2(3850's 256mb) or 1(8800GTS g92) ?

[Colton H]

What would be a better choice, 2x 3850 256mb cards in xfire or just one 8800 gts 512 there price is almost about the same roughly 20-40$ difference. I do not really know what one to pick at the moment, but looking towards the 2 3850s. At the moment I am running a 7600GT in my rig and it just doesn't keep up anymore.

I play at 1650x1200 res. I will try to run everything max with AA on. I play COD4, CSS, EE3, any MMO that is out at the moment, WAR, AOC.



Also another question, is this motherboard ( http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131196 ) crossfire compatible?


Thank you.

[Shiggity]

Both card choices are good, either option will be night and day better than your current 7600gt.

Yes, that board supports x-fire. The blue and black PCI slots are both 16x according to the specs.

[thideras]

Only issue with the ATI cards is that they are 256mb....that is going to limit you at that res by quite a bit.

[Colton H]

Only issue with the ATI cards is that they are 256mb....that is going to limit you at that res by quite a bit.

Was thinking that also. My current res is 1600x1200 so I am not sure if 256mb will be enough to run COD4 with AA on and such. This puts me on the 8800GTS side a little bit. Still decideing..

[thideras]

Was thinking that also. My current res is 1600x1200 so I am not sure if 256mb will be enough to run COD4 with AA on and such. This puts me on the 8800GTS side a little bit. Still decideing..With 256, AA is a definite NO. Even in WoW (1920x1200) and 2xAA I pull 380ish mb of memory being used and that is a pretty old game ;).

[ratbuddy]

If you played at 1280x1024 with no details turned up, the 3850s MIGHT make sense, but anything above that, the 256MB is going to kill performance. GTS for sure.

[moocow]

If you played at 1280x1024 with no details turned up, the 3850s MIGHT make sense, but anything above that, the 256MB is going to kill performance. GTS for sure.

I don't know about that. I have a 1950gt and I play at 1280X1024 w/ 4xAA and I have no problems doing so. COD4 isn't that taxing of a game, just getting whatever you can find cheaper would be the best bet.

[Cheator]

If you played at 1280x1024 with no details turned up, the 3850s MIGHT make sense, but anything above that, the 256MB is going to kill performance. GTS for sure.

Thats not true at all.

Playing 2x3850s at 1680x1050 yields a solid 35 FPS in Crysis on high and using the latest drivers at stock. When OCed even slightly I get up to 42. I run all my games, including wow, at this res with no issue whatsoever.

The 256mb is not very limiting, but there is also a 512mb version.

[thideras]

The 256mb is not very limiting, but there is also a 512mb version.Is that with AA on? Like I said above, I'm in the 380's when I'm playing WoW.

Newer games will eat up that 256 quickly. At this point, it isn't a very wise decision if you want to keep the system without upgrading to play games in the future.

[Cheator]

Is that with AA on? Like I said above, I'm in the 380's when I'm playing WoW.

Newer games will eat up that 256 quickly. At this point, it isn't a very wise decision if you want to keep the system without upgrading to play games in the future.

Thats literally as high settings as it supports, so yes.

[thideras]

Thats literally as high settings as it supports, so yes.Hmm? :eh?: What is? Sorry, you lost me.

[ratbuddy]

Thats not true at all.

Playing 2x3850s at 1680x1050 yields a solid 35 FPS in Crysis on high and using the latest drivers at stock. When OCed even slightly I get up to 42. I run all my games, including wow, at this res with no issue whatsoever.

The 256mb is not very limiting, but there is also a 512mb version.

Are you using the 512mb versions? If so, it's not a valid comparison..

[Cheator]

Hmm? :eh?: What is? Sorry, you lost me.
I've put Wow to it's maximum settings. So to answer your question, yes its on.
Are you using the 512mb versions? If so, it's not a valid comparison..
No I'm using the 256s.

[ratbuddy]

I've put Wow to it's maximum settings. So to answer your question, yes its on.

No I'm using the 256s.

Basically, 3850's win in 3dmark (ATI always seems to win there :p ) but the 8800GTS wins just about everywhere else, especially when AA/AF are on. http://www.tweaktown.com/articles/1246/1/page_1_introduction/index.html

I'm pretty sure the cards in that article are the 512 versions, expect around 5% less performance for the 256's..

[Shiggity]

Am I missing something about xfire, 2 cards nets the same amount of memory as the 8800gts?

[Cheator]

Basically, 3850's win in 3dmark (ATI always seems to win there :p ) but the 8800GTS wins just about everywhere else, especially when AA/AF are on. http://www.tweaktown.com/articles/1246/1/page_1_introduction/index.html

I'm pretty sure the cards in that article are the 512 versions, expect around 5% less performance for the 256's..

I'm not saying they're the fastest cards in the world. Nowhere in this thread did I mention that. What I am saying is that your assessment was wrong. I'm not limited to such a small resolution. Please avoid making assumptions like this.

[thideras]

Am I missing something about xfire, 2 cards nets the same amount of memory as the 8800gts?They don't add up like that :)

[Super Nade]

I would always prefer a single card to a dual GPU setup. Apart from cost, you have less heat, less power consumption, no headache regarding SLI connectors, better case air flow and also spending less money on aftermarket HSF's.

If were you, I would mod the hell out of your current card and run it till the wheels fall off. Then go for a high-end card based on your budget.

[Cheator]

I would always prefer a single card to a dual GPU setup. Apart from cost, you have less heat, less power consumption, no headache regarding SLI connectors, better case air flow and also spending less money on aftermarket HSF's.

If were you, I would mod the hell out of your current card and run it till the wheels fall off. Then go for a high-end card based on your budget.

I agree they are easier. I swtiched from a 2900xt to 2x3850s, so the power is just about the same, and the heat is actually less. In some cases it makes sense, others it does not. Running 2 2900s in CF would be a nightmare. My friend does it and he needed a new case for it.

[Shiggity]

They don't add up like that :)

How do the double cards work then, is all that memory split or is it counted like it's one card?

[thideras]

How do the double cards work then, is all that memory split or is it counted like it's one card?When an object loads in the vMem, it will do so on both cards.

It will do that because if you have the top card rendering an object and it quickly moves to the bottom card, it doesn't have to transfer or load it, it is seamless.

[Shiggity]

Well I'm glad Nvidia is increasing their memory bus, my next setup will most likely be a dual monitor build with 2x 1920x1200 resolutions, if not higher. Might even consider a 1GB card.

This thread is officially de-railed, I hope you got your answer Colton H :)

[chrome-187]

ROFL nvidia fanboys crack me up....the 256 3850 will only play cod4 with everything off? ROFL...thats a joke...my SINGLE 256mb 3850 played cod4 maxxed out ... thats with 4xAA and 16xAF and with textures on xtra high and trilinear filtering @ 1280x1024...if you guys dont know you need to keep your mouth shut and stop giving out false information to people asking for help...take your nvidia fanboy lies to the nvidia section...this guy is asking for help not your fanboy lies...

Colton my buddy has a 22 inch LCD and plays cod4 @ 1650X1050 maxxed out 4xaa and 16xAF with his 512mb 3850....i can't run my lcd @ 1650x1050 cuz i do not have a widescreen...but my buddy has his SINGLE 3850 on a amd 4200+ @ 2.5ghz and only 1 gig of ram...and he maxxes cod4 out no problem...im sorry people got on here and fed you false info cuz they want u on the band wagon...im telling you this from EXPERIENCE and seeing it with my own eyes and also owning the cards and playing the games...neither me or my buddy have crossfire this is on singe 3850s...but my guess is crossfire would be even better...but theres no lag with a single card setup so havent upgraded to crossfire yet....and i havent had the money to do so atm...only reason i want 2 crossfire is for benching..

on another note...if you get a new mobo...ditch the p35 and just get a x38 so you can utilize the pci-e to 16x16 mode instead of 16x4 mode....might be $30 more but well worth it...i say go with 2x512mb 3850's...the 512mb is only $10 more and its well worth the xtra $10...

[thideras]

ROFL nvidia fanboys crack me up....the 256 3850 will only play cod4 with everything off? ROFL...thats a joke...my SINGLE 256mb 3850 played cod4 maxxed out ... thats with 4xAA and 16xAF and with textures on xtra high and trilinear filtering @ 1280x1024...if you guys dont know you need to keep your mouth shut and stop giving out false information to people asking for help...take your nvidia fanboy lies to the nvidia section...this guy is asking for help not your fanboy lies...I seriously hope this wasn't directed at me. I had (keyword ;)) a 3870x2 and my SINGLE 8800GTS 512 beat it out in all games (except benchmarks). I AM speaking from personal experience.:mad:

Your post could be taken as flaming or insulting by the way.

[ratbuddy]

ROFL nvidia fanboys crack me up....the 256 3850 will only play cod4 with everything off? ROFL...thats a joke...my SINGLE 256mb 3850 played cod4 maxxed out ... thats with 4xAA and 16xAF and with textures on xtra high and trilinear filtering @ 1280x1024...if you guys dont know you need to keep your mouth shut and stop giving out false information to people asking for help...take your nvidia fanboy lies to the nvidia section...this guy is asking for help not your fanboy lies...

Colton my buddy has a 22 inch LCD and plays cod4 @ 1650X1050 maxxed out 4xaa and 16xAF with his 512mb 3850....i can't run my lcd @ 1650x1050 cuz i do not have a widescreen...but my buddy has his SINGLE 3850 on a amd 4200+ @ 2.5ghz and only 1 gig of ram...and he maxxes cod4 out no problem...im sorry people got on here and fed you false info cuz they want u on the band wagon...im telling you this from EXPERIENCE and seeing it with my own eyes and also owning the cards and playing the games...neither me or my buddy have crossfire this is on singe 3850s...but my guess is crossfire would be even better...but theres no lag with a single card setup so havent upgraded to crossfire yet....and i havent had the money to do so atm...only reason i want 2 crossfire is for benching..

on another note...if you get a new mobo...ditch the p35 and just get a x38 so you can utilize the pci-e to 16x16 mode instead of 16x4 mode....might be $30 more but well worth it...i say go with 2x512mb 3850's...the 512mb is only $10 more and its well worth the xtra $10...


Calm down there, slugger. Noone said a 3850 could only play COD4 with everything off. I said the only time a crossfire 3850 256MB setup MIGHT beat a GTS-512 is in such a situation. Read the thread again, take off the ATI-tinted goggles, and realize that the OP is trying to decide between a crossfired 3850 setup or a single 8800GTS. GTS wins, unless his favorite game is 3dmark. X38 or no.

[Cheator]

http://www.legitreviews.com/article/591/1/

According to that review the 2x3850 keeps up and surpases much of the GTS. Do you have any links to backup your statement?

[thideras]

http://www.legitreviews.com/article/591/1/

According to that review the 2x3850 keeps up and surpases much of the GTS. Do you have any links to backup your statement?If you were referencing me, no, sorry, I do not.

It was just monitoring game FPS between the two :shrug:

[Cheator]

If you were referencing me, no, sorry, I do not.

It was just monitoring game FPS between the two :shrug:

No no, I was talking to ratbuddy. :).

[ratbuddy]

I posted a link up in post #14..

Cheator, that legitreviews you linked includes a GTS-640. Completely different card.

[Cheator]

I posted a link up in post #14..


Where does that review indicate this?
If you played at 1280x1024 with no details turned up, the 3850s MIGHT make sense, but anything above that, the 256MB is going to kill performance. GTS for sure.
Where does it indicate that it can't even compete? Where does it indicate that I'm not actually getting a great FPS in crysis? I couldn't find it in this review.

As for my review, it shows that it sometimes beats, and other times is just behind the Ultra. And this is with OLD drivers.

[thideras]

No no, I was talking to ratbuddy. :).No worries, that is what I thought :)

[ajrettke]

With a resolution higher than 1280x1024 it's just not smart to use 256mb cards. I'm running dual 3850's with 512 each, and I game at 1920x1200. If this were a comparison 512mb 3850's in Xfire vs the GTS then it might be worth the discussion, it's not, so get the GTS 512!

[ratbuddy]

With a resolution higher than 1280x1024 it's just not smart to use 256mb cards. I'm running dual 3850's with 512 each, and I game at 1920x1200. If this were a comparison 512mb 3850's in Xfire vs the GTS then it might be worth the discussion, it's not, so get the GTS 512!

+1 to that. The 256MB crossfire setup falls to pieces when you turn on AA/AF.

[Cheator]

+1 to that. The 256MB crossfire setup falls to pieces when you turn on AA/AF.

I recommend saying something like this next time, instead of making things up.

[Neuromancer]

ROFL nvidia fanboys crack me up....the 256 3850 will only play cod4 with everything off? ROFL...thats a joke...my SINGLE 256mb 3850 played cod4 maxxed out ... thats with 4xAA and 16xAF and with textures on xtra high and trilinear filtering @ 1280x1024...if you guys dont know you need to keep your mouth shut and stop giving out false information to people asking for help...take your nvidia fanboy lies to the nvidia section...this guy is asking for help not your fanboy lies...

Colton my buddy has a 22 inch LCD and plays cod4 @ 1650X1050 maxxed out 4xaa and 16xAF with his 512mb 3850....i can't run my lcd @ 1650x1050 cuz i do not have a widescreen...but my buddy has his SINGLE 3850 on a amd 4200+ @ 2.5ghz and only 1 gig of ram...and he maxxes cod4 out no problem...im sorry people got on here and fed you false info cuz they want u on the band wagon...im telling you this from EXPERIENCE and seeing it with my own eyes and also owning the cards and playing the games...neither me or my buddy have crossfire this is on singe 3850s...but my guess is crossfire would be even better...but theres no lag with a single card setup so havent upgraded to crossfire yet....and i havent had the money to do so atm...only reason i want 2 crossfire is for benching..

on another note...if you get a new mobo...ditch the p35 and just get a x38 so you can utilize the pci-e to 16x16 mode instead of 16x4 mode....might be $30 more but well worth it...i say go with 2x512mb 3850's...the 512mb is only $10 more and its well worth the xtra $10...

I also max out COD4 with everything on at 1680x1050 on my 3850 512MB and decent frame rates. (I never benched it so I dont know what numbers they are... I do not play FramesPS... If the game is smooth I do not care if its 30FPS or 120FPS. My 3850 Plays every game I have at max or near max settings on my 22" LCD. I am going to try out a GTS 640 though and see what all the fuss is about. I am sure it is quite a capable card too. And since I am using a cheap Acer LCD monitor I wont notice the lack of color sampling in nVidias version of AA :)

[thideras]

I also max out COD4 with everything on at 1680x1050 on my 3850 512MB and decent frame rates. (I never benched it so I dont know what numbers they are... I do not play FramesPS... If the game is smooth I do not care if its 30FPS or 120FPS. My 3850 Plays every game I have at max or near max settings on my 22" LCD. I am going to try out a GTS 640 though and see what all the fuss is about. I am sure it is quite a capable card too. And since I am using a cheap Acer LCD monitor I wont notice the lack of color sampling in nVidias version of AA :)Don't get the 640, the 512 is quite a bit faster.

[ratbuddy]

I recommend saying something like this next time, instead of making things up.

You're the one who made up getting 35fps in Crysis on high with full AA ;)

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=167695 says you are pulling numbers out of a hat. Sample picture:

http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/615/crysiscfuq4.jpg

Note that that 1680x1050 score is with no AA/AF..

edit: Maybe you were quoting 'max' frame rates which mean nothing at all, in which case sorry for doubting you ;)

[Cheator]

I don't see where that says 1280x1024 is the maximum I can play it.

[ratbuddy]

Thats not true at all.

Playing 2x3850s at 1680x1050 yields a solid 35 FPS in Crysis on high and using the latest drivers at stock. When OCed even slightly I get up to 42. I run all my games, including wow, at this res with no issue whatsoever.

The 256mb is not very limiting, but there is also a 512mb version.

Is that with AA on? Like I said above, I'm in the 380's when I'm playing WoW.

Newer games will eat up that 256 quickly. At this point, it isn't a very wise decision if you want to keep the system without upgrading to play games in the future.

Thats literally as high settings as it supports, so yes.

I call BS..

[Cheator]

I call BS..

On wow? have you played wow?

[ratbuddy]

Ugh, how did I get dragged into this. Read your own statement:

"Playing 2x3850s at 1680x1050 yields a solid 35 FPS in Crysis on high and using the latest drivers at stock."

[thideras]

Guys, lets not bicker please >.<

[Cheator]

Guys, lets not bicker please >.<

Agreed, I'm sick of this.

[chrome-187]

my post was directed to ANYONE saying the 3850 was not capable....i have a system with a amd am2 6400 @ 3ghz with a 512mb xfx 8800gt on a asus nforce sli deluxe mobo as well as the one in my sig...so im not strictly ati but i rolled over when i read that some of u guys sayin that the 3850 would not play cod4 at 1280x1024 maxxed out...not even medium settings...im sorry i was sick of the bs you guys were feeding culton...the 2x3850's would be an awesome setup, even the 256mb versions...but if you READ my first post i said that i recommend the 512's just because there a couple dollars more....the 8800gts is no diff then the 8800gt except for the extra space it takes up...2x3850's kill a 8800gt and therefore it will smash a 8800gts as well...8800gts is just a o/ced 8800gt...if you can't get a single 3850 to play your games maxxed out then you need some serious help and need to rethink about having someone build computers for you since it seems your uncapable...like the other guys said that had 3850's that know how to setup a computer say that they too play all games maxxed out smoothly...2x3850's on x38 would murder a gts no doubt...even on a p35 would murder it...but i'd say only for someone that knows how to build a ati computer....apparently some are only capable of getting nvidia to work....i'm able to get both my nvidia and ati to work at optimum performance...i guess im just that good...i will say that single card vs single card the 8800gt is a lil faster measuring fps..but as far as gameplay you can't tell the diff....but i know 2x3850's would kill the 8800gt and the gts...dont pay attention to websites that prefer nvidia over ati and knock down ati and make them look bad...my scores with my 3850 beat out a lot of website reviews and they have a higher speced rig then me...how can that be?...i dunno i get a chuckle out of them...

i will say if ur looking for a single card solution go with the 8800 series...the 8800gt if you like to have space...the 8800gts if you dont mind it taking up two spots...the gts will clock higher cuz the better cooling but it will hardly beat out the 8800gt...if you have the money 2x8800gt's would be another considerable choice as well...but a good nvidia mobo is not cheap.... intels chipset mobos o/c better and have dedicated raid chips, not the fake raid nvidia has....but the nvidia boards have better memory bandwidth then the intel chipsets...so alot to consider...i think if u want a ati mobo go ati video cards...nvidia mobo go nvidia video cards...good luck =)

[thideras]

if you can't get a single 3850 to play your games maxxed out then you need some serious help and need to rethink about having someone build computers for you since it seems your uncapable...like the other guys said that had 3850's that know how to setup a computer say that they too play all games maxxed out smoothly...2x3850's on x38 would murder a gts no doubt...even on a p35 would murder it...First, grammar and punctuation, please use it. Your post is EXTREMELY hard to follow.

Second: Yes, I am completely incapable of running a computer with an ATI graphics card, thanks for pointing that out:rolleyes:. You shared your experiences with your card and I did the same with mine. Don't bash me for it, I'm getting tired of being told that I'm "incapable" of building a computer properly or that I don't know what I'm doing.

I did tests, I made sure that I could test them evenly and fair and I came to my conclusion. That does not mean it is in stone and everyone should abide by it. My test results, hint MY.

I need to GO NOW: Tornado sirens are GOING OFF, I'LL BE BACK LATER. Sorry.

[ratbuddy]

my post was directed to ANYONE saying the 3850 was not capable....i have a system with a amd am2 6400 @ 3ghz with a 512mb xfx 8800gt on a asus nforce sli deluxe mobo as well as the one in my sig...so im not strictly ati but i rolled over when i read that some of u guys sayin that the 3850 would not play cod4 at 1280x1024 maxxed out...not even medium settings...im sorry i was sick of the bs you guys were feeding culton...the 2x3850's would be an awesome setup, even the 256mb versions...but if you READ my first post i said that i recommend the 512's just because there a couple dollars more....the 8800gts is no diff then the 8800gt except for the extra space it takes up...2x3850's kill a 8800gt and therefore it will smash a 8800gts as well...8800gts is just a o/ced 8800gt...if you can't get a single 3850 to play your games maxxed out then you need some serious help and need to rethink about having someone build computers for you since it seems your uncapable...like the other guys said that had 3850's that know how to setup a computer say that they too play all games maxxed out smoothly...2x3850's on x38 would murder a gts no doubt...even on a p35 would murder it...but i'd say only for someone that knows how to build a ati computer....apparently some are only capable of getting nvidia to work....i'm able to get both my nvidia and ati to work at optimum performance...i guess im just that good...i will say that single card vs single card the 8800gt is a lil faster measuring fps..but as far as gameplay you can't tell the diff....but i know 2x3850's would kill the 8800gt and the gts...dont pay attention to websites that prefer nvidia over ati and knock down ati and make them look bad...my scores with my 3850 beat out a lot of website reviews and they have a higher speced rig then me...how can that be?...i dunno i get a chuckle out of them...

i will say if ur looking for a single card solution go with the 8800 series...the 8800gt if you like to have space...the 8800gts if you dont mind it taking up two spots...the gts will clock higher cuz the better cooling but it will hardly beat out the 8800gt...if you have the money 2x8800gt's wouldnt be bad either...but a good nvidia mobo is not cheap...as far as 8800gts VS 2x3850's...i'd go with 3850's and the intels chipset mobos o/c better and have dedicated raid chips, not the fake raid nvidia has....but the nvidia boards have better memory bandwidth...so alot to consider...ati mobo go ati video cards...nvidia mobo go nvidia video card...good luck =)

Whoa, what Thideras said about spelling etc.. Plus, 8800GT and 8800GTS are very different cards. Same core, yes, but that's it. The 8800GTS isn't just a GT that takes up more space.

No such thing as an 'ati mobo' ...

And no, 2x3850's wouldn't 'murder' a GTS, it's a pretty close matchup - until AA and AF come into play, then the 3850 setup falls behind.

To the OP, in the future, try and put this type of thread in the 'general GPU' section - that way the ATI guys won't feel insulted when their option isn't the better of the two..

[Gautam]

I'm not going to bother reading this thread...

But note that if you want to run CrossFire properly, you are definitely going to want to use an X38/X48 board. P35's will cripple your performance significantly as the second card will run at PCI-E x4.

[chrome-187]

sorry about the grammer...i had my son on my lap at the time i was typing all that...didnt have time to proof read...when i said 'ati mobo', i would have figured you knew wat i meant...i'll help you out...ati mobo=intel chipset mobo...ya know, crossfire? neways, go with what you want culton...both setups would make you a happy camper...if u do decide to go crossfire go with the x38 mobo... :)

[muddocktor]

I'm moving this over to General GPU's, which would be a better spot for this thread.

And you guys play nice now; I will watch this thread to make sure it stays nice and flame free.

[gibletzor]

ROFL nvidia fanboys crack me up....the 256 3850 will only play cod4 with everything off? ROFL...thats a joke...my SINGLE 256mb 3850 played cod4 maxxed out ... thats with 4xAA and 16xAF and with textures on xtra high and trilinear filtering @ 1280x1024...if you guys dont know you need to keep your mouth shut and stop giving out false information to people asking for help...take your nvidia fanboy lies to the nvidia section...this guy is asking for help not your fanboy lies...

Colton my buddy has a 22 inch LCD and plays cod4 @ 1650X1050 maxxed out 4xaa and 16xAF with his 512mb 3850....i can't run my lcd @ 1650x1050 cuz i do not have a widescreen...but my buddy has his SINGLE 3850 on a amd 4200+ @ 2.5ghz and only 1 gig of ram...and he maxxes cod4 out no problem...


I'm probably what you'd call an ATI fanboy (haven't owned an Nvidia card since my Ti4400), but I have trouble believing parts of this.

I do agree with the first half of your statement. I'm sure at 1280x1024, you can run CoD4 with acceptable framerates at your stated specs. I'm not going to argue with that.

However, I have a 4 Ghz E8400, and a 512MB 3870, and at 1680x1050, I can't run CoD4 with AA and AF at the max detail settings; at least not at what I PERCEIVE TO BE acceptable framerates. Running everything on highest settings (no AA/AF) I get around 80 FPS; more than playable. With 8x AF, I drop to around 65ish fps; again definitely playable. I have tried running with 4x AA and 8x AF though, and from my perspective, it is NOT playable. If you enjoy playing FPS games where you dip down into the 20-30 fps range often... then whatever floats your boat. I can enjoy playing with 2x AA and 8x AF, where I occasionally get dips down in the 30-40 fps range, but it annoys me. I honestly don't see how an 2.5 GHz AMD cpu and 3850 can outperform a 4 GHz Core 2 and 3870... :shrug:

That said, even being an ATI fan, I would still recommend the G92 8800GTS. For newer games like CoD4 at higher resolutions with AA, it will give VERY SIMILAR performance to the 2 3850's, with the added benefit of drawing less power, creating less heat, taking up less space, and not requiring a more expensive motherboard.

*Side note: what frame rates are acceptable to each person differs greatly. It's all based on personal perception. I don't enjoy anything below about 35 fps. I get slightly agitated below 40. 50+ is fine for me. Some people won't accept anything under 60. Some people are ok with 15-20 fps.

I think some people forget this from time to time. You can't really say "Oh xx GPU runs this game maxed out at great framerates" because what you consider great, may be slow as molasses in winter to another person.

[chrome-187]

see your setup is for one 3870 bro...2x3850s will whoop on the 3870 as well...he's not comparing a single 3850 to a single gts...another thought about your setup...are u enabling aa and af on cod4 or thru the ati control panel? what you should do is turn aa and af to app controlled in control panel and turn on aa and af in the game (cod4).

[gibletzor]

I wasn't comparing my 3870 to dual 3850's. In your example you stated the use of a SINGLE 3850. I was comparing my results to that. I have no delusions of my 3870 destroying dual 3850s.

And I have tried it both ways. It makes very little tangible difference.

[ratbuddy]

I wasn't comparing my 3870 to dual 3850's. In your example you stated the use of a SINGLE 3850. I was comparing my results to that. I have no delusions of my 3870 destroying dual 3850s.

And I have tried it both ways. It makes very little tangible difference.

If you read the fine print, he doesn't say it runs at any kind of acceptable framerate..

"Colton my buddy has a 22 inch LCD and plays cod4 @ 1650X1050 maxxed out 4xaa and 16xAF with his 512mb 3850....i can't run my lcd @ 1650x1050 cuz i do not have a widescreen...but my buddy has his SINGLE 3850 on a amd 4200+ @ 2.5ghz and only 1 gig of ram...and he maxxes cod4 out no problem..."

Yes, he might max it out no problem, but he also is probably getting about 15 fps average. 25 if he were to be running 3850 256MB in crossfire.

[gibletzor]

If you read the fine print, he doesn't say it runs at any kind of acceptable framerate..

"Colton my buddy has a 22 inch LCD and plays cod4 @ 1650X1050 maxxed out 4xaa and 16xAF with his 512mb 3850....i can't run my lcd @ 1650x1050 cuz i do not have a widescreen...but my buddy has his SINGLE 3850 on a amd 4200+ @ 2.5ghz and only 1 gig of ram...and he maxxes cod4 out no problem..."

Yes, he might max it out no problem, but he also is probably getting about 15 fps average. 25 if he were to be running 3850 256MB in crossfire.

That's true, I guess. I took the "no problem" to mean that it could run it ok though. I would consider running at 15 fps problematic myself.

[blazed]

8800 GTS would be better then 2x3850 256mb, though performance and price can be comparible, 8800GTS is a single card and therefor the better solution then running 2 cards SLI or Crossfire.

[muddocktor]

chrome-187, I deleted your whole post since you were blatantly flamebaiting in it. If you can post your remarks without resorting to flaming everyone who disagrees with you, then post again. But further flamebaiting will result in further repercussions.

mudd

[chrome-187]

"no problem" means it runs smooth (smooth means good fps)... i called my buddy on the phone and had him check his fps in cod4...the card is a visiontek 512mb 3850 @ 780/1025....his avg fps was 62-90...4xAA and 16xAF...the AA and AF was setup in the cod4 settings...

Cheator bought my 3850 off me so i couldnt test my ex 3850..but my sapphire 3870 @ 775/1125 i get 73-99fps..4xAA 16xAF...99 cuz its hardlocked there...ati isnt as bad as your trin to make them look...the 3800 series from ati are my first ati's for 4 years...i had no problem getting them to function properly...

my previous cards...nvidia ti4200, ati 9700, nvidia 5950, nvidia 6800, nvidia 7600, nvidia 7900, ati 3850, nvidia 8800gt, ati 3870.. im a pure gamer...benchmarks dont matter to me all too much...i buy my video cards 100% for gaming...benchmarking is somethin to do if im bored...and i can highly recommend the 3850, 3870, and the 8800gt for current games...they all play the newest games smooth for me (COD4, UT3, Gears of war, Bioshock, Crysis)....

[Colton H]

Probably going to go with 2x 3850's 256 since I can get them both for 200$.

[ratbuddy]

Probably going to go with 2x 3850's 256 since I can get them both for 200$.

You can get an 8800GTS-512 for $170 after rebate ;)

[NettieZoom]

You will most likely regret buying any card with only 256mb of ram be it Nvidia or ATI.
That being said I would go for a 8800GT/GTS 512mb or a 3870 512mb.

I have owned both a 3850 and 3870 and at higher resolutions with decent eye candy they both choked hard, check out the links someone posted earlier in this thread and you will see how the 3850 choked to death on alot of the newer games in comparison to the 8800GT/GTS.

Going SLI for the sake of going SLI is not worth it unless you are atleast using a pair of nice cards in my experience, I have fooled around with a few sets of cards in my time and it is a pain sometimes hehe.

[Napoleon]

if you just get the one GTS if you have SLI capabilities you an always add another and double your performance

leave yourself options

[Shiggity]

leave yourself options

best advice in this thread :)

[Colton H]

Well thank you all for these pages of "talking" :p but I am simply asking witch one would be better to pick. 2 3850's or a GTS. This thread had gotten a little out of control.

[Shiggity]

Well thank you all for these pages of "talking" :p but I am simply asking witch one would be better to pick. 2 3850's or a GTS. This thread had gotten a little out of control.

There is no 'right' answer, both are good options.

The general concensus in this thread is 1 8800GTS 512 (g92) though.

[thideras]

but I am simply asking witch one would be better to pickWell, that is the issue, you asked a question where there is no "cut and dry" card that is better.

[petteyg359]

Crossfire isn't a good idea if you're still on XP. It will often _reduce_ fps. My two 3870s get about the same as a single 3870 on BF2142 and Source games, and worse than single card in EVE. Supposedly works well on Vista though. With your board being a crossfire board, though, I'd say go for a single 3870 rather than the GTS, and then if in the future ATI fixes their drivers, you'll be able to add another card.

[Colton H]

Went with a ESC 8800 GTS for 170$ after MIR. 2 3850's would of been 220$ and this leaves me room for upgrading..

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814134037

Thank you all.

[jokers_greg]

let us know how everything goes. just make sure its on the Nvidia page, that we can avoid spectating the bloodshed thats been going here :). I'm actually thinking of buying the same card, maybe 2. It's the 256-bit bandwidth that is keeping my wallet in my pocket though

[NettieZoom]

Went with a ESC 8800 GTS for 170$ after MIR. 2 3850's would of been 220$ and this leaves me room for upgrading..

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814134037

Thank you all.

You will not regret that choice in my opinion.
My husband has a E8400 with 2 8800GTS 512mb cards and it is insanely powerful...I am sssoo jealous LOL. Kinda makes my 8800GT look like a entry level card in comparison :)

[Shadowmonk]

Well thank you all for these pages of "talking" :p but I am simply asking witch one would be better to pick. 2 3850's or a GTS. This thread had gotten a little out of control.

Both perform great, the GTS 512's are capable of really nice overclocks and if you not planning on waterblocking it id stick with the single GTS 512.

Performance wise it will do better in high end gaming because of its texture fill rate. Running the 2x 3850's 256mb card will not match a g92 GTS 512 alone

http://www.tweaktown.com/articles/1246/hd_3850_crossfire_vs_8800gts_512mb_g92/index.html

These are the 512mb versions and for FPS and performance they either just barely eek out the lead or actually have lower FPS, btw they are overclocked as well lol.

[jokers_greg]

yeah in all honesty, the performance difference won't be too much. But even if they gave the same graphic output, why would you want to have 2 cards over one? As stated somewhere here earlier, give yourself options. maybe one day you'll get another 8800 GTS