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

Colton H · May 1, 2008

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 · May 1, 2008

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.

Automata · May 1, 2008

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 · May 1, 2008

thideras said:
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..

Automata · May 1, 2008

Colton H said:
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 · May 1, 2008

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 · May 1, 2008

ratbuddy said:
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 · May 1, 2008

ratbuddy said:
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.

Automata · May 1, 2008

Cheator said:
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 · May 1, 2008

thideras said:
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.

Automata · May 1, 2008

Cheator said:
Thats literally as high settings as it supports, so yes.

Hmm?

What is? Sorry, you lost me.

ratbuddy · May 1, 2008

Cheator said:
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 · May 1, 2008

thideras said:
Hmm? What is? Sorry, you lost me.

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

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

No I'm using the 256s.

ratbuddy · May 1, 2008

Cheator said:
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

) 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 · May 1, 2008

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

Cheator · May 1, 2008

ratbuddy said:
Basically, 3850's win in 3dmark (ATI always seems to win there ) 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.

Automata · May 1, 2008

Shiggity said:
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 · May 1, 2008

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 · May 1, 2008

Super Nade said:
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 · May 1, 2008

thideras said:
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?

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

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