4870 question...

[Koko56]

I recall seeing that the 4870 has some... micro stutter issues? One this forum actually, something to do with S:CS IRC...

Can you people tell me if there is or ever has been any micro stuttering with the 4870 whatsoever?


:o

EDIT - just to make it clear, not the 4870 X2, but the single card - 4870 512MB in this case. :p

[Sazar]

Granted I have only been using it for a couple of days now but I haven't seen any issues in the following games I have played.

Crysis
Crysis Warhead
Team Fortress 2
Left 4 Dead
Call of Duty 4
Assasin's Creed
Fallout 3
Bioshock

I am comparing the performance to my 8800GTS but I have not noticed any jitters or stutters during game-play.

[Koko56]

Granted I have only been using it for a couple of days now but I haven't seen any issues in the following games I have played.

Crysis
Crysis Warhead
Team Fortress 2
Left 4 Dead
Call of Duty 4
Assasin's Creed
Fallout 3
Bioshock

I am comparing the performance to my 8800GTS but I have not noticed any jitters or stutters during game-play.
Thanks.

I'm looking at the 4870 512MB as the price is quite good - £150 and the performance appears similar to the 260GTX, at least to the 260 192 core...

[Tho Jo Smale]

I had a 512mb version.....it stuttered alot in Crysis....I returned it for a 1gb model.....which does not stutter at all.

I figure the 512mb card just didn't have enough vram when combined with vista and only 2gb of system memory.

Something to keep in mind when making your purchase.......


I would only consider the 1gb version if I planned on gaming.


JC

[Koko56]

I had a 512mb version.....it stuttered alot in Crysis....I returned it for a 1gb model.....which does not stutter at all.

I figure the 512mb card just didn't have enough vram when combined with vista and only 2gb of system memory.

Something to keep in mind when making your purchase.......


I would only consider the 1gb version if I planned on gaming.


JC

What resolution do you play at though? Also, if I was to go for the 4870 1GB version, it might as well be a 260 GTX 216.

[Tho Jo Smale]

What resolution do you play at though? Also, if I was to go for the 4870 1GB version, it might as well be a 260 GTX 216.

I game @ 16*10 with AA if the card will handle it.


Honestly.....I would buy the core 216, since the major boost nv cards got from drivers a couple months ago....I'd buy an evga 260 core 216


I got my 4870 before the big driver release.



JC

[Koko56]

I game @ 16*10 with AA if the card will handle it.


Honestly.....I would buy the core 216, since the major boost nv cards got from drivers a couple months ago....I'd buy an evga 260 core 216


I got my 4870 before the big driver release.



JC

Hmmm...

Well, as the prices go, the 4870 512MB can be had for about £150 whereas the 260GTX 216 would be about £190. The budget is already pretty high for the build. Does not seem like a massive difference to be honest, but as I said - the budget is being pushed.

The 260GTX 216 can be included, but it looks like the Q8300 will have to trade places with an E8400. Since the most demanding game on the system, is likely to be the upcoming Empire: Total War, I have a suspicion that the quad core processor would benefit the game more than a faster GPU.

I'm just making an "educated" guess here though... as the Total War games have quite a lot of AI stuff during the battles as well as the "end of turn" thing, where the AI is presumably assessing the situation and makes decisions.

[Tho Jo Smale]

Hmmm...

Well, as the prices go, the 4870 512MB can be had for about £150 whereas the 260GTX 216 would be about £190. The budget is already pretty high for the build. Does not seem like a massive difference to be honest, but as I said - the budget is being pushed.

The 260GTX 216 can be included, but it looks like the Q8300 will have to trade places with an E8400. Since the most demanding game on the system, is likely to be the upcoming Empire: Total War, I have a suspicion that the quad core processor would benefit the game more than a faster GPU.

I'm just making an "educated" guess here though... as the Total War games have quite a lot of AI stuff during the battles as well as the "end of turn" thing, where the AI is presumably assessing the situation and makes decisions.


Go with the faster processor.....they have a better shelf life......you'll want to upgrade the gpu next year anyhow...and the 512mb will be plenty fast....and they do overclock like mad.

Are you going with 4gb system ram? If so I think that either of the 4870's will be plenty fast. Please remember that my issues with the 512mb were mostly because of Crysis using up my 2gb of system ram.


JC

[Koko56]

Go with the faster processor.....they have a better shelf life......you'll want to upgrade the gpu next year anyhow...and the 512mb will be plenty fast....and they do overclock like mad.

Are you going with 4gb system ram? If so I think that either of the 4870's will be plenty fast. Please remember that my issues with the 512mb were mostly because of Crysis using up my 2gb of system ram.


JC

I see, and yeah - 4GB is the plan.

As far as upgrading goes, that's not too certain - but you never know... It's being built for another person, so if they decide to upgrade, then be so! :p Saying that the 4870 should serve nicely!

Thanks for the info guys! :)

[Sazar]

What resolution do you play at though? Also, if I was to go for the 4870 1GB version, it might as well be a 260 GTX 216.

I have been playing Crysis @ 1680x1050 at the highest settings and 4x AA. Plays pretty smooth.

[Koko56]

I have been playing Crysis @ 1680x1050 at the highest settings and 4x AA. Plays pretty smooth.

:afraid:


Bloody hell, that is very nice!

[Tho Jo Smale]

I have been playing Crysis @ 1680x1050 at the highest settings and 4x AA. Plays pretty smooth.

I was also able to play @ 1680*1050 with 2xAA, I'm also running the dx9 CCC config on Ultra high (level 5 I think) and was still able to apply AA. Good card....I'm going to try out those new 9.2 drivers and see if Juanlo is right about them.



JC

[Sazar]

I was also able to play @ 1680*1050 with 2xAA, I'm also running the dx9 CCC config on Ultra high (level 5 I think) and was still able to apply AA. Good card....I'm going to try out those new 9.2 drivers and see if Juanlo is right about them.



JC

I am dling that right now :)

[Koko56]

I think I must say that you guys have excited me a bit! :p

[Tho Jo Smale]

Yeah I think the 512mb card overclocked.....will run the level 4 in CCC pretty well with maybe 2xAA...those 512mb cards really overclock well, I had a standard HIS 512mb and it did 790 core (which is as high as it goes in Cat. Con. center) and it did 1100 (4400 effective, since it's quad pumped) on the memory no problems....

I was acutally disappointed when I got the 1Gb card.....the core still does 790 but as the memory is not the same ic's installed on the 512mb card. Unfortunately it will only do about 990 max (I run @ 975 which gives me 3900 effective)

If and when you get the rig together..... please run some tests and let us know how it handles games.


best of luck,


JC

[a12ctic]

Yeah I think the 512mb card overclocked.....will run the level 4 in CCC pretty well with maybe 2xAA...those 512mb cards really overclock well, I had a standard HIS 512mb and it did 790 core (which is as high as it goes in Cat. Con. center) and it did 1100 (4400 effective, since it's quad pumped) on the memory no problems....

I was acutally disappointed when I got the 1Gb card.....the core still does 790 but as the memory is not the same ic's installed on the 512mb card. Unfortunately it will only do about 990 max (I run @ 975 which gives me 3900 effective)

If and when you get the rig together..... please run some tests and let us know how it handles games.


best of luck,


JC

All the 48x0 series cards overclock like hell.

My 4830 got autoclocked to 700/1190 (I clocked down the memory to 1100) from 575/900, its not even going past 60C on full load.

[Riptide]

I had a standard HIS 512mb and it did 790 core (which is as high as it goes in Cat. Con. center) and it did 1100 (4400 effective, since it's quad pumped) on the memory no problems....Mine didn't.

I used CCC, same card, and it said it would do 790/1100 just fine. I used the auto-tune and that is what it found for clocks. Set the fan speed at 50% as well to keep the temps down.

Most things worked fine but Crysis always crashed back to the desktop and freaked out in the beginning where you jump out of the plane and parachute in. Shut off the overclock and it was fine.

So no. Not "all" 4870 overclock "like crazy". Certainly not right out of the box anyway.

[Koko56]

Certainly not right out of the box anyway.

You mean stock cooling?

Yeah, the 260 55nm overclock really well too - awesome! :D

[Tho Jo Smale]

All the 48x0 series cards overclock like hell.

My 4830 got autoclocked to 700/1190 (I clocked down the memory to 1100) from 575/900, its not even going past 60C on full load.

Yeah I'm using the stock HSF @ 36% which is still pretty quiet. Highest temps during ATI artifact scan for about 2 hrs......was 58'C which is cool as a cucumber for these cards.



JC

[Riptide]

You mean stock cooling?Yep.

Jo Smale has the same card. Same cooler. His works. Mine - not so much. Crysis crashes on me with the same o/c he is using. And even with a higher (50%) fan speed.

[Koko56]

Yeah I'm using the stock HSF @ 36% which is still pretty quiet. Highest temps during ATI artifact scan for about 2 hrs......was 58'C which is cool as a cucumber for these cards.



JC
Wow - that is very, very impressive, compared to the 8800GTX I have anyway.
Yep.

Jo Smale has the same card. Same cooler. His works. Mine - not so much. Crysis crashes on me with the same o/c he is using. And even with a higher (50%) fan speed.
Well, variations are bound to be, case ventilation plays a pretty big role though! :D

[Tho Jo Smale]

Wow - that is very, very impressive, compared to the 8800GTX I have anyway.

Well, variations are bound to be, case ventilation plays a pretty big role though! :D

Yeah I have excellent case ventilation 2 120mm in and 3 80mm out.....plus the 120mm in the PSU.

My 8800GTX Idled around 41'C and maxed out @ 72'C if I recall correctly.

[Koko56]

Yeah I have excellent case ventilation 2 120mm in and 3 80mm out.....plus the 120mm in the PSU.

My 8800GTX Idled around 41'C and maxed out @ 72'C if I recall correctly.

Ah, now I see!

My 8800GTX idles about high 60s and goes to about mid 80s under load.

Fan is at 60%/100% Used to idle at 57 with the fan at 60% though... go figure. :p Did try to clean the dust out, but there did not actually seem to be any.

[Tho Jo Smale]

Ah, now I see!

My 8800GTX idles about high 60s and goes to about mid 80s under load.

Fan is at 60%/100% Used to idle at 57 with the fan at 60% though... go figure. :p Did try to clean the dust out, but there did not actually seem to be any.

Actually, I remembered that I also have a 120mm cross flow fan rigged to blow cold intake air directly into the intakes on my graphics cards. I rigged it up way back when I had Quad SLi with the 7950GX2's. So the lower cavity with my 4870 and the Xfi......always has a fresh supply of outside ambient air. The Zalman 9700 relies on the blow hole 80mm, 2 rear exit 80mm and the 120 mm from the PSU.....

My 9850 is overclocked to 3.0ghz (which is a fantastic overclock) and max loads up around 46'C. I'd be running the CPU faster if it wasn't for the chip basically hitting the point of diminishing returns. 1.325vcore for 3.0ghz and it needs 1.425 to hit 3.2ghz prime stable.

So the morale of the story being.....get some good ventilation, then overclock the crap outta everything.

Again, make the CPU the priority......it's easier to do a GPU upgrade in the future.

Best of luck,

JC

[Koko56]

Actually, I remembered that I also have a 120mm cross flow fan rigged to blow cold intake air directly into the intakes on my graphics cards. I rigged it up way back when I had Quad SLi with the 7950GX2's. So the lower cavity with my 4870 and the Xfi......always has a fresh supply of outside ambient air. The Zalman 9700 relies on the blow hole 80mm, 2 rear exit 80mm and the 120 mm from the PSU.....

My 9850 is overclocked to 3.0ghz (which is a fantastic overclock) and max loads up around 46'C. I'd be running the CPU faster if it wasn't for the chip basically hitting the point of diminishing returns. 1.325vcore for 3.0ghz and it needs 1.425 to hit 3.2ghz prime stable.

So the morale of the story being.....get some good ventilation, then overclock the crap outta everything.

Again, make the CPU the priority......it's easier to do a GPU upgrade in the future.

Best of luck,

JC

Oh... now the tides have turned...

It's looking like a 260 GTX with an E8400. :/

I lean towards more cores(4) , though really the extra heat and the low multiplier on the Q8300 make the E8400 suit this situation more.

2 vs4 cores argument ehhh? :p