With 480's Updated Drivers?

[Bee_Dee_3_Dee]

Originally Posted by Woodelf

Haven't they had enough time to work on drivers?

My guess is, as far as individual video games go, they have to get the Video Card(s) into production and on the store shelves first and working sort of generically. Everybody has their own favorite five or even ten games. But there's 100's of games total to be optimized. And they can't put the cart before the horse. The few people that engineer the card's Hardware and software can't say, stop! and let's make this or that game work better. Or else they would never get on the store shelves. (Or maybe that IS wat happened.)

So only now can drivers can be tweaked for individual games. But feedback from owners of the cards must be a big-time resource for them to tweak drivers. And we're still 12 days away from that.

[Gaco]

Originally Posted by Bee_Dee_3_Dee

I think u nailed it. I believe the Release Notes said something like, 30% improvement for Crysis:Warhead for those ppl using SLI.

So that's why you said,



Well I'll ignore that and stick with what u said after that,

Well in the original post you referred to the 480GTX, so that is what I answered to in that post. 480GTX performs a little better than 5870. Therefore I expect that 480GTX SLI to perform a 2*(a little bit better) than 5870 Crossfire or 5970. But that doesn't change the fact that there is a theoretical maximum of SLI/CF configs being 100% faster than a single card, and in practice it's more like 80% on mature drivers on average. Right now 480GTX SLI doesn't scale like that because it is beaten by 5850CF and 5970 when it should win every single time because one 480GTX beats everything else in the single-gpu department.

So you see, it doesn't really change my original opinion, that 480GTX base performance over 5970 (which I don't expect to change very much) isn't significant enough to justify the power drainage, temperatur and price and SLI isn't going to change that even when they optimize it to run as it should for a dual GPU solution

However I do see a big potential for the Fermi technology in terms of revisions and further development, and I am excited about the tesselation performance, so as mentioned I will be following Fermi refreshes with great interest
Then again it remains to be seen what ATi's next move is. They have certainly had the time to prepare for Fermi and they've been in a comfortable position for a while.

[Bee_Dee_3_Dee]

Originally Posted by Gaco

Well in the original post you referred to the 480GTX, so that is what I answered to in that post. 480GTX performs a little better than 5870. Therefore I expect that 480GTX SLI to perform a 2*(a little bit better) than 5870 Crossfire or 5970. But that doesn't change the fact that there is a theoretical maximum of SLI/CF configs being 100% faster than a single card, and in practice it's more like 80% on mature drivers on average. Right now 480GTX SLI doesn't scale like that because it is beaten by 5850CF and 5970 when it should win every single time because one 480GTX beats everything else.

So you see, it doesn't really change my original opinion, that 480GTX base performance over 5970 isn't significant enough for the power drainage, temperatur and price and SLI isn't going to change that even when they optimize it to run as it should for a dual GPU solution

No, my bad. I messed up and made you misinterpret it, Gaco. sry

The "SLI" was a reference to a single GTX295. (I wasn't commenting on GTX480 in SLI at all.) I thought you knew that a single GTX295 counted as SLI. sry. A lot of people at the time (including me) of the Release Notes to that first updated GTX295 driver asked if the SLI meant a single GTX295 and the answer was yes. I mistakenly presumed you new that. sry

As far as the, "480GTX base performance over 5970"?

That is why I started this thread. The 5970 has optimized drivers and I wanted opinions on what might happen within a few GTX480 driver updates, performance wise.

Even now, the percentage of increased performance of the GTX480 over the HD5970 is all the proof I need, that you (Gaco), have not settled for just reading just a couple of Benchmarks and you are mush less bias than many and very open to seeking facts and not just arguing and such.

What I mean is, some Benchmarks results lean towards the one card and others learn towards the opposite card. Yes, because they are close. But, that also brings up a big question. (Rhetorical of course.)

(The following is my rant and not a challenge to anyone.) If the HD5970 was so so so awesome and the King of Kings, then why when a few reputable and maybe maybe maybe absolutely correct Benchmarks, show the new GTX480 topping the HD5970, why does everybody jump on the, "But the Power this... and the Performance that... and the Price this and that.. Bandwagon?" (Rhetorical, no need to answer.)

If the GTX480 beats the HD5970 (or call it, crosses the finish line before the HD5970), and that is all the nVIDIA fans wanted; was it to beat the HD5870; and all the AMD fans wanted was for it not to beat the HD5870, let alone not come close to the HD5970; then Why not admit that in some Benchmarks and maybe maybe maybe fully scientifically proven correct, that the GTX480 beat the HD5070 by just a Hare in some and even more than just a Hare in others? It has beaten the HD5970 in some isn't enough? And with further updated drivers and with the HD5000 card's drivers optimized already, it is a victory but nobody sees it as one?(I'm not angry at all. I'm just seeking scientific answers rather than arguments fueled by people's egos.)

But the Power and Temperature numbers must be posted eventually. I'll try and get to it soon. Because sometimes words are not enough. I have to trust most people that say they have seen the figures and base their words on the figures. While at the same time others just say that they have when they have not looked at much at all. So that's why numbers are important.

When it comes to your comments about GTX480 in SLI:

480GTX base performance over 5970 isn't significant enough for the power drainage, temperatur and price and SLI isn't going to change that even when they optimize it to run as it should for a dual GPU solution

I won't disagree with that because of the misunderstanding that was my fault and that caused it to come up, and its true anyway. Just that there's no need to comment directly on it because of the reason, my fault, it came up.

But indirectly, you have to admit the Scalability of the GTX480 in SLI is unbelievable. (I'm referring to the FPS and excluding too much power wasted.) But yes, way too much power. The numbers are still amazing though. And with first generation drivers too?!!!

sry for the long post Gaco!

[Dogmifier]

Originally Posted by Fotis

Bee_Dee_3_Dee, if I were you I'd spend my money on a new i7 setup, keeping my GTX295 and in 6 months time buy Nvidias refresh part.Your Core 2 Duo will be pulling back the GTX480.

This is what I'd do, and I'm an NV fan. The i7's are beasts .....probably last you much longer than the Fermi will....I've had my i7 940 since it's launch....still haven't had the desire to upgrade, which is ....not me...Usually 6 months and I want to upgrade..it's been almost 1.5 years and I haven't felt the desire.

Edit: I want the Fermi's to become available already :P

[AngelGraves13]

The release 256 driver will be out in April, with availability of the cards.

[Bee_Dee_3_Dee]

Originally Posted by Dogmifier

This is what I'd do, and I'm an NV fan. The i7's are beasts .....probably last you much longer than the Fermi will....I've had my i7 940 since it's launch....still haven't had the desire to upgrade, which is ....not me...Usually 6 months and I want to upgrade..it's been almost 1.5 years and I haven't felt the desire.

Edit: I want the Fermi's to become available already :P

So u want a Fermi?

[Bee_Dee_3_Dee]

Originally Posted by AngelGraves13

The release 256 driver will be out in April, with availability of the cards.

Thanks AngelGraves!

I have the 119.713, what do u mean "256"?

Thanks again!

[Dogmifier]

Originally Posted by Bee_Dee_3_Dee

So u want a Fermi?

I do, but I have an i7 already ..heh

[Bee_Dee_3_Dee]

Originally Posted by Dogmifier

I do, but I have an i7 already ..heh

Lucky! I'll get one soon enough.But, for just as long as u have had an i7, i've had a GTX295! I've always said upgrade to best Video Card a couple of times before you upgrade the entire system.

[AngelGraves13]

Originally Posted by Bee_Dee_3_Dee

Thanks AngelGraves!

I have the 119.713, what do u mean "256"?

Thanks again!

http://www.nvidia.com/object/3D_Visi...echnology.html

Notice where it says...

"Support for NVIDIA 3D Vision Surround Technology on GeForce 400/200 Series GPUs requires NVIDIA Driver Release 256* or higher. (*Scheduled for April 2010)"

[Bee_Dee_3_Dee]

Originally Posted by AngelGraves13

http://www.nvidia.com/object/3D_Visi...echnology.html

Notice where it says...

"Support for NVIDIA 3D Vision Surround Technology on GeForce 400/200 Series GPUs requires NVIDIA Driver Release 256* or higher. (*Scheduled for April 2010)"

Cool. Do you think that means v125.60? And, what possible GTX480 performance increase would you, "guesstamate" the drivers might provide?

Because some people (existing AMD users... oh, and notice, i didn't say "fan") are saying that it would be wise to just, "hope for", anything over 15% and they think it would never be better.

30% would be awesome! Especially for say BC2, FC2, and Crysis to name just a few. And 20%-30% in many other games.

[nekrosoft13]

Originally Posted by Bee_Dee_3_Dee

Cool. Do you think that means v125.60? And, what possible GTX480 performance increase would you, "guesstamate" the drivers might provide?

Because some people (existing AMD users... oh, and notice, i didn't say "fan") are saying that it would be wise to just, "hope for", anything over 15% and they think it would never be better.

30% would be awesome! Especially for say BC2, FC2, and Crysis to name just a few. And 20%-30% in many other games.

no, they won't jump down from 197 to 125

new driver will be verison 256.xx, they probably picked the 256 to celebrate the old Geforce 256.