Just comparing the technical specs of a GTX250 and GTX260 card. Most specs are similar, however memory seems to be the big difference:GTX260:Memory896 MB, 448 bit DDR31998 MHz (effective)111.9 GB/s Memory BandwidthGTX250:Memory1024 MB, 256 bit DDR32200 MHz (effective)70.4 GB/s Memory BandwidthMost other differences in spec are in the GTX 250's favor, surprisingly, but the memory difference (significantly better for the 260 (448 bit) than the 250 (256 bit)) I assume is the main factor.Given that FSX is the only application that I run that requires performance, how much of an issue for FSX is the memory difference? There quite a price difference, which is why I ask. Both cards are EVGA.Thanks, Bruce.

The bandwidth is also an important factor as well, the more the better especially for FSX. I have the 260 Super clocked edition and I am pretty happy with it. Its not the biggest badest by any means but it can hold its own in FSX. Depending on where you like to fly you may need to add a BP to your config to help in heavy autogen areas. I run 80,000,000 and it works fine with a TBM of 60. If I dont run the BP tweek in heavy autogen areas I get the spikes you hear people complaining about. The BP tweek eliminates that problem.

The two graphics cards in question feature different GPUs, you can't use something as simple as clockspeed to compare performance. The GTS 250 has higher clockspeeds, but fewer of the various functional units so it is actually slower than the GTX 260. It's like saying that a 4 cylinder engine is faster than an 8 cylinder because it has a higher redline. In most cases this will not be true.

The two graphics cards in question feature different GPUs, you can't use something as simple as clockspeed to compare performance. The GTS 250 has higher clockspeeds, but fewer of the various functional units so it is actually slower than the GTX 260. It's like saying that a 4 cylinder engine is faster than an 8 cylinder because it has a higher redline. In most cases this will not be true.

Thanks jwenham and TechguyMaxC. I would be updating from a 8800 GTS (768M), so how significant is the performance difference between the 250 and 260 given (hopefully) how far I will be upgrading?Thanks, Bruce.

GTX260

Hi Bruce, do you mean a GTS 250?If you'd like a simple answer to the question of comparing performance to your current card, you can have a look here:http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-g...ard,2569-6.htmlA more significant factor could be your CPU, which you don't mention. The biggest, baddest GPU out there won't help past a point if your CPU is lagging. So depending on how the card fits with your current system, you might not notice any difference between the GTS 250 and GTX 260. If the CPU is fast enough, the GTX 260 is considerably better, as indicated.

Hi Bruce, do you mean a GTS 250?If you'd like a simple answer to the question of comparing performance to your current card, you can have a look here:http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-g...ard,2569-6.htmlA more significant factor could be your CPU, which you don't mention. The biggest, baddest GPU out there won't help past a point if your CPU is lagging. So depending on how the card fits with your current system, you might not notice any difference between the GTS 250 and GTX 260. If the CPU is fast enough, the GTX 260 is considerably better, as indicated.

Thanks michapma and McCrash.My CPU is Q6600 OC to 3.0 MHz on a GA-X38T-DQ6 and 4MB of DDR3 RAM, WinXP (32), although I am planning to get into a new generation i7* CPU/mobo/RAM later this year- I was planning to get the graphics card along with Windows 7 now since I can use that with my current system in the meantime. I think you've answered my question to go for at least the 260.Thanks, Bruce.

Thanks michapma and McCrash.My CPU is Q6600 OC to 3.0 MHz on a GA-X38T-DQ6 and 4MB of DDR3 RAM, WinXP (32), although I am planning to get into a new generation i7* CPU/mobo/RAM later this year- I was planning to get the graphics card along with Windows 7 now since I can use that with my current system in the meantime. I think you've answered my question to go for at least the 260.Thanks, Bruce.

You might want to wait for a few months before getting a new video card. nVidia has new ones coming out and and ATI should have some too.

I've never really followed price trends closely, so how does this usually work? The obvious general trend is that after the release of the new generation cards there is a certain time window when the current graphics cards, both good and uber, become available at nicely reduced prices, and then disappear. I suppose that, depending on the card, the rate of price decrease may be more or less sudden (more on higher-end cards) and the time window longer or shorter, depending on the popularity of the card. So the best time to get a great deal on, let's say, a GTX 275 or 285 might be 2

The bandwidth is also an important factor as well, the more the better especially for FSX. I have the 260 Super clocked edition and I am pretty happy with it. Its not the biggest badest by any means but it can hold its own in FSX. Depending on where you like to fly you may need to add a BP to your config to help in heavy autogen areas. I run 80,000,000 and it works fine with a TBM of 60. If I dont run the BP tweek in heavy autogen areas I get the spikes you hear people complaining about. The BP tweek eliminates that problem.

Stupid question please, but what is BP?Thank you.Arnold.

Survey says!BufferPools :( http://forums1.avsim.net/index.php?showtopic=281538