1x8800GTS vs 2x8600gts

[Plumcuda1]

Ohhh ... I am not upgrading ....I am building a new system. My current system is a 3500+ AMD ... and a 6800GT.

 

[RussianSensation]

Originally posted by: keysplayr2003

Ya think so? An 8600GTS has only 32 shaders and keeps up nicely with a 120 shader 2600XT (and that is at 800MHz with the GTS's 675-700MHz). Thats almost FOUR times the amount of shaders. So the AMD GPU would actually need to be around 240 shaders to keep pace with a 64 shader "8700GTS". Hypothetically of course.

You are right in that 8600GTS not only keeps up with 2600XT but it outperforms it actually:

TechReport - July 11, 2007 review
Battlefield 2142 - 2AA 1280x960
8600GTS = 65.0fps
HD 2600XT = 33.9fps (92% slower)

Supreme Commander - 4AA 1280x1024
8600GTS = 25.2fps
HD 2600XT = 19.1fps (32% slower)

Oblivion - 4AA/16AF 1024x768
8600GTS = 54.5fps
HD 2600XT = 43.5fps (25% slower)
8600GTS min = 38.0fps
HD 2600XT min = 26.0fps (46% slower)

Rainbow 6: Vegas 1024x768
8600GTS = 44.3fps
HD 2600XT = 46.2fps (4% faster)

Computerbase.de - June 28, 2007 review
FEAR - 1280x1024
8600GTS = 84fps
HD 2600XT = 55 (53% slower)

Anno 1701 - 1280x1024
8600GTS = 29.5fps
HD 2600XT = 18.6 (59% slower)

Call of Duty 2 - 1280x1024
8600GTS = 39.3fps
HD 2600XT = 33.4fps(18% slower)

Gothic 3 - 1280x1024
8600GTS = 18.7fps
HD 2600XT = 12.6fps (48% slower) * both unplayable but still shows at the limit how much HD 2600XT sucks

Prey - 4AA/16AF 1280x1024
8600GTS = 33.8fps
HD2600XT = 25.3fps (34% slower) *both are slow but even at 1280x1024 HD 2600XT is 17% slower

Splinter Cell 4 - 1280x1024
8600GTS = 21.1fps
HD 2600XT = 19fps(11% slower)

Digit-Life July 2007 review
STALKER noAA/16AF - 1024x768
8600GTS = 46.1fps
HD 2600XT = 28.4fps (62% slower)

Call of Juarez - 4AA/16AF 1024x768
8600GTS = 27.2fps
HD 2600XT = 15.3fps (78% slower)

Company of Heroes - 4AA/16AF 1280x1024
8600GTS = 38.5fps
HD 2600XT = 42.7fps (11% faster)

You make a valid point about shaders of course but the reason HD 2600XT sucks so much is because it lacks in other key areas - it's essentially 1/4 of HD 2900XT and lacks TMUs and ROPs. Having a full fledged HD 2900XT card with 256bit bus would bring more than double the performance since it'll have 4x the pixel shading power (and that's the rumour for HD 2950 card). On the other hand if you just increase stream processors on 8600GTS without increasing texture units and ROPs, it wont double the performance. What you cannot do however is say that doubling 8600GTS' shaders to 64 from 32 means it'll suddenly keep up with HD 2950Pro 192 shader card because without knowing the number of TMUs and ROPs, it's too hard to estimate this. I am just going based on having HD 2900XT card with 256 bit bus but full fledged TMUs and ROPs. Then, it'll cream 8700GTS.

 

[Plumcuda1]

Is the GTX worth the extra $$$ over the GTS?

 

[F1N3ST]

You would be better off getting a good DX9 card elenta, i just picked up a X1900XTX for 200$ and it blows away the 8600GTS in anything, anything, anything.

 

[Delerious]

I just got a 8600 GT 512mb for $149... Is that a good price?

 

[Mutilator]

Originally posted by: F1N3ST
You would be better off getting a good DX9 card elenta, i just picked up a X1900XTX for 200$ and it blows away the 8600GTS in anything, anything, anything.

Or this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814143090

I picked up a clearance XFX 256MB 7950GT yesterday from work for $135. Puts it about 3/4 of the way performance wise between the 8600GT that I was going to get and the 8800GTS I was going to upgrade to in a couple months. Best of all it was only $20 more than the 8600GT and $170 less than the 8800GTS. Now I don't have to upgrade again.

Went from:
Athlon 3000+, X800XL, 2GB RAM -> Core 2 E6600, 7950GT PCIe, 2GB RAM + MB for about $440.
CS:S Stress Test went from 62.7fps to 134.16fps @ 1600x1200.

 

[Plumcuda1]

Well cheap isnt what I am going for ..... if that was the case I would upgrade my current system .....................

 

[Plumcuda1]

Originally posted by: Plumcuda1
Is the GTX worth the extra $$$ over the GTS?

 

[Plumcuda1]

Ah well ... only money .... I ordered the 8800 GTX