You can get an 8800GTX for as low as 395usd @ Newegg with rebate.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814143080
The 8800GTX will give you the the best consistent performance across a wide variety of titles @ 2560x. @ lower resolutions and with moderate filtering I'd give the nod to the 8800GTS 512Mb or even an overclocked 8800GT 512Mb.
In games where Crossfire works poorly or doesn't work at all you may reduce the HD 3870 X2 to single card performance by disabling CAT AI. That also disables any fixes ATi have placed in a driver for a particular title too. So you'll get much lower performance and possibly graphic glitches.
The 3870 X2 running as a single card will not be quite as fast a regular 3870 because of its slower memory. Personally, I wouldn't want to be stuck @ 2560x with a little less than the performance of a single HD 3870.
For the cash, overclocking the 8800GTX is the best choice for consistent performance @ 2560x. If price doesn't matter go 8800Ultra and overclock that. I've seen them slightly over 700 on the core with water cooling.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814143080
The 8800GTX will give you the the best consistent performance across a wide variety of titles @ 2560x. @ lower resolutions and with moderate filtering I'd give the nod to the 8800GTS 512Mb or even an overclocked 8800GT 512Mb.
In games where Crossfire works poorly or doesn't work at all you may reduce the HD 3870 X2 to single card performance by disabling CAT AI. That also disables any fixes ATi have placed in a driver for a particular title too. So you'll get much lower performance and possibly graphic glitches.
The 3870 X2 running as a single card will not be quite as fast a regular 3870 because of its slower memory. Personally, I wouldn't want to be stuck @ 2560x with a little less than the performance of a single HD 3870.
For the cash, overclocking the 8800GTX is the best choice for consistent performance @ 2560x. If price doesn't matter go 8800Ultra and overclock that. I've seen them slightly over 700 on the core with water cooling.
It might be worth noting what card you've been using lately Blacklash. You're in a better position than most to address this question.
I have been trying this as of late-
http://img230.imageshack.us/im...504/hd3870x2ordxp9.jpg
So I have first hand experience with the card.
I also have owned an 8800GTX since they were released. The HD 3870 X2 was meant to go in my second computer. Fortunately, I found a buyer for it as Newegg does not take returns on that item.
I'd color myself dissatisfied and disappointed.
I am not waiting for a miracle driver because I know how that situation resolved itself with the HD 2900XT. I figured I'd sell it now while there is still hype and interest around it. Luckily I am going to end up only being out 25usd.
http://img230.imageshack.us/im...504/hd3870x2ordxp9.jpg
So I have first hand experience with the card.
I also have owned an 8800GTX since they were released. The HD 3870 X2 was meant to go in my second computer. Fortunately, I found a buyer for it as Newegg does not take returns on that item.
I'd color myself dissatisfied and disappointed.
I am not waiting for a miracle driver because I know how that situation resolved itself with the HD 2900XT. I figured I'd sell it now while there is still hype and interest around it. Luckily I am going to end up only being out 25usd.
I came this close >< to shooting you an email this morning to send you the $400 for your X2.
Then I envisioned the look on Mrs. nRollo's face when I told her I spent $400 to test if that card is suitable for my monitor. Saw it recently when I told her the monitor I wanted was over $1000, and that I needed it because I now have 3 video cards.
My advice is to wait for your curiosity to die
It will pass. Besides you will likely get to test the 9800 GX2 up close and personal. Originally posted by: nRollo
I came this close >< to shooting you an email this morning to send you the $400 for your X2.
Then I envisioned the look on Mrs. nRollo's face when I told her I spent $400 to test if that card is suitable for my monitor. Saw it recently when I told her the monitor I wanted was over $1000, and that I needed it because I now have 3 video cards.
apoppin
Lifer
you ordered it on the 28th ?
:Q
Jeeze ... how long did you have it before deciding to sell it? 2 days? Did you bother to actually install and bench it?
i couldn't test anything in 2-3 days. i just set up crossfire and will take at least a week - or two - to decide if i will keep it or not
. . . and how did that situation really resolve itself with the HD 2900XT?
-the drivers have matured, it IS faster than back in May and still keeps up with its competitor the GTS 8800-640. Perhaps your expectations regarding AMD is just way too high ... for a $400 video card .. or in this case, $450.
:roll:
no miracles ... just solid support from AMD's driver team. i am pleased with my 2900xt since i purchased it in May and benchmarked it against GTS640-OC for Video forum ... in fact, i like it so much so i Cross-fired it this morning for my first experience with Xfire ... so far [very limited time] it is great.
:thumbsup:
============================
The same ... read this
Still cannot believe how people do not understand the market that the 3870X2 is catered towards. It is for people who do not have SLI or XFIRE motherboards. If you have XFIRE or SLI motherboard, then obviously this isn't the card for you. You'd probably get better mileage out of 8800GT SLI or 3870 XFIRE.
This card has a place, and a good one currently. I personally won't touch it because of driver related issues and the fact that SLI/XFIRE/DUAL GPU's do not scale well currently. But, if I absolutely needed the fastest single card, I'd definately consider the 3870X2, after checking out some benchmarks in the games that I play.
This card has a place, and a good one currently. I personally won't touch it because of driver related issues and the fact that SLI/XFIRE/DUAL GPU's do not scale well currently. But, if I absolutely needed the fastest single card, I'd definately consider the 3870X2, after checking out some benchmarks in the games that I play.
This was only true if the drivers and profiles were good...giving proper scaling...but then as now...scaling doesn't always work properly.
If the game scales well with XFire, the 3870x2 is almost always the fastest card. And to add to that...XFire scales very well...better than SLI from reviews I've seen (when it works that is...just as in SLI).
bryanW1995
Lifer
- May 22, 2007
- 11,144
- 32
- 91
Originally posted by: nRollo
hey! Quit dissin' my dark master!
There is a difference with the 7950GX2 and the 3870X2- the 7950GX2 offered levels of performance a single card couldn't. That's an important distinction, especially here where the question is about what you'd want to run games on a $1200 monitor.
IMHO, [A]Apoppin is right- some sort of high end SLi is the best match for a 25 X 16 display, or Quad Fire when it becomes available.
This has nothing to do with brands- everything to do with matching the best hardware for the job. I like 3870X2s fine- they're a good value and a step in the right direction for ATi. Loved my MAXX, considered buying one of these today to play with. (and haven't ruled out the possibility yet)
The 3870x2 offers performance that is significantly better than any other single card. The only way that it matters that it's a 2gpu solution is that you can't quadfire two of them yet due to driver issues. This is like the "native" quadcore vs non-native quadcore argument. We all care about performance. Some of us care about other issues, such as noise, cost, reliability, etc. By most accounts the 3870x2 is louder than an 8800 ultra, but it costs about 50% less. It is a LOT faster than a gtx in most games and costs about $50 more after a mir on the gtx. If you're buying one card right now either because you don't want to go xfire/sli or you CAN'T b/c your mobo doesn't support it, then the 3870x2 is the fastest card you can buy. period.
bryanW1995
Lifer
- May 22, 2007
- 11,144
- 32
- 91
hey, apoppin, how about posting us some new benchies with your crossfire setup compared to just the 2900xt? Have you had any luck getting the pro up to xt speeds?
It only looks that way because Rage3d is my main home on the internet now and I've seen Blacklash's posts there about his 3870X2.
I'm familiar with him/his situation- we are unacquainted outside this thread. (although I think Blacklash may have fired some flames at me in the past for generally not being an ATi fan- heh)
apoppin
Lifer
i haven't even tried - yet ... there is this little football game i was watching ...
- and today, for the first time in a long time i got a nap
AND ... best excuse of all ... i don't get my 2nd interconnect bridge 'till tuesday :music: ... i think i will just play games for two nighta ... and check what people want to see tested for Part 2 of the Vista 'showdown'. That entire 2nd part will be with CrossFire enabled - for my personal satisfaction and to test if it is worth keeping [i think it is for 25% gain].
Anyway, my crossfire benchmarks will be in this thread - 1st and 2nd posts:
Vista32- vs. Vista64-bit OS Showdown *Pt 1 Done!*
What is likely best to OC it ? ... RivaTuner or TrayTools?... even CCC has some kind of 'bypass' for a 6-pin connector, don't they?
Whatever i use has to work in Vista 64 also.
Rollo's back. :Q
The 30" LCD situation is interesting. Personally, I do not feel that there is a sufficiently powerful single-card solution yet.
A 3870X2 will probably cut it for most games that are out now, but that's with AA disabled, and keep in mind that there are games that do not scale well or do not have a proper profile in the drivers.
I would personally wait it out for a more powerful card, or else see how well you can deal with the scaling of your monitor.
The 30" LCD situation is interesting. Personally, I do not feel that there is a sufficiently powerful single-card solution yet.
A 3870X2 will probably cut it for most games that are out now, but that's with AA disabled, and keep in mind that there are games that do not scale well or do not have a proper profile in the drivers.
I would personally wait it out for a more powerful card, or else see how well you can deal with the scaling of your monitor.
Originally posted by: Syntax Error
Of course it does, when the cards are free!
It's true free cards are a good deal, but multi card solutions at retail offer more bang per buck than any other high end part.
Let's say SLi gives 30-80% scaling for the most part, and to get this you pay twice as much.
Do you get 30-80% improvement in framerates going from a $500 CPU to a $1000 cpu? No.
How about adding some great water cooling- going to ever see 80% fps jump with a big OC? No.
What about top notch RAM? No.
SLi doesn't give double the framerates every time for double the price, but it gives a bigger boost on average than any other upgrade. You could say the same about Crossfire.
SLI and "bang-for-your-buck" should not be in the same sentence.
I view SLI as a high-end solution to those with lots of money, I got an 8800GT when I saw the performance of the card (around 80-90% of a GTX) and its price of $250 at the time. You could try to SLI 8600s for the same price of $250 but we all know that the 8800GT will kill the 8600 SLI solution.
No, SLI is only a route for those with lots of cash and who don't want to wait for the next generation of hardware for greater performance per dollar; it's a marketing strategy by Nvidia to sell double the quantity of cards in this consumer demographic of strapped-for-cash enthusiasts when a next generation card would probably defeat the last generation SLI setup.
Granted, games became much more complex since the days of Pong, but SLI is also a marketing strategy as much as it is a technological "leap" in terms of framerate, if you can see it that way.
I view SLI as a high-end solution to those with lots of money, I got an 8800GT when I saw the performance of the card (around 80-90% of a GTX) and its price of $250 at the time. You could try to SLI 8600s for the same price of $250 but we all know that the 8800GT will kill the 8600 SLI solution.
No, SLI is only a route for those with lots of cash and who don't want to wait for the next generation of hardware for greater performance per dollar; it's a marketing strategy by Nvidia to sell double the quantity of cards in this consumer demographic of strapped-for-cash enthusiasts when a next generation card would probably defeat the last generation SLI setup.
Granted, games became much more complex since the days of Pong, but SLI is also a marketing strategy as much as it is a technological "leap" in terms of framerate, if you can see it that way.
Me rehearsed with Rollo?
Crikey :lol: I loudly championed X1900XT AF quality vs the nVidia 7 series at Rage, Hard and nVNews. I've had nothing but good things to say about HD 3850 256Mb price vs performance.
Before I owned my 8800GTX my primary rig had an X1900XT. I later tried X1900XT Crossfire and was disappointed by Crossfire software support.
The HD 3870 X2 is a disappointment to me. I am not holding onto it because selling it later will be harder than doing it now while hype and interest surround it. I suspect better revisions of it, and the 9800 GX2 will make these first cards out of the gate hard sells for close to what I paid.
I've owned both nVidia and ATi hardware for a very long time. The lesson I didn't learn the first time around is not to avoid ATi, I've enjoyed many of their products in the past. The lesson is to skip multi GPU and SLi|Crossfire in their current state. I'd rather have something I can count on 100% of the time than something that is hit and miss, especially when approaching or passing the 400usd mark.
My two favorite cards of all time are the 8800GTX and the X1900XT. The GTX has the distinct honor of being the first card I've owned well over a year. I've had it since release.
For the record I have zero problem with Rollo, and I am not in or associated with any nVidia|ATi sponsored groups. The only flame I've ever leveled @ him was that I questioned his objectivity towards ATi (AMD) products because he receives some free hardware from a competing corporation. I don't really consider that a flame.
In my opinion the best buys on the market for most folks are HD 3850 256Mb for the low end, 8800GT 512Mb, 8800GTS 512Mb for the mid high range, and 8800GTX for the high end. I don't personally feel the Ultra is worth the extra cash, and if we are talking 1920x or lower with medium filtering an overclocked 8800GT or GTS is likely a better buy than a GTX. I use to add the HD 3870 into the mix and since 8800GT cards are now as low as 239usd I no longer do so.
Crikey :lol: I loudly championed X1900XT AF quality vs the nVidia 7 series at Rage, Hard and nVNews. I've had nothing but good things to say about HD 3850 256Mb price vs performance.
Before I owned my 8800GTX my primary rig had an X1900XT. I later tried X1900XT Crossfire and was disappointed by Crossfire software support.
The HD 3870 X2 is a disappointment to me. I am not holding onto it because selling it later will be harder than doing it now while hype and interest surround it. I suspect better revisions of it, and the 9800 GX2 will make these first cards out of the gate hard sells for close to what I paid.
I've owned both nVidia and ATi hardware for a very long time. The lesson I didn't learn the first time around is not to avoid ATi, I've enjoyed many of their products in the past. The lesson is to skip multi GPU and SLi|Crossfire in their current state. I'd rather have something I can count on 100% of the time than something that is hit and miss, especially when approaching or passing the 400usd mark.
My two favorite cards of all time are the 8800GTX and the X1900XT. The GTX has the distinct honor of being the first card I've owned well over a year. I've had it since release.
For the record I have zero problem with Rollo, and I am not in or associated with any nVidia|ATi sponsored groups. The only flame I've ever leveled @ him was that I questioned his objectivity towards ATi (AMD) products because he receives some free hardware from a competing corporation. I don't really consider that a flame.
In my opinion the best buys on the market for most folks are HD 3850 256Mb for the low end, 8800GT 512Mb, 8800GTS 512Mb for the mid high range, and 8800GTX for the high end. I don't personally feel the Ultra is worth the extra cash, and if we are talking 1920x or lower with medium filtering an overclocked 8800GT or GTS is likely a better buy than a GTX. I use to add the HD 3870 into the mix and since 8800GT cards are now as low as 239usd I no longer do so.
apoppin
Lifer
Originally posted by: apoppin
Have you actually tested and benchmarked it? You only had it a couple of days
I tend to play games more than benchmark. I actually praised the HD 3870 X2 for its 3dmark06 score. It put up 18.5k supported by a 3.8GHz Q6600 G-0.
http://service.futuremark.com/compare?3dm06=4997365
Considering those couple of days were off days I had time to use it quite a bit. I don't need months to recognize the card is; too hot, too loud under load, and too unpredictable in performance to keep. I intended on getting a 2560x monitor and to use the HD 3870 X2 to support it. I changed my mind because I don't like the idea of being stuck with a little less than single HD 3870 performance @ that res in some cases.
I have no idea why Crossfire causes a performance hit in a few titles, stutter in others and flashing textures in some. I consider things like; how smooth a title plays, IQ, and if there are graphic glitches.
With the card I tried; "Crysis" DX10 and 9 path, "The Witcher", "Tomb Raider: Legend", "Oblivion" with all expansions, "UT3", "Hellgate London", "Timeshift", "Jericho", "WiC", "DiRT" and "NWN 2".
I do not feel it's worth 449usd and will reiterate most folks will be better served by a cheaper 8800GT 512MB or 8800GTS 512Mb. If you're at 2560x go for an 8800GTX and overclock it. If you're @ 1440x or 1280x you could likely do fine with an overclocked HD 3850 256Mb using medium filtering.
My thoughts exactly. It's not just the scaling performance I have a problem with, but I don't want to spend hours trying to find workarounds for weird bugs that the reviewers invariably miss, either because they come up in less popular games or they only become apparent when you're halfway into a game. The raw benchmark scores do not tell the whole story with these multi-GPU setups, even though that is the only information most reviews have to offer.
I still don't know whether vsync and triple buffering have been fixed in SLI yet (in everything, not just a handful of current blockbuster games), or whether Crossfire can output a video signal with a 400mhz pixel clock (which even a cheap 6200 or X300 can do).
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