nVIDIA vs ATI vs Value Added Services

Status
Not open for further replies.

Harper

"I FEEL SO GOOD I FEEL SO NUMB, YEAH!!!"
Messages
6,947
Location
Australia
Apart from the extra value added stuff (Eg. More that 12 month warranty, free game or 2), is there any point in worrying about with manufacturer to get a new video card from?

Example :- I get some one calling me up saying that want a Radion 9800 Pro 256 Video Card. Now considering that we main deal with corporates, my sorces on certain products can be a little limits.
So I suggest this Gigabyte Radion 9800 Pro 256 with a price.
Anyways, this is followed by the guy at the other end of the phone laughing his head off and saying that he could another brand of Radion 9800 Pro 256 for about $100 cheaper than my buy price.
I quickly explain to him that this a Gigabyte Video Card, the company has been around for years, free game, 2 year warranty, blah blah blah....
In the end, the guy got his video card elsewhere.

Now with margins being the way it is, I am not going to ring up every Tom, **** and Harry so I can find the cheapest Video Card Manufacturer. Especially when i really do not focus on the gaming market in the first place.

In the end with the fact that both chipset manufacturers nVIDIA and ATI have brought out there own TWEAKED UP chipset drivers, it buying a video card from a well known video manufacturer mean anying any more?
 
Dont really think it does. Is a couple cheaper type companies like powercooler and saphire least they have 9800 SE not sure if there 9800XT is made cheap.Id figure if you were gonna get a Radeon youed get it from ATI.Nvidia who??? = )
 
Yeah, all manufacturers are basicly the same. ATI gives the makers a reference design, which most stick completely to. The bundled software is about the only thing that will be different. That, and the way the card is cooled, as they can put whatever HS/Fan they want on it. The most expensive have nice coolers, but that only matters for overclocking, and even then you never know how it will perform, regardless of who made it. I say go with the cheapest, you won't be losing any performance.
 
So basically, it mainly the chipset that really not so the card manufacturer. I do understand that good chip set cooler is a must. I really hate those heat sinks that are only stuck on my a bit of double sided termal paste (and that is it). After loosing my GF4MX440 2 years ago, I make sure that all the heat sinks are secured onto the chipset.

Not just glued.

Currently, I am borrowing my sister's LeadTech GF4 FX5200, and the games that came with it are buggy.
* GunMetal - Has this lovely habit of locking up when you try some strategies that actaully work.
* Big Mutha Truckas - I repair my truck, but the truck's handling is still the same.
 
In some cards, memory varies from company to company. Some use cheaper memory modules, which aren't as good for OCing. Also some have zero bundled software, and shorter warranties (usually the OEM models).
 
Bleep said:
In some cards, memory varies from company to company. Some use cheaper memory modules, which aren't as good for OCing. Also some have zero bundled software, and shorter warranties (usually the OEM models).


OEM video card is some thing that I have not seen down here is a very long time. Like about 3 years or so.

The again, it also means that wholesales can just simply palm off the RA off to the manufacture. As appose to having to deal with in inside the channel again.
 
Personally, I would beg to differ. I would love to see benchmarks from an ASUS 9800 Pro pitted against a ATI 9800 Pro OEM.

Not to mention, there are factors that come in to play. Passive cooling vs. fans, OEM parts vs. retail, heatsink coverage, memory quality, memory frequency....

There ARE reasons some cards cost more than others. Its not unjustified.

But also, I dont believe Giga makes a 9800Pro. Perhaps you were talking about the 9800XT?? They make one of those, and that absolutely justifies a $100 price jump.

Tell me this isnt obviously a helluvah lot better than this.
 
Like bleep said, ATI provides design specs for GPU. Some companies will use cheaper memory and other components which will give you poorer results at the end. The bundle does make a difference. That's where some companies will try and attract you providing you with games and such. If you check reviews, you can see the performance of the different company cards. I myself prefer brand names, which as always given me high quality product. The bundle with ATI sucks but at least I know that everything on my card is high quality.
256 M of RAM is an overkill right now. No games take advantage of it yet and by the time they do, newer, better cards will have come out.
From reading your post, it looks like you have a small business in retailing so you might check different retailers for prices or reviews of the cards for your sales pitch.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom