Video card comparison: GTX260 vs GTX460

Below are some screen shots from GPU-Z, which is a video card info tool. The first is from my current NVidia GTX260 (actually, I have 2 of 'em in SLI, but that doesn't matter here), and the second is from a stock GTX460, the 1gb variety (the 768mb variety has a smaller bus at 192bit, and fewer ROPs).

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Now, as you'll see, the specs between both cards are VERY close, with the biggest differences being the bus width (448bit on my GTX260 vs 256bit on the newer GTX460), the GTX260 sports 896mb of GDDR3 vs 1gb of GDDR5 on the GTX460, and the fact that the GTX460 supports DX11. Most of the benchmarks I read online show the GTX460 as being a power house that easily outperforms GTX260, and in some cases even outperforms it's stronger cousin, the GTX470. How can it outperform my GTX260 when the specs are so similar? When looking at the bus width, my GTX260 was a much wider bus so you'd think that would work in its favor.....

 

Just wanted to point out that the GTX460 has 336 stream processors and not 224 as wrongly reported by that version of GPU-z.

It's stated below the pictures on the website: http://www.vortez.co.uk/contenttell...eforce_gtx460_1gb_graphics_card_review,9.html

It's definitely better than the GTX260 but not by an amazing amount. And I can't quite see how it would match the GTX470. Granted that it does outperform the GTX465, it's not by a high enough margin to match the GTX470.

The reason it can outperform the GTX465 with its 352 stream processors is mainly due to its architecture. It packs more texture units and CUDA core per Stream Multiprocessor than the GF100 core.

Here's a quick explanation: http://www.vortez.co.uk/contenttell...eforce_gtx460_1gb_graphics_card_review,2.html

 

Yeah - you're right. That 2nd shot is from a web site that was running a review of the GTX460 - weird they would publish such erroneous info (the 1st shot is from my home PC). As to the GTX460 outperforming the GTX470.... I've been seriously researching the GTX460 in the past few weeks, and in a few tests, it truly does beat out the 470. Now, this is the factory OCed 460s, not the stock 460s. Now that I realize the 2nd shot misreported the shaders, it's easy to see how it's a MUCH higher performer than the 260. I have a pair of 260s in SLI and I'm considering upgrading (I have a thread started about it here), so I'm looking for informed input on the pluses and minuses of upgrading now or later, or going straight to 460s in SLI, or . . . .

 

EDIT- that little tidbit of info wasn't originally listed under the screen shot I posted from Vortez. They must have added it after a bit, or I simply missed it. Personally, I think they should replace the faulty shot....

... and thanks for the 2nd link! I didn't read the whole review... after I saw the "bogus" screen shot, I bailed and went looking for answers. :-o My bad.

That 2nd link clears up A LOT of questions! I haven't seen that info layed out so clearly and in easy-to-understand terms before.

 

Hehe, that little bit of info was always there . Btw if you hadn't guessed it, I wrote the review and at the time, GPU-z wrongly reported the number of shader processors. I'll install the card again and retake the screenshots as it might get confusing.

Back to the card's performance, it's unfair comparing an OC'ed GTX460 to a stock GTX470 as the latter can be overclocked to outperform the GTX480 but what it does show is just how much value for money you get with the card. GTX460s in SLI would be an excellent option seeing as how you already have 2 GTX260s. Reviews show them to perform much better than even the GTX480. As to upgrading now or waiting, I think you might as well upgrade now if you think your current setup can't cope with games. Otherwise, wait and see what ATI will have to offer.

 

Edit: The screenshots have been updated

 

I've got a stock 260 and 470 in my i7 rig ATM. Here's the screenies.

 

Wouldn't it be better to change the slots in which they are in? I imagine the GTX470 is your main gaming card and the GTX260 being your PhyX card so it might be better to have the former in your x16 slot instead of the x8 one.

 

You would normally be right but I don't game, I do distributed computing protein folding actually, so having the hot 470 in the 3rd PCI-E slot has it cooled by 10C to 83C and fan speed has gone down from %90 to %60, it also helps that the 260 isn't right below it either, besides which it doesn't need the X16 slot to do what it's doing as most of the work is done on the card with little I/O traffic. Thanks the same.

 

Ah, that makes sense! To be fair there isn't a big difference between x8 and x16 anyway.