how does 3870 compare to 9800gt?

eddiebravo

Senior member
Nov 29, 2005
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i tried to do a search here but "3870" didnt even bring back a single hit. newegg has this card for $60. how much of a performance boost would it be from a 6800gt? how does it compare to a 9800gt? thanks.
 

JPB

Diamond Member
Jul 4, 2005
4,064
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You will get a good idea of how a 9800GT compares to a HD3870 by comparing a 8800GT to a HD3870. The GT does outrun the 3870 in almost ALL benchmarks.

So if you find a review comparing the 8800GT and the HD3870, then there you go. Maybe add 2-5% faster for the 9800 over the 8800.

A HD3870 over a 6800GT would be night and day difference. Probably along the lines of three times faster, if not more. And it will be even more so if you opt for the 9800GT.

Lets say your 6800GT performs at 100%, then a HD3870 would be 300% of your current card, and a 9800GT would be around 400% of your current card. Just an example there :)

What are the rest of your system components and what resolution do you play at ?
 

eddiebravo

Senior member
Nov 29, 2005
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wow, man i have been living in the past, lol!

im trying to put together a cheap upgrade to tide me over for a year or so until i splurge on a really high end build. i just ordered the following upgrades:

CPU: 3200+ -----> e5200
ram: cheap 1gig ddr -------> 2 gigs OCZ ddr2 1150
mobo: asus a8v deluxe ------> gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3P P45 775 R
powersupply: no-brand cheapy(dont even know wattage) -----> antec earthwatts 500w

that brings me to about $275. now i have the 6800gt and i am trying to decide what to do about upgrading it. i have 2 options:

1) bfg has a sweet deal where i can send in the 6800, pay $50 and get the 9800gt. the only problem here is that i would be without a computer for the ~2 weeks or so it takes for the entire swap process to be finished. im not sure if i can go 2 weeks without a computer...

2) buy the 3870(which seems to be the best card i can get for ~$60), then swap the 6800gt for a 9600gt(free), and then resell the 9600gt. in the end i should come out even +/- $10.

i play at 1680x1050 on my new 22in widescreen monitor. i guess i was just questioning whether the inconvenience of not having a pc for 2 weeks is worth the boost in performance id get from the 9800gt compared to the 3870. but since both seem to be such a huge leap over my current card, im leaning towards option 2. before i do go ahead and order the 3870, is there any other card that offers better performance for the same price($60 after rebate)? thanks.
 

Cookie Monster

Diamond Member
May 7, 2005
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A 9800GT is roughly 10~20% faster than the HD3870.

As for a comparison with the 6800GT, id say its more than 3 times faster. Maybe in the ballpark of 5 to 6 times faster.
 

eddiebravo

Senior member
Nov 29, 2005
270
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woot. ok i just ordered the palit 3870. 5-6x faster than my current card basically for free is a hard deal to beat!
 

rogue1979

Diamond Member
Mar 14, 2001
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The 9600GT would be about 90% as fast as the 3870, maybe match it in some situations.
 

error8

Diamond Member
Nov 28, 2007
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Originally posted by: rogue1979
The 9600GT would be about 90% as fast as the 3870, maybe match it in some situations.

9600 GT was faster then the 3870 when AA was on. When AA was off, the ATi card performed better. Now this was the situation a couple of months ago, who knows what the drivers did to these cards now.
 

badnewcastle

Golden Member
Jun 30, 2004
1,016
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I made almost the exact same move last year at this time... 3200+ to e6750 and 6800gt to 8800gt. The improvement was amazing, easily 5-6x faster. Your be happy ;).
 

ITPaladin

Golden Member
Dec 16, 2003
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Deactivated Item

What is a Deactivated Item? When a product is out-of-stock, it may show as "Deactivated" on the item page. This could mean that the item is no longer available and we are searching for a new supplier. However, if an item has reached the end of its product life cycle and will no longer be available at all, the deactivation will be permanent.

Sounds like you either can't order this now, or something else...too late now?
 

schneiderguy

Lifer
Jun 26, 2006
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Originally posted by: ITPaladin
Deactivated Item

What is a Deactivated Item? When a product is out-of-stock, it may show as "Deactivated" on the item page. This could mean that the item is no longer available and we are searching for a new supplier. However, if an item has reached the end of its product life cycle and will no longer be available at all, the deactivation will be permanent.

Sounds like you either can't order this now, or something else...too late now?

I assume that ATI is no longer making 3870/3850 cards since they have the 46xx series to replace them, so that card is probably out of stock forever.