[blackhole]

Has ATI really fixed the "OpenGL? What's that then? We only do DirectX here!" problem?

In my experience, more than 75% of the graphics-related support calls I've dealt with were caused by ATI drivers failing to do OpenGL properly. (The remainder were Intel graphics chipsets.)

So personally, I'd never consider an ATI card for OpenGL-based graphics. I gather that they are very good for DirectX though.

I hate ATI, but I want to point out that the last time I installed their drivers on windows 7, openGL worked fairly well, and directX caused a BSOD.

So IMO, they just suck at everything, period.

[Stealth]

do what i did - get two Radeon 4890 XXX edition cards. there's nothing more powerful than the two of them out there right now

[Locutus of Borg]

and do what with the second one, use it as a drink holder?

XD

I don't even have two PCI-E ports...at least I don't think so.

[Stealth]

Crossfire baby, crossfire!

i researched the 4890 inside out before purchasing.  it may be a little outdated now, but at the time, for the price, it beat geforce's 270, so i'm happy.

[Ghostavo]

do what i did - get two Radeon 4890 XXX edition cards. there's nothing more powerful than the two of them out there right now

Two 5870. Or strangely, a single 5870.

[Liberator]

Bah, Nvidia sets, and has set, the standard by producing cutting, reliable hardware and they're drivers don't suck.

[urlThis card]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150398[/url] or any other along that line should give you the performance you want.  However, you need to be aware that you most likely will need a new power supply to meet the demands of either the ATi or Nvidia offerings recommended, which may be nigh-impossible with HPs being HPs and all.  The solution is a migration from the (possibly proprietary) HP chassis to something more standardized.

[Locutus of Borg]

I know for a fact that there are wires inside my computer right now leading from the power supply that don't connect to anything.

[Liberator]

Perhaps, perhaps not, but HP, Dell and most of the other boxed computer companies tend to put the least amount of power supply they possibly can into they're chassis which are usually designed to a custom form factor.

If your PSU says anything resembling Bestec on it's label then it needs to be replaced ASAP just to keep it from frying what's in there, nevermind any addons you might get.

Photos!  I need Photos!

[Spicious]

Bah, Nvidia sets, and has set, the standard by producing cutting, reliable hardware and they're drivers don't suck.

Sure it does. Also, please learn the difference between "their" and "they're".

[Fury]

reliable hardware

You're aware that nvidia has been hit really hard by massive number of hardware failures especially in their notebook line of cards in these past few years? They have lost significant amount of money due to this.

Edit: Bah, Spicious beat me to it. With a link!

[Locutus of Borg]

Perhaps, perhaps not, but HP, Dell and most of the other boxed computer companies tend to put the least amount of power supply they possibly can into they're chassis which are usually designed to a custom form factor.

If your PSU says anything resembling Bestec on it's label then it needs to be replaced ASAP just to keep it from frying what's in there, nevermind any addons you might get.

Photos!  I need Photos!

I had to replace the original Power Supply when it died. It didn't even make it two years.

[Stealth]

do what i did - get two Radeon 4890 XXX edition cards. there's nothing more powerful than the two of them out there right now

Two 5870. Or strangely, a single 5870.

OK well i didn't know anything about a card that's been released within a week =P
still, my two 4890 XXXs will without a doubt beat a single 5870

[General Battuta]

I don't know about that...

[QuantumDelta]

nVs budget range (bang for buck) and reliability have also sucked since ..erm.
..Actually have nV ever done a decent budget card?
Ever?
They have a HELLUH long history and I don't remember _ONE_, and I have first hand experience with a lot of them.

ATi have really pulled it back in recent years, I have no brand loyalty to either, I always swap between(to) what's best for me at the time, but for the last few years that's always been ATi (sometimes simply because I'd been impatient to wait for nV, or bought into a generation of cards late, but most of the time, just 'cause ATi cards have done more bang for buck on all but the most extreme top end ranges, which, even as a hardcore gamer, I have trouble forcing myself to care about these days).

Now if you were to talk about workstation cards and other professional cards sure nV are king.
But when it comes to the home user nV likes to **** on people, a LOT, and in as many ways as they can, so you have to be very careful to find some of the few 'genuinely good' deals they do on occasion (*normally one card per range).

[Locutus of Borg]

It sounds like I'll be going for the ATI cards then...XD

[CP5670]

The talk about ATI and OpenGL is about five years out of date. Both companies generally have good drivers today.

The latest 190 Nvidia drivers actually have a number of huge problems and most people don't use them at all, but the previous 186 ones are very good. The one thing in favor of Nvidia drivers are the somewhat better third party programs available, especially for profile setup.

OK well i didn't know anything about a card that's been released within a week =P
still, my two 4890 XXXs will without a doubt beat a single 5870

They will be faster in terms of benchmark framerates, but since you are dealing with multi-GPU, that won't necessarily translate to smoother gameplay.

..Actually have nV ever done a decent budget card?
Ever?

The 8800GT/9800GT comes to mind. I can think of many others if you go back in time further.

[QuantumDelta]

You mean the card that got renamed about 5 times and sold at higher/current gen prices every time?

*spits*

[CP5670]

The prices were never all that different, at least around here. I don't care what they call the card as long as it works well.

[Ghostavo]

OK well i didn't know anything about a card that's been released within a week =P
still, my two 4890 XXXs will without a doubt beat a single 5870

Actually, it's not that simple. Depending on the benchmark, a single 5870 will be either slightly worse, or amazingly ahead!

For example.

Assuming the 4890 CF won't have a performance over 200% than a 4890 which is the theoretical maximum for crossfire.

Here's the article where I pulled this off.

[Herra Tohtori]

nVs budget range (bang for buck) and reliability have also sucked since ..erm.
..Actually have nV ever done a decent budget card?
Ever?

GeForce 7600 GT was a decent budget card. 8800 GT with G92 core is another one.

After that though it seems there haven't been any single decend budget solution from NVidia, and it also seems that AMD is going to be the better solution as far as performance/price ratio goes for the next generation as well, although that'll only really be certain after both AMD and NVidia release their new GPU's and especially the "high mid-range" budget versions of them.

Let's wait and see if they decide to rebrand some GeForce 200 series GPU's as low/midrange 300 series cards. They're already re-branding GeForce 9 GPU's as GeForce 100 series of cards that are going to be exclusively shoved on OEM computers

* Herra Tohtori predicts a generation of OEM computers with serious graphics card issues...