Ati Radeon 3870 vs the rest

[Sirlaughalot87]

hello!

i am planning too upgrade my Ati Radeon 1950pro to the more modern(DirectX10 3870 but now im having second thoughts, after readong up on the "status" of the 3870 it seems that it isen´t top in the middle segment anymore; not to say that its bad but from what i read at THG the 3870 SHOULD blow the 8800GT 512mb out of the water..atleast on paper but upon further studying the 8800 GT 512mb is the one leading the race.

My question is this...is the 8800GT 512bm worth nearly doubling my GPU budget?

 

[LightningRider]

You can get a stock clocked 8800GT for less than 200$ if you buy from the right store. The 3870 is usually a fair amount more than that.

Go with the 8800GT.

 

[Rusin]

HD3870 is on par with Geforce 9600 GT in DX9. In DX10 there's almost 15% gap in favor of 9600 GT
8800 GT wins 9600 GT by 15% in DX9 and by 5% in DX10.
---

8800 GT - $150
HD3870 - $140
9600 GT - $125

There's 20% price difference at the moment with 8800 GT and 9600 GT.

 

[tuteja1986]

Originally posted by: Rusin
HD3870 is on par with Geforce 9600 GT in DX9. In DX10 there's almost 15% gap in favor of 9600 GT
8800 GT wins 9600 GT by 15% in DX9 and by 5% in DX10.
---

8800 GT - $150
HD3870 - $140
9600 GT - $125

There's 20% price difference at the moment with 8800 GT and 9600 GT.

I disagree :!

9600GT good at same game but when AA and high res it flops
3870HD is better at AA performance and high res and is better in DX9 and DX10 with latest driver.

 

[Rusin]

Funny because it's difference to 8800 GT get's smaller when adding AA and higher resolution. But if you have a link..share it with us

 

[Wreckage]

If money is the issue just get a 9600GT is performs better and is less expensive.

Otherwise yeah, the 8800GT will be faster overall than both.

 

[SlowSpyder]

What resolution do you play at? I have a Radeon 2900 that is overclocked to about 3870 speed. I game at 1680x1050 (22" monitor) and don't think that I need more video card then this for that resolution. Every game I have plays perfect on this video card at that resolution. If you are gaming at a similar resolution or lower, I'd get whatever is cheapest. The only other thing to consider is drivers. I assume you are using Vista since you want a DX10 card? I use XP, so I don't know which brand (AMD/Nvidia) has better drivers for Vista, but I know AMD's were better in the past... Nvidia may have just as good/better now, but I don't know.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: SlowSpyder
What resolution do you play at? I have a Radeon 2900 that is overclocked to about 3870 speed. I game at 1680x1050 (22" monitor) and don't think that I need more video card then this for that resolution. Every game I have plays perfect on this video card at that resolution. If you are gaming at a similar resolution or lower, I'd get whatever is cheapest. The only other thing to consider is drivers. I assume you are using Vista since you want a DX10 card? I use XP, so I don't know which brand (AMD/Nvidia) has better drivers for Vista, but I know AMD's were better in the past... Nvidia may have just as good/better now, but I don't know.

i have one and i play at 16x10
- and i can't agree

2900xt is OK for DX9 .. almost .. but falls FLAT on DX10 games .. or if you apply AA to DX9 -- notice i had to go CrossFire .. and am thinking of an X3 solution

the drivers are the "same" excellent quality - AMD or NVIDIA

 

[Sirlaughalot87]

Originally posted by: SlowSpyder
What resolution do you play at? I have a Radeon 2900 that is overclocked to about 3870 speed. I game at 1680x1050 (22" monitor) and don't think that I need more video card then this for that resolution. Every game I have plays perfect on this video card at that resolution. If you are gaming at a similar resolution or lower, I'd get whatever is cheapest. The only other thing to consider is drivers. I assume you are using Vista since you want a DX10 card? I use XP, so I don't know which brand (AMD/Nvidia) has better drivers for Vista, but I know AMD's were better in the past... Nvidia may have just as good/better now, but I don't know.

Your assumption is correct, I will be using Vista 64-bit for that extra gigabyte of memory(4GBftw!) and my resolution of choose depends on what i am playing...

With the Total War games it tends to be 1600x1200 and with FPS games i play at 1024x768 just because my monitor has 100 sweet hertz at the perticular resolution.
My 1950pro can handle that resolution with no AA/AF so i assume that a card one generation newer should handle it even better but now that i think about it..i have a very strange way of saying that a thing can "handle" it
Maybe around 15 FPS average?


The one thing that i find odd is that the 3870 has many a more "things" in them then 8800GTs; faster memory etc but still the 8800GTs are better...how is that?

 

[surfsatwerk]

I believe the gpu in the 8800GT is just better at processing shaders. I dunno much technical details.

 

[error8]

I think the biggest problem for the 3870 is its price. It always tends to be over the 9600 GT price and sometimes quite near the 8800 GT, so people avoids it. But after all, is a good card.

 

[Sirlaughalot87]

well...the Gigabyte 8800GT 512mb is 259.89 $ and the Sapphire 3870 512mb "lite" retail is 228.64$..the Gigabyte 9600 GT 512MB is 226.99 $ so the real reason seems to be just as you say price vs performance

Considering those prices...the Gigabyte 8800GTS 512mb is 402.99 $ and since a 8800GT is "nearly" as good as a GTS i think i will settle on the 8800GT even though our bad history.

With that out of the picture, how are the 64-bit drivers from Nvidia? Good and stable or like a avalanche, a disaster waiting to happen?

edit: all prices are converted from Swedish Krona to USD, incase you think they are a tad expensive

 

[Rusin]

Aa.. you are from Sweden! Those prices at Sweden are bad and you should buy from Germany. I mean 403 USD for 8800 GTS 512 is a bit much..you could get that card from Germany with 300 USD (delivery included). Same thing goes with those other cards. Btw. that Sapphire card is with that single slot cooler? I've heard that it's worse than reference model. For example Palit 9600 GT with 115? from Germany.. would be cheaper for you even with delivery included..and that's brilliant card with Good cooling solution.

Since Sweden and Germany are EU-countries you would have EU-warranty at your disposal; if that card is imported to Sweden then that importer has to deal with your warranty and you don't necessary have to send that card to Germany (although it should be faster if you would just send that card to Germany). I'm from Finland and I buy almost every electronic item from Germany .

 

[phexac]

I just cannot make myself buy a video card right now with the next gen 3 months or less away...

 

[error8]

Originally posted by: phexac
I just cannot make myself buy a video card right now with the next gen 3 months or less away...

Since you already own the 8800 GTS 320, the best thing to do is wait.

 

[Grinja]

I'm also running an X1950 pro. The games I play run fine and look good even if I can't run everything at max with highest res.
My current plan is to wait for the next gen stuff to show up...

 

[Sirlaughalot87]

Now i have one final problem with my build, i see that most of you are recomending/using the P35 chipset and since my build would use a Nvidia 750i chipset(PCI-e 2.0)but loaded with SLI options which i won´t really use, i´m wondering if it exists a p35 motherboard with PCI-e 2.0 on it?
I know that a 2.0 card will work on a 1.1 port but won´t i lose performance?

I´m linking to my build here incase you wanted to know what i will be using.

 

[BlueAcolyte]

No you won't lose performance.

 

[Sirlaughalot87]

Originally posted by: Grinja
I'm also running an X1950 pro. The games I play run fine and look good even if I can't run everything at max with highest res.
My current plan is to wait for the next gen stuff to show up...

hmm...now you done it...if i call of my new GPU buy and stick with my 1950 i could just wait out the new generation of GPUs and see if anything is worthwhile and in my pricerange; i just hope that ATi and Nvidia continue with the battle of the mid section...GPUs are really affordable for a change

hmm...anyone here don´t know of a good GPU (PCI-e) thats a good mom and dad choice? nothing fancy, just for doing the bills and the occasional web search?

Edit: it seems i have gotten the "upgrade curse", where one can´t decide if one should wait or just go for it

 

[apoppin]

Yes, give you Mom and Dad your x1950p and upgrade yourself
- you have been bitten by the "bug" there is no cure except to upgrade your Video Card .. everything else is "torture"

oh and the 3870 does blow the GT out of the water
- on Paper .. it has a tougher time actually pushing pixels

 

[soonerproud]

Originally posted by: tuteja1986

Originally posted by: Rusin
HD3870 is on par with Geforce 9600 GT in DX9. In DX10 there's almost 15% gap in favor of 9600 GT
8800 GT wins 9600 GT by 15% in DX9 and by 5% in DX10.
---

8800 GT - $150
HD3870 - $140
9600 GT - $125

There's 20% price difference at the moment with 8800 GT and 9600 GT.

I disagree :!

9600GT good at same game but when AA and high res it flops
3870HD is better at AA performance and high res and is better in DX9 and DX10 with latest driver.

I believe you have this backwards.

3870HD good at same game but when AA and high res it flops
9600GT is better at AA performance and high res and is better in DX9 and DX10 with latest driver.

Corrected to reflect reality.

 

[Sirlaughalot87]

Originally posted by: apoppin
- you have been bitten by the "bug" there is no cure except to upgrade your Video Card .. everything else is "torture"

oh and the 3870 does blow the GT out of the water
- on Paper .. it has a tougher time actually pushing pixels

AHH! the force is too strong! i must resist the temptetion of buying a card i won´t really need!
besides...the RV770 is just around the corner and as i will have even more cash then...MUHAHAHA! all shall tremble before me!

 

[apoppin]

And GT200 shall lay waste to them all
. . and in the darkness bind them

Three GT-200s for the PC-gamers under the sky,
Seven for the Nerd-elitists in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to upgrade,
One GT200-X2 Tri-SLi for the Green Lord on his Green throne
In the Land of NVIDIA where the Shaders lie.
One GPU to rule them all, Tri-SLi to find them,
One GPU to bring them all and in the AMD darkness bind them
In the Land of NVIDIA where the Green Shaders lie.

--or am i confusing it with a game i am playing?




serious apologies to JRR

i hear he died .. condolences

:laugh:


bedtime, i guess .. and i believe you want r700 .. i believe "v" would be the value line. i want it to beat GT200 .. but then i am also wanting World Peace [now!]

 

[Denithor]

apoppin -- ouch, my head hurts.

Sirlaugh -- use your x1950pro for a few more months then either give to your parents or better yet sell it to pay for an upgrade to a true next gen card (the 9800 series is not next generation, I don't care what nVidia says about them).

Here is the current lineup in terms of performance.

9800GX2
9800GTX
3870X2
8800GTS (G92)
8800GT
3870/9600GT
3850/8800GS

 

[Sirlaughalot87]

the thing is that if i keep my 1950pro, my parents will be GPU-less and i highly doubt that they will agree on me buying a better card then thier age old Geforce 2 MX 64 mb so either i take my damaged 6800 Ultra; put in my AGP board one more time until the "next" gen comes which for Nvidias sake seems to be at the end of the year

They(my parents) are going to inherhit this old rig:

CPU: AMD Athlon 64 3500+
GPU:....X1950pro or 6800 Ultra(a shame that the Ultra is nearly dead, artifacts all over the place if you use 3d)
Memory: Corsair 2x512mb PC3200 DDR1
Harddrive: Hitachi Deskstar 160GB
PSU: Silverstone Zeus 560W ( 38A on +12v)
Floppy and DVD reader they already have.