Nvidia Vs Radeon: What the fuss?

[techfan80]

One of the most fundamental features of today's Home PCs is the incorporation of highly efficient and robust graphic cards. With the increasing demand of clear, 3D and versatile animations, crystal clear pictures, and "Real" virtual sites and graphics, competition in the production of tweaked graphic cards has been noted by two companies. I have been reading and checking the cut throat competition between nVidia and Radeon Video Cards since 2002.

Now, whether you use Linux, MS windows,Unix etc you require a separate and additional Graphics away from your display and video requirements. Of course we play hi-tech video games and require real virtual places!

Check this out and tell me what you think coz I think n is better than R.

nvidia vs radeon thermograph

[caf4926]

My choice of nVidia has nothing to do with performance issues relating to games or the like, as I don't use games or windows. nVidia just offers better driver support and always has. Neither is ideal of course. But there we are.

You link is probably meaningful to those initiated in the higher plane of thinking connected to thermal imaging, heat-sink dissipation and thermal dynamics. I say you probably need a Continuum Transfunctioner to eliminate any mystery to the understanding of these things.

[cjcox]

techfan80 wrote:
....
> Check this out and tell me what you think coz I think n is better than
> R.
>
> 'nvidia vs radeon thermograph' (http://tinyurl.com/mam4vo)

Uh... proof that heavy handed GPUs generate heat. Really not news.

With regards to N vs. R. Today N has the upper hand only because their proprietary closed source drivers work better than anything in contemporary
radeon land. However, ATI(AMD) are being more helpful to the free and open source community and the result eventually will be a very nice fully
supported accelerated drive (we hope) for ATI cards. I think Nvidia did a better job of coming up with an extensible architecture that doesn't
require major driver changes across families. I think the ATI cards make radical leaps generation to generation so that a universal driver idea is
difficult (that's just a guess based on observation).

It's my OPINION that both N and R have some dirty laundry in their GPUs and drivers that could be potentially damaging to their business (serious
damage). That's my opinion. Businesses in general do not attempt to let go of marketshare... and N especially (R to a lesser extent) would rather
not gain business if it means revealing "something" to the world (IMHO) or at least to their competition.

[buckesfeld]

* cjcox wrote, On 07/11/2009 02:43 PM:

> With regards to N vs. R. Today N has the upper hand only because their proprietary closed source drivers work better than anything in contemporary
> radeon land. However, ATI(AMD) are being more helpful to the free and open source community and the result eventually will be a very nice fully
> supported accelerated drive (we hope) for ATI cards.

We've been waiting for a good ATI driver for how long now?
I gave up on ATI on Linux. I haven't had a single serious problem with NVidia cards and the proprietary drivers in years. Buying an ATI is playing va banque: You may be lucky, but you have a good chance of wasting too much time on configuration and driver issues. I really don't care if the driver is open source, as long as it works.

Uwe

[cjcox]

On Sat, 2009-07-11 at 18:12 +0000, Uwe Buckesfeld wrote:
> * cjcox wrote, On 07/11/2009 02:43 PM:
>
> > With regards to N vs. R. Today N has the upper hand only because their proprietary closed source drivers work better than anything in contemporary
> > radeon land. However, ATI(AMD) are being more helpful to the free and open source community and the result eventually will be a very nice fully
> > supported accelerated drive (we hope) for ATI cards.
>
> We've been waiting for a good ATI driver for how long now?
> I gave up on ATI on Linux. I haven't had a single serious problem with NVidia cards and the proprietary drivers in years. Buying an ATI is playing va banque: You may be lucky, but you have a good chance of wasting too much time on configuration and driver issues. I really don't care if the driver is open source, as long as it works.
>

I agree. I'm not saying buy R now.. certainly not.

If "free" is what you want/need, I'd look at Intel for now (though they
are certainly twisting the X server and kernel upways and downways).

To me, one problem is that in general, I'd say most (if not all) kernel
devs do NOT care about high end accelerated graphics. That is to say,
you won't find a lot of hard core gamers in the kernel group.

That might mean that even if a "good" R driver is established, it
probably won't past muster with the majority of consumers that really
care... so again, back to Nvidia (and the mess that it is).

Sadly there are not too many "Linux purists" out there trying to live
life with just the one OS.

[CloudLion_ca]

As much fun as graphics chip sets and cards are: I'll never buy another product with an Nvidia chipset; unless it comes with a 5 year to life time warranty.

Why.... well if you've missed the fun; start here: Lawyers slap Nvidia with chip glitch lawsuit • Channel Register

I'm not a real big fan of ATI... but I can't credit any ATI chipsets for causing a blow out on any of my motherboards or notebook computers. I can't say the same for Nvidia cards.

Too bad Intel doesn't make video cards.

[hendersj]

On Mon, 13 Jul 2009 20:46:02 +0000, CloudLion ca wrote:

> Too bad Intel doesn't make video cards.

Well, technically not video cards, but video chipsets, sure:

http://www.intel.com/technology/graphics/

I've had ATI and nVidia here....nVidia seems to work well for me. ATI
not as well.

Jim

[BenderBendingRodriguez]

ATI is making some great moves, they can shrink the die size with ease now while NVidia has some great difficulties with that, they can't compete with price anymore. Their chips are becoming more powerful but at a cost greater than ATI and they won't be able to sustain that for long. I suppose nVidia will die in a matter of months/years.

[hendersj]

On Mon, 13 Jul 2009 21:46:01 +0000, BenderBendingRodriguez wrote:

> they can't compete
> with price anymore.

Price isn't the only factor, though - compatibility is, too. ATI's
compatibility isn't as good as nVidia's IME.

Jim

[tom_enos]

Originally Posted by CloudLion_ca

I'll never buy another product with an Nvidia chipset; unless it comes with a 5 year to life time warranty.

EVGA, BFG Tech, XFX all have lifetime warranties, to name a few

Originally Posted by CloudLion_ca

I can't credit any ATI chipsets for causing a blow out on any of my motherboards or notebook computers. I can't say the same for Nvidia cards.

and not to start anything, but this only affected some (well a lot, but not all) 8400M and 8600M Mobile chipsets, also it never "caused a blow out of a motherboard (couldn't since it is only a mobile chipset, I make the assumption you refer to a desktop motherboard) or notebook. The problem only caused the GPU to overheat and cause glitches and black screens while under heavy load or moderate load in very hot places, no damage to other hardware. also most of the affected units were manufactured and installed in 2006-2007

I'm not looking to start an argument or step on your toes, I just do not want to discurage anyone looking to buying a new card with incomplete information.