GeForce GTX 780 vs Radeon 290/290x

[CaptainFrosty7]

Ok, so I like the GTX 780, but I have been heard that the R9 290 and 290x have better performance than the 780. Is that true and if so is it worth it, because will os x support the AMD card? Also, do windforce or ACX make a difference because I think that the original casing that you see on nvidia's website and that EVGA and PNY sell have the original casing. Also is PNY good for a graphics card or should I stick with an EVGA card? Thanks

 

[trs96]

Ok, so I like the GTX 780, but I have been heard that the R9 290 and 290x have better performance than the 780. Is that true and if so is it worth it, because will os x support the AMD card? Also, do windforce or ACX make a difference because I think that the original casing that you see on nvidia's website and that EVGA and PNY sell have the original casing. Also is PNY good for a graphics card or should I stick with an EVGA card? Thanks

Better performance depends on what program you are running with either of the two
graphics cards (AMD or Nvidia) Right now the buyer's guide includes only Nvidia cards.
Those give the best performance with the Adobe Suite of apps. For software from
Apple like FCP X the AMD cards, FirePro workstation cards perform the best because
FCP X is fine tuned for them. We have to wait and see if Apple starts supporting the
non WS graphics cards in the R9 series. A non reference cooler is generally a good
idea if you need a quieter card that needs more cooling. AFAIK the PNY cards are a good choice.

 

[dougoftheabaci]

Eh... Looking at straight up benchmarks the difference in performance is pretty close so it's not a simple case of "this card is faster". Nvidia cards test to get better optimizations for professional software as well as from most major games, which can give them an edge.

Non-reference cards (what you call a card that's been modified by the manufacturer, either by over-clocking or adding a better cooler) are definitely the way to go. Remember, your card can actually slow itself down if it starts to get too hard. A non-reference cooling solution will help with that. It'll also be quieter.

Speaking of noise, from what I've heard the 290 and 290x are really loud so if you're going for a sound-optimized build that's just one more reason to go Nvidia.

 

[WonkeyDonkey]

I'm also a fan of nvidia. I've always found their cards to be quiet and have fewer issues getting them to work. An advantage to using nvidia is that they periodically release new driver packages, over and above what is baked into OSX, which can give you the very latest drivers and updates. With an AMD card, you are limited to whatever Apple has included in OSX.

Something else that popped up on the radar recently is the Asus Strix line of cards, which are just starting to appear at retail. They have chunky coolers attached and a well tuned fan control system, such that the fans remain off until the card exceeds 65 degrees, at which point they start up very slowly (300 RPM or so) and spin-up very gently. Great for those who demand very little or zero noise. There is a 780 version, and also an R9 280 version.

In-depth reviews should start popping up soon