ATI vs NVIDIA cards for WoW

[c0rnel]

Posting this for Wow players who are looking to get a video card and can't decide between ati and nvidia. May be helpful to others. Not intended to cause debates or favor a certain brand brand over another.

Setup:

Fresh Win 7 x64 Ultimate install with latest drivers
3770k oc'ed to 4.5Ghz (4.0Ghz wouldn't make a fps difference in wow as wow doesn't fully use all of the cpu)
16GB 1866Mhz RAM
Gigabyte G1.Sniper 3 mb
Onboard sound
PNY GTx 560 ti/Sapphire 7970

560 ti with vsync on (60Hz): msaa 8x, all settings on ultra, 1920x1080 = 40+fps while questing/fying in Pandaria. 55+ fps in Org/25man LFR/10/25man Raids

7970 with vsync on (60Hz): can achieve almost the same fps as above BUT with msaa at 2x. Anything higher (4x, 8x) and fps drops a lot to where it's barely playable (as low as 15 fps) regardless of amd control panel settings or whether you're overclocking the 7970 or not.


As you can see WoW prefers Nvidia cards.

[Cyanotical]

your numbers are wrong, making your results erroneous

[Wries]

You're misinterpreting the CPU chart in the task manager coming up with the faulty conclusion that WoW couldn't benefit from a higher CPU speed. I guess you ran both GPUs with the same CPU clock, but I'm just getting hung up on your parenthesis there.

How you should interpret CPU-usage is a long story but the fast way of determining a CPU-bottleneck is running two different clocks and actually looking on the FPS-meter rather than the statistics of CPU-usage. (This of course in an environment where WoW usually should be CPU-bottlenecked such as raids and cities.)

[yurano]

You're misinterpreting the CPU chart in the task manager coming up with the faulty conclusion that WoW couldn't benefit from a higher CPU speed. I guess you ran both GPUs with the same CPU clock, but I'm just getting hung up on your parenthesis there.

How you should interpret CPU-usage is a long story but the fast way of determining a CPU-bottleneck is running two different clocks and actually looking on the FPS-meter rather than the statistics of CPU-usage. (This of course in an environment where WoW usually should be CPU-bottlenecked such as raids and cities.)

Especially since Windows calculates CPU usage as an average of load over all cores. 2 cores at 100% usage = 25% total CPU usage since the 3770K has 8 cores.

I don't think the 560 Ti supports some of the newer MoP graphical settings which chokes the 7970.

[Rennadrel]

rofl, no way a 560 Ti beats out a 7970 in WoW performance. AMD's latest drivers have put pretty much all of their cards above Nvidia's in terms of performance as well. Comparing a mid range last generation card to a top end current generation card is also absolutely stupid. Hands down the 7970 slaughters anything in the 500 series.

[MMKing]

I have no idea what the hell you are talking about with your 15FPS.



1920x1080 of the same image

I5-2500k and a MSI 7979 Lightning btw.

I expect you to back your statements up with more than just text.

[yurano]

I have no idea what the hell you are talking about with your 15FPS.




I5-2500k and a MSI 7979 Lightning btw.

Why is the resolution so low?

[Cyanotical]

Why is the resolution so low?

1920x1080 is the standard used for comparison?

[yurano]

1920x1080 is the standard used for comparison?

The uploaded image has a low resolution.

[MMKing]

If you read directly under the image you will find ''1920x1080 of the same image'' link.

[Wries]

I don't think the 560 Ti supports some of the newer MoP graphical settings which chokes the 7970.

Nah. Both cards fed through the directx 11 API with the same options available in game. You'll have to look back into really old or low-end cards in order not to have the same visual settings available.

[squirble]

I've always had driver issues with ATI cards. I currently have a 560Ti which is running just fine.

[Butler to Baby Sloths]

I've always had driver issues with ATI cards. I currently have a 560Ti which is running just fine.

Personal anecdotes are not data.

[Milkshake86]

as far back as I can search I find nothing but 7970 being near double the 560 ti, AMD drivers would have to be so messed up for WoW to not outperform the 560 ti.

[chaud]

Nope.

[Faithh]

Try Shrine of seven stars outside where everyone is and check your gpu usage. It doesn't even reach 99% on 7970's or gtx 680's so comparing it is pointless.

[m2geek]

I used to have AMD cards - my Last AMD card was a 4890 which was ok - then I got my GTX 460 which totally blew it outta the water FPS wise... Then I got my new card this year GTX 660 Ti and another HUUGE step forward. I tried out a friends 6970 and it couldn't even put out the same FPS as my GTX460. WoW has always seemed to prefer nVidia Graphics and Intel processors. Which is fine by me because so do I Lol

[Arteous]

I have no idea what the hell you are talking about with your 15FPS.
<snip thumbnail for forum load speed>

1920x1080 of the same image

I5-2500k and a MSI 7979 Lightning btw.

I expect you to back your statements up with more than just text.

that's funny this is my nvidia gtx460 beating your "superior" ati video card with better shading.

http://i.imgur.com/U9tqP.jpg

[Butler to Baby Sloths]

CPU is on stock clocks right now (3700MHz under load), otherwise spec is in the sig.

Hmm, the options menu reduces my fps by up to 5, see the next picture (vSync disabled)



Different part of Valley of Strength (tried to get the same shot as you two), fluctuating around 50 fps, +/- 1

[Milkshake86]

that's funny this is my nvidia gtx460 beating your "superior" ati video card with better shading.

http://i.imgur.com/U9tqP.jpg

you have 1 or 2 people visible...ofc you'd have better frames.