GTS 250 vs. GTX 260: nVidia graphics cards?
I have an XFX GTS 250 1GB. It has served me well until I bought BFBC2. It rips through any COD, but BC2 just doesn't run well in Dx10.
So, how big of a performance increase should I expect from a GTX 260?
What brand do you recommend?
Is there another card out there that is worth spending an extra $50 or so dollars that will perform better than a GTX 260?
Also, is a 1GB version going to make a difference on a 21.6" monitor?
Thanks. System specs:
AMD Phenom II 965 BE
XFX GTS 250 1GB
6GB DDR2
700w Xclio Greatpower
Comments
On a 21.6" monitor (I'm assuming a resolution of 1920x1080 or lower) there wouldn't be any appreciable difference due to video memory being 512mb vs 1gb. Take a look:
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/video/display/rad...
The GTX 260 is certainly faster than a GTS 250, but it's also a DX10 card. Only ATI's Radeon 5000 series and Nvidias GTX 4xx cards have DX11 support.
The GTX 260 is faster than your GTS 250, but it's arguable as to whether it's enough of an increase to make the upgrade cost effective. Also keep in mind the higher power requirements... the GTX 260 requires a minimum 550W power supply with TWO (not just one) PCI-E power connectors.
The Radeon 5770 offers DX11 support and is very energy-efficient. Just like the GTS 250 it only needs a 450W power supply and single power connector, but it's slower than the GTX 260, so it really doesn't make sense.
The Radeon 5830 costs about $240 and is faster overall than the GTX 260, but unfortunately in Bad Company 2 it doesn't fare so well:
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/video/display/xfx...
Honestly, either go with the GTX 260 or keep saving for a $300 card like the Radeon 5850 (or GTX 465 when it becomes available).
http://www.techspot.com/review/206-his-radeon-hd-5...
Go for the GTS 250. The majority of games these days are nVidia optimized and ATi is known for having terrible support. GeForce all the way. The 250 will OC better and remain cooler while doing it too.
Try gtx 470 or hd 5850 if you want big
performance boost.