4870X2 vs GTX280 Poll

[nRollo]

Originally posted by: OneOfTheseDays
Nope he'd rather get all Nvidia hardware since he's an Nvidia fanboy. That's blatantly obvious from his posts, his bias is clearly evident. Dismissing every positive thing about ATI whenever he can.

You never really addressed all/any of my points about why a person might prefer a GTX280 to a 4870X2 in the other thread, can you do so here?

As far as BFG10K goes, it's laughable you consider him a "NVIDIA fanboy"-he's one of NVIDIA's toughest critics on NZone. He probably would be for any card he owns. He expects every feature to work for every game, no matter how old or obscure, and will tell you about till you listen.

 

[Genx87]

If I were to get one of these cards. It would be the 4870x2. About as fast as a 280 with zero scaling. Much faster when scaling works. I have a single PCIE MB so these single slot dual GPU solutions work for me. And honestly I like that route better anyways.

That said, I am sitting out this cycle as my 8800GTS 640 serves me well.

 

[BFG10K]

Originally posted by: MarcVenice

Why not ? I don't see what's wrong with it, judging from the previews? You rather get cf-ed HD4850's, or cf-ed HD4870's instead? No ati at all ? 55nm gtx ?

What?s wrong with it? The same thing that is wrong with every other AFR based multi-GPU implementation.

My position on multi-GPU has been the same since nVidia introduced SLI and I'll be sticking to single cards unless something fundamentally changes with multi-GPU. The removal of AFR with guaranteed scaling in all games without the need for profiles, and no additional driver problems over single cards, should do it.

Originally posted by: OneOfTheseDays

Nope he'd rather get all Nvidia hardware since he's an Nvidia fanboy. That's blatantly obvious from his posts, his bias is clearly evident. Dismissing every positive thing about ATI whenever he can.

Dude, you seriously have me confused with someone else; I'm one of nVidia's toughest critics on the open forums.

Like I said earlier my position on multi-GPU doesn't change depending on whether green or red is ahead, it changes depending on what happens to the implementation.

 

[Wreckage]

Neither, I've never spent that much on a video card.

Originally posted by: BFG10K

Dude, you seriously have me confused with someone else; I'm one of nVidia's toughest critics on the open forums.

Yep. BFG is far from a NVIDIA fanboy. I should know

 

[Elfear]

Originally posted by: Genx87
If I were to get one of these cards. It would be the 4870x2. About as fast as a 280 with zero scaling. Much faster when scaling works. I have a single PCIE MB so these single slot dual GPU solutions work for me.

+1

I'm leaning towards the 4870x2 right now but I'd like to see more games tested and really get to the bottom of the question of microstuttering being resolved this round.

 

[chizow]

I made my decision long ago with the GTX 280 once I found out the 4870 wouldn't beat GT200 in performance, although I might've waited or gone with a 4870 or X2 if I had performance data at the same time. The only thing that makes the X2 attractive to me is that single GPU mode is still competitive with the GT200 so its not a sink or swim situation like more recent solutions like the 3870X2 and 9800GX2.

The GTX 280 is a great card though, I don't think anyone would be disappointed with it if they had first-hand experience with it and ignored any pricing/value differences. I can say that with a clear conscience, although I'm not sure how all of those advocating multi-GPU solutions could do the same when many clearly do not have any experience with multi-GPU.

 

[BassBomb]

Didn't BFG own a X1900XT too before?

He is not what I would call a fanboy, but someone who tries to bring to light issues that an enthusiast may have.

I would buy neither, since I game at 1680x1050 and no way in hell am I dropping 300+ on another video card in less than a year since my old

 

[Soubriquet]

The performance is there sometimes, but not always.

Exactly and noone is making air cooling for the ATIx2 either, shows the HSF industry dont take them seriously. I am using a 3870x2 and its OK but noisy every 5 secs and when I look at review benches for several games I realise its not such a bargain.

I even slung an 80mm under the intake to boost air flow but that didnt help at all.

 

[Jax Omen]

WTF @ some people trashing BFG. He's ALWAYS been super-hostile towards multi-GPU, he's one of the people who is super-sensitive to microstutter and the variations in scaling bother the hell out of him.


That being said, I picked "neither", as my 8800GTS runs everything just fine for me. I may or may not pick another one up later this year for some SLI, actually use this damned Nvidia mobo I foolishly bought. Of course, the other possibility is that games will come out that trash my card at 1920x1200 later this year, in which case I'd probably switch to a P45 and pick up an HD4870x2. But so far I don't see that happening.

 

[CyberAtomix]

my last nvidia cards were the 7800 and the 7950 after that i went to the red team with the
3870 , now i got the 4870 which is leaving a bad experience at the moment if none of these problems are fixed i might jump back to the green team if the prices are right i don't feel like spending 600.00 dollars on a graphic card.

 

[myocardia]

Because of past experience trying to use ATI cards with Linux, I'll be choosing between the 9800GTX, the GTX260, and the GTX280 for my new build. Although even the 9800GTX is overkill for my new 1280x1024 monitor, I'll probably skip it and get one of the GTX 2x0's, simply for the increased VRAM and bandwidth.

 

[JimiP]

I will probably never own either. My gaming time has declined quite a bit, and so has my need for a high-end GPU. A single HD4850 or 9800GTX is more than enough for me at this time. Right now I own a VisionTek HD4850 and I really couldn't be happier for the price I paid.

I plan on putting an AC Accelero S1 on it soon, just so I can have a fairly silent PC.

 

[DaveSimmons]

The GTX 280 is overpriced, its value for the performance is at most $399 for me. So if I were shopping this week I'd still buy a single 4870.

A 4870 is fine for up to 19x12, except in Crysis of course. The extra speed of the GTX 280 would be nice, but only at $399 or less. A 4870x2 is overkill for me.

I have no budget constraints but I prefer to build moderate systems instead of using overpriced status symbols like Core Quad "EXtreeem!" CPUs. My upgrade to replace an X2 4200+ was an E8400 at stock, Gigabyte P43 motherboard, 4 GB RAM, and a 4870.

 

[allies]

Just purchased an 8800GS to satisfy gaming needs on a 720p monitor... next winter I'll probably upgrade my desktop monitor/graphics card to whatever is the latest and (almost) greatest.

 

[hooflung]

I plan on getting either an X2 or a single 4870. If the 280 was 300 dollars then I'd get it but not for any more than that. As for people having issues with the 4800 series this is the SAME experience lots of people have with the 3800 series. Nothing has changed. Literally nothing. There are just more people using them now. My 3850 has been replaced and low and behold it turns out to not be the original card, because the new one does it too. It all comes down to air flow in your case.

How many people bitching about their 4870 would be willing to take snap shots of their PC's innards and post them for scrutinization? Get an Antec 900 case, get a good PSU with good 12v rails and sling the fan up to 85%.

Also, Nvidia are much less heat temperamental for crashes. BSOD's in Vista from Nvidia are usually due to buggy software not heat. While AMD BSOD's in Vista are usually due to heat not buggy drivers. I care for crysis about as much as I care for a toothache so this is not an issue for me. My best PC only has one PCI-e slot also.

 

[solofly]

F*ck greedy nvidia! Any questions?

 

[RussianSensation]

I'd get 4870 X2 if it came between the 2 cards. In the worst case scenario it'll come within 10-15% of NVidia's card. However, it'll outperofrm it in new racing games, with 8AA enabled, and when it scales -- in everything else. Add to that multi-monitor support, and it's really not close in my mind.

Having said that 4850 (budget) and 4850CF/4870 (midrange) seem to be the best deals out there. I am actually very surprised how many people are shying away from 4850CF and instead opting for a single 4870...

 

[nZone]

GTX 280 to play Diablo 2 and LoD at 800x600.

 

[Warren21]

Originally posted by: nZone
GTX 280 to play Diablo 2 and LoD at 800x600.

Yesss this man know where it's at.

**
I'm going for a HD 4870 X2 since it will be a true upgrade (twice the perf or more, unlike HD 3870 CF/X2 sidegrade) from my HD 2900 XT 512 CF without my current setup's microstutter.

Also, I will be able to play Crysis at 1920 x 1200 at high/v.high without dropping below 30 FPS! Down the road when I feel the crunch, of if I upgrade to a 30", I can always drop in a second one for HD 4870 X2 CFX on my X38 without having to upgrade my PPC 750.

I am also an avid GRID player, so this card simply plays well in the games that I like.
That is what it really boils down to these days. If mGPU solutions scaled in all games, all the time... Even if it was only 50-80% scaling, for the price this card would be undeniable... but at the moment, that isn't realistic.

 

[LittleNemoNES]

I'm with BFG on this one. I chose GTX280. I HATE micro-stuttering. It's as if the FPS WAS lower.

 

[ginfest]

Originally posted by: solofly
F*ck greedy nvidia! Any questions?

I agree that the cards were initially priced too high. But I'm surprised you use both Intel and MS products. It seems that they are also priced higher than they should be?

 

[Rhino2]

Originally posted by: ginfest

Originally posted by: solofly
F*ck greedy nvidia! Any questions?

I agree that the cards were initially priced too high. But I'm surprised you use both Intel and MS products. It seems that they are also priced higher than they should be?

You price products at what people will pay for them, and $169 for Vista Ultimate x64 ain't terrible if you ask me. Sure thats OEM but I'm ok with that.

I love linux too, provides a great free alternative, but for what I do, I need Windows, and I don't like to get in on all the "M$" - as it's so trendy to write their name - hate because they make money on their products.

And Intel has had to price some products very cheap due to low-end AMD competition. A Q6600 for $200 or less is a damn good buy imho. The Extreme series at least comes with the benefit of being unlocked, which is basically what you are paying for, the ability to OC the chip as far as you can cool it.

Edit: Sorry, OT I know.

 

[CP5670]

I already got a 280 a while ago due to that $430 MS cashback price. If I hadn't seen that deal, I was going to wait and see what happened and would have probably ended up with a single 4870, which seems like a better deal at the standard retail prices. The 280 is a nice card for that price though, especially since I've already gotten a few weeks of gaming out of it (and these summer months are the time when I'm free to play games).

I never considered the 4870 X2 at all. AFR means scaling is going to be inconsistent across games, microstutter may or may not be fixed, and triple buffering, which is essential to me, is still likely to be broken. These are the kinds of things I do not want to worry about when playing games, and I'm fine with settling with lower benchmark performance to avoid them. There is also a possible issue with the CF compositing engine maxing out at 350mhz (if they're still using the same chip that the X1900s had) which would mean that I can't run 2048x1536 at 85hz like I can with any single GPU. It's hard to get any updated information on this since it would affect only two or three monitors out there, but mine is one of them.

 

[Compddd]

What is the ETA on the 55nm GT200 parts anyway?

 

[hclarkjr]

neither, i just got a good deal from the for sale forums here on a 3870 X2.