Crossfire compatability

[Axon]

Hello all,

My knowledge of crossfire is very, very limited, so I wanted to come here and get with the experts before I make a move.

I currently own an XFX 4890 "vanilla" edition. I'd like to go up to Crossfire with my new i7 rig.

The 4890 Sapphire Vapor-X is a very appealing card to me, as it has native HDMI and, from what I've heard, a cooling design that is superior to that of XFX's 4890 (which is, essentially, the reference fan).

So, what I'd like to do is crossfire the Sapphire and the XFX together. I hear crossfire is very flexible in what it accepts, but I wonder if this will work. Any guidance?

 

[thilanliyan]

Yes you can.

 

[apoppin]

Yep, CrossFireX will allow a 4850 and a 4890 to work together
- in your case, overclocking the slower card will improve overall performance of your soon-to-be crossfired videocards

 

[Golgatha]

Originally posted by: apoppin
Yep, CrossFireX will allow a 4850 and a 4890 to work together
- in your case, overclocking the slower card will improve overall performance of your soon-to-be crossfired videocards

I'd just put the faster card in the primary graphics card slot, that way when you can't use Crossfire, you get the best performance possible. With Crossfire enabled on 4890s, there won't be a game you can't play with stock clocks.

 

[dflynchimp]

Originally posted by: apoppin
Yep, CrossFireX will allow a 4850 and a 4890 to work together
- in your case, overclocking the slower card will improve overall performance of your soon-to-be crossfired videocards

where in the OP's post did he mention X-firing between a 4850 and a 4890?

I'm pretty adamant against overclocking videocards because the impact on lifespan is a lot more than OCing the CPU, since heat output on the GPU is a lot higher. If you X-fire two 4890's you're already raising the ambient temperature in the case through increased heat output, plus the two cards will be in close proximity with each other, meaning cooling efficiency goes down by default.

If possible I'd put the card with the better cooling solution on top, since the top card tends to have its fan intake blocked by the lower card.

Regarding performance there's little real world justification (other than e-peen enhancement) to overclocking 4890 X-fire. you might get 5-10% more performance out of it max, but you'd also cut the lifespan of your cards down by at least 20%, in some cases more. I know the 4XXX series are designed to run hot but it's still a traditional silicon based technology, and thermal limitations still apply. I know of people who burn out their CPU and/or GPU within 2 years due to OC's that were technically "safe", and that's the price you pay for the boost in performance.

If your upgrade cycle is within 1-2 years they you can probably afford to OC a little since you'll just be replacing the part once its time is up, but if the rig is built to last than you will want to keep things at stock, maybe even underclock a little (my Q6600 runs at 1.2GHz normally, and I only rev it up to 2.66GHz when I want to game.)

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: dflynchimp

Originally posted by: apoppin
Yep, CrossFireX will allow a 4850 and a 4890 to work together
- in your case, overclocking the slower card will improve overall performance of your soon-to-be crossfired videocards

where in the OP's post did he mention X-firing between a 4850 and a 4890?

I'm pretty adamant against overclocking videocards because the impact on lifespan is a lot more than OCing the CPU, since heat output on the GPU is a lot higher. If you X-fire two 4890's you're already raising the ambient temperature in the case through increased heat output, plus the two cards will be in close proximity with each other, meaning cooling efficiency goes down by default.

no where did he mention it - i brought it up because if felt like it - to make a *point* that was evidently lost on you


who cares what you personally think about overclocking videocards? it is very doable in a decent case and their *practical* lifespan is 2 years anyway


i find 4890 CrossFire to be awesome bang for buck and quite "necessary" for DX10 games at 19x12 through extensive testing

 

[Axon]

I'm not going to OC, as I believe stock will be acceptable for what I play.

I just want overkill, and I've got a birthday coming up, so it's a card or maybe some other tech gear. Think I'd be happier with the card. Or maybe a 4850 and then some other stuff, like a new case.

 

[OCGuy]

Originally posted by: Axon
I'm not going to OC, as I believe stock will be acceptable for what I play.

I just want overkill, and I've got a birthday coming up, so it's a card or maybe some other tech gear. Think I'd be happier with the card. Or maybe a 4850 and then some other stuff, like a new case.

I wouldnt Xfire with a different class card, but that is just me.

 

[dflynchimp]

yeah the idea of Xfireing mismatched cards is neat but means you'd be handicapping the faster card.

 

[Axon]

Oh, I see

I thought one card was essentially the dominant card while the other sort of acts in a secondary fashion?

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: Axon
Oh, I see

I thought one card was essentially the dominant card while the other sort of acts in a secondary fashion?

that is correct

there is a lot of misinformation about CrossFireX here

however, it would not be much advantage to put a much slower card with a really fast one; the 2nd card will not add much

ideally, you want them as close in performance as possible; i did a review on CrossFireX and a 4870 (800/1050) paired with a 4890 [950/1050] was pretty close to 4890 CrossFire performance