Originally posted by: hooflung
The GTX280 SLI barely beats the X2 in HL2 and that is only at the 30" monitor resolution. The 22" and 24" winner in HL2 is the ATI. Same thing with Oblivion and Quake Wars. I think if you want to redefine winning to mean at 'the best of the best of the best resolutions that only the most eccentric enthusiests participate in' as a win for the SLI GX2 then your full of it.
Hmmm, I game at 25X16, so does n7, so does Derek Wilson, so does Kyle Bennett, and lots of other people. I bet Anand games at 25X16.
We're all "the most eccentric enthusiasts"? Go figure- I thought we were just people who valued image quality and know a $500 card is wasted at 16X10.
So if we're appealing to the bargain hunters and lower resolutions here, how are we going to justify the extra money and wait for a 4870X2 when a GTX280 for $449 shreds all the games at 16X10 and 19X12 and has no multicard issues at all?
Because we need 120 fps instead of 100fps? Don't know if that will fly.....
Because we want to use 430W instead of 300W? Probably not....
Because we want to need a case that can shed 91C instead of 81C at load? No, not that either....
Because we want 52dB of noise instead of 45dB of noise? Don't think so.....
Because we want PhysX in the 50 games scheduled to launch by the end of next year? Well, that's an unknown as well, if ATi adapts for that.
Source for heat, power, noise data
So, at the resolutions you claim everyone has, what is your justification that a buyer wait 1 month, deal with more heat, noise, power, and the downsides of Crossfire compared to buying a GTX280 today for less than the 4870X2 is supposed to launch at?
As I see it, we have mostly meaningless framerate differences in terms of gameplay, DX10.1 not in use yet, and probably some games where 8X AA is more playable.
4870X2 kicks ass and looks good, but not the "slam dunk" you're making it out to be, especially at those resolutions.