Official 4870X2 preview thread!

[KasuCode]

Ill keep this up to date with all the 4870X2 reviews as they release tonight.

[H]ardocp - http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/article.html?art=MTUzMSwxLCxoZW50aHVzaWFzdA==
PCPerspective - http://www.pcper.com/article.php?type=expert&aid=590&pid=2
AnandTech - http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3354
Driver Heaven - http://www.driverheaven.net/reviews.php?reviewid=588&pageid=1
HEXUS - http://www.hexus.net/content/item.php?item=14178
Tech Report - http://www.techreport.com/articles.x/15105/1
Extreme Tech - http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,2845,2325444,00.asp
Plaza.fi - http://plaza.fi/muropaketti/artikkelit/naytonohjaimet/ati-radeon-hd-4870-x2-r700
Legit Reviews - http://www.legitreviews.com/article/745/1/

Seems to be 2 versions of the card. Some Review a 1GB 512MBx2 card and others a 2GB 1GBx2 card. Not sure why AnandTech, pcper, and HEXUS have 512MBx2 cards.

[mullet]

I bet you buy one. I can read your mind.

[KasuCode]

I wanted two but Im getting an iphone 3G tomorrow. So I might just get one for now and a second one when the waterblocks come out. Not sure if I want to sell my GTX280. Kinda sucks id only get less then 500 for it when I bought it for $670 less then a month ago. Maybe ill keep the GTX280 in the 3rd slot and use it as a $650 dedicated physx card lol.

[Lfctony]

Looks like one fine card... :)

[KasuCode]

Free AA

http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/images/articles/1215976304wcOJlico3z_7_1.gif

[911medic]

Here's another:

http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=590

[KasuCode]

Hmm where past multi GPU cards and cards in SLI and crossfire tanked the 4870X2 wasnt effected.

http://images.anandtech.com/graphs/r700_071308223626/17190.png

[Lfctony]

Yay, stupidity returning. Again with testing Crysis at DX10/High... :headexplode:

[Xion X2]

Hmm where past multi GPU cards and cards in SLI and crossfire tanked the 4870X2 wasnt effected.

http://images.anandtech.com/graphs/r700_071308223626/17190.png

Has to be a driver issue on that one. There's no excuse for the frames dropping so much from the performance of a single 4870.

[Mr_LoL]

Any ideas of minimum frame rates? I wish review sites will start publishing them.

[Badboy_12345]

Wonder whats going on at nvidia now :lol:
Running around the office like headless chickens.

It completely destroys the nvidia cards. and the price/performance ratio is out of this world

I have been a nvidia fan for a long time.. it seems Im going the ATI route now :drooling:

[Ghola]

At least I know my next laptop will have the 48XX tech in there

[JH24]

Awesome results. I'm impressed. The only thing I'm some what worried about is the general performance of the card. I mean, am I correct to assume that the 4870X2 is even more dependent on good drivers to utilize its full potential due to two chips?


Not that I'm in a position to buy one. This card is a beast but if a game doesn't have driver support for Crossfire does that mean only one GPU is used?

[CaptNKILL]

Awesome results. I'm impressed. The only thing I'm some what worried about is the general performance of the card. I mean, am I correct to assume that the 4870X2 is even more dependent on good drivers to utilize its full potential due to two chips?


Not that I'm in a position to buy one. This card is a beast but if a game doesn't have driver support for Crossfire does that mean only one GPU is used?

This is the main reason I'm not going crazy over this thing.

Multi GPU was a nightmare for me when I had a 7950GX2. I'm just not sure its worth it to go down that road again at this point.

The performance of the 4870X2 is generally amazing for the price, but it falls flat in a couple games and that just gives me flash backs of hours of troubleshooting and headaches every time I wanted to play a game with my GX2.

I really hate to miss out on something that offers this significant of an improvement in most situations, but after all the trouble I had I don't think I feel like gambling with multi GPU again.

[Ghola]

Ok you're scratched from the most powerful card to buy list. :captnkill:

JK

[CaptNKILL]

Ok you're scratched from the most powerful card to buy list. :captnkill:

JK

Srsly, I'm kicking myself in the nuts over this. :p

I don't have the money for one anyway, but the performance is ridiculously good... but multi GPU drivers make me want to stuff my genitals in a meat grinder...

Its a tough one.

Not having the funds to buy a new GPU right now makes it all a lot easier though. :p

[Ninja Prime]

Free AA

http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/images/articles/1215976304wcOJlico3z_7_1.gif

Even better, free 12x AA, and 24x AA only takes about a 15% hit:

http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/images/articles/1215976304wcOJlico3z_7_2.gif

[K007]

AMD only needs to get some quality drivers working now....if they get that right...they can really nail nvidia with the multi gpu card.

For the current moment..if i were to choose between a GTX280 and a 4870x2..i would have to go GTX280. Power connectors are the same, the ram is still the same...though they talk about the advantage of the bridge/shared memory(?)...but while all this is nice...if the drivers fail...then this is a loss...and i rather go GTX280+Customer Cooler and spend the extra $ for a less headache than the 4870x2/drivers....

I also like how its on one PCB compared to nvidias gx2 barbecue in the middle...also means if aftermarket coolers do come out...it will be a lot easy for them to make/work with.

I was hoping for a speed bump on these cards as well..the 1GB memory defiantly shows an advantage on those high ress.

[slaWter]

Some results are truly impressive and some aren't but that's what you get with multi-gpu solutions. Crysis is the only game I care about atm. All the other games perform great on the GTX 280. I don't care if I have 80 oder 120 FPS, I'm using vsync anyway for 60 FPS. AA Performance is insane with the X2 though. I'm gonna buy one and compare it to the GTX 280 in terms of smoothness and playability, especially in Crysis and in high AA settings for other games. Then I'll sell the "slower" card.

[nekrosoft13]

looks really like a good card, GTX 280 still faster in Crysis, difference in GRID is huge.

might try to return my GTX280 today

[brady]

DX10, high. Nice job everyone...:clap2:

[Badboy_12345]

I think Crysis scores will go up when they release proper drivers.
We will have to wait and see when it gets released.

[Toss3]

DX10, high. Nice job everyone...:clap2:

How about actually reading the reviews first? :) But yeah, too many reviewers still use high on dx10 in their benchmarks...

http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/images/articles/1215976304wcOJlico3z_5_1.gif

So 4870x2 > Gtx 280 in Crysis at high resolutions + AA

[Lfctony]

How about actually reading the reviews first? :) But yeah, too many reviewers still use high on dx10 in their benchmarks...

http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/images/articles/1215976304wcOJlico3z_5_1.gif

So 4870x2 > Gtx 280 in Crysis at high resolutions + AA

That test by HOCP is the exception to the rule, unfortunately... Not that I care really, I already have two GTXs in SLI...

[Riptide]

It's amazing that even with an X2 [H]'s benchmark would seem to indicate the game is still not really playable with a single setting on very high at 1920x1200. Even if you turn off all AA. Crysis taxes systems like nothing else. Wow.