MY LITTLE BUYER’S GUIDE
I needed to know what’s the best GPU actually on the market. My choice is based on a price/performance ratio.
I search for the best price of different cards based on the GPU used on these boards. I build a little EXCEL table with benchmarks results for UT2003 and Q3. I decided to skip 3D Mark scores, because of the « cheating » issue.
So, basically, I can now tell you what are my choice of cards in different price/performance category for Canadian and US market (I search best CA$ and US$ prices).
ENTRY LEVEL (US$ < 75 and CA$ < 100)
GeForce 4 MX-440-8X
GeForce FX 5200 (NON ULTRA)
Radeon 9000
Winner :
GeForce FX 5200 (NON ULTRA) (52 US$ / 99 CA$)
I found that Radeon 9000 boards are still available, but they can’t beat FX 5200 board on price/performance. So, I don’t recommend them as a first choice. And for Canadian buyer that mostly play UT2003, the best choice is the GeForce MX-440 boards, they are cheap (65 CA$) and perform equally then FX 5200 boards. Of course, if you want a long term investment, don’t buy these GPU.
LOW TO MID LEVEL (US$ < 150 and CA$ < 200)
GeForce 4 TI 4200-8X
GeForce 4 TI 4800
GeForce FX 5200 ULTRA
GeForce FX 5600
Radeon 8500
Radeon 9500
Radeon 9500 PRO
Winners :
US$ = GeForce 4 TI 4800 (140$)
CA$ = GeForce 4 TI 4200-8X (156$)
The US$ market in this category is well balanced, you get the performance you pay for except for the Radeon 8500 that have the worst price/performance ratio in this category (But who still buy this GPU?). Sa basically all these GPU based boards are well priced.
On the CA$ market it's not that good. Your choice is limited to TI 4200-8X and FX 5600 (NON-ULTRA). And for the price difference, the TI 4200 gives about the same performance for 50$ less.
MID LEVEL (US$ < 200 and CA$ < 300)
Radeon 9600 PRO
GeForce FX 5600 ULTRA (NEW)
GeForce 4 TI 4600-8X
Winners :
US$ = All of them
CA$ = Radeon 9600 PRO / GeForce FX 5600 (NON ULTRA)
US$ buyers who wants performance will choose FX 5600 ULTRA (184$) and buyers who want to save good money will buy Radeon 9600 PRO (155$).
On the CA$ market the Radeon 9600 PRO is the clear winner, you can buy it as low as 217$ and the FX 5600 ULTRA are so overpriced (350$). And if you want to save 20$, buy a GeForce FX 5600 (NON ULTRA) and you will get about the same performance.
HIGH END (US$ > 200 and CA$ > 300)
GeForce FX 5800
GeForce FX 5800 ULTRA
GeForce FX 5900
GeForce FX 5900 ULTRA
Radeon 9700 PRO
Radeon 9800 PRO 128M
Radeon 9800 PRO 256M
Winner :
GeForce FX 5800 (NON-ULTRA) (265 US$ / 415 CA$)
Loosers (overpriced) :
US$ = Radeon 9800 256M / GeForce FX 5900 (ULTRA and NON-ULTRA)
CA$ = All the rest
I think, it's a waste of money to buy the TOP GPU. The baords are so overpriced for not that much gain in performance. The have the WORST price/performance ratio.
In the US$ market GeForce FX 5800 and Radeon 9700/9800 PRO (non 256M) are priced between 265$ and 310$, they are all good choices. But the best price/perf. goes to the GeForce FX 5800 (NON-ULTRA).
In the CA$ market, the only real affordable boards are based on the GeForce FX 5800 (NON ULTRA).
SPECIAL AWARDS :
The BEST price/performance ratio :
GeForce 4 MX 440-8X
GeForce FX 5200 (NON ULTRA)
This GPU sucks in today's game, but you get a lot for the money you spent. And playing UT 2003 at 42 FPS is not that bad...
The WORST price/performance ratio :
US$ = Radeon 9800 PRO 256M
CA$ = GeForce FX 5900 (NON ULTRA)
These boards cost so much for so little in there respective market! It's like throwing you cash through the window.
The exchange rate award :
CA$ = Radeon 9000 (80 CA$ = 57$ US) - This board cost 70$ in US$
US$ = Radeon 9500 PRO (135 US$ = 187$ CA$) - This board cost 331$ in CA$
So my conclusion are that nVidia have the advantage in price/performance ratio right now! But my results are not full proof! I limited the number of benchmarks to Q3 and UT 2003, so it's not a good comparison for DX9 games.
And the big disapointment here : I tought that ATI would have made better.
Another conclusion : different market (here USA versus CANADA) gives different results. So, a smart choice for US buyer is not necessarly a good buy for a Canadian.
--
Would you buy a GPS enabled soap bar?
I needed to know what’s the best GPU actually on the market. My choice is based on a price/performance ratio.
I search for the best price of different cards based on the GPU used on these boards. I build a little EXCEL table with benchmarks results for UT2003 and Q3. I decided to skip 3D Mark scores, because of the « cheating » issue.
So, basically, I can now tell you what are my choice of cards in different price/performance category for Canadian and US market (I search best CA$ and US$ prices).
ENTRY LEVEL (US$ < 75 and CA$ < 100)
GeForce 4 MX-440-8X
GeForce FX 5200 (NON ULTRA)
Radeon 9000
Winner :
GeForce FX 5200 (NON ULTRA) (52 US$ / 99 CA$)
I found that Radeon 9000 boards are still available, but they can’t beat FX 5200 board on price/performance. So, I don’t recommend them as a first choice. And for Canadian buyer that mostly play UT2003, the best choice is the GeForce MX-440 boards, they are cheap (65 CA$) and perform equally then FX 5200 boards. Of course, if you want a long term investment, don’t buy these GPU.
LOW TO MID LEVEL (US$ < 150 and CA$ < 200)
GeForce 4 TI 4200-8X
GeForce 4 TI 4800
GeForce FX 5200 ULTRA
GeForce FX 5600
Radeon 8500
Radeon 9500
Radeon 9500 PRO
Winners :
US$ = GeForce 4 TI 4800 (140$)
CA$ = GeForce 4 TI 4200-8X (156$)
The US$ market in this category is well balanced, you get the performance you pay for except for the Radeon 8500 that have the worst price/performance ratio in this category (But who still buy this GPU?). Sa basically all these GPU based boards are well priced.
On the CA$ market it's not that good. Your choice is limited to TI 4200-8X and FX 5600 (NON-ULTRA). And for the price difference, the TI 4200 gives about the same performance for 50$ less.
MID LEVEL (US$ < 200 and CA$ < 300)
Radeon 9600 PRO
GeForce FX 5600 ULTRA (NEW)
GeForce 4 TI 4600-8X
Winners :
US$ = All of them
CA$ = Radeon 9600 PRO / GeForce FX 5600 (NON ULTRA)
US$ buyers who wants performance will choose FX 5600 ULTRA (184$) and buyers who want to save good money will buy Radeon 9600 PRO (155$).
On the CA$ market the Radeon 9600 PRO is the clear winner, you can buy it as low as 217$ and the FX 5600 ULTRA are so overpriced (350$). And if you want to save 20$, buy a GeForce FX 5600 (NON ULTRA) and you will get about the same performance.
HIGH END (US$ > 200 and CA$ > 300)
GeForce FX 5800
GeForce FX 5800 ULTRA
GeForce FX 5900
GeForce FX 5900 ULTRA
Radeon 9700 PRO
Radeon 9800 PRO 128M
Radeon 9800 PRO 256M
Winner :
GeForce FX 5800 (NON-ULTRA) (265 US$ / 415 CA$)
Loosers (overpriced) :
US$ = Radeon 9800 256M / GeForce FX 5900 (ULTRA and NON-ULTRA)
CA$ = All the rest
I think, it's a waste of money to buy the TOP GPU. The baords are so overpriced for not that much gain in performance. The have the WORST price/performance ratio.
In the US$ market GeForce FX 5800 and Radeon 9700/9800 PRO (non 256M) are priced between 265$ and 310$, they are all good choices. But the best price/perf. goes to the GeForce FX 5800 (NON-ULTRA).
In the CA$ market, the only real affordable boards are based on the GeForce FX 5800 (NON ULTRA).
SPECIAL AWARDS :
The BEST price/performance ratio :
GeForce 4 MX 440-8X
GeForce FX 5200 (NON ULTRA)
This GPU sucks in today's game, but you get a lot for the money you spent. And playing UT 2003 at 42 FPS is not that bad...
The WORST price/performance ratio :
US$ = Radeon 9800 PRO 256M
CA$ = GeForce FX 5900 (NON ULTRA)
These boards cost so much for so little in there respective market! It's like throwing you cash through the window.
The exchange rate award :
CA$ = Radeon 9000 (80 CA$ = 57$ US) - This board cost 70$ in US$
US$ = Radeon 9500 PRO (135 US$ = 187$ CA$) - This board cost 331$ in CA$
So my conclusion are that nVidia have the advantage in price/performance ratio right now! But my results are not full proof! I limited the number of benchmarks to Q3 and UT 2003, so it's not a good comparison for DX9 games.
And the big disapointment here : I tought that ATI would have made better.
Another conclusion : different market (here USA versus CANADA) gives different results. So, a smart choice for US buyer is not necessarly a good buy for a Canadian.
--
Would you buy a GPS enabled soap bar?