I'm getting ready to upgrade out of my current HD 4870 X2 because its developed some memory issues. The factory overclock settings of 900MHz memory clock causes instant artifacting and shortly thereafter a BSOD and while I was able to make it work again by lowering the memory clock on the cores to 740MHz, its a good sign that its time to get a new card. In addition, the ATI card has never really done well with FSX, no matter how much I tweak it, despite the fact that it's always chewed through just about every other game I own. Anyway, now I'm looking at some of the newer generation cards and am a little out of the loop as to whats good and whats not so good. I know I should go for an Nvidia card for FSX, but I also want something thats going to work well for other games. I'm also on a budget of about $250 maximum, so that automatically cuts off the top 1/3 of the market or so, leaving me with the question of whether or not the kind of cards I can buy in my price range are going to compare favorably to what I've already got... no reason spending a penny on a new card if I'm going to be taking a net loss in performance.

 

So here are the basic questions I'd like answered please:

 

What are the best cards for FSX available in my price range of $250 or less?

Is it still the case that only Nvidia cards really run FSX well?

Of the cards suitable for FSX, how do they stack up in other games?

Relating to a specific card, I've noticed that the GTX 480/470 rank higher than the 560 series, why?

 

Thanks for any input here.

 

PS: I know the subject of video cards has been beaten to death over the years, but aside from a few "forget ATI, go with Nvidia" comments, search hasn't really resulted in any proper discussion of whats best for a budget.

560Ti has been the best "budget card" for a while... (but the 660 is the new kid on the block).

 

http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814121480

 

Make sure your Power supply is up to the task, no matter what card you buy!

When did $269 US become BUDGET?

560Ti has been the best "budget card" for a while... (but the 660 is the new kid on the block).

 

http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814121480

 

Make sure your Power supply is up to the task, no matter what card you buy!

 

Still a little out of my price range (I always forget to send in the rebate, so if its a mail in rebate, I don't count the rebate price)... How do the non-TI and non-448 core hold up, considering that both come in at face value below my max price?

 

When did $269 US become BUDGET?

 

When the high end cards started costing $500+ and the game technology outpaced the under $150 cards. Sad, but true.

Still a little out of my price range (I always forget to send in the rebate, so if its a mail in rebate, I don't count the rebate price)... How do the non-TI and non-448 core hold up, considering that both come in at face value below my max price?

 

 

 

When the high end cards started costing $500+ and the game technology outpaced the under $150 cards. Sad, but true.

 

Grab up a used GTX 470/480. Those are still great cards.

Also, I'm still curious as to why the 400 series is beating the 500 series in benchmarks and whether or not that will affect FSX at all?

 

Grab up a used GTX 470/480. Those are still great cards.

 

I will never buy used or refurbished... too many bad experiences

Also, I'm still curious as to why the 400 series is beating the 500 series in benchmarks and whether or not that will affect FSX at all?

 

 

 

I will never buy used or refurbished... too many bad experiences

 

Okay... Good luck finding a decent budget card that's not used or refurbished. At any rate, you have protection as a purchaser on Ebay.

Used and or refurbished. Then your missing out on a large market, specially on a budget. Have purchased many used and refurbished with no bad results. I have also sold many used Video Cards over the yrs that were like new. You could pick up a barely used 580 or 570 for less than a new 560, which I dont think alot of!

When people ask for prices on cards an other computer parts i always refer them to one of my favorite stores that i buy all my computer parts brand new factory seal . Check these guys out http://magicmicro.co...ist.asp?cid=120

 

Good luck Best Regards

Okay... Good luck finding a decent budget card that's not used or refurbished. At any rate, you have protection as a purchaser on Ebay.

Used and or refurbished. Then your missing out on a large market, specially on a budget. Have purchased many used and refurbished with no bad results. I have also sold many used Video Cards over the yrs that were like new. You could pick up a barely used 580 or 570 for less than a new 560, which I dont think alot of!

 

Its a policy I have long had for all electronic devices; they are just too easy to damage (especially internal computer components like video cards), and often don't show the signs of that damage without a thorough inspection and even then, it might be missed. I would much rather wait a few extra days / weeks to save up the difference between new and used, or opt for a new, yet lesser card, than to roll the dice on a used card.

 

I should point out that even a standard 560 is two full generations newer than my 4870x2, so its most likely a massive upgrade either way.

560Ti has been the best "budget card" for a while... (but the 660 is the new kid on the block).

 

http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814121480

 

Make sure your Power supply is up to the task, no matter what card you buy!

 

After some more exploring now that I'm home from work, I've found that I could get an EVGA 570 for $5-$15 more depending on the exact model... Is there any reason you would steer clear of the 570 or EVGA (which I thought was a good brand for nVidia...)?

A further question has arisen here based on the release of the 660Ti. Considering the much better stats, is it worth it to save for a few weeks to try and get this? I know its not going to be top of the line, but I imagine it will have much better staying power than the 560Ti or even the 570. That being said, in a few benchmarking comparisons, the 570 outperforms the 660Ti, so then the question is whether or not the extra $50 is worthwhile?

 

Edit: Sorry for the rapidfire posts, I'm always fearful that someone might be in the process of replying to one question while I edit in another, which then never gets answered...

A further question has arisen here based on the release of the 660Ti. Considering the much better stats, is it worth it to save for a few weeks to try and get this? I know its not going to be top of the line, but I imagine it will have much better staying power than the 560Ti or even the 570. That being said, in a few benchmarking comparisons, the 570 outperforms the 660Ti, so then the question is whether or not the extra $50 is worthwhile?

 

You can forget about those benchmarks when FS is concerned. The actual performance difference is likely about 0.5 fps. Hardly worth $50.

You can see plenty of youtube videos that look amazing with gtx 470 cards. I'd say the most important feature would be amount of memory. Both the 470 and 480 should be around 1200 to1500 mb. And you can still find NEW ones ;)

 

http://www.pricewatch.com/gallery/video_cards/geforce_gtx_480

You can forget about those benchmarks when FS is concerned. The actual performance difference is likely about 0.5 fps. Hardly worth $50.

You can see plenty of youtube videos that look amazing with gtx 470 cards. I'd say the most important feature would be amount of memory. Both the 470 and 480 should be around 1200 to1500 mb. And you can still find NEW ones ;)

 

http://www.pricewatc...geforce_gtx_480

 

The 660Ti has 2GB (compared to 1280 for the 560 and 1500ish for the 570) and 3x as many CUDA cores. Don't forget that I play a lot of other games and want this card to have some staying power. I know none of the ones I'm looking at are top of the line like my 4870x2 was way back when I got it, but even a 480 would be a step up from where I am now, so I want to make sure that whatever I pick, I'm going to be able to hold onto it for at least 2-3 years without the game technology overrunning it. If the 560 / 570 fits the bill for those requirements, then I'd happily pay less and go more budget, but since it looks like the specs for the 660 are near double in many ways, I'm stuck wondering if its going to have a significantly longer staying power, saving me money in the long run.

I would reccomend a refurbished or used GTX 580. - You can find them on Ebay for 250 bucks. Also, you could pick up a GTX480 on Newegg for 220bucks.

 

Also I would like to add that I have never had a bad experience with refurbished products. My motherboard AND my graphics card are refurbished and they both work flawlessly.