Why did we choose these NVIDIA cards over AMD's 4850, 4870 or 4890?

With the GTS 250 it depends on the game--some games perform better with NVIDIA cards, while others with AMD cards. Titles like Crysis, Assassin's Creed, Mass Effect, Oblivion, and Fallout 3 prefer NVIDIA cards. Games like Bioshock and Race Driver GRID prefer the AMD chipset. Other games are about even, and because NVIDIA cards tend to run a little quieter and typically have better driver support, we decided to stick with them.

The GTX285, on the other hand, is simply the superior chipset, and is currently priced affordably. ADM's 4870 may compete well with the GTX285 on some titles today, but in upcoming titles it is the GTX285 that will most likely shine. The reason is that game developers are probably going to increase object details but keep texture sizes about where they are now. The GTX285 shines where processing power is concerned, while the 1GB 4870 only keeps up because of fast texture memory. It is for this reason and because of superior drivers that we have chosen to go with NVIDIA.

We also believe that the 4870 and GTX260 are not worth the investment for the performance they give. The GTX285, GTX275 and GTS 250 are all the best cards of their generation, while the GTX260 has parts turned off, giving that in-between performance. The price point may make sense if you're upgrading your own PC, but not in the case of a new system. If you're going to that graphics edge you should spend that extra 10% and get the GTX285: a top-of-the-line card that will last.