3870 x2 release today

Agh.. SLI, Glide, and Quake.. on 24MB RAM. My, how times have changed, yet fanboi's reign eternal. :)
 
Finally the wait is over, a no BS vid-card from Ati! I would like to buy one but my g92 gts is running great.

I'm sure NV will counter within the next few months though.
 
HyperTension said:
Agh.. SLI, Glide, and Quake.. on 24MB RAM. My, how times have changed, yet fanboi's reign eternal. :)
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I'm damn proud of it. You know you're a fanboy when:
4 1/2 years ago you laugh at the much-better AMD64 procs and buy a 900 dollar 3.2 ghz P4 Northwood and a 5900 Ultra Golden Sample by gainward that costed 950.

Grand total? 1900 for 2 things. LONG LIVE NVIDIA
 
McCartney said:
I'm damn proud of it. You know you're a fanboy when:
4 1/2 years ago you laugh at the much-better AMD64 procs and buy a 900 dollar 3.2 ghz P4 Northwood and a 5900 Ultra Golden Sample by gainward that costed 950.

Grand total? 1900 for 2 things. LONG LIVE NVIDIA
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wow...must be nice to blow a house payment on 2 pieces of hardware....in the meantime, you can keep your cardboard box all nice and toasty warm...:rolleyes:
 
McCartney said:
I'm damn proud of it. You know you're a fanboy when:
4 1/2 years ago you laugh at the much-better AMD64 procs and buy a 900 dollar 3.2 ghz P4 Northwood and a 5900 Ultra Golden Sample by gainward that costed 950.

Grand total? 1900 for 2 things. LONG LIVE NVIDIA
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Nice to know you have your priorities in life all set.
 
I do. I am doing just fine. I don't live in a Basement like most atypical fanboys, Trust me when I say I'll turn out okay
 
McCartney said:
Yup, I refused to buy a fluke. Call me crazy but I didn't believe that after nVidia made a card that did well on every benchmark and was called a fraud by Futuremark (Cheaters to be exact) because it spanked the 9700 with superior hardware that I could buy a fluke.

edit: it is very loud to say the least
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Your fanboyism is sickening. Is true that part of the 9700PRO architecture came from another company, but it was much faster and better than the DX8 forced to DX9 GeForce FX of that day, yeah, the GeForce FX primarily design was DX8 complaincy, it had such low amount of register and small caches etc that simply made the FX tank when DX9 pixel shaders were used. Then nVidia released the GeForce 6 series, which runs like ass when HDR or Dynamic Branching is used, and ATi released the rehashed R300 known as the Radeon X800XT, which proved at the end that performance matters more than feature set, still even be able to run games like Crysis, Gears of War, Timeshift, Call of Duty 4 far more faster than any lousy GeForce 6 series of cards. The GeForce 6 and GeForce 7 has the worst SM 3.0 implementation. A fully and efficient SM 3.0 compliant card will benefit of the dynamic branching capabilities of it, and the GeForce 6 tanks in the deeps of the sea when it is used, and the GeForce 7 also loose quite a lot of performance when it's supposed to gain performance, it just defeat it's good purpose. The Radeon X1800XT had a much elegant design and was able to beat the 7800GTX 256 and nVidia with it's desesperation to get the performance crown released the 7800GTX 512 which was almost imposible to find, and since it pushed the 110nm process to it's limit, tended to die quite fast. The 7900GTX was a nice card, but still, loose against the more advanced X1950XTX, and every time that a brand new game is released, the 7900GTX performs slower and slower, in current games, even the X1950PRO is able to outpeform it soundly. So because of the competition, we keep getting better cards, otherwise, we would still be using old ass rehashes of GeForce FX or Radeon 9700 cards
 
Dan_D said:
Whatever. Three 8800GTX's in SLI beat out a single 3870 X2 by a healthy margin. Yet I still feel the need for more performance in some games. People who say that no one needs this stuff and nothing will take advantage of these cards or push them has never run modern games on a 30" monitor at native resolution.
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3 8800 GTX Sli will prob beat two of these cards lol. Like i contented with you before I really think 2 8800 Ultras in SLI would beat or be on par on most games with 2- 3870X2s.

http://209.85.135.104/translate_c?h...ttp://www.pcpop.com/doc/0/266/266637_12.shtml
 
There is no doubt that the 3870 X2 is an impressive performer. However, any argument that can sprout up can always be given the same answer. Does it outperform the 8800 Ultra? According to the benchmarks floating around, indeed it does. With that said, it took ATI 2 GPU's on a single PCB to do it. In enthusiast terms, that's not very impressive at all. Especially seeing how the G80 is over an year old now. That's how I look at it anyways. I want ATI to release a true single GPU solution that can beat out the GTX/Ultra. Then I'll be impressed with them once again. Looks like that is not going to happen.

The fact still remains that this is one fast card. At an excellent price as well. It will indeed open the eye's over at Nvidia. I am convinced though that the 9800GX will be no pushover as well. Another Dual GPU's solution none the less. So not really an impressive feat as well.

-DarkLegacy
 
It's 2 midrange ATI GPUs beating a single high end Nvidia GPU. It doesn't really matter how it's done. Only the results matter. I have a 8800GT. I would love to get a 3870x2, but I got a IP35PRO. I would be upgrading a lot more if they stopped changing interfaces. Even my PS is 2 x 6pin PCIe. Soon it's going to be 10pin PCIe and PCIe3.0. I'm not going to buy a new mobo just to upgrade a video card.
 
It doesn't matter how a card comes to beat out its' competition. I don't know why people keep saying that using two GPUs on one card to beat the 8800Ultra isn't impressive. I don't think that matters. Sure it isn't an elegant approach but who gives a damn if it delivers while beating the competition's product and doing so at a lower price point?
 
Dan, what your saying is true across the board, only if this card suffers no ill effects when it comes to games that usually don't play nice with multi-gpu's. If it proves to behave just like a single gpu in that respect, I think ATI will deservedly have a big success with this card.

Other than that, I'm also quite eager to see if the this card really requires PCI-E 2.0 to get full performance. That Chinese graphic seems to say that it does.
 
I agree with that, imo it doesnt matter. However what "irks" me is the fact that there are "two" and "two" complicate things internally with drivers.
 
SLI and Crossfire seem to have this bad reputation for not working with all games but since I've used nothing but dual GPU setups from ATI and NVIDIA since they hit the market I'm calling bullshit on that. It simply isn't true. It is however true that sometimes driver updates need to be released before a game works right with a multi-GPU setup, but those drivers are released now by both companies almost like clock work. So again that isn't a concern that has much validity in my opinion.

Crysis is the exception, not the rule.
 
well, I personally like the options available to us now. In my possession I have a variety of motherboards with the top two honors going to my trusty 680i and ASUS P5W mobo's. Now I see a reason to go back (not in technology) to my previous board (ASUS) for the new 3870 card. Also, the fact my ASUS board can run the newer processors makes the switch even more enticing.

I guess my point is that this new card is a win win for everyone. It drives the technological barrier forward while forcing prices downward. Even if you don't buy this card, you'll benefit.
 
Dan_D said:
SLI and Crossfire seem to have this bad reputation for not working with all games but since I've used nothing but dual GPU setups from ATI and NVIDIA since they hit the market I'm calling bullshit on that. It simply isn't true. It is however true that sometimes driver updates need to be released before a game works right with a multi-GPU setup, but those drivers are released now by both companies almost like clock work. So again that isn't a concern that has much validity in my opinion.

Crysis is the exception, not the rule.
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This problem isn't so much that the technology doesn't work, but it can be very temperamental. And with the current state of GPU’s and games, you really need a 30” monitor for real benefit IMHO.

Looking at the early reviews of the 3870X2, its performance is all over the place. It trounces the 8800 Ultra sometimes, and sometimes not. Now most of this is driver related no doubt, so hopefully this will work itself out. I’d love to upgrade my 8800 Ultra for the sake of Crysis.
 
Cablespider said:
Why would a IP35 stop you from getting a 3870x2?
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Initial test results showing PCIe1.1 is a bottleneck. :(

I'm hoping that turns out to be not true.

I forgot to add to my previous post. So the same ppl that don't like the dual GPU approach, probably don't like the dual core/quad core CPUs out now? Parallel processing is where it's at. I wish Nvidia started doing the dual GPU thing instead of joining two boards.
 
DaNotoriousDOM said:
So the same ppl that don't like the dual GPU approach, probably don't like the dual core/quad core CPUs out now?
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Two very different things you're putting in the same category there. My dual core doesn't require special drivers to get full performance in games.
 
Rock&Roll said:
Two very different things you're putting in the same category there. My dual core doesn't require special drivers to get full performance in games.
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True but games have to be coded to take multiple cores into consideration and use them. If the game has no multi core support then one core (or three in the case of quad) isn't going to be used. Not exactly the same as "special drivers" but sort of similar.
 
heatlesssun said:
This problem isn't so much that the technology doesn't work, but it can be very temperamental. And with the current state of GPU’s and games, you really need a 30” monitor for real benefit IMHO.

Looking at the early reviews of the 3870X2, its performance is all over the place. It trounces the 8800 Ultra sometimes, and sometimes not. Now most of this is driver related no doubt, so hopefully this will work itself out. I’d love to upgrade my 8800 Ultra for the sake of Crysis.
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SLI and Crossfire are FAR from tempermental. I've never had any major issues with multi-GPU setups. I've owned and worked with most high end GPU combinations without any problems in games or even drops in performance. Aside from Crysis driver updates have always been able to give me the most out of my GPUs.

The reason why the 3870X2's performance is all over the place probably has to do with how GPU scaling works in some games. Not every frame or every situation within a given game will be ideal for a multi-GPU configuration. As for needing a 30" monitor to really take advantage of multi-GPU configurations I'd have to agree.
 
Retailing at 450 dollars, and with the new drivers coming out shortly, this card looks very promising. Those that are still saying 8800 Ultras are better...are you even looking at the prices here? The ultra is nearly 200 dollars more, and no, it doesn't outperform the 3870 X2 in everything.

I'm just curious as to how the 9800 X2's performance will be in comparison (I believe it comes out in the next couple weeks)

Price/Performance ratio is what I'm after, and I'm undecided which I'm going to buy yet. The end of February will shed light on the true winner of this first X2 battle.

We shall see.

Oh, and LOL @ the dude that is angry because people aren't loyal to a fucking graphics card manufacturer. LMAO. Not everyone cares about the history of a computer graphics company, or the contributions, if any, that they've shared. For some it's just about performance on their fucking computer -- who gives a shit who really contributed? Furthermore, your analogy to individual bands and inventors is feeble at best -- these companies are NOT individual entities. You can't just say X company has accomplished Y. That makes absolutely no sense considering a company is comprised of SEPERATE entities, humans that are not all on the same track alot of the time. I give credit where it's due, for individuals. You can't just clump everyone that works at a company and say that they've all done a great accomplishment. There could be much more affiliation between the two companies than you're even aware of, and yet, you mindlessly preach about the ungratefulness of a concept you seem to be putting little thought into.

Does the ad hominem fallacy really have to be applied to even fucking hardware, to the point that we won't buy based on a perceived companies merits/ contributions? If the card is good, it's good, simple as that!

LOL
 
One thing that really ticks me off is the Nvidia fanboys calling the 3870 card a midrange card. I call that BS. The 3870 beats the 8800gt in some games for benchmarks, and isn't slow one bit.
 
tc17 said:
One thing that really ticks me off is the Nvidia fanboys calling the 3870 card a midrange card. I call that BS. The 3870 beats the 8800gt in some games for benchmarks, and isn't slow one bit.
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The 8800gt is a midrange card and while the 3870 might beat it in "some games", the 8800gt destroys it in the vast majority. So, the 3870 gets killed by a midrange card yet it is somehow supposed to be high end?
 
tc17 said:
One thing that really ticks me off is the Nvidia fanboys calling the 3870 card a midrange card. I call that BS. The 3870 beats the 8800gt in some games for benchmarks, and isn't slow one bit.
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3870 and 8800gt are both mid range cards lol
 
tc17 said:
One thing that really ticks me off is the Nvidia fanboys calling the 3870 card a midrange card. I call that BS. The 3870 beats the 8800gt in some games for benchmarks, and isn't slow one bit.
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if you think the 8800gt is high end, you should see their other cards :p (and their next one)
 
tc17 said:
One thing that really ticks me off is the Nvidia fanboys calling the 3870 card a midrange card. I call that BS. The 3870 beats the 8800gt in some games for benchmarks, and isn't slow one bit.
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That's because the 8800GT and 3870 are mid-range cards. This is fact not fiction.

Low end: $50-$200
Mid-range: $200-$450
High end: $450-$700+

By price alone it is a mid range card. It may be a great performer that does hang with the big boys to a degree, but it is still a mid range cards. NVIDIA has not one, not two, but THREE cards on the market today that out perform the 8800GT.

Lets also not forget that the 3870 isn't the highest thing ATI/AMD offers. So therefore it is hardly their highest end card.
 
Dan_D said:
That's because the 8800GT and 3870 are mid-range cards. This is fact not fiction.

Low end: $50-$200
Mid-range: $200-$450
High end: $450-$700+

By price alone it is a mid range card. It may be a great performer that does hang with the big boys to a degree, but it is still a mid range cards. NVIDIA has not one, not two, but THREE cards on the market today that out perform the 8800GT.

Lets also not forget that the 3870 isn't the highest thing ATI/AMD offers. So therefore it is hardly their highest end card.
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What exactly is their highest card then, besides this new arrival?

A 2900XT with a gig of ram?

I think it's pretty safe to say that for the case of AMD, the 3870 IS their high end card. They have nothing else!

There is no concrete definition of what a high end or mid range card is. We can only attempt to categorize by what is currently available!
 
Dan_D said:
That's because the 8800GT and 3870 are mid-range cards. This is fact not fiction.

Low end: $50-$200
Mid-range: $200-$450
High end: $450-$700+

By price alone it is a mid range card. It may be a great performer that does hang with the big boys to a degree, but it is still a mid range cards. NVIDIA has not one, not two, but THREE cards on the market today that out perform the 8800GT.

Lets also not forget that the 3870 isn't the highest thing ATI/AMD offers. So therefore it is hardly their highest end card.
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And what God of Gods established this little table of mediums? $450 is considered "Mid-range"?

lol :rolleyes:
 
Zetherin said:
What exactly is their highest card then, besides this new arrival?

A 2900XT with a gig of ram?

I think it's pretty safe to say that for the case of AMD, the 3870 IS their high end card. They have nothing else!

There is no concrete definition of what a high end or mid range card is. We can only attempt to categorize by what is currently available!
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No. The 3870X2 is ATI's current high end card. Basically what the industry has been using to classify the range of each card is less based on performance and more based on price.

Syntax Error said:
And what God of Gods established this little table of mediums? $450 is considered "Mid-range"?

lol :rolleyes:
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Seriously, look at video card prices today. You need to spend at least $200 to get something decent to game on. Since they go upwards of $600 or more I'd consider $400 to be medium-range. Not to mention the 3870 costs less than $300. Since that's half the cost of the highest end card from NVIDIA I'd call that mid-range. The 3870 is also only the medium card in the 38xx series. So there you have it. That's just my opinon.
 
Alright I am feeling confused with the benchmarking of this card...

I read the HardOCP review which basically puts the card noticably slower than the 8800GTX except in Episode 2, but the Toms Hardware has a review using the same games and has the 3870x2 faster in almost all of them. What's the deal?

Were different drivers used? Was there some other hold up? I mean the one thing I notice is that HardOCP's numbers seem very consistent, but Tom's are all over the place with inexplicable differences (like a games running faster at higher resolutions?!?!?).
 
Dan_D said:
No. The 3870X2 is ATI's current high end card. Basically what the industry has been using to classify the range of each card is less based on performance and more based on price.
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Dan, the 3870X2 JUST came out, and I already said it was one of their high end cards. Read my post again.

However, the regular 3870 IS ALSO a high end card of theirs. There is no way you can argue this. It is the most advanced board they manufacture, excluding, once again, the new 3870X2. Therefore, it is, by default, ATI's high end card.

And no, once again, there is no concrete table of what is high end, or mid range. However, it's pretty easy to deduce that whatever card is the most advanced and most expensive with each manufacturer would be considered it's high end card.

Basically, with your logic, ATI did NOT have a high end card before the 3870X2? LOL.
 
Zetherin said:
Dan, the 3870X2 JUST came out, and I already said it was one of their high end cards. Read my post again.

However, the regular 3870 IS ALSO a high end card of theirs. There is no way you can argue this. It is the most advanced board they manufacture, excluding, once again, the new 3870X2. Therefore, it is, by default, ATI's high end card.

And no, once again, there is no concrete table of what is high end, or mid range. However, it's pretty easy to deduce that whatever card is the most advanced and most expensive with each manufacturer would be considered it's high end card.

Basically, with your logic, ATI did NOT have a high end card before the 3870X2? LOL.
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Because ATI had not had a competing high end until now....
 
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