Graphics cards

Every 4-8 months both Nvidia and AMD release new lineups of cards that range from high end to low end. Each card has a distinct purpose in mind despite how low on the totem pole they fall as far as performance. Note: Comparing cards outside of the same series is hard unless you have a direct comparison of performance from each card.

Series Tier
The first number is a major key in determining the series that the card falls in. This number indicates which series of cards it belongs to, and typically has very little to do with how a card will actually perform against say an older tier card. (Aka 3850 vs 4850)


 * Examples:
 * 9500 GT is a GeForce 9 Series Card, because the FIRST number falls as a 9.
 * HD 4650 is a Radeon 4600 Series Card, because the first number is a 4 followed by the performance tier which is a 6.

Performance Tier
The second number plays a big part in where each card falls as far as performance. A 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 are all applicable numbers for both Nvidia and AMD with 9 being the highest and 1 being the lowest.

-9, 8, 7 are typically High End for Nvidia and AMD while 6 can fall as High End for Nvidia as well now. (Examples: GTX 285 and HD 5970)

-6, 5, 4 are typically Mid Ranged for Nvidia and AMD. (Examples: GTS 450 and HD 5670)

-3, 2, 1 are typically Low End or Integrated Models for both Nvidia and AMD. (Examples: GeForce 9100 or Radeon 4250.)

Cards with lower numbers like 3 or 2 typically represent Home Theater based Graphics Cards or Basic Use(Microsoft Word, Email, Facebook)cards.

AMD Sub-Performance Tier
AMD Cards also have a third number in their lineup that signifies a sub-performance tier within the series. This number is typically a 9, 7, 5 or 3 with 9 being the highest performance in the series and 3 being the lowest. (Example: 4890, 6870, 4250)

Performance Breakdown
In the end it comes down to this, It's hard to compare graphics cards between series simply because some series bring new innovations to the table while others retain the same with slight optimizations or improvements. GTX typically does represent a high end Nvidia card, followed by GTS as Mid End and GT being Low End Cards. AMD sadly does not have that scheme, but instead uses a 3rd number indicator in their strings to validate where the card stands.

Nvidia
GTX 480
 * 4 : Represents the Series number being a GTX 400 Series Card.
 * 8 : Represents the Performance number with it being a high end perfomer.
 * 0 : Typically represents a first revision card or first generation.

AMD
HD 5970
 * 5 : Represents the Series Number being a Radeon HD 5000 Series Card.
 * 9 : Represents the Performance Number within the Radeon 5000 Series as being a high end performer.
 * 7 : Represents the Performance factor within all other cards as being a high end.
 * 0 : No meaning

Comparison Chart
'''This table consists of overall estimates and is NOT 100% accurate. It consists of cards released within the last 3-4 years.'''

Drivers
Drivers for the longest time have been make or break. Hardware relies on them directly in any major Operating System to date for hardware to function properly. Graphics Cards are the same, drivers can make or break performance regardless of having the "latest" drivers. It's also best to remember that beyond 2 years cards begin to stop being Optimized for, which means compatibility may drop in newer games or new engines. It's always best to ONLY update if it is absolutely needed or you are thoroughly aware of the possibilities of issues and know how to correct them. The best source to retrieve your drivers is directly from Nvidia, AMD or Intel since they will normally have the most update to date and compatible versions. Currently the recommended driver for AMD is 10.10e Hotfix and Nvidia 260.99 due to common performance issues or crashing from 10.12 and 266.35.

Windows 7

 * Catalyst 10.12 WHQL 64 Bit
 * Catalyst 10.12 WHQL 32 Bit
 * Catalyst 10.12a Hotfix
 * Catalyst 10.11 WHQL 64 Bit
 * Catalyst 10.11 WHQL 32 Bit
 * Catalyst 10.10e Hotfix
 * Catalyst 10.10 WHQL 64 Bit
 * Catalyst 10.10 WHQL 32 Bit

Windows XP

 * Catalyst 10.12 WHQL 64 Bit
 * Catalyst 10.12 WHQL 32 Bit

Windows 7

 * Nvidia Forceware 266.35 BETA : 32 Bit - 64 Bit
 * Nvidia Forceware 260.99 WHQL : 32 Bit - 64 Bit

Windows XP

 * Nvidia Forceware 266.35 BETA : 32 Bit - 64 Bit
 * Nvidia Forceware 260.99 WHQL : 32 Bit - 64 Bit