Tom's Hardware > Forum > Graphic & Displays > Graphics Cards > Would cf 2x4870 & 4870x2 be the exact same? do they all use gddr5?

Would cf 2x4870 & 4870x2 be the exact same? do they all use gddr5?

Forum Graphic & Displays : Graphics Cards - Would cf 2x4870 & 4870x2 be the exact same? do they all use gddr5?

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is there any difference between running 2 4870 in crossfire, and getting a 4870x2? Would they both yield the same performance? Are there any advantages or disadvantages for either card??

Because the 4870 is about a 1-2 weeks away while the 4870x2 is like 6 weeks away. I want to build a new comp and don't want to wait that long lol.

And will the 4870 use GDDR5 RAM? Whats so advantous of having GDDR5 RAM? The GTX260 and 280 series are still using GDDR3...is there a big advantage to using GDDR5?

thanks

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I would imagine the 4870 CF will be slightly quicker but it will probably end up being more expensive (around $600) whereas (according to rumors) the 4870x2 will only cost $450.

EDIT: Yes, the 4870 will use GDDR5 and basically, you can clock it too higher speeds, it runs cooler at a set speed and it is generally more efficient. However, it is more expensive to manufacture and there is a somehwat short supply at the moment.

Message edited by Ketchup_rulez on 06-20-2008 at 08:44:39 PM

Reply to Ketchup_rulez

Look at benches of (2) 3870s in Crossfire vs. the 3870X2

That should tell you everything you want to know.

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Reply to deuce271

3870CF vs 3870X2 =/= 4870CF vs 4870X2

Judging from what's been said about the 4870X2, it actually might be faster than the 4870CF, granted the cores are not slightly underclocked. The reason is because the computer apparently recognizes the 4870X2 as a single card, so it should scale almost perfectly and you won't have to worry about CF scaling issues. How well this new technology works and if it delivers as promised will answer your question.

That said, I'm sure you'd do fine with 2 4870s in CF.

Message edited by Dalyinx on 06-20-2008 at 08:53:09 PM

Reply to Dalyinx

No difference in performance. But there would surely be a difference in price ... the X2 being cheaper by $50-$100.

There might be temp differences too.

Message edited by mihirkula on 06-20-2008 at 09:01:34 PM

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Reply to mihirkula

ahhh ok thanks guys. Do you guys know if micro stuttering is an issue with crossfire? any other cons of crossfire besides higher cost??

what would be a good mobo to buy?

Message edited by moomoopro on 06-21-2008 at 12:21:21 AM

Reply to moomoopro

what?

the 4870 X2 doesn't use an internal CF bridge to connect the cores... it has some other means... the scaling should be nearly 100 %...

either way the 4870 X2 will perform better than a 4870 CF and will be priced less...

the whole point of the 4870 X2 is for scalability, price reduction, and the innovation of the gpu industry...

theres absolutely no point in making it if there isn't some benefit to it

I am confident that the 4870 X2 should perform better than a 4870 CF... by how much... probably 5 - 10 %

is that really worth my ranting... probably not...

either way all my posts end up as rants so I apologize =P

PS. just read the above post there shouldn't be any micro stuttering due to the direct connect between the cores...

Reply to thogrom

Any thought on how long till we see the 4870 x2?

Also what about power req of the 4870 x2 vs 2 cf 4870

Im gonna go one or the other, but if i get the x2 then maybe if i got some money asking to be spent i could go quad fire

Only problem would be whether 750 watts would be enough

I know that nobody could know...but its nice to ponder

Reply to lameness

but if you had 2 CF 4870, could you add a 4870 X 2 to that?haha that would be godlike

Reply to Mike145

maybe 4870*2 would uses gddr3 as its memory

Reply to Paris Lee

^ it's gddr5... i just pointed this out to you in another thread

Reply to thogrom

The 4870 X2 is supposed to use shared memory.

2 cross-fired 4870 cannot.

Reply to Amiga500

so how much better do you guys think the x2 version is going to be?

do you still think it will be worth it to buy and crossftire 2 4870's???

Reply to moomoopro

im going to stick my neck out and say the 4870 X2 will be faster than 2x280sli.

hope i don't regret that

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to rangers

rangers wrote :

im going to stick my neck out and say the 4870 X2 will be faster than 2x280sli.

hope i don't regret that

Well the 4870 X2 may be fast, but it does not beat 2x280 in sli...
If the 4870x2 is faster than single 280 (we only hope so, but it definitely seems to be so if the specks hold...) and the scaling of 280 is normal 60 to 80% the 280 will beat the 4870x2 hands down, but how much the difference is? It can be so that the 2x280 in sli is 50 to 80% faster than 4870x2. If the difference is 50% the 280 has lost the battle in most cases. If the difference is near 80% the 280 in sli will have a boothold in extreme systems.
But if you mean that you would use two 4870x2 in cf, well it all is about scaling... If the scaling is really good it can be faster, but normally 4 GPU system has had worse scaling than two GPU's systems.

Message edited by hannibal on 06-22-2008 at 10:43:42 AM

Reply to hannibal

from what benchmarks ive seen the 4870(512MB) CF has a higher from rate on the low settings but when you start beefign up the graphics with AA and what not the 4870x2 starts kickin it
COD
http://www.tomshardware.com/review [...] 73-16.html
Crysis
http://www.tomshardware.com/review [...] 73-18.html
HL EP2
http://www.tomshardware.com/review [...] 73-20.html

But there are a some more benchmarks that show variouse results and it hard to tell, but im in the same boat, 4870 CF or just spring for 1 4870X2

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Reply to theramman

u do realize this thread is almost a full year old right? lol...And you do realize that there are 1 gig 4870s now, which do outperform the 4870 X2 generally speaking

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