Nvidia 130 vs ATI 4850 - Worth the custom upgrade?

[JWFerne]

I'm having a hard time pulling the trigger on an order and need your guys help...

Is there much difference from a stock iMac with Nvidia GT 130 vs ATI HD 4850 for gaming? It would be nice to be able just to buy a stock machines rather than a custom with the ATI for $50.

My real concern is overall gaming proformance and heat produced by the two cards. Current iMac has the ATI 2600 HD Pro, which I think is pretty slow compared.

Thanks!

 

[Hellhammer]

Get the 2.93 and ATI 4850. It's the best combo, but if you want to buy it from store right now, GT130 is enough. It plays all games fine for me

 

[itommyboy]

For what it's worth I've got first hand experience as we have both iMacs one with the GT130 and one with the ATI HD 4850 (both 3.06 GHz 24"). It's really a no brainer for a mere extra $50 the ATI card is a noticeable upgrade.

 

[JWFerne]

Well I ended up buying a iMac '24 - 3.06GHz w/ATI 4850. I think I'll be real happy with that, with no regrets!

Just a FYI, I priced out similar machines and found a few prices slightly cheaper online, but the real big draw was the lack of sales tax (approx $225 in CA). I called apple on the phone today and they matched the price and lowered the cost of the machine so that it was within approx 20-25 bucks of ordering it from a 3rd party vendor. I don't know why, but I just feel better buying directly from apple for my computers. Anyways, I'm just sharing the info, because I always thought Apple never price matched or came down on prices other than maybe free shipping, student discounts etc. I think I ended up saving about $250 off the order, which i was pleased about.

Thanks again for your help guys!