How do I compare graphics cards effectively?!

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Pixelwurst

New member
Hey everyone!

I'm still relatively new to this whole Pc Gaming thing, so I'm not 100% confident in my knowledge. What I basically want to know is how do I effectively compare two GPUs?

I'm currently running an nvidia geforce gtx 770, which isn't struggling with modern games by any stretch of the imagination. But I've recently seen some reviews for the nvidia Geforce 950, saying it's a brilliantly performing budget gaming GPU. This really piqued my interest. So I started researching specs and trying to compare my current 770 to this 950. Now my basic mathematical knowledge tells me the 950 is better, simply because 950 is bigger than 770. But I struggle to believe that this is really all there is to comparing two graphics cards. Many of the more detailed specs for the 950 on nvidia's site are smaller than those of the 770. The number of cuda cores, the texture fill rate, that sort of thing. Does this mean that the 950 is actually a downgrade? Or does the simple fact that it is apart of the 900 series mean it is in fact better than the 770? Am I over thinking it, or under thinking it?

Any and all advice you might have for how one goes about comparing GPUs to prepare for an upgrade is MUCH appreciated.

Thank you so much in advance!

Edit: Hey nevermind everybody! Only a few minutes after posting this thread, I stumbled upon this site http://blog.logicalincrements.com/2014/06/graphics-cards-what-do-the-numbers-mean/ which has pretty much cleared up all the questions I had. You may carry on with your forum browsing, and have a nice day!
 
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SpyderTracks

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
Best way to check is google a phrase like "gtx770 vs gtx950", and that should bring up some hardware comparisons.

You'll always get GPUBoss coming up which can be handy for a very general overview of overall power, but doesn't really show any useful information http://gpuboss.com/gpus/GeForce-GTX-950-vs-GeForce-GTX-770

But more than that you want some fps comparisons in specific games. For that I'd search for "benchmark" on each card, personally I favour TrustedReviews who are usually excellent, then you can get fps counts per game:

http://www.trustedreviews.com/nvidia-geforce-gtx-950-review-results-page-2#tr-review-summary

In summary though, your GTX770 still will outperform the 950 by some margin. The 950 is an entry level card, not designed to run games at more than medium settings in most cases, whereas the GTX770 is a high end card designed to run games on max - high. Totally different ball game.
 
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Spikes

Member
Basic note on the digits;
First digit is like the generation while the last two digits is the strength.
So a 780 will most likely beat a 950.

Nevertheless, search for game benchmarks. Synthetics benchmarks don't always provide a reliable comparison
 
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Spuff

Expert
I would say stick with the 770 rather than change to a 950. It might be worth cross-grading to a 900 series GPU if and when DX12 kicks in and provides a real benefit.
 
Androcles

Androcles

Rising Star
Personally I wouldn't go for anything less than x60 for gaming. x10 to x50 are tacitly classified as standard graphics cards, useful for general PC work such as office work and web browsing, and very light gaming. x60 to x80 are your gaming range.
 
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