Graphics card woes: ATI or nVidia?

C

chenw

First time out of the vault
Right, I have recently purchased a new laptop from Asus, only because the specs were so good for its own price, but I have had a rather extensive search for nVidia card laptops and some of those specs were far from satisfactory.

the specs for the Laptop is:

T7500 CPU (2.2GHz)
2GB DDR2 RAM
200GB HD (I think, i will confirm after i hit home later)
ATI HD 2600 512MB with 768MB HyperMemory on top (1280MB total)
14.1' WXGA+ screen (1440*900 resolution)

All totalled approx €1000, minus shipping from the country, which would total about €1200.

My question is, the other video card I was searching hard for was the nVidia 8600m GT card with 256MB and 768MB TurboCache, for a total of 1024MB. From what I have read, the 8600m card beats the HD 2600 card, but are they really that much of a difference? or would my performance get away with it?
 
It's a laptop. Laptops have tremendous overheating issues when running processor/video card heavy software. I think most of your performance problems could come not from the 8600/ATI difference, but from the simple fact it doesn't have enough cooling.
 
Yeah, if you want a performance machine, I'd recommend going with a desktop. If you HAVE to have portablility at the cost of price/customization/durability/awesomeness, I'd go with the laptop that has the Nvidia card. AMD (ATI) is swirling down the toilet as far as dependability/performance goes.

Edit: I jumped the gun. You already pruchased the sucker, so there's no point in spending extra money to buy a videocard in which you might unintentionally screw up the laptop while installing.
 
Meh, I'm still an ATI fan, I find nVidia has issues of it's own, just don't install the catalyst interface and ATI works like a charm.
 
Makagulfazel said:
AMD (ATI) is swirling down the toilet as far as dependability/performance goes.
Click to expand...
and where did you miss the fact that AMD/ATI has just forcefully retaken the midrange?
 
SuAside said:
Makagulfazel said:
AMD (ATI) is swirling down the toilet as far as dependability/performance goes.
Click to expand...
and where did you miss the fact that AMD/ATI has just forcefully retaken the midrange?
Click to expand...

Really?!

Also, Maximum PC's latest issue has a rather involved review on both companies and concludes that when all is said and done... There is not that much of a difference between the two.
 
Mord_Sith said:
Meh, I'm still an ATI fan, I find nVidia has issues of it's own, just don't install the catalyst interface and ATI works like a charm.
Click to expand...

If you don't mind the performance (it's a laptop after all), buy anything with integrated Intel graphic card. If you want to play some games, go for nVidia. Never buy ATI (=AMD now) cards, they have driver issues.
 
Maphusio said:
Really?!
Click to expand...
Nvidia has nothing to challenge the Radeon 3870 in the midrange pricerange (no wonder, since both the Nvidia and ATI/AMD midrange SUCKED DONKEYDICK in the previous generation). shouldn't take too long for them to be available in laptops as well.
 
the average 8800GT 512mb costs 270 euros out here. the average 3870 costs 195 euros.

besides, the 3870 beats the 8800GT on several fronts.
 
Umm, I play games just fine with my ATI, in fact my machine is about 5 years old but I keep upgrading the card and it can handle just about anything todays games dish out so I dunno what kind of card you got to make you hate ATI but I find them to be the most stable cards around.
 
SuAside said:
the average 8800GT 512mb costs 270 euros out here. the average 3870 costs 195 euros.

besides, the 3870 beats the 8800GT on several fronts.
Click to expand...

Yes but you still can buy a 8800 gt 512 mb from PNY or MSI for 235-50 euros.

the crappiest 3870(512) costs around 207-210 euros.


as for the performance :

http://www.gamespot.com/features/6182875/index.html?msg_sort=1

I also heard that the ati 3870 had some issues with some games including Call of Duty 4 .
 
Vault 13 said:
Yes but you still can buy a 8800 gt 512 mb from PNY or MSI for 235-50 euros.

the crappiest 3870(512) costs around 207-210 euros.

as for the performance
Click to expand...
trusting gamespot now? the 3870 matches the 8800GT in many games, though looses in some others, which is no surprise since it does cost nearly 70 euros less.

anyway, cheapest 3870 is 195 euros out here, the cheapest 8800GT 512mb (un-gimped version) is 259 euros.

doesn't quite make it the same class. in the cheaper midrange, the 3870 rules the waves.
 
Vault 13 said:
you are right about the radeon price ,as for the 8800 gt :

http://geizhals.at/?fs=8800+gt&in=
Click to expand...
hmz, seems your country is blessed with cheap 8800GT cards for some reason...
but that's not true on average.
Vault 13 said:
about gamespot ,i dont know why they should lie about the performances ,unless nvidia payes them money to do so :D !
Click to expand...
just saying you shouldn't put all your eggs in one basket. read more reviews before making up an opinion. personal bias (or even professional bias) is often a factor.
 
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