9800 GX2 Initial Results

http://bbs.chiphell.com/viewthread [...] horid=6390

550 MHz Core / 1800 MHz DDR Memory.

Underclocked for the win?

If these initial results are close (Keep in mind the drivers for the 3870X2 were delayed, so drivers that didn't offer official support have been used, as are the nVidia drivers for the 9800 GX2) than it may be a much more interesting fight than we expected.

It's looking like the 3870X2 and the 9800 GX2 will be very close in performance (with the 3870X2 possibly winning some tests) and will all depend on driver/game optimization.

This makes me VERY excited about the RV770 and R700. Dual Dual Core GPUs anyone? Having to underclock the G92 cores looks like it really impacted performance (but what do you expect.. that card is going to be HOT).

This could be pure speculation, but it's something to check out.

looks fishy,

im prematurely call the hd 3870 x2 the winner overall.
i mean to me the 9800gx2 is looking to consume 450-500watts at load. its looking like its going to produce more heat and be louder. i mean im not going to pay money for something thats looking to be louder, hotter and consumes more power even if i do end up with a consistent 5-10% performance increase over the 3870 x2

I think the HD3870X2 will outperform the 9800 GTX (if it is announced..). The G92 core is great but it's not the best ever. Only thing that will help out now is more ROPs and a better Memory Bandwidth.

If you are talking about the G100 I'm expecting it to be renamed to the 10 Series.. I don't think it would fit in well with the G92 9 series.

hmm, I think only the 9800GX2 will be G92 based? The single card variants I would think would have a different chip, that architecture (G80 -> G92 being its shrink) has been in use for almost 1.5 years now! I mean, what has nVidia been doing with all their profits, besides making/ designing a new architecture?

I totally agree with you. It's just that the naming gets boring. I mean how does "21050GTLX" sound to you?

Looks like I might be right atfer all. The performance difference between the 3870x2 and the 9800gx2 isn't going to be after all. I still think the 9800gx2 will take the overall lead with some more mature drivers.

i think the same,

exactly, and seeing that the die size it self is larger and that it consumes more power per core then hd 3870 will it be worth it to go and buy something that may run 10-15% faster, while consuming way more power and needing a larger louder fan to keep the temps in check, i mean if the performance was say 30-50% faster then it would be way worth it.

according to this review of the hd 3870x2 by tweak town the hd3870x2 consumes 408watts at load for the whole system. all be it a striped down system.
and the 8800gts consumes 326 watts at load* while also be hotter then the hd3870x2**
* http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/1 [...] index.html
** http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/1 [...] index.html

and just the start of the review. http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/1 [...] index.html

I forgot to say that it was in a different thread that I had said there wouldn't be a large difference. I'll post part of it because I'm too lazy to rewrite it.

Using the 8800 Ultra as a base 100%. The 3870X2 currently looks on track to be 115%. With the 9800GX2 at a possible 130% that leaves 15% performance difference, which is like 5 fps. Not only that but if the 9800GX2 is priced at 15% more than the 3870X2, there price/performance ratio = to eachother.

I wrote that before I even saw the benchies for the 9800gx2. New job fortune teller.

hcforde
Agree and remember reading you post that somewhere else but it is a good point. Thats why I find the 3800 series so impressive. If only they were being sold at the correct price.

Learn to read it says "HCFORDE".

Fair enough my bad. I thought was a dig at hcforde.