GeForce GTX 285: 55nm Enabling Higher Performance
by Derek Wilson on January 15, 2009 9:00 AM EST- Posted in
- GPUs
Final Words
So here's the deal. We can find the GTX 280 for about $340 if we aren't looking very hard (it can actually be had right now before mail in rebate for $325 at newegg but we'll give the 285 the benefit of the doubt). Compared to the $380 we can grab the new GeForce GTX 285 for, that's over 11% more money for only about 10% performance improvement. Of course there are more aggressively overclocked parts out there but they tend to cost a bit more as well. We do often see decreasing value with increasing performance, but it's not something we like. And if you don't mind mail in rebates the GTX 280 can be had for $300.
It looks like the benefit to the consumer here is going to be the unloading of GTX 280 hardware at prices that put it in better competition to the Radeon 4870 1GB. Of course the 4870 1GB is still a lot cheaper, but the GTX 280 starts to get a little more attractive at only 20% more expensive than the 4870 1GB as much of the time the performance advantage is larger than that. There are exceptions, of course.
It is a little more difficult to compare the GeForce GTX 285 to AMD hardware because of the price point. AMD doesn't have a card that hits the $400 mark (without mail in rebates that is: the 4870 X2 can hit $400 after mail ins). At about $50 more expensive, as we've noted, the 4870 X2 is just over 13% higher in price. Typically the 4870 X2, even in games that don't favor AMD architecture, leads the GeForce GTX 285 by more than that, often at performance about 18% higher at 2560x1600. This indicates that even at the higher price, value (price/performance) is higher with the 4870 X2.
In spite of the potential advantages offered by the Radeon 4870 X2, we have qualms about recommending it based on our experiences since October with the introduction of Core i7 and X58 and the multitude of software titles that were released. Driver support just isn't what it needs to be to really get behind an AMD single card dual-GPU solution right now. The issue is less about what's out now and more about support for titles as they come out and fast responses to issues (which AMD can't provide). The 8.12 hotfix (that is listed as only necessary with 4850 CrossFire) actually has improved stability and performance on all the single and dual setups we've tested on Core i7. We haven't finished putting it through its paces, but so far this one is a real step in the right direction. Unfortunately it will be months before we see this hotfix rolled into a WHQL driver. We definitely recommend this hotfix at least to anyone using AMD hardware on Vista x64 with a Core i7 platform.
In summary, despite its typical 10% performance advantage, the GeForce GTX 285 offers less price/performance than the GTX 280. The closest price competitor to the GTX 285, the Radeon HD 4870 X2, also offers better value, but at a higher price. At the same time, we have reservations about putting our weight behind the 4870 X2 with the driver issues we've experienced lately.
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DerekWilson - Saturday, January 17, 2009 - link
It comes with a DVI to HTMI converter. It also carries sound.Daeros - Sunday, January 18, 2009 - link
With Nvidia you only get HDMI sound if you mobo or sound card has the 2-pin SPDIF connector. With ATI, the card actually has a controller built-in.jay401 - Friday, January 16, 2009 - link
Call me when it's <$300.Average Joe - Friday, January 16, 2009 - link
As the owner of a 22" LCD. I think 22" is the perfect size. 24" didn't seem to be worth the extra 200 dollars they cost at the time not to mention that my poor 8800gt 512 would be stuck on medium for everything..
I play games at 1680 x 1050.
I don't like to run SLI rigs because I'm not willing to deal with the noise, power, heat the other 85% of the time I'm not playing Crysis.
I buy single cards and usually midrange motherboards like the P45. The 4870X2 seems like a waste to me personally. I'm as likely to be playing Civ, Guild Wars, or Total War as I am Fallout or Crysis. So I only going to be using that 2nd chip some of the time. I think I'm still more likely to buy one of those X2 boards someday than I am of buying second graphics card thats the exact make and model as the one I have. They cards change to fast.
Fortunately, having the 22" LCD means I can get by pretty easily with just a single card. I keep reading in forums that ATI driver support ain't where it should be for Vista 64. I don't know if that is deserved or not but I'm avoiding ATI for now. I'm probably going to buy a GX280 or GX285 simply because it CAN play Crysis at 1680X1050 with a single card at max settings and a GX260 can't or barely can. 38.5 FPS is playable with some chopiness, 30 FPS is "its time to think about medium quality" when things get busy. I'm not sure how much less power a 280 uses vs 2 gx260's but I bet it makes less noise. I don't want to sit in front of a leaf blower when I running Turbo Tax.
I saw a 285 on new egg for $370 today thats less than some gx280's. I might wait for the pricing war carnage to bring the 280's down and get one of those.
hk6900 - Saturday, February 21, 2009 - link
Die painfully okay? Prefearbly by getting crushed to death in a
garbage compactor, by getting your face cut to ribbons with a
pocketknife, your head cracked open with a baseball bat, your stomach
sliced open and your entrails spilled out, and your eyeballs ripped
out of their sockets. Fucking bitch
I really hope that you get curb-stomped. It'd be hilarious to see you
begging for help, and then someone stomps on the back of your head,
leaving you to die in horrible, agonizing pain. *beep*
Shut the *beep* up f aggot, before you get your face bashed in and cut
to ribbons, and your throat slit.
You're dead if I ever meet you in real life, f ucker. I'll f ucking
kill you.
I would love to f ucking send your f ucking useless ass to the
hospital in intensive care, fighting for your worthless life.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Po0j4ONZRGY">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Po0j4ONZRGY
I wish you a truly painful, bloody, gory, and agonizing death, *beep*
FAHgamer - Saturday, January 17, 2009 - link
You have heard that ATI's Vista 64 drivers are sub-par?However, I've heard that nVidia's drivers are far behind ATI's as regards (any flavor of) Vista.
While it might be true that Vista 64 Catalyst have issues (I don't know, I am using Vista 32 Ultimate and drivers are fine), I believe that you would be far worse off with an nVidia card.
Stonedofmoo - Saturday, January 17, 2009 - link
I don't know where you heard Nvidia's x64 drivers are behind Ati's as thats nonsense. If you look you will see all review sites use Vista x64 SP1 to do their reviews. They wouldn't do that if they were getting held back with poor drivers.In my experience the x64 drivers are every bit as good as x86 drivers, and Nvidia's are better than ATI's despite their more frequent driver releases. That's half ATI's trouble, by sticking to their monthly schedule quality control suffers.
hk6900 - Saturday, February 21, 2009 - link
Die painfully okay? Prefearbly by getting crushed to death in a
garbage compactor, by getting your face cut to ribbons with a
pocketknife, your head cracked open with a baseball bat, your stomach
sliced open and your entrails spilled out, and your eyeballs ripped
out of their sockets. Fucking bitch
I really hope that you get curb-stomped. It'd be hilarious to see you
begging for help, and then someone stomps on the back of your head,
leaving you to die in horrible, agonizing pain. *beep*
Shut the *beep* up f aggot, before you get your face bashed in and cut
to ribbons, and your throat slit.
You're dead if I ever meet you in real life, f ucker. I'll f ucking
kill you.
I would love to f ucking send your f ucking useless ass to the
hospital in intensive care, fighting for your worthless life.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Po0j4ONZRGY">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Po0j4ONZRGY
I wish you a truly painful, bloody, gory, and agonizing death, *beep*
FAHgamer - Sunday, January 25, 2009 - link
Huh?Who are you replying to? You got me a little confused here...
Average Joe - Friday, January 16, 2009 - link
As the owner of a 22" LCD. I play games at 1680 x 1050. I run a mild overclock because the core 2's run so cool. I don't like to run SLI rigs because I'm not willing to deal with the noise, power and heat the other 85% of the time when I'm not playing Crysis. I tend to buy single cards. The 4870 X2 seems like a waste to me personally because I'm as likely to be playing Civ or Guild Wars as I am Fallout or Crysis.
Having the 22" LCD means I can get by pretty easily with just a single card. The word on the street is ATI driver support ain't where it should be. I don't know if that is deserved or not. I'm probably going to buy a GX280 or GX285 simply because I can play at 1680X1050 with a single card at max settings with one and a GX260 can't or barely can. 38.5 FPS FPS is quite a bit better than 30 I'm not sure how much less power a 280 uses vs 2 gx260's but I bet it makes less noise.
I saw a 285 on new egg for $370 today thats less than some gx280's. I might wait for the pricing war carnage to bring the 280's down and get one of those.