Budget Graphics Compared: GeForce 9400 GT vs. Radeon HD 4550

Two new budget graphics cards came into play recently. These are the GeForce 9400 GT from Nvidia, and the Radeon HD 4550 from ATI. Their specs are as follows:

GeForce 9400 GT (US$59):

• G96 Core Code
• 314 million Transistor Count
• 55nm Manufacturing Process
• 550MHz Core Clock
• 16 Stream processors
• 1400MHz Stream Processor Clock
• 16 Texture Mapping Units (TMU) or Texture Filtering (TF) units
• 8 Raster Operator units (ROP)
• 800MHz GDDR2 Memory Clock
• 128-bit DDR Memory Bus
• 12.8GB/s Memory Bandwidth
• PCIe ver 2.0 x16 interface
• no Multi GPU Technology support
• HDCP Output Support

Radeon HD 4550 ($45-55):

• RV710 Core Code
• 242 million Transistor Count
• 55nm Manufacturing Process
• 600MHz Core Clock
• 80 Stream processors
• 600MHz Stream Processor Clock
• 8 Texture Mapping Units (TMU) or Texture Filtering (TF) units
• 4 Raster Operator units (ROP)
• 1600MHz GDDR3 Memory Clock
• 64-bit DDR Memory Bus
• 12.8GB/s Memory Bandwidth
• PCIe ver 2.0 x16 interface
• CrossfireX Multi GPU Technology support
• HDCP Output Support

AnandTech compared the HD 4550 with HD 3650, GF 9500 GT, and HD 4670 cards:

"Anyway, the point is that with cards in this class, you can't expect gaming performance. And even still we have cards that absolutely blow away integrated graphics. This really does highlight just how how horrible the performance of integrated solutions really is in comparison to any modern add-in graphics part. But that doesn't mean these cards don't have some value. Not everyone needs 3D, and these cards are priced very well. And more importantly, these cards offer a real solution to a problem HTPC builders have been faced with for a long time. The Radeon 4350 and 4550 offer quiet or silent video acceleration for full resolution blu-ray playback with the option of enabling 8 channel LPCM audio playback over HDMI. If you want to build an HTPC, one of these cards would be a very good fit." [AnandTech | ATI Radeon HD 4350 and 4550: Great HTPC Solutions]

HardwareZone gave the GeForce 9400 GT a 3.5 stars rating, and gave the Radeon HD 4550 a 4 stars rating:

"... the GeForce 9400 GT needs some improvements to match the Radeon HD 4550. In terms of performance, the 4550 was always faster than the 9400 GT, though this margin varied from game to game. When it came to power consumption, the Radeon again had the advantage, albeit a rather slight one. Finally, if you're battling for the hearts and minds of HTPC enthusiasts, ATI has a rather significant advantage in being able to offer 7.1 channel HD audio through its DVI/HDMI outputs, something that NVIDIA cannot do, even with a S/PDIF cable. Then, there's the matter of VC-1 hardware acceleration, which ATI just does better (though the market does seem to be favoring H.264 in Blu-ray nowadays)." [HardwareZone | When Budget Graphics Clash: GeForce 9400 GT Meets Radeon HD 4550 ]

I agree with HardwareZone's suggestion of taking a good look at the older mainstream graphic cards such as the GeForce 8600 GT and Radeon HD 3650, before committing to buy a 9400 GT or HD 4550.

The HD 4550 seemed to perform better than the 9400 GT, despite the Radeon's 64-bit DDR Memory Bus. And if you need 7.1 channel HD audio, the HD 4550 card is the one to get, and a nice one if you are thinking of building and HTPC.

Technorati : 4550, 9400, budget, geforce, graphics, gt, hd, htpc, radeon, value

Factory Modified GeForce 9600 GT Graphics Cards Compared

Looking to buy a new graphics card based on the GeForce 9600 GT? Maybe you'd be interested in one of the souped-up 9600 GT cards from Asus, MSI, Palit, or Sparkle.

Tom's Hardware tested 4 modified 9600 GT graphics cards:

"If you prefer a lot of performance, you should go with the super-quiet Sparkle Calibre. If you can live with a little less speed, but want to have HDMI and DisplayPort, you should buy the Palit Sonic version. The MSI Hybrid Freezer is a nice gimmick, but you can get a 9800 GTX for the same money. If you are interested in having a silent HTPC, you might want to take a look at the Asus card; the cooler is solid, and only under full load conditions does it require a slight air flow." [Tom's Hardware | Four GeForce 9600 GT Cards Compared]

Of the 4 cards reviewed, it looks like the Sparkle Calibre gets performance honors. The Palit Sonic is something to consider if you plan to use HDMI or DisplayPort on your rig.

Technorati : 9600, geforce, gt, modified

NVIDIA GeForce 9500 GT 512MB GDDR3

The GeForce 9500 GT (US$70-90) is a GPU from Nvidia that features:

• G96 Core Code
• 314 million Transisitor Count
• 65nm Manufacturing Process
• 550MHz Core Clock
• 32 Stream Processors
• 1400MHz Stream Processor Clock
• 16 Texture Mapping Units (TMU) or Texture Filtering (TF) units
• 8 Raster Operator units (ROP)
• 1600MHz GDDR3 or 1000MHz GDDR2 Memory Clock
• 128-bit DDR Memory Bus
• 25.6GB/s (GDDR3) or 16.0GB/s (GDDR2) Memory Bandwidth
• PCIe ver 2.0 x16 interface
• Multi GPU Technology support
• 2 x Dual-Link DVI Output support
• HDCP Output Support

HardwareZone gave the Zotac GeForce 9500 GT 512MB GDDR3 a 4 out of 5 rating:

"While the GeForce 9500 GT does not appear to be a blatant carbon copy of any existing GeForce 8 GPU like how the GeForce 9800 GT is practically a GeForce 8800 GT, it is also not that different from the incumbent GeForce 8600 series. ... ATI's competing Radeon HD 3650 was quite clearly the inferior GPU compared to the newcomer, so NVIDIA still has the edge here. Power consumption too was quite favorable for the GeForce 9500 GT. ... if you already possess a GeForce 8 card of a similar caliber (or even a GeForce 7 of the same range), it's a lateral upgrade at best, not a move up the performance ladder. If you're new to all these and looking for a decent mainstream option, the GeForce 9500 GT could be a good choice at its price range of US$70 - 90. " [HardwareZone | NVIDIA GeForce 9500 GT 512MB GDDR3]

As HardwareZone suggests, if you plan to play modern games, it would be best to spend a little bit more and get a true performance mainstream GPU like a GeForce 9600 GSO, GeForce 9600 GT or Radeon HD 3850. And yes, if you are not in a hurry for a new 9600 GT, it might be worthwhile to wait for the coming 55nm Manufacturing Process versions.

Technorati : 9500, geforce, gt, nvidia

Is Two GeForce 9600 GT Cards in SLI Worth It?

X-bit Labs tests a system with two (2) mainstream GeForce 9600 GT graphics cards in SLI, and compares its performance with premium-class single graphics cards. The idea is to know if this two 9600 GT tandem is a good alternative to the higher priced GeForce 8800 GTS 512MB, GeForce 9800 GTX, or the Radeon HD 3870 X2 graphics cards.

"The GeForce 9600 GT SLI configuration has done very well in our tests, showing high performance and proving that the G94 chip has optimal architecture. ... The GeForce 9600 GT SLI had higher performance than one such card in nearly all of our tests. ... But in most of the tests the GeForce 9600 GT SLI subsystem had the same or higher performance as such cards as ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2, Nvidia GeForce 9800 GTX and GeForce 8800 GTS 512MB. ... Summing it up, the GeForce 9600 GT SLI is currently a high-quality and fast graphics subsystem." [X-bit Labs | Affordable Multi-GPU: Two GeForce 9600 GT in SLI]

So, is it worth it to put two 9600 GTs in SLI? If you already have a single 9600 GT, and a motherboard that supports SLI, then buying a second 9600 GT is a great affordable graphics upgrade, increasing graphics performance to the level of the GeForce 9800 GTX and Radeon HD 3870 X2 cards.

Technorati : 9600, card, geforce, graphics, gt, nvidia, review, sli