My HD4870 X2 is lonely

[daw123]

Hello guys and girls,

I've already got a Powercolor HD4870 X2 and I would like to buy another next month (June).

I've found this on the 'Net at just over £250 inc. VAT.

Is it likely that ATI will be releasing the HD4890 X2 shortly, so the prices for the HD4870 X2 will drop? My time scale is 1 month or so (I'm willing to wait a bit longer if a 4890 X2 release is on the cards).

My upgraded rig will be this (parts have been and are being ordered):
MB: GA-EX58-Extreme
CPU: I7 950
CPU liquid cooled.
PSU: Antec TPQ 1000W
RAM: 6x2GB Corsair XMS3 1600MHZ RAM (9-9-9-24)

Oh and I will be using the rig for pretty much everything (encoding, gaming, etc.) and I would like to dabble with a Quad-fire set up.

Any advice or comments are welcome.

 

[jandlecack]

Depending on how well the 4890 X2 actually performs it might just add another price segment in ATi's lineup. I wouldn't count on a price drop on the 4870 X2. You get a lot of bang for your buck already.

 

[cbn]

Originally posted by: jandlecack
Depending on how well the 4890 X2 actually performs it might just add another price segment in ATi's lineup.

I am wondering how well 4890x2 will perform considering it only has 1 GB "effective" memory.

Didn't a Anandtech article last year reveal 512 MB HD4870 is less ideal than 1 GB?

So increasing processing power of the X2 card via 4890s might make this bottleneck even worse.

Hopefully someone will make some 2GB 4890 cards so people can test these in Crossfire.

 

[dguy6789]

4870x2 cards have 2GB of total memory. I see no reason to think that a 4890x2 would have any less.

 

[daw123]

Originally posted by: jandlecack
Depending on how well the 4890 X2 actually performs it might just add another price segment in ATi's lineup. I wouldn't count on a price drop on the 4870 X2. You get a lot of bang for your buck already.

You have a good point. ATI will likely just price the 4890 X2 at a higher price level than the 4870 X2 and it will still be on par price wise with Nvidia's high end offerings.

I'll be buying the second X2 next month after all.

 

[OCGuy]

Do you really have a 19 inch monitor?


Please tell me no.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: OCguy
Do you really have a 19 inch monitor?


Please tell me no.

19x14?

that would be OK considering CF-X4 does not generally scale well over CF-X3 - but if you wanna show off, this is the way to do it

 

[daw123]

Originally posted by: OCguy
Do you really have a 19 inch monitor?


Please tell me no.

Nope, 24". I haven't updated my rig specs in awhile.

 

[OCGuy]

Originally posted by: daw123

Originally posted by: OCguy
Do you really have a 19 inch monitor?


Please tell me no.

Nope, 24". I haven't updated my rig specs in awhile.

Ah, ok then. :beer:

 

[cbn]

Originally posted by: dguy6789
4870x2 cards have 2GB of total memory. I see no reason to think that a 4890x2 would have any less.

But only 1 GB of that memory is useable.

The other 1 GB (on a 2GB X2 card) is "mirrored".

 

[Tempered81]

Originally posted by: Just learning

Originally posted by: dguy6789
4870x2 cards have 2GB of total memory. I see no reason to think that a 4890x2 would have any less.

But only 1 GB of that memory is useable.

The other 1 GB (on a 2GB X2 card) is "mirrored".

The 4870X2 memory situation is the same as when using two 4870 1GB cards in Crossfire. In both cases there is only 1GB

 

[cbn]

Originally posted by: jaredpace

Originally posted by: Just learning

Originally posted by: dguy6789
4870x2 cards have 2GB of total memory. I see no reason to think that a 4890x2 would have any less.

But only 1 GB of that memory is useable.

The other 1 GB (on a 2GB X2 card) is "mirrored".

The 4870X2 memory situation is the same as when using two 4870 1GB cards in Crossfire. In both cases there is only 1GB

[Just wondering) Has anyone tested two 4870 2GB cards in Crossfire? If so, was their any improvement?

Because if there is an improvement with 4870s then surely there could be an improvement with 4890s.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: Just learning

Originally posted by: jaredpace

Originally posted by: Just learning

Originally posted by: dguy6789
4870x2 cards have 2GB of total memory. I see no reason to think that a 4890x2 would have any less.

But only 1 GB of that memory is useable.

The other 1 GB (on a 2GB X2 card) is "mirrored".

The 4870X2 memory situation is the same as when using two 4870 1GB cards in Crossfire. In both cases there is only 1GB

[Just wondering) Has anyone tested two 4870 2GB cards in Crossfire? If so, was their any improvement?

Because if there is an improvement with 4870s then surely there could be an improvement with 4890s.

very few review sites bother; it doesn't scale for crap over CF-X3 4870 + 4870-X2

edit: sorry i misunderstood

2GB 4870 will be a little better than the 1GB versions at the highest resolutions - something you won't have to worry about with 19x12

and 2x4870x2 is pretty much a waste

 

[dflynchimp]

yeah at 1920X1200 a single 4870X2 should be plenty at least until the next generation of DX10 and DX11 games come out.

 

[eklock2000]

Originally posted by: jandlecack
Depending on how well the 4890 X2 actually performs it might just add another price segment in ATi's lineup. I wouldn't count on a price drop on the 4870 X2. You get a lot of bang for your buck already.

What 4890X2?

 

[Cheex]

4890X2 is a speculation or more a likelihood at this point rather than a confirmed product.
You'll surely be kept up to date though.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I scanned -- briefly -- some barchart benchmark comparisons on the 4870 x2 and 4890 with some nVidia cards at Tom's HW and Tech Report. It seems to me that a single 4890 card lags behind the 4870x2 less than proportionately to the number of processors. It also draws about 100W less, and is about $100 less right now, or so I thought -- looking at the NewEgg lineup.

Except for one-ups-man benchmarking with 3D Mark Vantage etc., I don't know why I'd want either 2x4890 in Crossfire or a "4890 x2." I guess I'll wait and see, though . . .