AMD vs NVIDIA

[HeyArnold]

Ok. Yes this is my first post. I have read through many of the other threads but I am still having a little trouble.

I am trying to decide between AMD and NVIDIA. I have a Intel i5 3570K. 16GB Ripjaw memory. I will run at 1080p on my 55" plasma. This PC will dual as a HTPC with BR and possibly 3D playback.

I would like to run most games at the highest quality possible for about a $200-$250 card. So much back and forth. What's the verdict?

Thanks and sorry if this has been asked before.

[admin89]

Gigabyte WindForce GTX 660
Reason : It has excellent review (5 eggs) while all 7850 and 7870 have only 4 eggs . Performance : 7850 < GTX 660 < 7870 . 7870 is 50$ more expensive

[NaturalViolence]

You forgot to tell us whether you'll be running linux or windows.

[HeyArnold]

(05-21-2013, 10:43 AM)NaturalViolence Wrote: You forgot to tell us whether you'll be running linux or windows.

Probably Windows ... but I can run Linux instead. Is there a benefit of one over the other Dolphin or other emulators?

[NaturalViolence]

For linux you should go with nvidia. For windows it doesn't matter.

[HeyArnold]

(05-21-2013, 11:20 AM)NaturalViolence Wrote: For linux you should go with nvidia. For windows it doesn't matter.

Would I run into any issues with a 7850 or 7870? I was thinking about using one of those in a similar desktop for an Eyefinity setup.

[admin89]

If you chose Eyefinity setup , you should get 7870 or better GPU
Sapphire 7870 GHz Edition is much cheaper than Gigabyte version , Sapphire is good brand

Quote:Would I run into any issues with a 7850 or 7870?

With Linux , yes... NaturalViolence is correct

[HeyArnold]

(05-21-2013, 12:14 PM)admin89 Wrote: If you chose Eyefinity setup , you should get 7870 or better GPU
Sapphire 7870 GHz Edition is much cheaper than Gigabyte version , Sapphire is good brand

Quote:Would I run into any issues with a 7850 or 7870?

With Linux , yes... NaturalViolence is correct

So is Windows best for Dolphin/emulators? Will I be able to run most games at high settings with a 7870 over a 660 or 660TI?

[admin89]

Quote:So is Windows best for Dolphin/emulators?

Obviously ...
Linux and MAC OSX use only OpenGL backend which is slower than both Direct3D9 and Direct3D11
Windows can use all backend
Direct3D9 has the best compatibility and it's the fastest backend
Btw , OpenGL (linux) performs better than OpenGL(windows) in term of speed

With 7870 , you can expect 4xInternal Resolution (2560x2112) , 2x or 4xMSAA (Direct3D11) , 16xAF
SSAA (Direct3D9)is more demanding than MSAA (Direct3D11) . If you want to use SSAA , you may have to lower resolution for demanding games :
3xIR(1920x1584) + 4x SSAA = 3xIR x 2 = almost 6xIR (3840x3168) which is really high res
Some light-weight games , you can use 4xIR + 4xSSAA ~ 8xIR (insane res)

Quote: 7870 over a 660 or 660TI?

660 < 7870 < 660Ti

[HeyArnold]

(05-21-2013, 12:48 PM)admin89 Wrote:

Quote:So is Windows best for Dolphin/emulators?

Obviously ...
Linux and MAC OSX use only OpenGL backend which is slower than both Direct3D9 and Direct3D11
Windows can use all backend
Direct3D9 has the best compatibility and it's the fastest backend
Btw , OpenGL (linux) performs better than OpenGL(windows) in term of speed

With 7870 , you can expect 4xInternal Resolution (2560x2112) , 2x or 4xMSAA (Direct3D11) , 16xAF
SSAA (Direct3D9)is more demanding than MSAA (Direct3D11) . If you want to use SSAA , you may have to lower resolution for demanding games :
3xIR(1920x1584) + 4x SSAA = 3xIR x 2 = almost 6xIR (3840x3168) which is really high res
Some light-weight games , you can use 4xIR + 4xSSAA ~ 8xIR (insane res)

Why was your initial recommendation the 660? Here is a 7870 for a few dollars more - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202025

What is MSAA, SSAA and 16xAF? Sorry for the noob questions and Thank You!