ATI vs. nVidia question...??

[Crunch]

Happy New Year to everyone. May all your dreams come true.

I have a question as to why Lenovo switched away from ATI graphics to nVidia? ATI has an excellent reputation, and nVidia does as well, so was it purely because some agreement expired, or was there a non-business, performance-related move involved (I can dream, can't I?)...lol...

If the latter is the case, how is nVidia superior to any of the ATI-based systems? nVidia is the best for gaming graphics, I believe to have read somewhere. True?

[Dead1nside]

Something to do with ATI being acquired by AMD?

[Troels]

Thanks and you too

The santa rosa platform also included a refresh from XP to Vista, and thereby also support for DX10. ATI/AMD had some issues reaching the deadline, and had to push the releases of the desktop R600 core/ASIC: http://www.techpowerup.com/?25870

This means that the mobile chipsets are pushed further behind, and nVidia had their G80 mobile series at the market about three months before ATI/AMD.

Due to this, i think Lenovo did not want to jeopardize their T/R61 release - and by choosing nVidia, it was one of the first Santa Rosa laptops on ther market.

And, to the latter question - yes, mostly, but Lenovo wasn't specifically looking for a gaming card. They want solid performance, and chose the Quadros instead.

[brentpresley]

This is very subjective, but in general it is going to depend on what you want to do.

For gaming, nVidia mobile GPUs have traditionally held an advantage over ATI.

For professional work (CAD), the OpenGL capabilities of the ATI cards has usually be superior.



Now - there is one more thing I would like to point out. When you start considering Windows Vista as the OS to run on your TP, ATI drivers have been FAR BETTER (for emphasis - FAR FAR BETTER) than their NV counterparts. I put the blame here SQUARELY on NV, and not MS. MS made the driver API available to both companies at about the same time, and ATI actually started making alpha and beta drivers available to the Vista beta testers during the test period. NV jumped on the bandwagon a LOT later. and until the last 1-2 months their performance and stability have suffered as a consequence.

This is improving, but I still think if you are going to run Vista (32 or 64), ATI graphics systems are still in a better position that NV.

[Crunch]

Wow, interesting stuff. As if I needed another reason to dislike the T61/p's. lol...So it's a combination of company politics and technology I take it. The more I read about, personally play with (2 so far and that's enough), and things such as this question, the more I dislike Lenovo.

The most recent example was my buddy in NYC, who has over 20 computers, and who always has to have the latest and the greatest, complaining about his display on his T61p MOVING!?!?!? I asked him, what do you mean it moves? He said that supposedly (although if he says it, that's good enough for me) his laptop was delivered three weeks after the ETA delivery date, and the display is not mounted correctly.

WTF!?!?! Is this an isolated incident??? And I still don't understand exactly what he meant, but I do recall a recent thread here or on one of the other IT sites I visit, where someone said his or her screen had moved on their T61 as well......

What's next? I'm on my 12th Thinkpad in close to 9 years. I love it, and I don't want anything else. I don't want Lenovo becoming another save-at-all-cost so as to maximize profit company but putting out crappy screens, some of which supposedly are not even screwed together right, along with a questionable choice for things like graphics cards. And not only choice, but I find the basis for the decision made flawed in and of itself. And not to mention the TN displays...

I think they'll lose a bunch of customers, while likely appealing to new ones, who want everything for [censored]-near free. This blows...

[tylerwylie]

I'm glad I got my T61 when I did, that's all I have to say. Intel onboard graphics do well for me, as I don't game and the open source Linux drivers rock. As far as ATI vs nVidia.

ATI's drivers in the past have been severely lacking, and while the hardware might have been better in some respects the software could never match it, nVidia's drivers in Windows and Linux have always been amazing for me. Whereas the Catalyst drivers in Windows were buggy, and in Linux, well in Linux I just have to say "lol, ati?"


nVidia's got the gaming crowd pretty much, but they're slacking on things like the Vista drivers, and their 8 series gpu's, while amazing, aren't unlocked to their full potential by drivers.

Yet.

[Dead1nside]

I think the official statement in regards to this topic was that Nvidia's product roadmaps were clearer and they liked what they were doing with their product lines. Which in reference to my prior comment, sounds political.

[omays4430]

hey fan boys can be fan boys. the quadro (hardware only not the software, as the software doesnt do the performing) is actually the best available for the "business and production" end of things for awhile. ahrdware performs and yes the Thinkpads only have tier 1 products installed in their systems.

[Crunch]

I think the official statement in regards to this topic was that Nvidia's product roadmaps were clearer and they liked what they were doing with their product lines. Which in reference to my prior comment, sounds political.

Indeed. You can add abysmal excuse. "roadmaps were clearer...liked what they were doing"...

That's called talking without saying anything. I've been in sales for a looong time, and I see BS from a mile away. Oh, and great choice on the glossy and childishly colorful LCD's for the new IdeaPads...

I'll need a new Thinkpad by mid-2009 at the earliest, so Lenovo, please bring IPS Flexview back, will ya?

[Peak2Peak]

Lenovo, please bring IPS Flexview back, will ya?

100% behind you on this - Crunch