I don't have a lot of money to spend but want to invest it wisely and not waste it, if the higher priced card is worth it for seasons I'm not technically savvy enough to know please explain.
I have 2 Dell 19" displays and don't plan to play games at HIGH settings but maybe mid to low-high and maybe mid-high if that's even possible.
I thank you in advance for your input, comments & opinions.
That's kind of a funny decision since the 8800GTS is so much faster than the 3870, but also reasonably more expensive. If you don't have a lot of money and won't be playing at the highest settings I'd suggest getting a lower end card than the 8800GTS. They are a lot cheaper and, although slower, offer a lot more bang for the buck. The HD3870 is fine but you should also consider the 8800GT/GS and the newly released 9600GT. There are a lot of choices right now that perform similarly for similar amounts of money...
Yeah I was just reading a decent article that was saying that the 8800GT is the best card for the money and the slight increase in performance for the GTS.G92 isn't worth it and that the 8800gt 512 is way better than the 3870.
So it seems I'm heading towards the 8800GT or wait a few weeks to a month till the 8800GTS gets to $200 or a pinch below.
I'd get the 3870. There's one on sale at newegg for 179.99 after $10 rebate. My friend just got one. It works really well, has great color, and the native HDMI is really nice if you have an HDTV sitting around.
I would go with an 8800GT. In most games you wont tell a big difference. The only reason why I went from a GT to GTS was for better cooling. Now several manufacturers offer better cooling. Also brands like XFX and EVGA allow aftermarket cooling without voiding the warranty.
The MSI 8800GT offers great value and after MIR comes less than $200.
Definitely look at the 9600GT. It's a little bit faster than the 3870 for about the same price. The 3870 isn't a bad choice, but it would be a travesty not to at least consider the 9600.
If you get an 8800GT try to get one with a modified cooling solution. The stock cooler sucks on many levels. I suppose the same could be said about the 9600GT, but that card doesn't run quite as hot.
I'd get the 3870. There's one on sale at newegg for 179.99 after $10 rebate. My friend just got one. It works really well, has great color, and the native HDMI is really nice if you have an HDTV sitting around.
Native HDMI? Not on the card you linked there, bud.
I got one for a friend. It definitely has native HDMI. We hooked it up to my Sony 60A2000. Sound and everything works. Haven't actually tried gaming on it, but don't see why it'd be a problem.
Definitely look at the 9600GT. It's a little bit faster than the 3870 for about the same price. The 3870 isn't a bad choice, but it would be a travesty not to at least consider the 9600.
If you get an 8800GT try to get one with a modified cooling solution. The stock cooler sucks on many levels. I suppose the same could be said about the 9600GT, but that card doesn't run quite as hot.
Actually the 3870 is a bit faster under most circumstances but costs a little more.
Both are great choices,I just installed a 9600gt in my friend's computer and he loves it.
Check out: http://www.tomshardware.com/2008/0 [...] index.html
I'm in the same boat as this guy...debating between the 3870 & 8800GT.
I've got 2 big hangups: CrossFire VS SLI ATI drivers
...it's nice to get another card in a few months to a year for $100 and add a little boost to my performance, but SLI isn't supported on the newer Intel chipsets. Also, ATI drivers pretty much suck right now, and you have to get RIVA tuner or some other 3rd party utility just to prevent the damn things from over heating.
On paper, the 3870 should be owning the competition, but in reality, it doesn't quite work out that way.
Think their drivers will improve enough to the point that they'll start kicking the butt that they should?
Also, HDMI is kinda overrated, IMO. I got a DDL card so I can always have 5.1 going to my receiver, not my TV.
BTW, www.monoprice.com is the ONLY place to get cables, and they have DVI to HDMI cables (among other things) that are way cheaper than you'll find anywhere else.
My understanding is this:
-9600 is a bit faster than 3870 without AA
-9600 is a lot faster with AA
-Most games these days are solicited by Nvidia, giving their cards a significant advantage until ATI can optimize its drivers (sad but true)
-3870 has better video processing (full VC-1 decoding)
-3870 has a much better stock cooler
-3870 has better "image quality," whatever that means
I guess if you look at it that way the cards are about equal. I'd put my money on a 9600 since AA is important to me. Others could care less about AA, in which case the 3870 looks more attractive.
Something else to chew on: EVGA and XFX offer lifetime warranties...and their 8800GTs are coming down in price; a few dip below the $200 mark at the egg.
What's really hanging me up is having to eventually get locked into an nForce chipset to go SLI w/ a quardcore.
Message edited by Oh SoS on 03-01-2008 at 07:27:24 PM
I vote the gts 512 if you can afford it. Outstanding card, it just rocks. You won't regret a single penny. Evga and Xfx are my recommendation because they have awesome warranties.
I am leary on the 8800GT because of the single slot cooler Performance is there though and a bit better then the 3870. the MSI one has a nice cooler on it though and clocked higher i believe.
The 3780 does have a 2 slot cooler which i like. And the prices have come down.
Get the most you can afford or want to pay, that's my rule. If you don't you will kick youself and say "why didnt I spring for the better one for $40"
On paper, the 3870 should be owning the competition, but in reality, it doesn't quite work out that way.
Think their drivers will improve enough to the point that they'll start kicking the butt that they should?
Drivers aren't everything. Pentium Ds looked good on paper, but their problem wasn't because the "drivers" weren't that good. There's different architectures with both CPUs and GPUs, so that you can't compare clock speeds and the number of stream processors directly.
That's a good looking card drunkalien6. I must admit though that I am partial to eVGA. I've had nothing but good experiences with their cards and the Step-Up program is just incredible. I went from a 320MB GTS to a 512MB GT for nothing but $15 in shipping. They were out of stock GTs so they sent me a superclocked card instead. Like I said, incredible.
A 3870 should be fine for you. If you have decent cooling for your case I would say go for the GT. Don't bother with the GTS unless you have the money to blow and really need that double slot and a few extra FPS over the 3870.
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