HD 4890 Round Up (Includes 700MHz GTX 275)

[Blacklash]

Some of you may find this interesting-

http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/hardware-canucks-reviews/18549-ati-radeon-hd-4890-roundup-asus-diamond-his-sapphire-xfx-2.html

It's one of the first articles I've seen that includes a 1GHz HD 4890 and a 700+ MHz GTX 275.

Anandtech has joined the fray with a GTX 275 OC article that includes an overclocked HD 4890-

http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3575&p=7

[Xion X2]

Good article, thanks.

[Heinz68]

+1

[Mr_LoL]

That HD 4890 is smoking crack. Its also £25 cheaper but Nvidia have better drivers. Hmmm.

[a12ctic]

That HD 4890 is smoking crack. Its also £25 cheaper but Nvidia have better drivers. Hmmm.

The driver is more of an issue of FUD than an actual point. I've had no problems with catalyst on Windows or Linux. Even more so if you aren't using SLI/CF.

[grey_1]

The driver is more of an issue of FUD than an actual point. I've had no problems with catalyst on Windows or Linux. Even more so if you aren't using SLI/CF.

I've had very few actual problems with their drivers, but I sure do miss profiles.

That said, that 4890 does look like a sweet little beast of a card. My 4870 still has some life left in it though. I'm looking forward to an upgrade when the next batch of hardware is rolled out.

[Heinz68]

I've had very few actual problems with their drivers, but I sure do miss profiles.

That said, that 4890 does look like a sweet little beast of a card. My 4870 still has some life left in it though. I'm looking forward to an upgrade when the next batch of hardware is rolled out.
The ATI drivers are no problem but with so many NVIDIA fanboys repeating what a crap the drivers are, most not having any ATI cards for long time it's hard for ATI to shake that stigma.

Now are the drivers perfect sure they're not same as NVIDIA drivers are not, one only needs to read the NVIDIA drivers forum. If the drivers by either site were perfect there would not be need for all the upgrades, most time with long list of fixes.

Another wrong info is that the ATI drivers has not profiles. The profiles can be easy set in ATI CCC, the main difference is that they don't start automatically with the games but need to be applied in CCC or the ATI tray icon before starting the game or starting the profile can be programed to start the actual game.

[grey_1]

The ATI drivers are no problem but with so many NVIDIA fanboys repeating what a crap the drivers are, most not having any ATI cards for long time it's hard for ATI to shake that stigma.

Now are the drivers perfect sure they're not same as NVIDIA drivers are not, one only needs to read the NVIDIA drivers forum. If the drivers by either site were perfect there would not be need for all the upgrades, most time with long list of fixes.

Another wrong info is that the ATI drivers has not profiles. The profiles can be easy set in ATI CCC, the main difference is that they don't start automatically with the games but need to be applied in CCC or the ATI tray icon before starting the game or starting the profile can be programed to start the actual game.

This.

It's not a huge hassle though.

I would still like to have a 275 for side to side comparisons on IQ. Not so much a fps junkie here as I just want them to look good as possible.

[Xion X2]

Nvidia drivers aren't "perfect," but they're better than ATI's.. especially when it comes to multi-GPU.

Nine months ago I had a nice Crossfire system. First with 2 4870s and then two 4870X2s. Worked really well most of the time. Rarely did I ever see a title that did not scale. I took a break and came back with two 4890s, and nothing works. Same platform, same operating system.. but Crossfire scaling is terrible.

So yes, there are some problems with ATI's drivers. Take it from someone who's been banging their head against the wall all weekend long trying to get Crossfire to scale like it should be in several games that worked just fine before but don't with the new Cat 9.5. ATI appears to be dropping Crossfire support for several titles without any explanation as to why. Meanwhile, those of us who have invested more money in hardware for Crossfire are left out in the cold.

Heinz, when people mention "profiles," they're not talking about what you think they are (saving graphics settings.) They're talking about the ability to set rendering settings for multi-GPU like you can with SLI. ATI does not allow that same ability with Crossfire (it's simply a checked box with no options), and so if a title doesn't scale in Crossfire (like I've found Oblivion and Fallout 3 don't over this past weekend,) then you're screwed. There's nothing you can do until they decide to fix it. SLI is more opened up and will allow you to play with settings to get multi-GPU working.

I have given up on ATI this round. The 4890, in my opinion, may just be the fastest card on the market. It's a very fast card. But if I can't get Crossfire working then these cards are useless to me, because I have a 42" 1080p that I need lots of AA on, and one card doesn't cut it at my res and settings.

So, SLI it is. Goodbye ATI and your *&$! Crossfire drivers. You brought the hardware but not the software.

[nekrosoft13]

Another wrong info is that the ATI drivers has not profiles. The profiles can be easy set in ATI CCC, the main difference is that they don't start automatically with the games but need to be applied in CCC or the ATI tray icon before starting the game or starting the profile can be programed to start the actual game.

and that makes ati approach completely useless

[crainger]

ATi's weak point is and probably always will be their drivers. They seem to be doing ok with fast cheap hardware, but as we see with Xion why bother if you can't actually make use of what you have.

[Blacklash]

Fastest single GPU on the market is likely the EVGA 285 FTW. It's going to cost you though.

[Johnny C]

and that makes ati approach completely useless

I agree, however Nvidia's in house approach is complete trash as well. Except for 1 thing.....nHancer. The profile page in the actual control panel is frackin terrible and we all know it. With nHancer (third part software) nvidia profiles become a breeze to manipulate, without it...well let's not discuss that.

ATi does really need to invest in a better driver team.

[Heinz68]

and that makes ati approach completely useless
being different than NVIDiA profile setting doesn't make it COMPLETELY useless, just try it before you say so.
All the ATI CCC settings and options can be set in the profiles, which is plenty and not useless.

[Heinz68]

@ xion
There are large numbers of your post on this forum about ATI drivers working great. Anybody can check your posting history.

Actualy one of the reason I was not afraid to buy the 4870x2 was the many post of yours how great crossfire works. LoardJuanlo posts of many games benchmarks also helped with my desicion.

There are also thousands of reviews running the ATI cards without any problems as we can see even in this thread OP.

I have 37 inch monitor and the drivers work OK. Surely the drivers did not all of a sudden turn from great to garbage as you would like as to believe.

So is this a case of only what you have in your signature is great everything else sucks, I would expect that more from some teen or did you join the NVIDIA shill team without disclosing such.

[Xion X2]

@ xion
There are large numbers of your post on this forum about ATI drivers working great. Anybody can check your posting history...


Heinz, can you read?

Nine months ago I had a nice Crossfire system. First with 2 4870s and then two 4870X2s. Worked really well most of the time. Rarely did I ever see a title that did not scale. I took a break and came back with two 4890s, and nothing works. Same platform, same operating system.. but Crossfire scaling is terrible.

They worked fine 9 months ago. They don't now. I think that's fairly straight-forward.

There are also thousands of reviews running the ATI cards without any problems as we can see even in this thread OP.

"Thousands" huh? Interesting. Yet I can't find a single one that tests the 4890 in Crossfire. Can you link me to one?

Surely the drivers did not all of a sudden turn from great to garbage as you would like as to believe...

.did you join the NVIDIA shill team without disclosing such

I go by what I see. And what I see is crap.

I'm sure Crossfire works fine for a lot of folks.. even people w/ 4890s. For me, they didn't. This isn't coming from an Nvidia "shill" you presumptuous little *#$! this is coming from someone who's grown up an ATI fan and sacrificed his entire weekend to try and get Crossfire working so that he didn't have to switch sides again, because in the end this will cause me to do a complete overhaul on my system (X58) since I have no confidence in Nvidia's chipsets.

I'm going to shoot from the hip right now and say that you're a blind fanboy. And the reason I say this is because you assume an individual who has a history of using ATI products is now an "Nvidia shill" just because he experiences technical issues w/ his ATI setup and isn't afraid to voice it out of frustration. If it isn't voiced, then it will never be fixed. It's ok to be a fan of a particular company, but that company should still be held to the same standards as everyone else. I gave them my money, and I expect a return on my investment. Simple as that. If I'm not getting it, I'll not think twice about looking elsewhere.

[saturnotaku]

All the ATI CCC settings and options can be set in the profiles, which is plenty and not useless.

They weren't talking about settings such as AA and AF. This is what they're talking about, bolded and in larger font so you won't miss it.

Heinz, when people mention "profiles," they're not talking about what you think they are (saving graphics settings.) They're talking about the ability to set rendering settings for multi-GPU like you can with SLI. ATI does not allow that same ability with Crossfire (it's simply a checked box with no options), and so if a title doesn't scale in Crossfire (like I've found Oblivion and Fallout 3 don't over this past weekend,) then you're screwed. There's nothing you can do until they decide to fix it. SLI is more opened up and will allow you to play with settings to get multi-GPU working.

[Blacklash]

ATi have moved almost exclusively to using one form of AFR, haven't they?

I know in the X1900 days they had different types and since then I think they got rid of approaches like supertiling and scissor.

[nekrosoft13]

They weren't talking about settings such as AA and AF. This is what they're talking about, bolded and in larger font so you won't miss it.

[/b][/size]

well not everyone, i use profiles for custom settings per game, just set it and forget it, driver detects the game running and switches automatically.

for older games i use SuperSampling AA almost exclusively, another thing that ati doesn't support.

[Heinz68]

They weren't talking about settings such as AA and AF. This is what they're talking about, bolded and in larger font so you won't miss it.

[/b][/size]
If you notice my reply was about "necrosoft13" posting the "ati approach completely useless", that was what he was talking about, which definitely is not the case. No need for me for me to bold it, it's right there for you to read.
Anyway, hope I'm not wrong but the enhancer you're trying to point out I believe is third party application, nothing to do with the drivers.

[Heinz68]

Heinz, can you read?

"Thousands" huh? Interesting. Yet I can't find a single one that tests the 4890 in Crossfire. Can you link me to one?.
Yes I can read and I can ask you the same questions.

There are 4890 Crossfire reviews I remember reading few, sure there are not thousand of them since the card is not so long on the market.

Since you ask for one here it is (http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=1973976&postcount=11), right in this forum, I do remember that one since I used it for one of the reply in that thread.
Anyway you also said having problem with single card and that definitely has many reviews, including this thread OP.

The reason I question whether you have become one of the NVIDIA shill, are statements of yours in couple post like this:
"Crossfire scaling is terrible", " ATI drivers are SUCKS", "what I see is crap", "They are absolutely terrible", "right now their drivers SUCK and are the worst I've seen in 5+ years of PC gaming" and strangely none of the reviewer was able to notice that, neither did I.

I usually expect posts like that from some of the NVIDIA shills and look at such posts as trolls especially in this "Other Desktop Graphics Cards" forum, even more so if the thread has nothing to do with the subject.

Now about me being "blind fanboy", I'm sure not blind and I'm very very old to be called boy.
Few times I already did say that I cheer for the underdog ATI, mainly because we all know where NVIDIA monopoly will get us.

I do buy products from both companies which ever is the best top performance deal at the time. What ever is in my signature doesn't make any difference. For example I have the Intel CPU but cheer big time for the AMD. The same was before AMD bought ATI.

Lastly I know that few so called NVIDIA enthusiast have a big problem to read anything even slightly positive about the ATI product therefore I post mainly in this ""Other Desktop Graphics Cards".

This is my last reply on this topic. I do not enjoy long endless argument where there is never a winner on the end.

[nekrosoft13]

If you notice my reply was about "necrosoft13" posting the "ati approach completely useless", that was what he was talking about, which definitely is not the case. No need for me for me to bold it, it's right there for you to read.
Anyway, hope I'm not wrong but the enhancer you're trying to point out I believe is third party application, nothing to do with the drivers.

every post you make you just proof how little you know about the subject at hand. nhancer is only an editor for profiles that are part of the driver. nhancer doesn't have any profiles.

it just makes it easier to edit profiles that nvidia made available to all users, and there is a profile for almost every single game.

[Xion X2]

This is my last reply on this topic. I do not enjoy long endless argument where there is never a winner on the end.

Good. Then keep your mouth shut next time instead of making ignorant accusations at people.

If you see me saying "ATI drivers are crap" then it doesn't equate to me being an "Nvidia shill." It's a result of me wasting an entire weekend fooling with Crossfire and now being pissed off about it.

You like to twist things around because of your hypersensitivity to everything critical said about ATI. That's your problem, not mine.

[Heinz68]

every post you make you just proof how little you know about the subject at hand. nhancer is only an editor for profiles that are part of the driver. nhancer doesn't have any profiles.

it just makes it easier to edit profiles that nvidia made available to all users, and there is a profile for almost every single game.
I did say, "hope I'm not wrong", my reply was mainly about your statement that the ATI profiles are COMPLETELY useless which is not the case.

Before my first dual GPU card I never did use any profiles, I simply used the max in game settings whether I had NVIDIA or ATI card. Most times I even disabled the NV CP or ATI CCC from start ups.

Now since I have the 4870 X2 I need to disable crossfire on some very old games and for that I use the profiles.
I also use the profiles for in game fan speed setting and idle one, I also use the profiles for over clock. Thats all.

Before somebody jumps on this and say aha ATI Crossfire doesn't work on old games, let me say this, on the ones it doesn't there is no need for it.

For example Steam had recently almost giveaway sale the Half-Life 2 including the six expansions and the Crossfire worked there, most likely not even needed.

Another old game i did buy at Steam was The Longest Journey it was on sale for less than $5. No Crossfire there but it definitely was not needed so I just did set in profile.

[Heinz68]

Good. Then keep your mouth shut next time instead of making ignorant accusations at people.

If you see me saying "ATI drivers are crap" then it doesn't equate to me being an "Nvidia shill." It's a result of me wasting an entire weekend fooling with Crossfire and now being pissed off about it.

You like to twist things around because of your hypersensitivity to everything critical said about ATI. That's your problem, not mine.
I did promise it was my last post on the subject but since you're telling me to shut up I changed my mind.

I'm not hypersensitive about anything critical said about ATI and if they deserve it why should they be not criticized.

The reason I did question if you did all of sudden become NV shill is the statements like this: "Crossfire scaling is terrible", " ATI drivers are SUCKS", "what I see is crap", "They are absolutely terrible", "right now their drivers SUCK and are the worst I've seen in 5+ years of PC gaming"

All the above based on TWO games other people might not have problem with, personally I have not this games installed right now but I might check them out. There is not so much architectural difference between 4870 and 4890.

Anyway exaggerated quotes like the above usually come from some of the NV shills. I do also look on such quotes as trolls even more so in this "Other Desktop Graphics Cards" or when they are completely of from the thread OP.

The above quotes were not from one post so I did also wonder a little how many more simplistic statements like the above we will see.

Most of us know that the GTX275 is great card but we also know that the ATI drivers are not CRAP at least not compared to NV drivers.