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I was really hoping I wouldn't have to be posting a thread here but alas here I am. So yesterday I finally had the time to install my new diamond 4870X2 OC. I went back and forth about whether to get a GTX 280 XXX edition card or this one, but after opening a long thread here about it(http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1348512) and getting everyone's input, I decided to go with the 4870X2. My main concern in getting a 4870X2 was dealing with a lot of driver issues. I wanted the best performance with the least amount of hassle.
So that being said, I tried everything by the book to avoid any problems. FYI, I'm using XP 32, and ATI 8.9 drivers. For starters I uninstalled my old Nvidia drivers via control panel. Then I rebooted into safe mode. Then I ran driversweeper. Then I installed new card. Then I installed 8.9 drivers and CCC. (I actually at this point had to install .NET frame v 2.0 since CCC didn't seem to be able to install without it). Next I installed Rivatuner 2.11 and set my fan to a fixed 50% which dropped the idle temps from the high 70's to the high 40's.
For starters I tried running 3dmark06 (I know, I know) for shits and giggles however I kept getting frozen on the flash screen. After downloading the Feb '08 hotfix from futuremark, everything seemed to work. I ran the bench mark twice with no problems and both times scored just a hair under 21K (20,937 to be exact).
Next I loaded up one of my favorite games, Bioshock, to test performance. Playing at 2560X1600 there seemed to a huge boost over my superclocked Ultra. At this res, I was averaging at least 80 frames a second whereas my Ultra did high 30 to low 40's. (On a side note, I tried to force edge detect 24x from CCC since Bioshock doesn't support AA in game however I couldn't tell if it made any difference to be honest. With my nvidia card I could notice the difference easily, here I could not. Made me think I wasn't doing it correctly or else Bioshock doesn't support AA with ATI cards. I don't know.)
Next I loaded up Devil May Cry 4 and ran the in game benchmark demo at 2560X1600 with every detail maxed out both AA and AF in game settings. Here I got a massive boost in FPS over my old Ultra. Whereas before I chugged along between 30 to 50 FPS, I was now averaging between 150 and 200 FPS. Very happy.
Next I loaded up an oldie but goodie, Oblivion. I know it sounds old, but Oblivion at 2560X1600 on Ultra details, with HDR in game enabled and driver level AA enabled in an outdoor scene, is still extremely taxing on any GPU. Again, I notice a definite boost in FPS across the boards.
Now is when the FUN began. At this point I was basically going through my game catalogue and loading up games and settings that previously had given my Ultra some trouble. When I loaded up Condemed Criminal Origins, (again at 2560 and all in game settings maxed), the screen started artifacting like crazy. Green and red glitches everywhere. I tried loading the game twice and both times the same problem. Then I quit and tried loading Call of Duty 4. Same damn problem. Screen corruption everywhere. Even more stange, at one point, the bottom quarter of the screen started displaying a Condemned Criminal intro screen AND started playing the Condemned music intro while the top 3/4 of the screen showed COD4. WTF??? At this point when I exited the game my desktop was now artifacting and I had to reboot.
Again I tried to play COD4 and again there was only screen corruption. At this point I'm thinking the card is faulty and will need to be RMA'd. Just out of curiosity I decided to try one of the games that had previously worked fine. So I load up Bioshock and viola, the game runs perfectly. So anyway, I go to bed a little pissed and mostly confused.
This morning I get up and start up the computer. The only thing I changed is under CCC even though under 3d AA settings it was on "use application settings" I changed the pull down setting from "edge detect" to "box". Didn't think that would make any difference since it still was under application settings. Then to my surprise I start up Condemed Criminal Origins and everything is running just fine, no artifacts. I try COD4 and that too runs with no problems.
Anyway, I really don't know what it make of it at this point. I've already had more headache in one night than I did using my old Ultra for the last year. I'm going to do some more testing when I get home from work but what do you guys think? Think the card might be defective or it is probably a driver issue? I have no problem exchanging this card for a GTX 280 if need be, however when it is working correctly, this card does seem very beastly. Very sorry for the long winded post but I just wanted to make sure I didn't miss anything. (And I probably need to vent a little too. Thanks.)
So that being said, I tried everything by the book to avoid any problems. FYI, I'm using XP 32, and ATI 8.9 drivers. For starters I uninstalled my old Nvidia drivers via control panel. Then I rebooted into safe mode. Then I ran driversweeper. Then I installed new card. Then I installed 8.9 drivers and CCC. (I actually at this point had to install .NET frame v 2.0 since CCC didn't seem to be able to install without it). Next I installed Rivatuner 2.11 and set my fan to a fixed 50% which dropped the idle temps from the high 70's to the high 40's.
For starters I tried running 3dmark06 (I know, I know) for shits and giggles however I kept getting frozen on the flash screen. After downloading the Feb '08 hotfix from futuremark, everything seemed to work. I ran the bench mark twice with no problems and both times scored just a hair under 21K (20,937 to be exact).
Next I loaded up one of my favorite games, Bioshock, to test performance. Playing at 2560X1600 there seemed to a huge boost over my superclocked Ultra. At this res, I was averaging at least 80 frames a second whereas my Ultra did high 30 to low 40's. (On a side note, I tried to force edge detect 24x from CCC since Bioshock doesn't support AA in game however I couldn't tell if it made any difference to be honest. With my nvidia card I could notice the difference easily, here I could not. Made me think I wasn't doing it correctly or else Bioshock doesn't support AA with ATI cards. I don't know.)
Next I loaded up Devil May Cry 4 and ran the in game benchmark demo at 2560X1600 with every detail maxed out both AA and AF in game settings. Here I got a massive boost in FPS over my old Ultra. Whereas before I chugged along between 30 to 50 FPS, I was now averaging between 150 and 200 FPS. Very happy.
Next I loaded up an oldie but goodie, Oblivion. I know it sounds old, but Oblivion at 2560X1600 on Ultra details, with HDR in game enabled and driver level AA enabled in an outdoor scene, is still extremely taxing on any GPU. Again, I notice a definite boost in FPS across the boards.
Now is when the FUN began. At this point I was basically going through my game catalogue and loading up games and settings that previously had given my Ultra some trouble. When I loaded up Condemed Criminal Origins, (again at 2560 and all in game settings maxed), the screen started artifacting like crazy. Green and red glitches everywhere. I tried loading the game twice and both times the same problem. Then I quit and tried loading Call of Duty 4. Same damn problem. Screen corruption everywhere. Even more stange, at one point, the bottom quarter of the screen started displaying a Condemned Criminal intro screen AND started playing the Condemned music intro while the top 3/4 of the screen showed COD4. WTF??? At this point when I exited the game my desktop was now artifacting and I had to reboot.
Again I tried to play COD4 and again there was only screen corruption. At this point I'm thinking the card is faulty and will need to be RMA'd. Just out of curiosity I decided to try one of the games that had previously worked fine. So I load up Bioshock and viola, the game runs perfectly. So anyway, I go to bed a little pissed and mostly confused.
This morning I get up and start up the computer. The only thing I changed is under CCC even though under 3d AA settings it was on "use application settings" I changed the pull down setting from "edge detect" to "box". Didn't think that would make any difference since it still was under application settings. Then to my surprise I start up Condemed Criminal Origins and everything is running just fine, no artifacts. I try COD4 and that too runs with no problems.
Anyway, I really don't know what it make of it at this point. I've already had more headache in one night than I did using my old Ultra for the last year. I'm going to do some more testing when I get home from work but what do you guys think? Think the card might be defective or it is probably a driver issue? I have no problem exchanging this card for a GTX 280 if need be, however when it is working correctly, this card does seem very beastly. Very sorry for the long winded post but I just wanted to make sure I didn't miss anything. (And I probably need to vent a little too. Thanks.)
There are even several people in that thread that went from a GTX 280 to a 4870X2 and couldnt be happier. Now how can that be if the GTX280 was that much better at playing games ?