Windows 7: Finding all the specs of cards confusing in selecting a new card

Hi,

I want to buy my kids a new graphics card for Christmas. Something that will last a couple of years. They are currently running GTX460 OC 1GB. New games coming out say they need at least GTX 560 cards.

So I'm looking at a GTX 560 or 570, with a budget of around $350 each. I'm not interested in ATI cards, only nVidia.

Looking at the specs, no two GTX 560's are the same. There is shader, gpu, memory clocks and memory bus specifications.

The 560 Ti appears to be better than the plain 560, but then there's superclock, ultra durable and others, Then there is v1, v2, v3. I'm guessing I would always go for the latest version, though when looking at the specifications all versions were identical.

What is the most important specs for performance?

Brands I've been looking at are ASUS, Gigabyte, EVGA, and Gainward. We've always used Gigabyte, but I'm willing to change if I can get better performance/value for money.

I'm in Melbourne Australia. We all run dual 24" BenQ LED monitors; 1xHDMI and 1xDVI. They run at 1920x1080p, 50hz.

They want to run Battlefield 3, the latest call of Duty, NBA 2K12, and other new games.

thanks
Tanya

Hi Tanya,

No doubt some of the hardware guru's will be along to offer advice on what to look for in cards, but I thought I might share this with you.

The GTX560 is a magnificent card - I upgraded to the EVGA GTX560 last week. I haven't yet tried it with Battlefield 3, but with Battlefield 2 it is just top-notch. Be aware that it requires 2 x 6 pin power leads from the PSU. It has 2 x DVI connectors and 1 x mini-HDMI connector. Make sure your PSU has sufficient power to handle these cards. They take up 2 x backplates on the case (one for the connectors, and one for the exhaust). It retails for about AUS$240.

If you are intent on spending up to AUS$350, then the 560Ti goes for about $300, and the 570 goes for about $349. Both of those are just top-notch cards, and you cannot go wrong with that. EVGA is top-of-the-line.

Here is a reference for cost. Perhaps you have something locally that might be cheaper.

Nvidia

Regards,
Golden

I would have to agree with golden. Very good cards, and I also recommend EVGA. EVGA "superclocks" some cards for you as well, so you might look into that. google it and see what is best for your price range. generally, higher is better, but the price tag increases as well. I had a 460 once that was a cool and quiet card that ran rather well. I think the 560 and 570 are similar, but with better graphics quality. from what i hear, they are really good cards.

Thanks for the replies guys.

An Example;

The EVGA is 732/1464/3800, 320bit, Around $390 - $420, single FAN
The gigabyte is 780/1560/3800, 320bit, Around $350 - $390, triple fan

Both have 1280mb DDR5.

So, if the EVGA has lower specs than the gigabyte why would I buy EVGA? Surely the lower specs translate into lower performance? Or have I got it all wrong?

Some of the EVGA are not HDTV capable. I guess that isn't a problem. I can't find much on the Gigabyte's HDTV status.

there are many different models of a same card. EVGA generally is the better brand, especially over Gigabyte. You sure you have the same card selected? which card is it?

I have a gigabyte triple fan card currently in my computer, you know what it does? blows all the heat back into my computer. EVGA's single fan blows the heat out the back of the computer. Wish I had gone EVGA, as my previous EVGA cards were all top notch.

Go for GTX 570

Reference specs for both can be seen here,

Video Card Comparison - GPUReview.com

anything that is above the reference specs is factory overclocked by the card manufacturer. In a lot of cases it is better to buy the card that is at reference specs if the price difference is great enough, and then just manually overclock the card to the faster speeds (if so inclined).

My I ask why or not interested in ati cards?
Personally I chop and change between brands whenever a card pops up that offeres more performance for money.

I have a xfx hd 6950, cost about £220, has 2gb ddr5 and outperforms the similarly prices 560's.
Plays bf3 at 1080p will all settings on ultra and full AA.

I looked at the nvidia 560's when I was building my new rig, but when with the ati as all reviews pointed it out as a far better buy.

I personally have never had an issue chopping and changing cards, I've has ati x650, x850, geforce 8800gts, 8800gt, 9800gtx, hd6950 lol just my 2 pence or cents for you guys lol

For a single card purchase, I'd suggest considering the EVGA GeForce GTX 570 Superclocked.

On par with the HD 6970 and close to the performance of a GeForce 580 card.

i agree with badger906 i also like to switch between brands and AMD has great performance on their cards on the 6xxx series