Need Advice: iMac Graphics Card Comparison

[peterpedr0]

Radeon X1600 (256MB RAM) vs GeForce 7300 GT (128MB RAM)

I am considering getting the 24" iMac over the 20" iMac if the GeForce card is comparable to the 256MB version of the X1600. I have looked for performance tests, but most only compare the GeForce card to the 128MB version.

Does anyone have a performance comparison I can look at? What are your opinions? If there is a performance cut, does the larger/brighter screen justify a graphics performance cut?

As for my intended use of the machine: I will be using print/web design programs (Photoshop, Flash, etc) heavily along with some mild gaming.

 

[Jasonbot]

Radeon X1600 (256MB RAM) vs GeForce 7300 GT (128MB RAM)

I am considering getting the 24" iMac over the 20" iMac if the GeForce card is comparable to the 256MB version of the X1600. I have looked for performance tests, but most only compare the GeForce card to the 128MB version.

Does anyone have a performance comparison I can look at? What are your opinions? If there is a performance cut, does the larger/brighter screen justify a graphics performance cut?

As for my intended use of the machine: I will be using print/web design programs (Photoshop, Flash, etc) heavily along with some mild gaming.

Photoshop and Flash are still PPC non-universal apps for the record so they will suffer heavily under the load irrespective of the card.

But provided u're running intel native code the x1600 should be fine.

The 256 x1600 will have greater memory than the 7300 but remember the 7300 is clocked much higher and has all sorts of fancier features in terms of shaders and such. The x1600 will handle bigger tasks while the 7300 will do smaller tasks faster. For gaming I am still in the dark as to which is better, speed of the card or size?

In conclusion:

For speed get the 7300GT 128mb
For the ability to do bigger tasks better get the x1600 256mb

Look at it in terms of getting a faster processor or more RAM, more RAM normally wins at the end of the day.