Question What is your favorite GPU of all time?

[SHaines]

Greetings!

Technology is changing so quickly that it can be tough to develop a deep attachment to any one item. However, through the years we've all likely made that one really big purchase that left us feeling like we were way ahead of the curve.

When I first caught the bug to build computers from scratch, the litmus test for any GPU was how it could run Crysis. At the time, next to nothing could really do it justice.

Many years after it came out, I was still using that game to test the power of graphics hardware and the GeForce 7800 GTX was my first card to run everything on high settings. It wasn't a perfect experience, given limitations I had in other hardware, but that is the first time a graphics card really blew me away.

What graphics card/GPU do you have fond memories of using?

 

[Enabarkhold]

The Geforce 2 MX was a very good amount of performance for the money 'back in the day'!

But, the Voodoo1 and Voodoo2 were kings in 1997/1998! (Going from 12-15 fps in software rendered Quake II to 67 fps in 3dfx OpenGL /AMD3dNow was a thing to behold!)

Oh yes, I really destroyd my friend's in Quake II and Half-Life. Their machines : 15 fps 320 x 200 software
My machine (with 12 mb Voodoo2) 40 fps 800 x 600 hardware rendert. It was just un fair that I culd see them much longer away then they saw me

 

[aimu89]

My First Card Was nVida 9500GTand now I am using nVidia 960 but i want to buy 2080

 

[1LiquidPC]

I'd have to say my EVGA 8800 GTX bought way back at launch, 2006 if I recall. A beast in it's time for sure. A close second several years earlier I greatly enjoyed was my Radeon 9700 PRO. It was this time I started working and really getting into PCs in general.

 

[DhruvGhayal]

Time to time I was keep on changing my hardware, I have used GeForce 8400GS, GTX 750, GTX 1050, RX 580 4gb, GTX 1070, RTX 2060 and lastly and still using RTX 2070. And I have good memories with all ❤, however I will give my vote to GeForce 8400GS 512 mb which I had used for 7years, it served me really well.

 

[mihen]

AMDs GCN performance issue has nothing to do with poor design. It has everything to do with how the game industry functions and how tests are done. Most pc games are optimized for nVidia hardware, they use nVidia shaders, and PC benchmarks are for nVidia hardware. Different hardware does different tasks differently. With AMD hardware you typically have to optimize the settings yourself as the developer typically doesn't for PC games.
When it comes to nVidia shaders. They typically have functions that can only be run by nVidia GPUs or the CPU. This is where a lot of the slowness happens with AMD GPUs. They are using the CPU to calculate something.

The issue AMD has is they don't invest in the PC developer community the same way nVidia does. When it comes to raw performance in something like Cryptomining, the spec sheets don't lie. AMD decimates nVidia. AMD also does well with console ports from major developers who don't put much effort in porting the title.

 

[Mizzy]

NVIDIA GeForce G100 🆒

 

[Hyunjae Kim]

If it's for gaming, I would recommend something like Geforce GTX 1080 Ti or Geforce RTX 2070 Super. They are pricy but worthwhile to consider.

If you plan to go overboard with your GPU, maybe Geforce RTX 2080 Ti or Titan V but their price is non-humanly high so I wouldn't really consider it unless you are serious with gaming.. tho their performance is great as I had experience with it before.

Really, any current GPU from Nvidia model would work.

 

[Theresa N]

ATI Wonder, my first graphic card.

 

[dasfischbrot30]

My favourite GPU is definitely the PowerVR Kyro II PCI 64mb.

I also love the NVIDIA GeForce 2 MX.

 

[R_1]

My favourite GPU is definitely the PowerVR Kyro II PCI 64mb.

I also love the NVIDIA GeForce 2 MX.

I was wondering when Kyro would get a mention, I remember they were using tile based rendering and I thought at the time was so cool.

 

[close.css]

simply . RTX 2080TI.

 

[iseeu1001]

I have an EVGA RTX 2080 ti so thats my favorite of course lol.

 

[kep55]

I have to go way back to my ATI Rage Pro. Nothing fancy. It just worked. And worked. And worked, even after one mobo burned up.

 

[SkyBill40]

My fave is probably my MSI 660Ti OC Power Edition.. That thing was a beast and allowed me to play a ton of games quite well. I've still got it though it is no longer in use and is out just for show. If I decide to turn my current rig into a HTPC, I might consider putting it back to use.

A close second is my old MSI 8800GTS 640MB. That card was awesome when it came out.

 

[0dannyboy10]

Greetings!

Technology is changing so quickly that it can be tough to develop a deep attachment to any one item. However, through the years we've all likely made that one really big purchase that left us feeling like we were way ahead of the curve.

When I first caught the bug to build computers from scratch, the litmus test for any GPU was how it could run Crysis. At the time, next to nothing could really do it justice.

Many years after it came out, I was still using that game to test the power of graphics hardware and the GeForce 7800 GTX was my first card to run everything on high settings. It wasn't a perfect experience, given limitations I had in other hardware, but that is the first time a graphics card really blew me away.

What graphics card/GPU do you have fond memories of using?

Definitely my ASUS GTX 1070 Dual OC White. Just such a great card.

 

[Phaaze88]

Seeing many older cards in here leaves me feeling a bit out of place... can't really help that, though!
My old Gigabyte GTX 680 Windforce 3X OC because I ran with it for 5 years, and the Gigabyte GTX 1080 Ti Gaming OC because it was my biggest splurge on a single piece of PC hardware, ever!

 

[EzRa_KurLz]

Mine will always be my 1070 I've had it for only two years but it was from the first pc I built because as a teen I couldn't get one nor could my family afford a pc because of how broke we were but when I started working on my own and made my own money I spent 6 months saving up for a 1200$ budget and used the 1070 and man this pc will always be my baby

 

[fredfinks]

Like others have said:

It was fantastic. The Diamond Stealth Monster Voodoo 3dfx. Felt sorry for those that got all the other '3d' brands like PowerVR.

Since then, the cool, quiet and lasting power of the 1080ti. Specifically the MSI gaming X.

Best wow factor ever though has to be going to a 32" 16:9 1440p screen in 2015.
Unfortunately, curved 16:9 screens are now popular. Good luck to finding a decent 1440p non-curved.

 

[nofanneeded]

All time ? there is no single card best for "all time" , but the card that made a huge difference in 3D gaming was ATI 9700 pro ...

The best for ideas and innovation 3dfx Voodoo ..

The Card that perfected FHD "ultra" Gaming out of no where was the GTX 970

the best card for Capturing Movies that had no rival at its time ,the ATI wonder series.

and the first onboard graphics that gave us a huge difference it PC gaming in 2D was the Amiga Computers Graphics ... when IBM PCs had 256 colors and the mac was black and white , it gave us 4096 colors ...

 

[nofanneeded]

Like others have said:



Best wow factor ever though has to be going to a 32" 16:9 1440p screen in 2015.
Unfortunately, curved 16:9 screens are now popular. Good luck to finding a decent 1440p non-curved.

umm

non curved 1440p monitors are everywhere you need to google better , i found like 20+ and all good monitors.

 

[fredfinks]

umm

non curved 1440p monitors are everywhere you need to google better , i found like 20+ and all good monitors.

I meant 32" 16:9 1440p high refresh. Its only LG, (the 850 & 650) but their viewing angle degradation is the some of the worst of any VA monitors.
Understand curved on ultrawide but companies like Samsung are curving the 16:9s. I wouldnt be surprised if there are 24" curved now. They are selling because its 'Gaming!'.
Hopefully its a fad like curved tvs.

Good call on the Amiga, i never had one but i was in awe when i saw the graphics in a magazine.

 

[william p]

Voodoo 5500 for me too. Single card with 2x GPU and it needed a 4 pin Molex to power it. Mine is the AGP version.
The Voodoo API was popular until 3DFX bought the card vendor STB. Then they stopped selling their GPU chips to other manufacturers.
This made a lot of enemies in the gaming business, and gave DirectX a big boost in popularity. They got bought by Nvidia and the 3DFX productsw were suddenly pulled from store shelves never to be seen again. Nvidia sat on SLI for a while. But when Nvidia got into the chipset market SLI became a feature on high end motherboards, ATI had Crossfire and so there was another API split in the market. This time it not only involved GPU and API compatability but you had to choose sides with motherboards also.

 

[riku9424]

Ah, my 4870, served me well for 7 years, even paired up ok with my fx-8350 for a few months while waiting for my rx 570.

 

[Inception9269]

I would have to say the Gigabyte GTX 980.
I built my first pc back in late 2014, it was actually a really weak AMD build using mostly pre-owned parts. Jan 2015 I built a much more capable pc using an i7 4790k (my favorite cpu of all time), and in that pc I used a GTX 980, which I have fond memories of. Even when the time came that it started dying and I had to order a new one, it held up until the day the 1070 I replaced it with arrived.

 

[msc545]

I love my EVGA GTX 1080 TI !!