[SOLVED] How to compare between two graphics cards (nvidia)

[Donnyyy]

I asked a question a few days ago comparing two cards gts 450 vs gtx 750 ti, all answers pointed that the latter is superior, I would like if possible to ask a more general question.

How do I compare two different cards, what are the key specs to look at, why for example the gtx 750 ti is better than the gts 450s and that one is better than the gt 720 (as I read).

If I want to compare two intel cpu, I go to intel ark and look at their num of cores, gen, clock speed, cache, what is the equivalent for graphic cards, what are the 2-4 main specs to look at, and where is the best place to see them.

Thank you, pls provide an example.

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

what are the 2-4 main specs to look at

type of & amount of VRAM,
Core & Memory speeds,
API capabilities & technology features, etc.

there are many factors to include when comparing a GPU.
look up and read articles comparing different series and models and you will see the core differences explained.

 

[sizzling]

Looking at specs can only tell you so much. You really need to look at reviews and benchmarks to really compare different models.

 

[TommyTwoTone66]

UserBenchmark is a very useful site:

https://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvidia-GTX-750-vs-Nvidia-GeForce-GTS-450/3162vsm7762

Their "Effective Speed" and "Average Score" benchmarks are a pretty good indication of how well a card will perform, and comparing two cards side-by-side looking at those benchmarks gives you a pretty good idea of which will perform better in games.

I always use this site before buying any GPU upgrade to make sure I'm getting a decent upgrade over what I already have.

 

[USAFRet]

GTX 750 Ti vs GTS 450

GTX 750 Ti vs GTS 450 Game Performance Benchmarks (i7-8700K vs i7-8700K)

GTX 750 Ti versus GTS 450 performance benchmarks comparison. Compare graphics card gaming performance in 39 games and in 1080p, 1440p, and 4K at Ultra, High, Medium, and Low quality settings. Compare specifications, price, power, temperature, and CPU bottlenecks.

www.gpucheck.com

 

[Donnyyy]

UserBenchmark is a very useful site:

https://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvidia-GTX-750-vs-Nvidia-GeForce-GTS-450/3162vsm7762

Their "Effective Speed" and "Average Score" benchmarks are a pretty good indication of how well a card will perform, and comparing two cards side-by-side looking at those benchmarks gives you a pretty good idea of which will perform better in games.

I always use this site before buying any GPU upgrade to make sure I'm getting a decent upgrade over what I already have.

Thx, offcourse I used that site, but didn't understand what was going on, now I see what youre saying, why isnt there a ram area? cores area.. is it because a graphic card can have different variants with different amount of ram and/or ram type from different brands using the same gpu?

 

[TommyTwoTone66]

There are so many different things a GPU does, so many areas that it can perform better or worse than another card, it becomes very difficult to compare them, as you have discovered.

What UserBenchmark does is take an average of all the important benchmarks for gaming, and uses some clever maths to arrive at an "Effective Speed" rating for the card. It's not a perfect "how good is this GPU" score, nothing other than trying out both cards yourself and looking with your eyes ever will be, but it's a damn good approximation.

 

[Donnyyy]

There are so many different things a GPU does, so many areas that it can perform better or worse than another card, it becomes very difficult to compare them, as you have discovered.

What UserBenchmark does is take an average of all the important benchmarks for gaming, and uses some clever maths to arrive at an "Effective Speed" rating for the card. It's not a perfect "how good is this GPU" score, nothing other than trying out both cards yourself and looking with your eyes ever will be, but it's a damn good approximation.

ok, so I was looking at it wrong, there isn't golden spec to look at, those benchmark are the most efficient way to compare.

what about the variants, can two gts 450 be very different? I understand that the gts 450 is only the gpu, and a graphic card is the all deal, the mini mother board and chipset and ram and all of that combined with the gpu, and if so, than a comparison between two different gpu could be different if using other variants of the same gpu.(do I make any sense?)

 

[TommyTwoTone66]

what about the variants, can two gts 450 be very different?

Not really, no. Nvidia supply the chipset, all the board manufacturer can do is supply power and cooling to it, and set the clock speed.

A GTS450 is not a performance card, so all manufacturers would use stock settings, and there is not an "OC" version of the GTS450.

I would not buy that card if you plan to run games on it, the 750Ti is a much better option.

 

[Donnyyy]

(not thinking about buying the card, it's just for the example.I've already replaced it two days ago with gtx 750 ti)

Why did I see that there are different gts 450, one with ddr3 and one with ddr5? why in the comparison above that someone put a link to the gts have 1GB ram and mine had 2GB ram?

 

[USAFRet]

(not thinking about buying the card, it's just for the example.I've already replaced it two days ago with gtx 750 ti)

Why did I see that there are different gts 450, one with ddr3 and one with ddr5? why in the comparison above that someone put a link to the gts have 1GB ram and mine had 2GB ram?

Someone lied.
The GTS 450 had GDDR5.
https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/geforce-gts-450.c1778

 

[Donnyyy]

Someone lied.
The GTS 450 had GDDR5.
https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/geforce-gts-450.c1778

ok,I'm pretty sure I read it somewhere, sorry.

So the ram is embedded in the gpu?

 

[Karadjgne]

You can't compare specs. Apples vs oranges. They are two seriously different architectures that use resources and vram differently.

The only comparison is in results. Which generally has higher fps, which is capable of higher graphics settings at decent fps, which takes longer to render, which better handles dual monitors etc etc.

 

[USAFRet]

ok,I'm pretty sure I read it somewhere, sorry.

So the ram is embedded in the gpu?

Yes, it is part of the circuitry on the drive.

 

[Donnyyy]

Not really, no. Nvidia supply the chipset, all the board manufacturer can do is supply power and cooling to it, and set the clock speed.

A GTS450 is not a performance card, so all manufacturers would use stock settings, and there is not an "OC" version of the GTS450.

I would not buy that card if you plan to run games on it, the 750Ti is a much better option.

and set the clock speed.

Ok, thx for the clarification, the clock speed, isnt that one important?

 

[TommyTwoTone66]

Ok, thx for the clarification, the clock speed, isnt that one important?

Of course, but you will find minimal differences, if any, between competing models of GTS 450.

 

[Donnyyy]

Thank you all for the replies

 

[geofelt]

It is a mistake to shop based on specs.
For example, nvidia and amd use vram differently so that spec can not be directly compared.
look at the performance numbers.
A useful tool is Tom's gpu hierarchy list:
https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gpu-hierarchy,4388.html

There are sites like userbenchmark that are considered as junk science.

Similarly, for a processor, the performance per clock can be quite different so clock rate is not a pure comparison.
Some processors have hyperthreading so pure core count may not tell you what you want to know.
Some processors can be overclocked past stock speeds.
Probably the best comparison would be to look at the passmark ratings. It has total performance when all threads are in use and single thread performance.