Best PCIe Card For ~$180: Tie
Radeon HD 6870 (Check Prices)
Great 1920x1200 performance, 2560x1600 in most games with lowered detail
| Radeon HD 6870 | |
|---|---|
| Codename: | RV970 "Barts" |
| Process: | 40 nm |
| Universal Shaders: | 1120 |
| Texture Units: | 56 |
| ROPs: | 32 |
| Memory Bus: | 256-bit |
| Core Speed MHz: | 900 |
| Memory Speed MHz: | 1050 (4200 effective) |
| DirectX/Shader Model: | DX 11/SM 5.0 |
| Max TDP: | 151 W |
Offering performance that's comparable to Nvidia's GeForce GTX 560, the Radeon HD 6870 is another attractive option selling for less than $200. It uses more power at idle than the GeForce GTX 560.
However, under load, the AMD card is the more eco-friendly solution.
However, under load, the AMD card is the more eco-friendly solution.
Read our full review of AMD's Radeon HD 6870 for more information on this card and its accompanying architecture.
GeForce GTX 560 (Check Prices)
Great 1920x1200 performance in most games
| GeForce GTX 560 | |
|---|---|
| Codename: | GF114 |
| Process: | 40 nm |
| Universal Shaders: | 336 |
| Texture Units: | 56 |
| ROPs: | 32 |
| Memory Bus: | 256-bit |
| Core/Shader Speed MHz: | 810 / 1620 |
| Memory Speed MHz: | 1002 (4008 effective) |
| DirectX/Shader Model: | DX 11/SM 5 |
| 160 W | |
The new GeForce GTX 560 is essentially a highly overclocked GeForce GTX 460, and it provides good competition for the Radeon HD 6870. Both options introduce impressive game performance that we simply haven't seen before under the $200 price point.
Read our full review of Nvidia's GeForce GTX 560 for more information on the card and its accompanying architecture.
Best PCIe Card For ~$235: Tie
Radeon HD 6950 1 GB (Check Prices)
Excellent 1920x1200 performance, Good 2560x1600 performance in most games with lowered detail
| Radeon HD 6950 1 GB | |
|---|---|
| Codename: | "Cayman" |
| Process: | 40 nm |
| Universal Shaders: | 1408 |
| Texture Units: | 88 |
| ROPs: | 32 |
| Memory Bus: | 256-bit |
| Core Speed MHz: | 800 |
| Memory Speed MHz: | 1250 (5000 effective) |
| DirectX/Shader Model: | DX 11/SM 5.0 |
| Max TDP: | 200 W |
AMD dropped half of the on-board memory from its reference Radeon HD 6950 to give us this 1 GB model, designed to compete with Nvidia's GeForce GTX 560 Ti. While the Radeon shows a slight edge on average, the GeForce can now be purchased for a few dollars less, evening out the recommendation.
In addition, some users have unlocked shader cores artificially disabled by AMD through a firmware update, transforming this board into an underclocked 1 GB version of AMD's Radeon HD 6970.
Read our full review of AMD's Radeon HD 6950 for more information on the card and its accompanying architecture.
GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Check Prices)
Excellent 1920x1200 performance, Good 2560x1600 performance in most games with lowered detail
| GeForce GTX 560 Ti | |
|---|---|
| Codename: | GF114 |
| Process: | 40 nm |
| Universal Shaders: | 384 |
| Texture Units: | 64 |
| ROPs: | 32 |
| Memory Bus: | 256-bit |
| Core/Shader Speed MHz: | 822 / 1644 |
| Memory Speed MHz: | 1002 (4008 effective) |
| DirectX/Shader Model: | DX 11/SM 5 |
| 170 W | |
Read our full review of Nvidia's GeForce GTX 560 Tifor more information on the card and its accompanying architecture.
Best PCIe Card For ~$260:
Radeon HD 6950 2 GB (Check Prices)
Excellent 1920x1200 performance, Good 2560x1600 performance in most games with lowered detail
| Radeon HD 6950 2 GB | |
|---|---|
| Codename: | "Cayman" |
| Process: | 40 nm |
| Universal Shaders: | 1408 |
| Texture Units: | 88 |
| ROPs: | 32 |
| Memory Bus: | 256-bit |
| Core Speed MHz: | 800 |
| Memory Speed MHz: | 1250 (5000 effective) |
| DirectX/Shader Model: | DX 11/SM 5.0 |
| Max TDP: | 200 W |
The Radeon HD 6950 offers similar performance as AMD's previous-generation single-GPU flagship, the Radeon HD 5870. A pair of these cards in CrossFire are a force to be reckoned with, as the company noticeably improved scaling compared to some of its previous efforts.
There's another reason to consider this model. Many folks have had luck modding this board into a fully-functional Radeon HD 6970 through a firmware update. If you can pull that off, the value of the 2 GB Radeon HD 6950 seems pretty clear.
Read our full review of AMD's Radeon HD 6950 for more information on the card and its accompanying architecture.
.Source: Tom's Hardware
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