23.03.2010, 18:01
It's not my information, it's actually from nVidia. They don't put half the news related to them and their hardware on their own website (so believing nVidia is not always the logical choice), but rather it filters down through tech journals like I mentioned, who often actually talk to the nVidia representatives. As for rebadged laptops, I learned all that while searching for a rig for myself. Sites like notebookcheck.de break open and examine the chips, and you can see in the serial numbers, architecture arrangements, etc. what they really are. It's actually common knowledge these days that nVidia has been rebranding chips to make them sell better next to the current flagships.
i.e.
9800GT = 8800GT (clock for clock, actually)
GTS250 = 9800GTX+
GT210 = 9400
GT130M = 9600M GT
GTX360M = overclocked GTX260M
GTX280M = underclocked, die-shrunk 8800 GTS
The list actually carries on quite a ways. You don't research and follow computer hardware for six years and not learn something along the way. :wink:
As for the drivers, there are problems with the recent nVidia ones too, such as causing your card to overheat and flat-out fry itself. Point is, every vendor is going to have its issues. I said they will improve drivers with time, and that is what counts. ATi had driver issues on release of the HD4000 line as well, and they were pulled up to snuff fairly quickly. I'm assuming the issues you are taking with ATi's current (actually, past now) drivers are the "grey-screen" and "large cursor" bugs, as well as the bad support IL-2 has inherently for ATi, ja? It is relevant, I agree, but if he's going to spend money on a top-dollar card, then he should also know that of the GTX480s and 470s have faulty cores, run hot, and are generally not worth the money that nVidia will command for them. If he wants premium performance all-around, ATi is still the best option. If he just wants IL-2 performance, then he'd be better off purchasing an older nVidia card. Be warned though that production of true GT200 chips (GTX260, GTX275, GTX280, GTX285, and GTX295) has been shut down for awhile now, so those are becoming harder to come by. The only reason the even older G92 and G94 parts are still around are because that's what most OEMs use when they include discrete nVidia graphics in the systems they offer, including all nVidia-based laptops.
P.S. GTX480 specs and price estimates: http://vr-zone.com/articles/nvidia-gefor.../8635.html.
Faulty cores on new nVIdia chips: http://www.tomshardware.com/news/fermi-g...,9950.html
i.e.
9800GT = 8800GT (clock for clock, actually)
GTS250 = 9800GTX+
GT210 = 9400
GT130M = 9600M GT
GTX360M = overclocked GTX260M
GTX280M = underclocked, die-shrunk 8800 GTS
The list actually carries on quite a ways. You don't research and follow computer hardware for six years and not learn something along the way. :wink:
As for the drivers, there are problems with the recent nVidia ones too, such as causing your card to overheat and flat-out fry itself. Point is, every vendor is going to have its issues. I said they will improve drivers with time, and that is what counts. ATi had driver issues on release of the HD4000 line as well, and they were pulled up to snuff fairly quickly. I'm assuming the issues you are taking with ATi's current (actually, past now) drivers are the "grey-screen" and "large cursor" bugs, as well as the bad support IL-2 has inherently for ATi, ja? It is relevant, I agree, but if he's going to spend money on a top-dollar card, then he should also know that of the GTX480s and 470s have faulty cores, run hot, and are generally not worth the money that nVidia will command for them. If he wants premium performance all-around, ATi is still the best option. If he just wants IL-2 performance, then he'd be better off purchasing an older nVidia card. Be warned though that production of true GT200 chips (GTX260, GTX275, GTX280, GTX285, and GTX295) has been shut down for awhile now, so those are becoming harder to come by. The only reason the even older G92 and G94 parts are still around are because that's what most OEMs use when they include discrete nVidia graphics in the systems they offer, including all nVidia-based laptops.
P.S. GTX480 specs and price estimates: http://vr-zone.com/articles/nvidia-gefor.../8635.html.
Faulty cores on new nVIdia chips: http://www.tomshardware.com/news/fermi-g...,9950.html