Do I need/want NVIDIA 8800 video

[Jack Flash]

So that's going to be your spin for the latest benchmarks as well?

We're not talking about a 22% advantage in Core Image now but double the video rendering performance for the ATI over a supposedly vastly more powerful card. Those would be some seriously messed up drivers.

Also, I agree with the poster above. I don't think nVidia codes the drivers for the cards in the Macs, Apple does.

With all due respect, on this debate I will defer to the advice of Barefeats, a respected and unbiased reviewer with no vested interests.

Hey, they still agree with you that those really into gaming on the iMac might consider going for the nVidia.

Or double the gaming performance for the nVidia.

I've never been 'spinning' my side of the story. The OP wanted the best card for games and the 8800 is just that card.

I suppose the ATI advantage would matter if you were really into video editing.

 

[SaSaSushi]

Something is definitely awry considering those new benchmark results. If I were in the iMac market right now the doubly good performance by the HD2600 in video encoding would give me pause on the nVidia 8800 period unless if I was massively into gaming.

That would at least be until the mystery is solved as to why a next gen card is getting it's ass kicked by last year's part. Half the performance in anything is an embarassment, bad drivers or not.

I think that's why Barefeats is basically making the same recommendations now, even in light of inevitable driver updates down the road.

 

[Jack Flash]

Something is definitely awry considering those new benchmark results. If I were in the iMac market right now the doubly good performance by the HD2600 in video encoding would give me pause on the nVidia 8800 period unless if I was massively into gaming.

That would at least be until the mystery is solved as to why a next gen card is getting it's ass kicked by last year's part. Half the performance in anything is an embarassment, bad drivers or not.

I think that's why Barefeats is basically making the same recommendations now, even in light of inevitable driver updates down the road.

It'd be interesting to see benchmarks in Windows for these two cards, running games and doing tasks such as video encoding.

That could give a good picture of whether bad drivers are to blame for the performance gap.

 

[booksacool1]

I love how you publicly air this inner debate of yours.

If getting 120fps in Quake4 in Bootcamp as opposed to 60fps is absolutely meaningless to you and makes not one tiny difference in your life why would you spend an extra $150 for the privilege?

This post, like so many others in its vein, also fails to address the Core Image deficiencies of the nVidia 8800M GTS in comparison to the "pathetic" ATi card.

Disclaimer: I'm a gamer, through and through. I always boot into windows for games.

I'm not sure what my inner debate is. I'm perfectly sane, at least thats what my second personality tells me...

Anyway. Drivers can improve. Hardware can't. As more games come to mac via the new pathways intel hardware has given us, we will see better drivers.

Core Image? Well, to be honest, the imac has a spare cpu core lying around to deal with that. Seeing as the OP isn't interested in any level of processing that would involve CI, I suspect the point is moot (to the OP at least, not to you evidently).

Now its true, the 8800 (pity apple cheaped out with the mobile version...) won't allow you to max out the latest games, but nothing will. However it'll give you a far better gaming experience than the 2600. From a raw power perspective, its simply FAR more powerful. Honestly, at 1920*1200, the 2600 barely beats my 7800gtx go.

Remember, you can't upgrade it at a later date. $150 for what, 2 and a half times the performance? You'd be a fool not to.

 

[SaSaSushi]

Remember, you can't upgrade it at a later date. $150 for what, 2 and a half times the performance? You'd be a fool not to.

Or as it turns out half the performance, depending on what you're trying to do with it.

How many people are buying an iMac solely as a gaming platform, I wonder...

 

[Jack Flash]

Or as it turns out half the performance, depending on what you're trying to do with it.

How many people are buying an iMac solely as a gaming platform, I wonder...

Like I said, it'd be interesting to test these GPUs in Bootcamp to determine what potential differences in drivers might be.

 

[retrofraction]

unless your wife going to play farcry 2 I don't think it would be nessasary

 

[shinchook]

I got the 8800gt. I thought of the future and the price difference isn't much. Obviously if you not going to do anything graphic intensive then the 256 mb would serve the purpose but at the same time 256 mb is getting a bit outdated. Do you really want to spend money on something that would be out of date sooner rather than later

 

[ozmerelda]

My question is do I want to spend the $150.

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

1) Ask your wife to join you in the purchase consideration. Maybe she doesn't care if she can't play every game.
2) Together you can find many ways to save the $150.00:
Calculate how much money you spend on beverages per week and give them all up until you have saved $150.00. Just drink water.
Eat PB&J sandwiches, walk and bike. Grocery shop 1x/wk. Take the bus.
3) Buy from Best Buy because they offer no interest financing sometimes for up to 18 months. I find it to be a great way to buy electronics.

I think the most important step is #1.

Good luck,

Oz