NVIDIA GeForce GTX 295: Leading the Pack
by Derek Wilson on January 12, 2009 5:15 PM EST- Posted in
- GPUs
Final Words
We'll start with NVIDIA vs. NVIDIA and move on from there. The GeForce GTX 295 performed pretty much where we expected: between the GTX 260 SLI and the GTX 280 SLI setups. In some games, the GTX 295 performed very nearly at GTX 260 performance, indicating a bottleneck somewhere in memory bandwidth or with the ROPs. Because the clock speeds and hardware widths are the same, on GTX 295 and 260 SLI games limited by memory performance or ROP performance will run fairly similarly. In cases where shader performance was more important we saw more separation, but the clock speed, memory bandwidth and ROP advantage of the GTX 280 SLI system consistently outpaced the GTX 295 by a good margin.
When it comes to how the GTX 295 stacks up against NVIDIA's current line up, it's closer to a single card GTX 260 SLI than anything else. Putting two GTX 260 core 216 cards in SLI will get a little closer, but since the 295 will still have an advantage in shader power we can't expect the gap to disappear. Those who already have a GTX 260 or two will not really be interested in the GTX 295 as an upgrade option, as GTX 260 SLI is very much close enough to GTX 295 performance.
Comparing NVIDIA to AMD, it's clear that NVIDIA has recaptured the halo product at least in the majority of tests we ran in this snapshot of performance. We are noticing a trend that has some games heavily favoring one architecture or another, which makes general recommendations harder than usual. But the advantage this time around is certainly with NVIDIA. The Radeon HD 4870 1GB still hangs on competitively, but SLI wins out over CrossFire.
Though we are using the 8.12 hotfix that improves game performance and (as far as we've noticed) stability on Intel Core i7 systems, we can't be sure when this hotfix will make it into a WHQL driver. We've spent a good deal of time being hard on AMD for their driver support lately. As we've said since the launch of the R700, the success or failure of AMD's new direction for their highest end parts depends entirely on the ability of their driver team to make sure the experience and performance are top notch on single-card dual-GPU platforms. This includes having support in at least beta driver as the launch of new games and having high quality support for all new hardware platforms released. It is also imperative that all fixes in any beta or hotfix driver make it into the very next WHQL driver.
NVIDIA has the advantage on the highest end single card product, but we don't see this as a boon for anyone but people running 30" displays at this point. There really is just no reason to drop the cash on a GTX 295 unless you're looking at 2560x1600 gaming. For smaller displays, cheaper parts will work great. It's still hard to recommend buying for longevity because of the way performance can fall heavily in favor of AMD or heavily in favor of NVIDIA depending on the game. We just can't know until we get there which solution will be better on future titles.
While NVIDIA has the halo, AMD's top of the line card is slightly cheaper than the GTX 295 and still outperforms it in some cases. Currently the Radeon HD 4870 X2 is a $450 card while the GeForce GTX 295 is a $500 part. This 11% price advantage (10% savings depending on how you look at it) might be incentive for some people. We don't consider it enough to recommend the Radeon HD 4870 X2 over the GTX 295 though. There are some opportunities with mail in rebates that could net you a 4870 X2 for closer to $400, but mail in rebates are always hit or miss, aren't permanent and not everyone likes them. If the 4870 X2 were being sold without a rebate for $400, the choice would be more difficult, but as it stands, the GTX 295 gets the nod even considering price from us. If you need a top of the line single card option that is.
The highest performing soluiton we tested is still the GeForce GTX 280 SLI setup. And when the GTX 285 makes its way out, GTX 285 SLI will very likely take that crown. We do have yet to test quad performance as we only have one card. We suspect scaling similar to past experience with quad (meaning between 2x and 3x performance rather than a linear increaes), but we will certainly bring you an update as soon as we are able.
Now what we really need are some midrange GT200 based parts.
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LinkedKube - Tuesday, January 20, 2009 - link
I am not a fan boy of any kind. I recently considered buying a 4870x2, until I heard about the 295, which I will be purchasing soon.The article was a bore, as I currently own a g80 ultra, and still regret paying the 750usd for it a year and a half ago.
I'm currently thanking the situation of competing card markers because I dont have to go through the high end cards looking at a 750~ price range of cards. It was the best card at the time, and that's what I bought, if ati would have had a better card I'd own an ati xxxx w/e it may have been.
If you're willing to spend 400usd+ on a card, power consumption shouldnt be an issue to argue about.
This is two 280's slapped together, we all know that, yes its the best card currently. Is it worth the money? Probably not if you have bills to pay and have fears of feeding yourself afterwards.
To each his own though. It looks like this silicon guy has about 7 months worth of ati hate in his blood. I'm wondering if he has a black and green case to go along with his nvidia "aura."
rocky1234 - Monday, January 19, 2009 - link
First off this was a pretty good article it shows that Nvidia finally has a card that can topple the mighty ATI card in some of the tests but not all. Keep up the good work.I also own a ATI 4870x2 card it works great have not had any problems with it as of yet except for minor driver issues with crossfire in 2 games but those were worked out. I used to own only nvidia but got tired of their lame assed renaming of old product to a newer higher number then try to fool people into buying these new cards. I still own a 8800/9800GT card & it will be the last nvidia card I buy for awhile until they decide to stop trying to screw people over by rehashing the old cards as new cards. This geforce 295 does look like a good card but for the small amount it gives over a 4870x2 card I think I will wait for the next gen of cards to come out before I spend money again on a new card.
oh yeah to SiliconDoc no need to point out any spelling mistakes or missed periods here & there as I don't really care what you got to say you proved over & over again you are a nvidia fanboy & really have nothing usefull to say that we all already didn't know. its nothing personal but until you take your head out of your butt & wake up & smell the daisy's we just don't care. Also no need to reply to this as I won't care to reply to what you got to say SiliconDoc. I only singled you out because you attacked so many people in this thread only because they had personal views to express.
enough said
rocky1234
chuouwee - Thursday, January 15, 2009 - link
Imo... the 295 seems like it only avgs around 5-6 fps than the 4870 x2 overall the games reviewed in this article... I don't think it justifies the extra 50-100 dollars we would be spending on the card...SiliconDoc - Saturday, January 17, 2009 - link
I think the combination of that, along with CUDA, the PsysX factor, the ability for instant use in the supplied driver on the CD that comes with the card GAMING Profiles, AND to use your 8 series and above card as a PhysX processor in another pci-e slot, EASILY makes up for price differences. Not to mention the 60 watts in idle and 45 watts in 3d power $avings the GTX295 offers over the 4870x2...When you add it all up - IT'S VERY CLEAR WHY THERE ARE PRICE DIFFERENCES AND WHY THE ATI CARD IS DROPPING LIKE A ROCK.
Hrel - Tuesday, January 13, 2009 - link
Can you PLEASE! start including 3DMark numbers in your GPU reviews? PLEASE!san1s - Tuesday, January 13, 2009 - link
can you please tell me how to "play" 3dmark?It must be so fun watching the same scene being rendered on your screen over and over again
kzVegas - Tuesday, January 13, 2009 - link
It seems that nearly every author at Anandtech has been told to view nVidia product's with the same enthusiasm as looking for dimes in a well used cat box. The author of this article brackets his test of the GTX295 with two tests of games that are not very popular just to show that an AMD/ATI card can best the nVidia offering. Then goes on to argue in his closing comments that AMD needs to do better with its drivers. The points out this card is $50 more than a cheap 4870x2 and thats %10 more expensive. WHO CARES? When someone is going to spend $450 to $500 for a card the difference in price isn't all that important. I'd like to see more articles that don't appear to be so biased against one company or the other.strikeback03 - Wednesday, January 14, 2009 - link
I always love the bias comments after every graphics card review, because no matter what hardware is being reviewed or what they thought of it somebody will claim they are biased. Go check the comments after pretty much any AMD GPU review - there will be at least one person (and usually several) complaining because they spent too many words in the article talking about the nVidia competition and which is better at what price, with no "This is the best card EVAR!1!" endorsement.Anandtech crew, thanks for all your work!
SiliconDoc - Saturday, January 17, 2009 - link
Now show me in the 4870x2 review where a 30" monitor is described as the very neccessity of purchase...I checked there is one line buried between two others that mentions resolution needs...
I could care less what IDIOTS state in comments as "your proof" that people complain about bias from "both sides".
Unless you address the SPECIFIC POINTS of any one complaint be REFUTING THEIR CONTENT WITH THE ARTICLES OWN WORDS ...
you have failed.
It's not my fault you're lazy in that regard, and would rather just whine there is no bias (because of opposinbg complaints) and then spew your anand praise points as your infantile final analysis.
I ADRESSED a half dozen and more bias issues in my posts here, and you completely ignored every single one of them - in favor of " there are complaints from either quarter".
Address this then, mister even steven - in these posts we have a good number of cussing raging redfans spewing death toward my and a few others posts - who pointed out redcard issues. We don't see that going the other way, here, AT ALL.
Now, who then is raging, cussing, spewing monkey set of fan bias ?
Take a look and read the postings.
One commenter even spammed his response to me, like half a dozen times.
No matter HOW MUCH you claim it to be true, we do NOT see that type of beghavior going the other way - green fans wishing death upon the red suporters. I have never seen it in fact, at dozens of review comment sites.
Have you ? Would you like to look ?
Once again, the easiest way out is whining there are both types, and therefore neither is correct.
The problem is, I have not been constantly lying and exagerrating, and twisting the truth, I have been the one correcting the lies and shenanigans. There is a difference, and you'd know it if you cared to notice.
Now refute any of my arguments in this entire thread from any of my posts, I'm WAITING MR FAIR !
If you refite most of them, why then you've proven your point, huh.
Otherwise, you're a bag of lying wind.
SiliconDoc - Thursday, January 15, 2009 - link
I read the entire 4870x2 review before saying what I did. Of course you didn't do the same.