View Full Version : 3870x2 reviews thread...
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,2252579,00.asp
Notice that the new G92-based 8800 GTS card with 512MB is about on par, overall, with the 3870 X2, but the Nvidia card sells for about $379. The GeForce 8800 GTX, which is usually about $469, is a little faster in some cases, a little slower in others.
. A dual-card setup should offer 70% or better performance improvement over one card if you're not limited by CPU performance in a particular game, and ATI is often nowhere near that mark (Nvidia hits it far more often).
Just not good enough.
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,2252579,00.asp
Notice that the new G92-based 8800 GTS card with 512MB is about on par, overall, with the 3870 X2, but the Nvidia card sells for about $379. The GeForce 8800 GTX, which is usually about $469, is a little faster in some cases, a little slower in others.
. A dual-card setup should offer 70% or better performance improvement over one card if you're not limited by CPU performance in a particular game, and ATI is often nowhere near that mark (Nvidia hits it far more often).
Just not good enough.
PeterJensen
02-01-08, 12:30 PM
Just got the card in my system :
QX9650
8 GB ram
The 8800GTS/512 is now on the table (for now)
The obove system scored about 12.000 in 3dmark06
Running it now with the new card.
PeterJensen
02-01-08, 12:31 PM
I have loads of pics, but comming later :)
PeterJensen
02-01-08, 12:52 PM
Main Test Results
3DMark Score 16231 3DMarks
SM 2.0 Score 6202 Marks
SM 3.0 Score 7623 Marks
CPU Score 4828 Marks
PeterJensen
02-01-08, 12:57 PM
Played some COD4, the first sniper mission.
ALL MAXED out GFX wise in my 22" TFT's native res 1680*1050
....i runs ALLOT better then on the 8800GTS/512
slaWter
02-01-08, 01:47 PM
What's your CPU clock?
PeterJensen
02-01-08, 02:36 PM
What's your CPU clock?
Default @ 3ghz, is the cpu score low?
slaWter
02-01-08, 03:01 PM
Default @ 3ghz, is the cpu score low?
I don't know,I don't use 3DMark06.
PeterJensen
02-01-08, 04:11 PM
Small report :)
Seems like a great card. Its very low noise and i like that. My games seem to be somewhat faster to faster then with my GTS/512
Congrats on the new card PeterJensen :).
Looking forward to more BM's and your impressions.
Enjoy,
G
Blacklash
02-01-08, 05:05 PM
Thanks for your input dude. My gut was telling me to just wait till the next gen GPU's hit the market.
NP. Hope I can save some others the trouble. The HD 3870 X2 is a neat concept and in practice something like a 8800GT or 8800GTS would be a much better choice.
Crossfire simply doesn't work in some titles, and in others in actually lowers your performance vs a single card. Not to mention the fan on the HD 3870 sounds like a outboard motor when it's going near full tilt. A title like "Crysis" will push it up there often.
It's a novelty item I'm sorry I bothered with. nVidia for life :p I've learned my lesson this time around. nVidia has better drivers and better dev rel, which in the end can make or break a product's usefulness as far as gaming goes.
The HD 3870 X2 does clock a nice 3dmock06 score. I got 18.5k with one, and I don't play 3dmock06.
PeterJensen
02-01-08, 06:40 PM
NP. Hope I can save some others the trouble. The HD 3870 X2 is a neat concept and in practice something like a 8800GT or 8800GTS would be a much better choice.
Crossfire simply doesn't work in some titles, and in others in actually lowers your performance vs a single card. Not to mention the fan on the HD 3870 sounds like a outboard motor when it's going near full tilt. A title like "Crysis" will push it up there often.
It's a novelty item I'm sorry I bothered with. nVidia for life :p I've learned my lesson this time around. nVidia has better drivers and better dev rel, which in the end can make or break a product's usefulness as far as gaming goes.
The HD 3870 X2 does clock a nice 3dmock06 score. I got 18.5k with one, and I don't play 3dmock06.
ehh sounds like a motor? WTF my card is not louder in Crysis then my 8800GTS....and i get WAY better performance in some games with the 3870X2. Also for a tech dude like me the 3870X2 is a neat toy to play with :) I mean i got the 8800GTS/512 on my desk if i get pissed on the performance of this ATi card but i have not yet....and i love it :) I got allot better performance in COD4 and that is the game i play the most online.
Blacklash
02-01-08, 07:08 PM
I said this @ Rage and will say it here-
My advice to folks is to go 8800GT, or 8800GTS for the best consistent performance across a wide variety of titles. Believe it or not a single 8800GT can cope with resolutions all the way to 1920x.
http://www.driverheaven.net/reviews/8800GTs/index.php
The HD 3870 X2 simply doesn't work in some titles, Crossfire causes a performance hit in others, and you get mad graphic glitches in some. Examples; TRL- Performance hit with Crossfire on, 17 vs 40+ FPS with it disabled, The Witcher - Onboard Crossfire on causes rough play with frequent stutter, and Crysis on the DX10 path - mad flashing textures in the distance with onboard Crossfire enabled.
Titles like "Crysis" do heat the card up fast and when the fan is high it is way too loud for my tastes. Yes it sounds like an outboard motor to me in those cases. Idle it is fine.
BTW, If you need to disable onboard Crossfire with the HD 3870 X2, and you will in some cases, set Cat AI to disabled.
My HD 3870 X2 is getting sold. It's not worth it to own something for over 400usd that doesn't deliver 100% of the time IMO. Like I said, sometimes I don't learn my lesson the first time around.
For folks that didn't see my 3dmock06 score or think I am trolling and don't own one-
http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/7272/hd3870x2ordun6.jpg
Riptide
02-01-08, 07:58 PM
Damn this thing does great on the anandtech review. Not so much though on [H].
PeterJensen
02-01-08, 08:20 PM
Well i think it's a great GPU untill now. I just know i get better performance in COD4 MP and i'm happy :) Gues thats whats its all about right?
...My HD 3870 X2 is getting sold. It's not worth it to own something for over 400usd that doesn't deliver 100% of the time IMO. Like I said, sometimes I don't learn my lesson the first time around.Perhaps you just need to give it more time and wait for drivers to mature. The nVidia 8 series cards took months before the drivers worked themselves out. Perhaps its the same here. Besides, the real beauty of the X2 will be in running a pair of them, but again the drivers will have to catch up.
It really sucks if you can't make the X2 run in single mode for games that don't work with multiple GPUs. Some of the flight sims I play, like LockOn and Falcon 4.0 Allied Force, dont' work well with SLI in Vista, but they run fine if I change the rendering mode to single.
It really sucks if you can't make the X2 run in single mode for games that don't work with multiple GPUs. Some of the flight sims I play, like LockOn and Falcon 4.0 Allied Force, dont' work well with SLI in Vista, but they run fine if I change the rendering mode to single.
It could be this one thing that stops me from buying this card.
This card is $489 CDN. I expected a bit more in that price. I am watching stuff really carefull before I make a final call. I am either getting it or swapping up to 8800GTS 512MB through my trade up program at eVGA.
I am waiting for 1 more driver release to see of they re-enable the ability to disable CF mode. I had incorrectly thought that it would simply be that way. So in my original theory, this card was great. 8800Ultra in some cases and just below in most others with a few around 8800GT if you disable CF mode.
If you simply end up with 15% of games outright broken? I will have to say nay to this product and in fact I will campaign against it with great sadness.
C.
ehh sounds like a motor? WTF my card is not louder in Crysis then my 8800GTS....and i get WAY better performance in some games with the 3870X2. Also for a tech dude like me the 3870X2 is a neat toy to play with :) I mean i got the 8800GTS/512 on my desk if i get pissed on the performance of this ATi card but i have not yet....and i love it :) I got allot better performance in COD4 and that is the game i play the most online.
Give us some more feedback if you can please. I would appreciate it. I am holding off pulling the trigger for now.
Hows other games?
You try Crysis to check these fan noise claims?
C.
PeterJensen
02-02-08, 05:52 AM
Give us some more feedback if you can please. I would appreciate it. I am holding off pulling the trigger for now.
Hows other games?
You try Crysis to check these fan noise claims?
C.
The card does NOT make anny more noise then my GTS in Crysis. I have UT3, COD4 and Crysis on my disk atm and they all run better then on my GTS/512. Also driver seems fine. Also my dual screen setup works great.
slaWter
02-02-08, 06:13 AM
It really sucks if you can't make the X2 run in single mode for games that don't work with multiple GPUs. Some of the flight sims I play, like LockOn and Falcon 4.0 Allied Force, dont' work well with SLI in Vista, but they run fine if I change the rendering mode to single.
It is possible to turn off CF: http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=1539771&postcount=96
Blacklash
02-02-08, 10:28 AM
techPowerUP! has always been very fair to ATi and they list the following as drawbacks-
* Performance largely dependant on application
* Noisy
* High power draw
* Fan speed is constantly changing
* No PCI-Express 2.0 support
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/HIS/HD_3870_X2/25.html
An HD 3850 256Mb with a single slot fan idles @ 46C in my other computer case and the HD 3870 was doing 62C. It is hot, loud under load, and inefficient|unpredictable.
The fan is not loud idle. The card heats up easily in demanding titles like "Crysis" so it doesn't take the fan long to ramp up and get loud.
"Crysis" on the DX9 path was fine for me, on the DX10 textures were flashing|strobing in the distance. I tried Cat 8.1 and the 8.1 hotfix driver.
If you want to try the card go for it and buy it from an e-tailer or retailer that allows you to return it if you are unhappy.
I am relating my personal experience and opinion. Some may disagree and that's fine. As I recall drivers were going to save the HD 2900XT. I wouldn't bank on a miracle driver.
Luckily for me, I found someone to buy mine at well over 400usd, or close to what I paid. I was feeling like I lit 450usd on fire, and now I can breath easy.
The 3870 x2 is the same flawed architechture as the 2900 xt overclocked. Some pretty major sites don't like it much, including extremetech and Hardocp. ATI needs to fix their design if they really want to compete.They still haven't really managed to do this more than a year after the G80 came out.
This from Fudzilla, a very pro ATI site.
ust like in World in Conflict, in HL Episode 2 EVGA 8800 GTS SSC outperforms the reference card by about 5% and beats 8800 GTX. Not even ATI with dual chip HD 3870 X2 card could beat EVGA 8800 GTS SSC on given resolutions.
http://www.fudzilla.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5506&Itemid=1&limit=1&limitstart=1
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