Nvidia VS AMD's Current Lineup Evaluation

[Bob Jim]

Nvidia VS AMD

NOTES: THIS IS ONLY COMPARING BOTH COMPANY'S CURRENT GEN PRODUCTS (AMD: R7-9 300 SERIES, NVIDIA: GTX 750 AND GTX 750Ti, AND GTX 900 SERIES). THIS IS BECAUSE OLDER PRODUCTS' PRICES VARY HUGELY, AND ARE HARDER TO FIND. I WILL ALSO NOT BE TAKING INTO ACCOUNT PRICES OF HUGELY MORE EXPENSIVE VERSIONS OF A CARD, EG R9 290 LIGHTNING. I WILL ALSO USE THE CARDS' BASE CONFIGURATION OF VRAM, EG 2GB ON THE GTX 960, NOT 4GB. THE MINIMUM RESOLUTION I AM TAKING INTO ACCOUNT IS 1080P. ALL OF MY COMPARISONS OF PERFORMANCE ARE BASED OF BENCHMARKS FROM REPUTABLE WEBSITES LIKE TOM'S HARDWARE (EXCEPT THE CHEAPEST OPTION, WHERE I COULD ONLY FIND YOUTUBE BENCHMARKS FROM 1000 SUB CHANNELS). PRICES ARE IN AMERICAN DOLLARS AND BRITISH POUND STERLING. DUE TO SILICON LOTTERY, YOUR MILEAGE MAY VERY WHEN IT COMES TO OVERCLOCKING.


Budget Options


Price Range: $100-120 OR £80-90

Nvidia - GTX 750 AMD - R7 360

These are fairly equal, and trade blows with each other. The R7 360 looks better on paper, with double the amount of VRAM (2GB vs 1GB), however in practise this rarely matters. At 1080p, which is all these cards should be used at, 1GB is enough in most scenarios. To get decent framerates (40+ average), you will need to turn the detail down to low-high, depending on the game. Once you have done that, and the VRAM issue is out of the way, they are pretty much equal, although the GTX 750 has the edge in less AMD optimized games (let's face it, a lot of them). If you prefer higher detail settings and slightly lower framerates, the R7 360 is the way to go, as the card could potetnially use more than 1GB. The R7 360 might also be more future-proof due to more VRAM.

At this price range, the Nvidia GTX 750 is the way to go for most people, due to slightly better performance in games. If you like to crank the details up at the expense of very good frame rates, the AMD R7 360 is what you want, for its 2GB of VRAM. Overall, the winner is the GTX 750 currently, although this may change if future games start to use more VRAM.


Price Range: $130-160 OR £95-140

Nvidia - GTX 750Ti AMD - R7 370

Here AMD wins, in terms of performance. The R7 370 methodically beats the GTX 750Ti in every game except Batman: Arkham Origins, as well as in the synthetic benchmarks like 3D Mark Firestrike (4920 VS 4113). For example, it was able to get 60.1 average FPS in Bioshock Infinite Ultra 1080p, VS the GTX 750Ti's 46.3 FPS. Both cards have 2GB VRAM, although AMD has a 256 Bit interface VS Nvidia's 128 Bit one (this is mostly irrelevant due to differences in the two companies' compression techniques). The place where the 750Ti wins, however, is in overclocking. It can overclock much better than the r7 370, closing the gap in performance in a lot of cases. The 750Ti is also better if you are simply placing it into an old/pre built PC, because it does not need an external 6-Pin power connector, unlike the R7 370.

Here, the AMD R7 370 is the way to go. It has better performance than the competition in every game except Batman: Arkham Origins. The only reasons to consider the GTX 750Ti is the better overclocking, and the fact that it does not need a 6-Pin power connector, allowing for worse PSUs and better cable management in something like an ITX system.


Mid-Range Options


Price Range: $190-240 OR £150-180

Nvidia - GTX 960 AMD - R9 380

Again, AMD wins here. The R9 380 narrowly edges out the GTX 960 at 1080p in most games; however, at 1440p and 4k (although 4k is unreasonable for this card) the R9 380 starts to really pull ahead, often with differences of 10-20+ FPS, due to the 256-Bit memory bus on the AMD card. For example, the R9 380 gets 68.9 FPS on Battlefield 4 at 1080p Ultra, whereas the GTX 960 gets 61.8 FPS. In GTA V, interestingly enough, the GTX 960 wins, due to driver optimization. Once again, the Nvidia card is a slightly better overclocker.

At this price range, there is almost no reason to consider the GTX 960. The R9 380 beats it in every game except for GTA V, performs much better at higher than 1080p resolutions, and doesn't even have the temperature issues the R9 280/x did, due to its Tonga GPU. Although better drivers and overclocking potential on the Maxwell architecture of the GTX 960 will make the card on par with the R9 380 in some games, in most games it will not. The R9 380 is the way to go here.


High-End Options


Price Range: $320-380 OR £240-290

Nvidia - GTX 970 AMD - R9 390

AMD wins again... SURPRISE! This one is much closer though. The R9 390 beats the GTX 970 by just a few FPS in every game except The WItcher 3, and this gap stays roughly the same when overclocking. The R9 380 has over double the VRAM, at 8GB VS the GTX 970's 3.5GB effective memory (it has 4GB, of which only 3.5GB is fast enough to be useful). This means that the R9 390 is a MUCH better choice if you are using high detail texture packs at 1440p/4K.

This is practically a tie in terms of performance; however, the R9 390 is the card to choose at this price point. It is slightly better than the GTX 970 in every game except for WItcher 3, and has double the VRAM, making it the best choice, expecially for things like high detail Skyrim texture packs at 1440p or 4K gaming.


Price Range: $430-440 (AMD), $470-530 (Nvidia) OR £340-360 (AMD), £390-440(Nvidia)

Nvidia - GTX 980 AMD - R9 390X

From here on in, things get more complicated. The R9 390X performs worse than the GTX 980, but is cheaper; the GTX 980 performs better than the R9 390X, and is more expensive. What to get in this price range is very much dependent on your circumstances. If you simply want to get the most out of your graphics card,then the GTX 980 is a no-brainer, as it has much better performance. If you are more budget concious, then the R9 390X is the way to go; it has less performance, but overall is cheap enough to give you more 'bang for your buck', or performance per dollar/pound. To give an idea of the performance difference, on Witcher 3 at 1080p Ultra, the GTX 980 got 59.4 FPS average, and the R9 390X got 52.7 FPS. On GTA V at High 1080p, the GTX 980 gets 75.5 FPS average, and the R9 390X gets 64.2 FPS average. Note that both of these games are quite intensive, and the performance gap scales well when changing the resolution. The GTX 980 is much cooler, which gives it more room for better overclocks.

This price range is difficult. If you can comfortably afford the GTX 980, buy it, as it will give you better performance, ESPECIALLY when overclocked. If your budget is slightly tighter, then the R9 390X offers more performance for your money. The choice here depends on your circumstance, although if you have the money Nvidia wins here.


Very High-End Option


Price Range: $560 OR £450

Nvidia - Nothing AMD - R9 Fury

The R9 Fury is priced between the GTX 980/R9 390X and the GTX 980Ti/Fury X, and the performance fits right into the middle. The fact that Nvidia has no card at this price range means that the Fury is bound to be a big success. It costs only a little bit more than some of the higher end board-partner GTX 980s, while performing much better. At 1440p, highest settings, and 8x MSAA, the Fury get 63 FPS Average, the GTX 980 gets 52 FPS Average, and the Fury X gets 70FPS average.

If you are willing to spend quite a lot of money, the R9 Fury offers amazing value for money; it is only a little bit more expensive than the GTX 980, while offering much better performance; it is right on the heels of the Fury X, which costs quite a lot more. For anyone who has a lot to spend on a GPU, but cannot wuite stretch their budget to a GTX 980Ti/Fury X, this is an amazing alternative that offers very good performance for your money.


Enthusiast Options


Price Range: $650-690 OR £510-560

Nvidia - GTX 980Ti AMD - R9 Fury X

Nvidia wins in this price point in terms of performance; however, AMD has advantages in other areas. The 980Ti defeats the Fury X in every game, especially when overclocked. In Battlefield 4, it beats the Fury X by 15 FPS at 1080p Ultra (97 FPS Average VS 113 FPS Average). AMD has other things going for it though. Due to its water cooled deisgn, it is both cooler and quieter than the GTX 980Ti (other than the first production run that had pump whining issues that have now been fixed). The lack of an air cooler allows the GPU to fit into smaller cases with not much room for a huge graphics card.Once AMD unlocks the voltage on the Fury X via a driver update, overclockers should be able to make the Fury X match, if not beat, the 980Ti, due to the headroom from the water cooling (this is speculation, not confirmed).HBM memory on the Fury X allows for MUCH higher bandwidth memory, that will really start to come into play as new games optimize for it, but for now the 980Ti wins on the VRAM side due to its 6GB (non HBM), VS the Fury X's 4GB (HBM).

Currently, the GTX 980Ti is the GPU to get for sure. It offers better performance, doesn't need a radiator taking up a fan mounting slot, and is MUCH better to overclock. If you have a Mini ITX/small Micro ATX system, the Fury X might be the card for you if you have not much room for a long GPU. The performance of the Fury X is likely to be bumped up by a driver update that will unlock card voltages and result in better overclocks, and by games optimizing for HBM memory; however, for now the GTX 980Ti is the GPU to choose.


Bragging Rights Options


Price Range: $1000-1300(Nvidia), $680(AMD) OR £760-830(Nvidia), £540(AMD)

Nvidia - GTX Titan X AMD - R9 295X2

The R9 295X2 wins here in performance, but I would NOT reccomend it, unless you absolutely have to have the best performance. It consumes RIDICULOUS amounts of power (500W), outputs a metric butt ton of heat, and has issues with stuttering, just like an SLI configuration, due to it being a dual-GPU card. The Titan X performs the same as the GTX 980Ti which is half the price, and the doubled VRAM won't matter until the Titan X is too weak a GPU to play the games that need 12GB anyway.

Buy the R9 295X2 if you want to own what is the most powerful Graphics Card. Then regret your decision as your power bill goes through the roof and the room your computer is in turns into a desert. Buy the Titan X if you want to then look down at your wallet and weep, realising you could have gotten the same for almost half the price. Buy either of them if you want to join the ranks of the elite enthusiasts with more money than sense.

Conclusion

In terms of performance, Nvidia wins at the very budget (GTX 750) and enthusiast (GTX 980Ti) levels, while AMD runs away with it for budget to high-end levels. This is quite interesting, as the majority of sales will come from the areas that AMD are winning in; currently, Nvidia owns about 60% of the GPU market, but in my opinion this is set to change so long as the information gets put out there for the general market to see.

This thread took a long time to write, and with new GPU releases it will be updated. I am putting it in my signature as reference, and if any of you would do the same I would be honoured. Please point out any mistakes/areas I missed, and give me feedback on what you thought of the thread. Thanks for reading!

By Bob Jim

[minibois]

You didn't feature the Fury? (non X)

GTX 980 in the 430-470 USD range?

[Bob Jim]

You didn't feature the Fury? (non X)

That's out? It is not on PCPartPicker, and when I googled it I couldn't find any for sale...?

[Bogica]

Seems about right. Should just mention that Fury (non X) fits between the 980 and 980Ti in performance and price.

[minibois]

That's out? It is not on PCPartPicker, and when I googled it I couldn't find any for sale...?

Well the benchmarks were out, but Newegg indeed has it on 'coming soon'

Thought it was going to be 500 dollars or something, so in the GTX 980 range

[zappian]

I am pretty sure that the 360 is faster than the 750 .

[Bob Jim]

I am pretty sure that the 360 is faster than the 750 .

Source please.

[Bob Jim]

I will add the Fury in if I can find any price online.

[79wjd]

You should also probably include the 200 series for now since it's usually the better option (due to most of the 300 series costing extra solely for having a 3 in the name) and readily available. 

[Prysin]

to "combat" the Titan, AMD has the R9 295x2. It is a monster "dual GPU" card. It costs around 650-750 USD depending where you look. It beats out the TitanX in almost every game the two cards have competed in... And it beats the TitanX by A LOT, like 15-20 FPS in several cases. While it is not a SINGLE GPU, it is a SINGLE CARD. So it only occupies a single PCIe slot.

[kipper]

to "combat" the Titan, AMD has the R9 295x2. It is a monster "dual GPU" card. It costs around 650-750 USD depending where you look. It beats out the TitanX in almost every game the two cards have competed in... And it beats the TitanX by A LOT, like 15-20 FPS in several cases. While it is not a SINGLE GPU, it is a SINGLE CARD. So it only occupies a single PCIe slot.

Add on top driver problems, reliability of crossfire technology, and the massive difference in heat/consumption.

[Dietrichw]

Well the benchmarks were out, but Newegg indeed has it on 'coming soon'

Thought it was going to be 500 dollars or something, so in the GTX 980 range

Ed from Sapphire said that the Fury will hit store shelves on the 14th btw

 

MSRP is $549 I think

[Sam Z Man]

Why do you include the nvidia 700 series but not the AMD 200 series? The 280X is a boss ass bitch when compared to the 380 and 960. 270X is still fucking awesome for the price

[Dietrichw]

Why do you include the nvidia 700 series but not the AMD 200 series? The 280X is a boss ass bitch when compared to the 380 and 960.

probably because the 750 cards are still produced and are the early version of Maxwell. It should be removed once the 950 comes out

[Clyne]

You sure about the Titan X...R9 295X2 is better in some games......

Nobody never said anything about Single and dual gpu card........

[Bob Jim]

Why do you include the nvidia 700 series but not the AMD 200 series? The 280X is a boss ass bitch when compared to the 380 and 960. 270X is still fucking awesome for the price

What @Dietrichw said. Also they are not much cheaper, with the exception of the R9 290/x which has half the VRAM.

 

 

You should also probably include the 200 series for now since it's usually the better option (due to most of the 300 series costing extra solely for having a 3 in the name) and readily available. 

Again, what @Dietrichw said.

 

 

to "combat" the Titan, AMD has the R9 295x2. It is a monster "dual GPU" card. It costs around 650-750 USD depending where you look. It beats out the TitanX in almost every game the two cards have competed in... And it beats the TitanX by A LOT, like 15-20 FPS in several cases. While it is not a SINGLE GPU, it is a SINGLE CARD. So it only occupies a single PCIe slot.

 

You sure about the Titan X...R9 295X2 is better in some games......

 

 

 

SNIP

 

 

 

 

Nobody never said anything about Single and dual gpu card........

I am an idiot....... COMPLETELY forgot about the R9 295X2. I will add it in now.

 

 

 

 

I have added the Fury and corrected a pricing error in the GTX 980 section.

[Prysin]

Add on top driver problems, reliability of crossfire technology, and the massive difference in heat/consumption.

Ive had the card for almost 5 months now. Yes heat/power consumption is real. But driver issues/crossfire problems has been the LEAST of my worries. Usually, every game ive played (including The Witcher 3) has had CF drivers out within 4 days of game release.

 

Prior to the 295x2, i had 2x7950 GHz edt. CF setup for nearly 3 years. I never had issues with any of the games i played. Which includes Skyrim (A LOT), Guildwars 2, Dota2, Sniper: Ghost Warrior, Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2, Tomb Raider, The Witcher, The Witcher 2 - Assasins of Kings, Stronghold, Stronghold 2, Stronghold 3, Stronghold Crusader, Dragon Age + Origins, Dragon Age 2, Guild Wars, Total War ROME II, Age of Empires (okay, i had an issue with AoE. Blue seawater turned pink. Thats my only real issue).

 

IN every of these games, my PC managed to pull over 60FPS. You know what the best thing is? My monitor is a 60Hz monitor. So it doesnt matter if i had 9 trillion FPS or 61. I would never know the difference, ever!!!!.

[Bob Jim]

I have added the Fury and the R9 295X2.

 

 

@Bubblewhale PLEASE put those pictures in a spoiler. Thanks.

[Prysin]

I have added the Fury and the R9 295X2.

Apparently i have more money then sense

 

Which goes for my Corsair AX 1500i PSU too....

[Clyne]

I have added the Fury and the R9 295X2.

 

 

@Bubblewhale PLEASE put those pictures in a spoiler. Thanks.

Technically the lower end goes to AMD anyway if you look for second hand, you could find a used 7970 for the price of a new 750 Ti.

[Bob Jim]

Apparently i have more money then sense

 

Which goes for my Corsair AX 1500i PSU too....

Indeed you do, unless you got it before the 980Ti/Fury X came out, This is a CURRENT Reccomendation, then, it was the best card above the GTX 980, that didn't get you to spend $1000 on a Titan X.

[Bob Jim]

Technically the lower end goes to AMD anyway if you look for second hand, you could find a used 7970 for the price of a new 750 Ti.

@Bubblewhale

@Bubblewhale

@Bubblewhale

@Bubblewhale

@Bubblewhale PLEASE PUT THE PICTURES INTO SPOILERS!

[maizenblue]

AMDs 300 series seems solid competition that should keep them in the game about where they are at now, maybe they'll gain slightly.

 

The Fury X so far hasn't really really panned out they way they were hoping. Its a solid AMD alternative and might get better with new drivers and directX, and as AMD is known to do, they'll probably drop the price on it eventually to the point its the better buy than the case oven that is the 980 ti, especially with the Fury Xs superior cooling and noise.

 

The Fury non X might fair a little better than the Fury X because its just flat out the better card than the 980. Hopefully it improves as time goes on the and gap grows, because it still doesn't beat the 980 by as big margin as youd think.

[Clyne]

@Bubblewhale

@Bubblewhale

@Bubblewhale

@Bubblewhale

@Bubblewhale PLEASE PUT THE PICTURES INTO SPOILERS!

It's not a big difference........

[Bob Jim]

It's not a big difference........

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuHfVn_cfHU