3D Graphics Cards and Video

Re: RE: NVIDIA Wants To Optimize Your PC

RyuGTX — Thu, 01 May 2008 15:43:31 GMT

Not sure about this, but I could have sworn that I saw a similar slide before when Nvidia was defending it's stuff against Intel and their current integrated graphics and/or Larrabee.

Re: RE: NVIDIA Wants To Optimize Your PC

mazuk — Thu, 01 May 2008 13:33:15 GMT

Like what has been discussed in the last couple of posts, it is a case of matching budget and balance, you wouldn't want some Qxxxx paired with a 8400gt now would you. but meeting in the middle to elminate the bottlenecks would see the most benefitial and in theory should improve performance compared to previous cpu orientated pcs

Re: RE: NVIDIA Wants To Optimize Your PC

Russman113 — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 04:07:31 GMT

Yea, not even that the GPU is important for games, but like BigWop says, they are integrating it into everything nowaday. I believe Vista uses it for their Aero as well. But I always believed in having both a fast CPU and fast GPU to somewhat eliminate the bottlenecks.

RE: NVIDIA Wants To Optimize Your PC

Marco C — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 23:53:57 GMT

I totally agree. We (and by we I mean HH and the enthusiast comminuty in general) have to do a better job explaining to Joe Sixpack the benefits and reasons behind choosing certain components. With the way application developments is headed, having the right GPU is only going to get more important moving forward. Heck, Operating Systems are now using the GPU to accellerate their interfaces.

Re: NVIDIA Wants To Optimize Your PC

Crisis Causer — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 20:32:55 GMT

News:
The configurator website states that "At least half of the PCs shipped today have an underpowered GPU...You need the right CPU / GPU mix for the best experience. Whether you're using the latest operating systems, editing photos, watching videos, or playing a game..." It's difficult to verify that percentage, but the thought behind the statement is obviously true.

Much more than half, I'd say. This is actually something that boggles my mind; that people spend a lot of money on computers but just have crappy built in graphics. Most people don't play a lot of intensive games, so that family or work computer is fine with built in graphics... but it's also fine with a Pentium IV 3.0Ghz!

It's a tough argument on what's better for 3D things, CPU or GPU. But I'm a firm believer in GPU. I'd rather have a $80 CPU and $210 GPU combo (which I paid for both in Dec), then vica versa. Who among here honestly doesn't agree? And for those you know who only use their computer for Office, Internet, Flash, Videos, MP3s, etc... tell me you don't think they can do all of these very quickly with a Pentium 4 3.0Ghz or Athlon XP 2800? Now you cannot play todays games with those CPUs at high settings. But a cheap $99 Athlon 64 will be able to play any game, and at that point put your money toward GPUs.

I'm not sure what I'm trying to say exactly. But most people need neither a modern CPU or GPU. But if you do need 3D applications, spend less on CPU and put extra money toward GPU. So Nvidia has a point.

NVIDIA Wants To Optimize Your PC

News — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 20:00:35 GMT

NVIDIA just launched a new optimized PC Configurator on the company's website designed to educate consumers on the importance of a GPU in overall system performance. The configurator website states that "At least half of the PCs shipped today have an underpowered GPU...You need the right CPU / GPU mix for the best experience. Whether you're using the latest operating systems, editing photos, watching videos, or playing a game..." It's difficult to verify that percentage, but the thought behind the statement is obviously true.

NVIDIA's Optimized PC Configurator

The optimized PC Configurator shows visitors to the site how shifting part of their PC budget towards a higher performing GPU, versus a more powerful CPU, should affect performance. Power users and enthusiasts know that you want to throw as much GPU horsepower as possible at graphically intense applications and a more powerful multi-core CPU will increase performance in multi-threaded and many other applications, but general consumers who haven't done any research are generally clueless on the matter.

To further their cause, a number of NVIDIA's partners have also made related web pages available to customers...

CyberPower - http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/landingpages/nvidia/optimum/
Gateway - http://www.gateway.com/systems/product/529667905.php
Puget Systems - http://www.pugetsystems.com/certified_sys.php?sys_id=92
Velocity Micro - http://www.velocitymicro.com/wizard.php?iid=19

And for the do it yourself crowd...

NCIX - http://www.ncix.com/go-optimizing
Newegg.com - http://promotions.newegg.com/NVIDIA/OptimizedPC/index.html

We were also told that TigerDirect and ZipZoomfly will follow suit tomorrow.

What do you all think? Of course NVIDIA wants consumers to purchase one of their better GPUs, as much as Intel wants them to buy more powerful processors. But with the number of 3D accelerated applications on the rise, should the thought process behind configuring a PC change from "buy the fastest CPU you can afford" to "buy the most balanced PC that fits your budget"?