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Graphics Card Comparison II

Click here for Graphics Card Comparison 1
Click here for Graphics Card Comparison 3

The first time we did a graphics comparison chart We started with the Geforce 2 MX graphics card. The progression since then has been amazing and so many graphics cards have been released since then that we have had to start all over again and compare the more recent set of cards from the two giants in the graphics card world, ATI with its Radeon series of cards and Nvidia with the infamous Geforce line. I'm sure more will continue to come onto the market and we will add them as and when they appear.

Choosing a graphics card is no longer just about seeing which one is the fastest. The CPU industry is trying to get out of this stereotype but is having a hard time doing so as higher numbers tend to attract peoples attention. The graphics card industry however is getting the publics attention on this matter. The different technologies behind the card is an equal reason to buy a card along with its raw power. Below is a table of the latest graphics cards and there speeds and memory configurations. Later on we will have a look at the technologies in each of these cards.

GFX Card Clock Speed Memory Speed Memory Bus Width Memory Size Memory Bandwidth Fill Rate Pixels/s Price
Geforce 6200 300Mhz 500Mhz (DDR) 128-Bit 128Mb 8.0Gb/s 1.2 Billion Compare
Geforce 6600 300Mhz 550Mhz (DDR) 128-Bit 128Mb 11.2Gb/s 2.4Billion Compare
Geforce 6600 GT 500Mhz 1Ghz (DDR) 128-Bit 256Mb 16Gb/s 4 Billion
Geforce 6800 325Mhz 700Mhz (DDR) 256-bit 256Mb 22.4Gb/s 3.9Billion Compare
Geforce 6800 GT 350Mhz 1Ghz (DDR) 256-Bit 256Mb 32Gb/s 5.6Billion
Geforce 6800 Ultra 400Mhz 1.1Ghz (DDR) 256-Bit 256/512 Mb 35.2Gb/s 6.4 Billion
Geforce 7300 LE 450Mhz Varied around 666Mhz (DDR) 64-bit 128/256 Mb 5.2Gb/s 1.8 Billion Compare
Geforce 7300 GS 550Mhz Varied around 800Mhz (DDR) 64-bit 128/256 Mb 6.5Gb/s 2.2 Billion Compare
Geforce 7300 GT Varied Varied 128-bit 256Mb 10.7Gb/s 2.8 Billion Compare
Radeon X300 SE 325Mhz 400Mhz (DDR) 64-Bit 128Mb 3.2Gb/s 1.3Billion Compare
Radeon X300 325Mhz 400Mhz (DDR) 128-Bit 128Mb 6.4Gb/s 1.3Billion
Radeon X600 Pro 400Mhz 600Mhz (DDR) 128-Bit 128/256 Mb 9.6Gb/s 1.6 Billion Compare
Radeon X600 XT 500Mhz 740Mhz (DDR) 128-Bit 256Mb 11.8G/b 2 Billion
Radeon X700 400Mhz 600Mhz (DDR) 128-Bit 128Mb 9.6Gb/s 3.36 Billion Compare
Radeon X700 Pro 420Mhz 864Mhz (DDR) 128-Bit 256Mb 13.8Gb/s 3.8 Billion
Radeon X700 XT 475Mhz 1.05Ghz 128-Bit 128/256 Mb 16.8Gb/s 4 Billion
Radeon X800 400Mhz 700Mhz (DDR) 256-Bit 128Mb 22.4Gb/s 4.8 Billion Compare
Radeon X800 Pro 475Mhz 900Mhz (DDR) 256-Bit 256Mb 28.8Gb/s 5.7 Billion
Radeon X800 XL 400Mhz 1Ghz (DDR) 256-Bit 256Mb 31.4Gb/s 6.4 Billion
Radeon X800 XT 500Mhz 1Ghz (DDR) 256-Bit 512Mb Max 32Gb/s 8 Billion
Radeon X800 XT PE 520Mhz 1.12Ghz (DDR) 256-Bit 256Mb 35.8Gb/s 8.32 Billion
Radeon X850 Pro 520Mhz 1.08Ghz (DDR) 256-Bit 256Mb 34.6Gb/s 6.24 Billion Compare
Radeon X850 XT 520Mhz 1.08Ghz (DDR) 256-Bit 256Mb 34.6Gb/s 8.32 Billion
Radeon X850 PE 540Mhz 1.18Ghz (DDR) 256-Bit 256Mb 37.8Gb/s 8.64 Billion

PE in the Radeon cards means Platinum Edition. This is usually the best one available of each type.

You do have to remember that the raw power of graphics cards is not the be all and end all. With games looking more and more realistic all the time, graphics cards need more than simple pixel pushing power. You are now needing textures and shaders as well as other card specific technologies.

The table below shows the technologies that each graphics card posses and the pixel pipelines, texture units and Vertex shaders. Each generation of cards tends to have 2 or 3 variations to it. With the case of Nvidia these usually consist of a standard a GT version and an Ultra version. ATI use a standard a Pro version and a XT version. Generally speaking the fastest card is released and the others are derivatives of them but with less power, and occasionally less functionality.

GFX Card Pixel Pipelines Texture Units per Pipe Vertex Shaders Chipset Technologies
Geforce 6200 4 1 3 CineFX 3.0
Ultra Shadow II
Intellisample 3.0 (No colour or Z-compression)
Geforce 6600 8* 1 3 CineFX 3.0
Ultra Shadow II
Intellisample 3.0
Geforce 6600 GT 8 1 3
Geforce 6800 12 1 5 CineFX 3.0
Pixel Shader 3.0
Vertex Shader 3.0
Ultra Shadow II
Intellisample 3.0
Geforce 6800 GT 16 1 6
Geforce 6800 Ultra 16 1 6
Radeon X300 SE 4 1 2 Smartshader 2.0
Smoothvision 2.1
Hyper-Z III
Videoshader
Radeon X300 4 1 2
Radeon X600 Pro 4 1 2 Smartshader 2.0
Smoothvision 2.1
Hyper-Z III
Videoshader
Radeon X600 XT 4 1 2
Radeon X700 8 1 6 Smartshader HD
Smoothvision HD
HyperZ HD
Videoshader HD
3Dc
Radeon X700 Pro 8 1 6
Radeon X700 XT 8 1 6
Radeon X800 12 1 6 Smartshader HD
Smoothvision HD
HyperZ HD
Videoshader HD
3Dc
Radeon X800 Pro 12 1 6
Radeon X800 XL 16 1 6
Radeon X800 XT 16 1 6
Radeon X800 XT PE 16 1 6
Radeon X850 Pro 12 1 6 Although the X850 does have a different chip, the architecture is the same as the X800. Improvements have been made in the manufacturing process
Radeon X850 XT 16 1 6
Radeon X850 PE 16 1 6

Unlike the first graphics card comparison that we did, the cards here from Nvidia and ATI are fairly well matched. The differences are the way that the cards use the power they have been given. More emphasis has been put on the quality of the image that the card produces rather than the huge amount of FPS that they can produce.
 

 


Jargon

Clock Speed - The clock frequency of the main GPU on the graphics card

DDR - Double Data Rate. Technology used to double the rate at which data can be transferred.  Achieved by using the peak and trough of a signal to carry data.

Memory Bandwidth - The amount of data that can be transferred across the memory Bus per second

Memory Speed - The frequency of the main memory

Pixel Pipelines - Part of the graphics card that renders pixels and adds textures to them. More pixel Pipelines means more pixels can be rendered per clock cycle

RAMDAC - Random Access Memory Digital to Analogue Converter

SDR - Single Data Rate

More explanations at the Jargon Dictionary

Need more help? why not try the PantherProducts Forum and ask some of the other PC builders for advice. No Question where you need help is too silly we are always happy to help if we can.


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