Today's graphics cards: the value angle - The Tech Report

Conclusions
Over the past few pages, we've seen three things. The first is that scatter plots are really cool. Seriously, just look at 'em. Organizing this type of data could hardly get any better.

Our second observation is that two GeForces, the 9600 GT and 8800 GT, easily offer the best overall value in the single-GPU world. The 9600 GT is more attractive now, since it offers performance almost equal to the 8800 GT for a few bucks less. However, we suspect the GeForce 8800 GT could become more interesting in the months to come, should games start harnessing more of its additional shader processors and texture filtering capacity.

Finally, perhaps our most unexpected observation is that multi-GPU setups have the potential to deliver solid value. Mid-range cards like the GeForce 9600 GT and Radeon HD 3850 offer strong value propositions, and that effect is multiplied by pairing two of them together. Two 9600 GTs can be faster than a single GeForce 8800 Ultra, despite the fact that they cost substantially less. Similarly, two Radeon HD 3850s are a better deal than a single Radeon HD 3870 X2, if your motherboard can accommodate them. Of course, SLI and CrossFire bring with them a whole stable of caveats involving chipset compatibility, multi-monitor support, and the need for driver profiles. High-end multi-GPU configs can add additional expense in the form of higher PSU and cooling requirements, as well. But with both AMD and Nvidia now offering high-end cards with dual GPUs onboard, multi-GPU looks like it's here to stay.

52 comments —
Last by Jambe at 11:13 PM on 05/17/08
Email the author(s): Cyril Kowaliski and Scott Wasson
Sign up to receive notices when we publish new articles
Or go back to TR's front page

Nvidia brings Optimus switchable graphics to notebooks
February 9, 2010
Switchable graphics is the best way to squeeze decent gaming performance and great battery life from the same notebook, but it's never been able to deliver graphics power on demand seamlessly. Nvidia's Optimus switchable tech promises to do better, and we've tested a system to find out whether it... Read more...

18 comments —
Last by HisDivineShadow at 6:03 PM on 02/09/10
GF100 graphics architecture unveiled
January 20, 2010
Nvidia has decided to tell all about its upcoming GF100 graphics chip. Join us as we consider what makes this GPU's architecture distinctive and handicap its performance prospects. Read more...

145 comments —
Last by wibeasley at 1:47 PM on 02/01/10
AMD's Radeon HD 5670 graphics card
January 13, 2010
Today, AMD has taken DirectX 11 graphics to $99, thanks to a bite-sized version of the silicon from its high-end Radeon HD 5000-series cards. But does the new Radeon HD 5670 offer the same mix of performance and power-efficiency as its big brothers? Read more...

161 comments —
Last by MadManOriginal at 6:45 AM on 01/20/10
GPU acceleration comes to Flash video
December 7, 2009
At long last, playback of Flash videos on YouTube, Hulu, and elsewhere can be GPU-accelerated. Join us as we take three different low-power systems for a spin to see how they handle the Flash 10.1 beta. Read more...

64 comments —
Last by sigher at 1:56 AM on 01/01/10
Inside Fermi's graphics architecture
November 23, 2009
Nvidia has already revealed much about the compute-focused features of its upcoming Fermi GPU architecture. Now, insider info and careful speculation take us deep into the graphics capabilities of Nvidia's next GPU. Read more...

98 comments —
Last by moritzgedig at 4:20 AM on 01/07/10
AMD's Radeon HD 5970 graphics card
November 18, 2009
CrossFire on a stick goes to the next level in the Radeon HD 5970, the new fastest graphics card on the planet. This one is extreme in more ways than one, though. Read on to see what we mean. Read more...

177 comments —
Last by Damage at 3:57 PM on 11/24/09
Hands on with Lucid's Hydra GPU load balancer
November 11, 2009
We recently got the chance to test Lucid's Hydra GPU load balancer first hand. We came away with some of the first public performance numbers, along with our impressions of this magical toy that allows Radeons and GeForces to work together. Read more...

86 comments —
Last by Arag0n at 10:13 PM on 01/08/10
AMD's Radeon HD 5770 and 5750 graphics cards
October 15, 2009
In just a few short weeks, AMD's DirectX 11-class Radeon technology has migrated from the high-end 5800 series to the mid-range 5700 series. Now you can pick up a DX11 graphics card for $159 or less. Is this the right upgrade for you? We're on it. Read more...

111 comments —
Last by JoJoBoy at 12:24 AM on 10/30/09