updogg Wrote:I've looked at benchmark results and the gt 430 and the 5570 and it looks like the 5570 is the better card by a long shot as seen here in this article. http://www.anandtech.com/show/3973/n...force-gt-430/4
Your link is broke but I have seen the article. By the raw scores of that test AMD is superior but that is due a lot of pulldown tests for weird formats that the Nvidia driver can't do. Technically you should pass all video along to the TV as it is and let the TV do the pulldown in all cases. I guess if you playback a lot of home shot semi-pro video go AMD all the way is what I get from that article.
After lots of testing, reading and buying I have personally come to the conclusion that Nvidia's decoding is much more robust than any other GPU company, including AMD. What tests like those DON'T compare is tone of different encodes. I have a HUGE media library of HD content and I can tell you from playing back on many different HTPCs I have built that nothing beats Nvidia.
In fact, in decoding robustness it goes in this order:
1.CPU
2. Nvidia
3. AMD
4. Broadcom
5. Intel (haven't tried absolutely newest stuff though)
CPU plays everything. So does Nvidia, but sometimes on the worst encodes the Nvidia drop the file (4 out of 1000). I had a 5450 and it played all but maybe 55 out of 1000 on Windows. On those though often it would play, but with visual artifacts or problems. Some of them were for small parts, some the whole movie. These encodes always screwed over the Broadcom and Intels as well, plus many more (10-15%). I will admit though I don't have any camcorder files in my library though.
Technically on Windows 7 with the newest drivers AMD GPUs will deliver quality equal (or better for some home made content) to Nvidia GPUs. Most of my worst encodes were older, and most stuff you find now sticks to standards better. A 5570 is a safe play. but I don't think it is outright a better one. I think GT430 is the best HTPC card on the planet due to Nvidia's superior decoder and its guaranteed futureproof HDMI 1.4.
But for you in this situation go AMD since it is a better deal for you.
Sorry for the long rant, but I have never fully expressed my opinion on the good ole AMD vs Nvidia clash...