5850 just as fast as a 5870?

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toyota

Lifer
Apr 15, 2001
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Good point.

Then we need to ask ourselves is there anything about Hd5xxx architecture that compensates for weaker bandwidth?
all somebody would have to do is lower the memory speeds on the 4890 to match the 5770 and then test the cards. if the cards perform nearly identical then all this nonsense would be over. if the 5770 still performs worse then its a failure since all other specs are equal.
 
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BFG10K

Lifer
Aug 14, 2000
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I was just suprised because hd5750 GPU overclocked to 870 Mhz is equal to hd5770 with 783 Mhz on its core.
Um, the 5770’s stock clock is 850 MHz. It still isn’t surprising since memory can still make a significant difference, and the extra execution units in the 5770 might be not being used properly.

Just wondering what is your basis for believing this is primarily a driver issue? Sorry if you have already mentioned your reason (unfortunately I haven't read the entire thread)
Because performance is horribly erratic and inconsistent. There are situations where you can put a massive strain on memory bandwidth (e.g. 2560x1600 with high levels of AA), but the 5770 absolutely rockets through the tests. In other more trivial situations the 5770 is slower than the 4850. Bandwidth can’t explain that away, but drivers can.

From my findings memory bandwidth has a significant impact on the 5770’s performance, but the core has more impact. This is despite me using 2xAA and 4xAA to ensure bandwidth was strained to a reasonable degree.

As for error correction, all of my tests are done by underclocking so it’s not a factor, and neither is stability.
 

AzN

Banned
Nov 26, 2001
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sorry but I think AzN is sort of right about this. I mean the only difference on paper between the 4890 and the 5770 is the memory bandwidth yet the 4890 easily beats it most reviews. just look at this hardwarecanucks 5770 review. http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/foru...4-xfx-radeon-hd-5770-1gb-gddr5-review-11.html

in the few cases like Far Cry 2(DX9) where the 5770 can even match the 4890 in average framerate it still gets raped in minimums. "Once again, the HD 5770 1GB provides some eye-opening performance and beats the GTX 260 216 in every test and even comes close to the HD 4890 in a few instances. However, the minimum framerates tell a bit different story." http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/foru...4-xfx-radeon-hd-5770-1gb-gddr5-review-15.html

if its not the bandwidth than the 5xxx series must have completely screwed up everything else which isnt likely. I mean what other explanation is it when ALL of the other performance factors except for memory bandwidth are identical???

It seems xbit isn't the only reviewers who's getting the low minimum frame rate discrepancy. Enforcing of what I was saying. :/
 

AzN

Banned
Nov 26, 2001
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http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/video/display/radeon-hd5770-hd5750_8.html#sect0

Well actually according to those tests even hd5750 is gaining average frame rate purely with a memory overclock.

If 720 stream processors can make gains from the error correcting hd5xxxx memory controller I wonder how well it could do with faster stock speed GDD5 or 256 bit memory bus.

I'm not saying Cypress and Juniper are particularly bandwidth starved or even unbalanced. That wasn't even what I was implying but it seems like these anti-AzN posters have been shoving this at my throat. :p

With more bandwidth the gains would be linear at least up to a point as shown by your link above then it would slowly diminish but the minimum fps would improve dramatically like those examples including xbit and canucks.
 

AzN

Banned
Nov 26, 2001
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I'm not even going bother with BFG's posts. It's got to a point where his emotions are involved and just antagonizing.
 

cbn

Lifer
Mar 27, 2009
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Um, the 5770’s stock clock is 850 MHz. It still isn’t surprising since memory can still make a significant difference, and the extra execution units in the 5770 might be not being used properly.

I know hd5770 has 800sp @ 850 Mhz.

I brought up the 870 Mhz core overclock on the hd5750 because it has less stream processors. 720 stream processors @ 870 Mhz is only equal to 800 sp @ 783 Mhz (which is 8% less core strength than stock HD5770).
 

cbn

Lifer
Mar 27, 2009
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Because performance is horribly erratic and inconsistent. There are situations where you can put a massive strain on memory bandwidth (e.g. 2560x1600 with high levels of AA), but the 5770 absolutely rockets through the tests. In other more trivial situations the 5770 is slower than the 4850. Bandwidth can’t explain that away, but drivers can.

This erratic performance happens in the same game or benchmark? One run does fine and the other does poor right?

If that is true then maybe it is a driver problem.
 

AzN

Banned
Nov 26, 2001
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In the link AzN posted, there are times where the 5770 is nearly the same as the 4890. I believe it was STALKER where the 5770 was actually faster overall (min and avg). So, you have these weird "hiccups", instead of the 5770 being consistently slower than the 4890.

On top of that, BFG has run tests showing that it might not be memory bandwidth holding the card back. The 5xxx series has at least some new architecture compared to the 4xxx series. The latest drivers for them aren't even entirely stable based on my experiences (though I've not heard of issues with them and the 4xxx series). Plus, it's just been a trend where ATI and Nvidia both release drivers down the road that boost performance for a specific series of their cards.

Though memory bandwidth is an entirely plausible/possible reason for all this, I think closer inspection shows it might not be just that. I was perfectly willing to accept it was just the bandwidth when I bought the card. I knew that when I bought it. After reading all of this, it makes sense that it might actually be drivers to some degree. I'm not waiting for some "miracle" driver for my 5770. But, hey, it's cool if it happens.

And these are the exceptions but very seldom that is more SP limited games which 5x00 excels on previous RV770. Now try benchmarking these particular benches like NFS Shift and stalker and you will that SP overclocking makes the biggest difference here not core or bandwidth.
 

AzN

Banned
Nov 26, 2001
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The comparison between the 4890 and 5770 doesn't in any way shape or form demonstrate that memory bandwidth is the issue behind the lower minimum fps of the 5770 compared to the 4890.

Why wouldn't it when that's the most likely explanation. This also applies on my GTX260 btw which I've tested.

This also applies to 4850 overclocked to 4870 core clocks as well.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/video/display/gainward-hd4850-1024mb-gs_8.html#sect1


All it does is show you that clearly something is different, which from that example, COULD be memory bandwidth.

Because it is.


So, having posited that the 5770 is memory bandwidth limited, you then test the theory (just like BFG did), by changing first core, then memory speeds, and observing the impact on fps.

Yes but that was just average. I would like him to post his minimum as well so we can analyze it but he has yet to do that.

If the 5770 was primarily bandwidth limited, you would expect that the results of that testing would show that changes to core speed had relatively limited impact, while memory speed changes had a significant impact (so if the 5770 was extremely memory bandwidth limited, you would expect performance to fall away in very close correlation to reductions in memory speed, while you would see more limited reductions in FPS from core speed reductions).

That's the thing. I don't think 5770 is primarily bandwidth limited. It's just not saturated where all the pixels are taken advantage of like GTX260 or 4890.

BFG found that there was a greater change in FPS (both min and avg) for a change in core speed than for a change in memory speed.

This means that the 5770 is more limited by its core than its memory bandwidth. No ifs, no buts, it is that simple. The theory that the 5770 is entirely or even primarily memory bandwidth limited has been disproven by that test.

That's kind of an ignorant assumption on your part when you are trying to find why 5770 minimum fps is not as good as 4890 when average fps is quite closer.

So no ifs and no buts? wow there. 2 different hardware sites is showing dramatic difference in minimum fps compared to 4890. Either you need to prove why this is so or else you can't come up with that conclusion that only compares avg. frame rates and say it is so.

What that doesn't explain is where the bottleneck or issue lies, but we know that there have been significant architectural changes to the core from 4XXX. There could be a hardware bottleneck anywhere in those changes and changed interconnects, or there could simply be a driver issue that is creating the bottleneck by not most efficently using the architecture.

It still doesn't explain why this 4850 overclocked to 4870 with lower bandwidth is showing similar results as the 5770.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/video/display/gainward-hd4850-1024mb-gs_8.html#sect1
 

AzN

Banned
Nov 26, 2001
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all somebody would have to do is lower the memory speeds on the 4890 to match the 5770 and then test the cards. if the cards perform nearly identical then all this nonsense would be over. if the 5770 still performs worse then its a failure since all other specs are equal.

Well here's a 4850 1gb card overclocked to 750/1200 compared to 4870 showing similar results as 5770. That pretty much answers your question.


farcry2.png
 
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hans030390

Diamond Member
Feb 3, 2005
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I'm not even going bother with BFG's posts. It's got to a point where his emotions are involved and just antagonizing.

Um...

Anyway, I say we all place bets and come back in 6 months to a year (or two?), see if drivers have changed anything noticeable (because it's nearly impossible for later drivers to NOT improve performance even a little bit). If not...well, it's probably not drivers.

I'm not saying Cypress and Juniper are particularly bandwidth starved or even unbalanced. That wasn't even what I was implying but it seems like these anti-AzN posters have been shoving this at my throat. :p

Actually, the first thing you said here was, "It really is bandwidth though considering the bottleneck of RV870 design" (in reply to someone suggesting bandwidth limitations). So, did you mean that or not? It seems like you're trying to back away from how absolute you were being about bandwidth earlier.
 
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AzN

Banned
Nov 26, 2001
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Um...

Anyway, I say we all place bets and come back in 6 months to a year (or two?), see if drivers have changed anything noticeable (because it's nearly impossible for later drivers to NOT improve performance even a little bit). If not...well, it's probably not drivers.

Why when there's already data available? It's just that BFG and his anandtech gang doesn't want to accept factual information before them. This isn't the first and I'm sure it won't be the last. Some of these people just don't want to hear it and stay ignorant I suppose but isn't what hardware forum is all about? To learn from 1 another? But this isn't the case. if you don't agree with the mass you are automatically suspect.

Graph above shows rv770 showing exactly the same thing as 5770 behavior relevant to 4890.

Now there's no architecture difference. As you may already know that 4870 and 4850 are both based on rv770. According to BFG it's drivers I suppose even in the graph above. :/

Um...
Actually, the first thing you said here was, "It really is bandwidth though considering the bottleneck of RV870 design" (in reply to someone suggesting bandwidth limitations). So, did you mean that or not? It seems like you're trying to back away from how absolute you were being about bandwidth earlier.

Everyone just assumed that I thought Cypress and juniper was unbalanced. If you actually paid attention to what I'm saying maybe you would have gotten what I was implying. I did not mention such things as unbalanced nor bandwidth starved to linear increases. I just mention more bandwidth raises minimum fps much more than average fps in case of Juniper and 4890.
 
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hans030390

Diamond Member
Feb 3, 2005
7,326
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Why when there's already data available? It's just that BFG and his anandtech gang doesn't want to accept factual information before them. Some of these people just don't want to hear it and stay ignorant I suppose but isn't what hardware forum is all about? To learn from 1 another? But this isn't the case. if you don't agree with the mass you are automatically suspect.

Graph above shows rv770 showing exactly the same thing as 5770 behavior.

Now there's no architecture difference. As you may already know that 4870 and 4850 are both based on rv770.

I can tell you as a fact that the drivers for the 5xxx series are not yet matured. I OWN ONE. Bugs/crashes are the main evidence of this. Also, history has shown us that over the months/years, ATI and Nvidia both improve performance of specific series of cards with new drivers. Even if the architecture is very similar, there's still some bit of difference. Why it takes months to put out fully matured, optimized drivers for cards...I have no idea. But that's just how it's always been. It even says that in the notes for the drivers (it will list specific performance increases as well as general).

All of these graphs are usually done when the cards are new...when the drivers are new. I'm talking about down the road when the basically expected performance increases are present in mature drivers. I don't know what the performance increase will be...but it will happen, or at LEAST even out performance. I'm not expecting my 5770 to suddenly be better than a 4890. I didn't buy it with those intentions. But I do think that given everything said here, later drivers MIGHT really help out. And if you think I'm blindly following others...then I have a specific phrase to say to you. I'm just not sure if it's something I could get banned over. Better safe than sorry, yes?

Also, are you scared to "bet" on this or something? Would you at least publicly admit that you were wrong if it ends up being drivers down the road (because I think the "wrong" party should apologize and/or admit they were wrong in some way)? I get the feeling right now, based on your words, that you would not. I honestly mean no offense by that, but I do feel that way.
 

hans030390

Diamond Member
Feb 3, 2005
7,326
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Everyone just assumed that I thought Cypress and juniper was unbalanced. If you actually paid attention to what I'm saying maybe you would have gotten what I was implying. I did not mention such things as unbalanced nor bandwidth starved to linear increases. I just mention more bandwidth raises minimum fps much more than average fps in case of Juniper and 4890.

Well, the way you've gone off on both of these threads has definitely given us no room to imply anything other than that. Sorry. Also, people were paying attention to what you were saying...and they had things to counter that. Maybe you missed it...
 

AzN

Banned
Nov 26, 2001
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Well, the way you've gone off on both of these threads has definitely given us no room to imply anything other than that. Sorry. Also, people were paying attention to what you were saying...and they had things to counter that. Maybe you missed it...

With all video cards bandwidth plays the equalizer to the core. Of course bandwidth is the limitation of the 5870 considering all the core doesn't have the breathing room it used to have with rv770. If it didn't it would be faster than 4870x2 by 15% or more in all cases but it's not.

That was my first explanation. Now I don't know how you can perceive anything other than what I implied. It's not my fault these people can't understand what I was saying from the start.

I came with proof and evidence that included benchmarks while most of you mention drivers with no evidence of any of this.

Cypress or Juniper hasn't been changed all that much from the original RV770 design. Drivers isn't most likely scenario where minimum fps would jump suddenly making 5770 equal to 4890 with much less bandwidth. When all evidence I presented point to bandwidth but it's antagonizing AzN time I suppose since I don't agree with few hardware sites with shit authors implying drivers and the ignorant mass that automatically agrees without even testing or questioning theories.
 

dug777

Lifer
Oct 13, 2004
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That was my first explanation. Now I don't know how you can perceive anything other than what I implied. It's not my fault these people can't understand what I was saying from the start.

I came with proof and evidence that included benchmarks while most of you mention drivers with no evidence of any of this.

Cypress or Juniper hasn't been changed all that much from the original RV770 design. Drivers isn't most likely scenario where minimum fps would jump suddenly making 5770 equal to 4890 with much less bandwidth. When all evidence I presented point to bandwidth but it's antagonizing AzN time I suppose since I don't agree with few hardware sites with shit authors implying drivers and the ignorant mass that automatically agrees without even testing or questioning theories.

BFG has been incredibly patient and polite to you, but I don't suppose you'd ever admit that you're the one who has been getting abusive and emotional, would you? You haven't actually done any benchmarking of a 5770 yet you have the gall and arrogance to call BFG a 'shit author', simply because his testing doesn't fit with your argument.

1) You have not produced a single shred of evidence that the 4890 is faster than the 5770 entirely due to memory bandwidth. Evidence means that you can demonstrate that it is the case, not simply point to the fact that the 4890 has higher minimums than the 5770 and just repeating that because this is the case, the difference must be due to memory bandwidth. Can you see that you haven't actually eliminated any other possibilities there?

Nobody is disputing that the 4890 doesn't have much better minimums generally, but they are disputing your argument that because this is the case, it must be due to memory bandwidth, and can't be due to anything else. You haven't actually eliminated drivers or architectural problems, you have just thrown them out because they don't suit your arguments. I have to ask, but you don't happen to work in a climate change research centre do you? ;)

2) Your comparisons between the overclocked 4850 and 4870 are strawmen, because the 5xxx cards are a quite significantly revised core, with some quite meaningful changes to it at a hardware level:
http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3643&p=5
You have argued earlier that the 5770 is faster (both minimum and avg) than the 4890 in some games due to architectural changes (NFS: Shift and STALKER I believe), so you look hypocritical arguing that they're essentially identical. Those must be reasonably significant changes to allow the 5770 to obliterate the 4890 at a memory bandwidth hungry 2560x1600 with 4xAA/16AF...with the 5770 delivering much better quality AF as I understand it?

You don't know that any one of the considerable number of changes mentioned couldn't be causing an issue with current drivers (or indeed, with any drivers, it might be an irrepairable architectural problem). People who write programs are only human and it is to be expected that there will be issues that need to be ironed out in the relatively early days. Bugs in hardware happen, although they are not always fatal.

You come accross as a zealot because you seem to have decided that it has to be memory bandwidth, it absolutely possibly cannot be anything else.

3) BFG has indicated that his minimum FPS is consistent with his average FPS, and thus his results that show the 5770 a affected to a greater extent by core than by mem bandwidth. Will you accept that you are wrong if he posts this?
 
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Painman

Diamond Member
Feb 27, 2000
3,728
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Yeesh, I go away for a few days and this thread becomes very large and very strange...

Whatever, I'm sticking to what I said back on page 1, and agreeing with BFG, et al.
 

dug777

Lifer
Oct 13, 2004
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Drivers isn't most likely scenario where minimum fps would jump suddenly making 5770 equal to 4890 with much less bandwidth. When all evidence I presented point to bandwidth but it's antagonizing AzN time I suppose since I don't agree with few hardware sites with shit authors implying drivers and the ignorant mass that automatically agrees without even testing or questioning theories.

Our of curiousity I looked back at some cards and bandwidths:

The X1950XTX pushed a mammoth 64GB/s.

The 2900XT pushed a very manly 105.6 GB/s.

Now there's no doubt they were very different architectures, but there's also no doubt that even a 4770 or 4850 are quite significantly faster, both as far as average and miniumum fps are concerned, despite having less (and compared to the 2900XT's case, quite dramatically less) bandwidth.

My point? I'm not sure no be honest (it was more curiousity that prompted me to look this up). I suppose a potential takeaway is that memory bandwidth isn't everything in the FPS game, and we have seen faster cards produced with less memory bandwidth, although one would presume that over time those opportunties to improve efficiency would decrease, and I don't know how likely such an improvement is given that the 5XXX core is an evolution of the 4xxx core, not a complete revolution...anyway, food for thought I suppose.
 
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AzN

Banned
Nov 26, 2001
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BFG has been incredibly patient and polite to you, but I don't suppose you'd ever admit that you're the one who has been getting abusive and emotional, would you? You haven't actually done any benchmarking of a 5770 yet you have the gall and arrogance to call BFG a 'shit author', simply because his testing doesn't fit with your argument.

Polite? Making personal insults is polite I suppose. :/

His testings methods only showed average frame rates and doesn't even compare to other cards before it to come up with a conclusion and I've asked him simply to investigate further with minimum frames as well as average. He doesn't seem to see all the angles where I'm sitting from. Does that make him a shit author? Did I call BFG a shit author personally?

Do you actually need to benchmark 5770 to get a grasp how A functions with B when other cards before it behave the same way? Isn't this same reason why I was able to tell how BFG's ultra was going to perform with core/sp/bandwidth even though I've never tested it? or is that just a lucky guess? You tell me!


1) You have not produced a single shred of evidence that the 4890 is faster than the 5770 entirely due to memory bandwidth. Evidence means that you can demonstrate that it is the case, not simply point to the fact that the 4890 has higher minimums than the 5770 and just repeating that because this is the case, the difference must be due to memory bandwidth. Can you see that you haven't actually eliminated any other possibilities there?

Nobody is disputing that the 4890 doesn't have much better minimums generally, but they are disputing your argument that because this is the case, it must be due to memory bandwidth, and can't be due to anything else. You haven't actually eliminated drivers or architectural problems, you have just thrown them out because they don't suit your arguments. I have to ask, but you don't happen to work in a climate change research centre do you? ;)

I suppose all the benchmarks shown in this thread doesn't count as evidence. I gave plenty of examples within same architecture to show how bandwidth effects minimum frame rates but that's not evidence enough according to you.

Now now. there you go putting words in my mouth. "entirely" is a strong word I never used to describe what was discussed.

They are disputing it's not bandwidth but "entirely" on drivers that is the cause which I disagree with. You in the other hand said it could be bandwidth much later in your post which is quite clever of you only to respond me with this post. ;)


2) Your comparisons between the overclocked 4850 and 4870 are strawmen, because the 5xxx cards are a quite significantly revised core, with some quite meaningful changes to it at a hardware level:
http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3643&p=5

But of course it's strawman. Any example I put out is and zealot one at that. :/

Never mind bandwidth behaves similar within all GPU architecture up to this point but hey don't let the factual information stop you calling it a strawman.


You have argued earlier that the 5770 is faster (both minimum and avg) than the 4890 in some games due to architectural changes (NFS: Shift and STALKER I believe), so you look hypocritical arguing that they're essentially identical. Those must be reasonably significant changes to allow the 5770 to obliterate the 4890 at a memory bandwidth hungry 2560x1600 with 4xAA/16AF...with the 5770 delivering much better quality AF as I understand it?

Why would that be hypocritical? When most games do not show this behavior to SP? There are exceptions though and I never ruled that out. The change are very minor at best and showing just that in those 2 games which doesn't bottom out minimum fps to unplayable scenarios. Who buys a 5770 to play 2560x1600? That's kind of an absurd observation for you to mention it.

In case of Juniper it supports fused multiply add instructions which benefit single precision applications which doesn't even support double precision math BTW which RV770 supports. Inter process communication cache doubled as well as data share quadrippled the cache of RV770 to improve shader performance but far as fillrate and bandwidth behaving hasn't changed. If anything cypress has slight texture fetching abilities as L1 cache has been doubled on the cypress in its memory controller. I'm not too sure about juniper as this chip is only half the RV770 256bit bus which pretty much means it has equal amount of L1 cache since Juniper is 128bit.


You don't know that any one of the considerable number of changes mentioned couldn't be causing an issue with current drivers (or indeed, with any drivers, it might be an irrepairable architectural problem). People who write programs are only human and it is to be expected that there will be issues that need to be ironed out in the relatively early days. Bugs in hardware happen, although they are not always fatal.

If you call that a considerable amount I wonder what you would call an entirely different architecture like R500 to R600? Nothing much has changed except more cache similar to E6600 to E8400. Obviously you can't seem to understand that or see it for that matter.

Number of changes? Now let's look back at RV670 vs RV770 or G80 to G92? Now why didn't BFG or YOU mention drivers during those times? Was it because the performance was better than previous iterations with more or less GPU?

You come accross as a zealot because you seem to have decided that it has to be memory bandwidth, it absolutely possibly cannot be anything else.

BFG says there's no way it could be bandwidth but drivers. Yet I don't hear you yelling zealot to BFG. It seems you made up your mind before the first post as you just agreed with BFG from the very start. Could this be favoritism or hypocritical? I think it's both.


3) BFG has indicated that his minimum FPS is consistent with his average FPS, and thus his results that show the 5770 a affected to a greater extent by core than by mem bandwidth. Will you accept that you are wrong if he posts this?

BFG says a lot of things without even really testing things through and just believe whatever web site tells him in lot of these cases. His whole sleuth of benchmarks on bottleneck with his ultra was the result of our arguments. He seems to be asking the wrong questions to come up with his conclusions although it's on the right path.

2 hardware sites already reinforced what I was saying. Now if somehow BFG show other wise that bandwidth doesn't make any difference in minimum frame rates and prove those 2 other sites wrong by giving examples and write them email to change their articles I would be willing to say I was wrong. Then again I'm 100% sure with this subject or else I wouldn't be here posting 10 page threads arguing so.
 

AzN

Banned
Nov 26, 2001
4,112
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Our of curiousity I looked back at some cards and bandwidths:

The X1950XTX pushed a mammoth 64GB/s.

The 2900XT pushed a very manly 105.6 GB/s.

Now there's no doubt they were very different architectures, but there's also no doubt that even a 4770 or 4850 are quite significantly faster, both as far as average and miniumum fps are concerned, despite having less (and compared to the 2900XT's case, quite dramatically less) bandwidth.

My point? I'm not sure no be honest (it was more curiousity that prompted me to look this up). I suppose a potential takeaway is that memory bandwidth isn't everything in the FPS game, and we have seen faster cards produced with less memory bandwidth, although one would presume that over time those opportunties to improve efficiency would decrease, and I don't know how likely such an improvement is given that the 5XXX core is an evolution of the 4xxx core, not a complete revolution...anyway, food for thought I suppose.

You were calling me a strawman for comparing 2 very similar architectures if not the same considered by more technically aware people. Here you are trying to compare fixed pipes to SP GPU which is completely different architecturally.

If you even paid slightest attention to what I was saying instead of trying to take apart the post because you needed to pick a side with your buddy you would understand what you are even trying to tell me here.

here it is again from the very first page:

With all video cards bandwidth plays the equalizer to the core. Of course bandwidth is the limitation of the 5870 considering all the core doesn't have the breathing room it used to have with rv770. If it didn't it would be faster than 4870x2 by 15% or more in all cases but it's not.


Here is another quote I replied to BFG.

GTX260+ is a bandwidth saturated card. Core can't be limited as a card is based on a set core. Either it can be saturated or bandwidth limited. In case of 5770 it's bandwidth limited to a degree as more bandwidth would give much better results

Now what does this mean in what you are trying to tell me here? The key word is equalizer and saturate. To equalize/saturate the core. Considering 2900xt has 16/16/320SP much like 1950xtx that had 16/16/48fixed pipes it never really needed all that bandwidth which could have been cut down to half. In case of 5870 32/80/1600SP it's much more powerful beast that need more bandwidth to max it's full potential.

1950xtx
Pixel Fill Rate: 10400 MPixels/sec
Texture Fill Rate: 10400 MTexels/sec
Memory Bandwidth: 64 GB/sec

2900xt
Pixel Fill Rate: 11888 MPixels/sec
Texture Fill Rate: 11888 MTexels/sec
Memory Bandwidth: 105.6 GB/sec

HD5870
Pixel Fill Rate: 27200 MPixels/sec
Texture Fill Rate: 68000 MTexels/sec
Memory Bandwidth: 153.6 GB/sec
 

ugaboga232

Member
Sep 23, 2009
144
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But Azn, You have yet to even discuss how nearly 5 posters at xtremesystems halved both their memory and core and began to overclock each seperately. They then repeated at many core and bandwidth speeds and made a very easy to use graph. Going from 900 mhz to 1300 gives a maximum benefit of 12% gain. I know you love minimum fps but surely if the 5870 was at its minimum fps for as long as you say it is, then it would have received a better fps.
 

BFG10K

Lifer
Aug 14, 2000
22,709
3,005
126
His testings methods only showed average frame rates and doesn't even compare to other cards before it to come up with a conclusion and I've asked him simply to investigate further with minimum frames as well as average.
I’m still waiting for an answer as to whether you’ll retract your claims if I show my minimums. Until you answer then it’s a waste of time debating your trolling.

BFG says there's no way it could be bandwidth but drivers.
Lies. I said the bandwidth holds it back significantly, but the core holds it back more. I also stated the reason is likely drivers.
BFG says a lot of things without even really testing things through and just believe whatever web site tells him in lot of these cases. His whole sleuth of benchmarks on bottleneck with his ultra was the result of our arguments.
I’m still waiting for a retraction of your claims when you argued against the GTX260+ being a balanced part.
Now if somehow BFG show other wise that bandwidth doesn't make any difference in minimum frame rates and prove those 2 other sites wrong by giving examples and write them email to change their articles I would be willing to say I was wrong. Then again I'm 100% sure with this subject or else I wouldn't be here posting 10 page threads arguing so.
I never said that bandwidth doesn’t make a difference to the minimum, so stop lying.

You claimed my 5770 benchmarks were invalid because they had no minimums.

You also claimed the core is incapable of lowering the minimums lower than bandwidth can.

I have evidence that debunks both of those statements.

Now you’re scared shitless so you’ve moved into the ridiculous stance of asking me to alter another website’s findings.

The agenda in your antics couldn’t be clearer, and at this point you’re doing nothing more than trolling. You have no leg to stand on so you resort to ridiculous games, and pretend to be the innocent victim when people call you out on them.
 

AzN

Banned
Nov 26, 2001
4,112
2
0
There's nothing I can do for you to accept proof with benchmarks about bandwidth limiting minimum fps with 5770 vs 4870/4890 GTX260 or 4870x2 beating out 5870. You can whine about core making the biggest difference but that's not even what I implied from the very start as I told you that about your ULTRA long ago which you still deny till this day. Calling me troll or telling me retract something I've never said. That's it.

Now you say bandwidth makes difference in minimum fps. Okay. That's all I wanted to hear. lol
 

Tempered81

Diamond Member
Jan 29, 2007
6,374
1
81
Both the 5850 and 5870 are nice products. If we're still discussing the OP, here is my 2 cents: The 5870 is the flagship, supporting 4+2 phase pwm on an higher quality pcb. Aside from the extra 160 shaders in the ASIC, an upside to the 5870 is the heavier more robust quad pipe heatsink. This beast surely helps to dissipate heat better than the 5850's smaller stock cooler. I also think it's a plus to have the pci-e power connectors on the top, although that is trivial. The 5870 also has the backplate.

Each product's performance depends on the driver utilization. Improvements in this arena are a win for both cards. The extra 160 shaders make for better performance in games (approx 10%), yet produce more heat. The larger sink on the 5870 keeps the gpu slightly cooler, and as a result both cards can overclock the same. They both use Samsung memory IC's that reach the same safe overclock of ~1250-1300mhz, while both cores usually top out at 1000mhz air cooled without modification.

The 5850's 725 mhz comes stock at 1.089v, while the 5870's 850 mhz comes at 1.162v (1.125v in some cases), and 1.18v in the new BIOS. The cypress die's like to use ~1.2-1.3v to hover around 1ghz without crashing, while temperatures remain relatively equal between the two separate products. IMO, the 5870 is not worth the ~$100-$110 price increase over the 5850. If you can afford a $410 video card, the 5870 is pure win, however if you can only afford $300, 5850 is the king.