanted the recommendation, so there it is! Nobody can say I don't listen to the readers.

 

[BlakHart]

Good to see the 1gb 4870 in there...Just bought one lol. should have it tomorrow.

 

[cleeve]

[citation][nom]Duncan NZ[/nom]Biggest complaint, you put a $340 config in the $350 and up section...[/citation]

Ah crap, I see what you mean. i'll fix it.

 

[Guest]

I am surprised you didn't take power consumption into consideration when rating these cards. The HD 4670 is a 60W card so it only needs a standard power supply and no external power connector - that is very appealing for a 75W and requires a non-standard power supply and external power connector - very unattractive at this price point.

 

[cleeve]

[citation][nom]shgaming[/nom]I am surprised you didn't take power consumption into consideration when rating these cards. [/citation]

The monthly list is about performance per dollar. I try to focus on that, I sometimes mention HD video playback or power consumption but those are really side issues when dealing with performance per dollar, IMHO.

 

[homerdog]

The monthly list is about performance per dollar. I try to focus on that, I sometimes mention HD video playback or power consumption but those are really side issues when dealing with performance per dollar, IMHO.

Ah, but where I live power costs dollars .

Just joshin, I genuinely have no complaints about this month's list... aside from the error in the 3870 specifications table

 

[crockdaddy]

I just updated from my old 7800GTX to a ATI 4850. I never thought I would buy another ATI again (after my 9800PRO) considering the fantastic products NVIDIA has been producing but as always stiff competition means we all win!! I am now wondering long term what the future will hold for us, there is no way NVIDIA will sit back and take it ... they have to do something. Now if only AMD can produce this level of competition again with Intel we can all be happy!

 

[Guest]

I would have loved to see where the 4650/4670 cards fit into the hierarchy chart.

 

[Guest]

I only roll with nVidia products

 

[kamkal]

[citation][nom]johnbilicki[/nom]I like how you guys added relative resolution/performance estimates. It's good to see 1920x1200 wide screen LCD's starting to flirt with the $300 mark. Five years ago I paid what I did for my KDS 24 inch wide screen for a regular 19 inch LCD with only a resolution of 1280x1024. I'm not going to hold my breathe on resolutions greater then 1920x1200 though with the price mark around $1,200!You guys may want to also consider wide-screen resolutions for performance estimates as well. Oddly enough I fired up Warcraft III and it doesn't have a 1920x1200 option though rather 1920x1440? Thanks for the article, it's one of my monthly joys to watch the prices fall. [/citation]

WC3 i believe doesnt have WS support because of fair play or something, i read that somewhere, cant remember where now though lol