X1800XT to 3870

[mazeroth]

I completely uninstalled all ATI associated drivers and files with Driver Cleaner Pro and then installed my new Visiontek 3870 with the newest ATI drivers with CCC. I only had two programs on my computer to benchmark before and after numbers and what I'm getting isn't what I expected.

HDR Demo @ 1680x1050 0x AF

X1800XT - 52 fps
3870 - 107 fps

HDR Demo @ 1680x1050 4x AF

X1800XT - 40 fps
3870 - 80 fps

HDR Demo @ 1680x1050 16x AF

X1800XT - 22 fps
3870 - 37 fps


Half Life 2 Lost Coast @ 1680x1050 0x AF 0x AA

X1800XT - 117 fps
3870 - 142 fps

Half Life 2 Lost Coast @ 1680x1050 0x AF 4x AA

X1800XT - 110 fps
3870 - 136 fps

Half Life 2 Lost Coast @ 1680x1050 16x AF 0x AA

X1800XT - 98 fps
3870 - 132 fps

Half Life 2 Lost Coast @ 1680x1050 16x AF 4x AA

X1800XT - 75 fps
3870 - 109 fps


The HDR demo yields almost twice the framerate of the X1800XT (I was expecting more) while the Half Life 2 demo yields around 20-30% higher framerate, which is pathetic.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

 

[lavaheadache]

I think your results are fairly impressive. Who's to say that you arent showing a little cpu limitation?

 

[mazeroth]

A Core2 Duo at 3.3 ghz. is showing limitation? I mean, the X1800XT is a 2 year old card. I was expecting a lot more than I'm seeing.

 

[BFG10K]

You're running a low resolution with low AA levels so you're clearly CPU limited in such situations, especially in HL2 which is a very CPU limited game.

The HDR demo is twice as fast because your system isn't bottlenecking it as much. If you benchmarked more modern games you would likely see a larger increase.

Turn on 8xAA for HL2 and enjoy your new card. :thumbsup:

 

[Extelleron]

Run a newer game such as Crysis or UT3 and the performance will be leagues better.

I'm not sure what you were expecting though. Half-Life 2 Lost Coast is entirely CPU-limited on your system right now - that's why you're seeing only a 20-30% jump - the game just doesn't need any more GPU power, it's old.

Also remember that the HD 3850 is a midrange card and the X1800XT was high-end. The 3850 has only 256MB of memory and the clocks are significantly reduced compared to the HD 3870 - in some scenarios this can lead to the HD 3870's performance being much, much greater than the HD 3850.

 

[ashishmishra]

Well half life 2 lost coast isn't exactly very strenuous on either card, take a game like Crysis, Dirt (MAX w/t 4x/16x), FEAR (MAX w/t 4x/16x), Test Drive Unlimited (MAX w/t 4x/16x), STALKER (MAX w/t 4x/16x) and then your card will shine. I fully understand what you are going through, when I went from my 256MB Geforce 6800nu to 512MB X1800XT I was mildly disappointed because both the games I played at that time and my resolution 1280 x 1024 wasn't stressing the X1800XT enough to show the massive difference between the two cards. When I had a HD2900XT after the X1800XT I loved it because I was playing games I mentioned above at 1680x1050 and X1800XT was not fast enough for me so it made a big difference. Now whenever my MSI 8800GTs arrive I'll love them both because I have games to stress them at 1680x1050 Hope this helps with your buyers remorse

 

[mazeroth]

Originally posted by: Extelleron


Also remember that the HD 3850 is a midrange card and the X1800XT was high-end. The 3850 has only 256MB of memory and the clocks are significantly reduced compared to the HD 3870 - in some scenarios this can lead to the HD 3870's performance being much, much greater than the HD 3850.

But I have a 3870

About the benchmarks that does make sense. I'll load up some Oblivion and see how much faster it is tomorrow.

Thanks.

 

[AzN]

BFG is right. You are bottlenecking in lower resolutions especially game like half life 2. 3870 would stomp 1800xt all over the place in Modern games.

 

[JBT]

So in more difficult instances your new card is twice as fast... The ones that don't really matter IE above 100FPS its only gets another 20% faster... I'm not sure I see a problem here.

Like the others said add some AA and AF and watch your old card crawl and watch the new card shine. Also play some games there were released with in the last year.

 

[n7]

Source engine is way too old for testing video cards these days.

It that's simple.

 

[SickBeast]

Try Crysis and see what happens...I'll bet the 1800XT was a slideshow on high settings at any resolution.

 

[BFG10K]

Also FYI there are CPU scaling HL2 benchmarks in my sig which demonstrate how CPU limited the game is.

 

[CrystalBay]

Try running the FEAR Bench flyby its free on the demo, if you don't own the game...

 

[tvdang7]

do more tests please i have an x1800xt and want to upgrade to a 3870 also. mostly playing cod4 atm.

 

[spittledip]

Kinda strange to get a better card and not try to use it to its potential with eye candy and stuff. You really don't need 100 FPS.. you don't need eye candy either, but you will notice the eye candy where as you won't notice the FPS past 60. Turn that stuff up and compare and then get back to us.

 

[Extelleron]

Originally posted by: mazeroth

Originally posted by: Extelleron


Also remember that the HD 3850 is a midrange card and the X1800XT was high-end. The 3850 has only 256MB of memory and the clocks are significantly reduced compared to the HD 3870 - in some scenarios this can lead to the HD 3870's performance being much, much greater than the HD 3850.

But I have a 3870
About the benchmarks that does make sense. I'll load up some Oblivion and see how much faster it is tomorrow.

Thanks.

Woops

 

[Zstream]

So where is the problem again? How can you call 20-30% pathetic?

Do us a favor and sell your pc to someone else, this is worse then "I bought a Dell" post.

 

[SniperDaws]

You can now turn on full AA and full AF and a whole host of other features that would cripple the 1800 so please do so, go and max out World in Conflict, Company Of Heroes, Colin McRae (R.I.P) Dirt, and stop benching your new card on old games because your 1800XT will die a death with the games i mentioned.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: mazeroth
A Core2 Duo at 3.3 ghz. is showing limitation? I mean, the X1800XT is a 2 year old card. I was expecting a lot more than I'm seeing.

i'd say your expectations were too high

 

[Tempered81]

try benchmarking the crysis demo with both cards, and for the 3870 use the 7.11 omega drivers from guru3d.com

 

[LordGestle]

Wow. I was looking at the numbers to find the issue and I was impressed by the difference. 2x the performance or 30% in CPU limited games.
The X1800XT MSRP was something like $400+, where as the HD3870 is half that.
May I ask what you were expecting? If your looking for 3X, 4X the peformance per upgrade call me when that's a reality. As others mentioned your card was a high end product, where this is mid range. May have been a bigger impact if you were running a X1600 or X800 class card.
I think your expecting to much for that upgrade.

 

[RussianSensation]

You are only testing 1 game which means your results are inconclusive when you say you arent impressed with the card overall. Secondly, HL2 is one of the most cpu limited games you can find today. Download your cpu to its stock speed and retest with 3870 and I wouldnt' be surprised if X1800XT with 3.3ghz was almost as fast as stock cpu + 3870.