The big graphics card review: from GTX 465 and HD 5830 to high-end

After 2 weeks, 12 cards, lot of measurement, jotting, writing, problems we finished testing and we hope it made sense and you can exploit this article.

We try to summarize this long test:

GeForce GTX 465 – Radeon HD 5830, HD 5850

If we watch performance GTX 465 is faster every time, often significantly. Question is that how much we have to pay for this? A lot! Why? HD 5830 is cheaper ~45% than GTX 465. Is GeForce faster so much? Maybe, sometimes. But in avarage performance certainly not. We have to listen that Radeon is more quiet and eat less power so if we see price/performance rate and other things HD 5830 looks better choice, but for all that GTX 465 is the smallest brother in GTX 400 family so if you do not care about power usage or higher temperature you will not regret NVIDIA’s card.

GTX 465 compare to HD 5850 is more realistic because it is cheaper just a little and if we notice Radeon get closer a lot of time to the GeForce or sometimes it can beat that, it is not good news for GTX 465 but there are some game where HD 5850 can not do nothing against NVIDIA’s card, so the formula is not that simple.

GeForce GTX 470 – Radeon HD 5850, HD 5870

Experience looks like above. GTX 470 is more faster than HD 5850 except that areas which are good for Radeons but there is not much nowadays. GeForce is faster, precious, and have higher power usage too — usual Fermi marks.

GTX 470’s true enemy is HD 5870, its price is the same. It certifies at usage. Sometimes Radeon wins sometimes GeForce wins. We can get similar –in performance– cards for the same price but one eats less power, have lower temperature and more quiet. Which could be choosed? Radeon fans and manufacturer indie’s will buy HD 5870 and NVIDIA fans will buy GTX 470 of course. Which cards are purchased more? Obviously HD 5870! Who is right? Everyone because both cards are good.

GeForce GTX 480 – Radeon HD 5870 and CrossFireX systems

The last matching is devoting. HD 5870 has no chance against GTX 480 which is a brutal power machine with boiler-like temperature, power usage. We suggest fire safety education before you use it. NVIDIA get back throne in singe GPU field, only several Radeon had chance or HD 5970 (could) win over GTX 480. Its enemy would be HD 5870 if we see number of GPUs, but it is faster and more expensive. We can get two HD 5850 by GTX 480’s price, but latter is so powerful it can step off HD 5850 CF a lot. We can analyse CrossFireX systems or SLIs for a long time, but it is not about just heat production or power usage, price too and this height everyone decide by sympathy.

What is conclusion of our big VGA test? If we study by every aspect Radeon HD 5800 series still better choice because it is cheaper, have less power usage and temperature and technically andvanced in the same way. It does not mean we have to commit GeForces they are very good in performance but we have to pay that in the shop and rent too. If greens will give more competitive price their Fermi-based cards where problems will be fixed picture can be changed. But Radeons are more inviting for neutral customers otherwise everyone buy by own discretion.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480

ASUS MATRIX 5870 Platinum

ASUS EAH5830 DirectCU GIGABYTE HD 5830 UDV

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Cards of this review was confirmed by this partners:

ASUS ENGTX480, ASUS ENGTX470, ASUS ENGTX465, ASUS EAH5850 × 2: Bluechip Kft.
ASUS ENGTX470 (2), ASUS ENGTX465 (2), valamint ASUS EAH5830 DirectCU és MATRIX 5870 Platinum: ASUS Hungary
GIGABYTE HD 5830 UDV, GIGABYTE HD 5870, valamint GIGABYTE GTX 480: GIGABYTE Hungary

Thank you!

We would like to thank the test configuration for:

Written by Gábor Szűcs (GrungeMan) and Gábor Pintér (gabi123)

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