For those wanting an inexpensive card that does the job when playing back HD content or a HTPC (Home Theater PC) that wants a quiet card that doesn't draw a lot of power, the HD 4550 card will fit the bill nicely at a price of $50. ATI's reference card has HDMI and Display Port output meaning that it is better suited for the HTPC crowd than the EVGA card and can play back 8-channel Audio over HDMI which is a huge advantage for the Home Theater crowd. ATI's lineup from top to bottom is very solid with new chips on the cards. The EVGA 9500GT is a perfect example of the 9500GT cards on the market from various NVIDIA partners. This card is retailing online for a MSRP of $64.99 but there is a $15 rebate currently, making the effective price $49.99. At this price point the performance outstrips the ATI card but doesn't quite have the lower power draw of the other card nor does it have DirectX 10.1 features. A checkmark feature at this price point and performance metric, to be sure, but no NVIDIA cards supports it. EVGA's card is faster in sheer performance, but at this performance level it's a tossup for which card is really better as they both have their good points.
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Source: Motherboards
Check out our 9500GT Review here
Oct 1, 2008, 04:57 AM
