8800gts 320's SLI or single ATI4870?

[jigglesone]

I was thinking I already have an 8800gts 320 and was thinking of SLI. I can get another 8800 gts 320 for less than 100 bucks. Would I be better off with just a single 4870 512? I know the 4870 is 300 bucks but will there be a big performance gain or will the 8800gts SLI have better performance with less money? I know I know lots of questions but anyones thoughts or expertise would be apreciated.

 

[pauldh]

It depends on the resolution and games. At higher res and especially with FSAA, the SLI 320MB GTS setup will be hurting. I picked up a second one myself as it was very cheap and no rebates. For the price, it's not a bad way to go. But if you game above 16x10 or 16x12, the HD4870 would be better. Problem is, that may be $230-250 out of pocket (after you sell the used 320MB GTS) vs under $100 for another GTS320.

 

[jigglesone]

I do game at 1680x1050 on my 22inch lcd. I found when i play COD4 if I enable AA x2 the impact on my performance is huge. Feels almost like lag but Im getting like 45-50fps. So its the memory that is lagging for the image to be rendered with AA? So 512mb on the 4870 would help with AA enabled?

 

[gamerk316]

As a general rule:

More RAM = Higher Resolution & Higher AA

That being said, the jump from 320 to 512 isnt that huge, but the extra omph the 4870 gives should make up for it.

 

[samuraiblade]

if yours is the old gts version then id ditch it and go for the 4870 , sli isnt anywhere as near effective as the single card upgrade especially on the old gts setup. wait for the 1gb version of the 4870 at the end of the month if you can afford it .
only powercolor have announced a 1gb version so far , i was hoping gainward or sapphire were going to as well but nvm as there all very similar.

 

[jonpaul37]

4870 ALL DAY, the 8800 320-meg card is old-school G80 stuff, the 4870 would rock the house!!!

 

[dagger]

At 1680x1050, the g80 8800gts sli will still outperform a single 4870 512mb. It takes higher resolutions for 4870 to catch up to two 8800gts. In your situation, when 8800gts sli cost less than $100 and 4870 cost $300, there is really no competition.

If you're really eager to spend the $300, there's always 2 g92 8800GTS on your existing sli motherboard. Search around, you can get one for as low as $120 ar, more typically $150.
http://fxvideocards.com/ZOTAC-GeForce-8800-GTS-G92-512MB-ZT-88SES2P-FSP-256-bit-GDDR3-PCI-Express-2.0-x16-HDCP-Ready-SLI-ZOTAC-Video-Card-p-16280.html
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127325

It performs on par with 4850.
Far Cry
Crysis
UT3
Supreme Commander
CoD4
2 in sli will outperform a single gtx280, and far outperform single 4870 at any resolution, no exceptions, only a matter of by how much.

There's also 3870x2. With the 4xxxs taking all the spotlight, it has dropped to $240 ar without many people noticing. Performance is still the same as back when it cost $600. At this price point, it begins to make some sense to those who wanted good value.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121247

It's uncool to recommend older hardware, but the best value is never at the latest bleeding edge. Look up benchmarks and prices before jumping on the bandwagon.