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4870 vs 9800 GX2 vs gtx 260

Last response: in Graphics & Displays
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What GPU?

Total: 44 votes (7 blank votes)

  • ATi 4870
  • 68 %
  • 9800 GX2
  • 23 %
  • GTX 260
  • 10 %
Graphics card Master

If you can wait couple of weeks for the 4870x2 to be launched, it might bring down some prices and it should be the fastest by a nice margin

I am not a big fan of dual card solutions just yet, so that is my reasoning for ruling the 9800Gx2 out. I just dont want to worry about scaling or microstuttering, etc...

The 4870 is overall marginally better than the 260 and has better feature wish DX10.1/shader model 4.1, etc...

So that is my choice. The 4870. Oh and I can vouch for the performance. It is workin quiet well. Just set the fan manually.

Best,

3Ball
Related ressources

yadge said:
I've never seen that... where can you get one for $225?


He is somehow confusing the 260 with an 8800GT, which is what you get with $225

The 260 is $400 :( 
The 4870 is $340 :D  (and better).

It's never been so easy.
Graphics card Authority

The MSI GTX 260 had a MIR that took it down to $230 but newegg is not showing it any more.
As the cheapest 4870 and GTX 260 are bouth currently $260 and the 4870 is more powerful than the GTX 260, your choice is pretty clear.
100% for the 4870.

The 9800GX2 is not a bad card.
For it's $285 price tag, it is better than the GTX 280 in most games.
Problem is, that card is EOL and relies on SLI for it's performance.
SLI dose not always scale and must have optimised drivers to properly function.

diablo-x said:
He is somehow confusing the 260 with an 8800GT, which is what you get with $225

The 260 is $400 :( 
The 4870 is $340 :D  (and better).

It's never been so easy.

I was slightly off.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
There is a website that gives you a $30 MIR, which makes it $240 (free S&H) and at one time there was promo code that brought it down to $225, but that has expired now. Still, you are 1 month in the past. The GTX 260 has had a base price of $300 for a while now and can usually be found under that.

3Ball said:
I am not a big fan of dual card solutions just yet, so that is my reasoning for ruling the 9800Gx2 out. I just dont want to worry about scaling or microstuttering, etc...

The 4870 is overall marginally better than the 260 and has better feature wish DX10.1/shader model 4.1, etc...

So that is my choice. The 4870. Oh and I can vouch for the performance. It is workin quiet well. Just set the fan manually.

Best,

3Ball

How do I set the fan manually?
Graphics card Authority

LeonRa said:
How do I set the fan manually?



Quote:
if you make a profile in catalyst after turning on Overdrive( make sure clock and memory settings are correct). You can then go to the file "C:\Users\Bretware\AppData\Local\ATI\ACE\Bretware. XML. the xml file will have the same name as the catalyst profile you saved. right click and hit edit.

<Feature name="FanSpeedAlgorithm_0">
<Property name="FanSpeedAlgorithm" value="Manual" />
</Feature>
<Feature name="FanSpeedRPMTarget_0">
<Property name="Want" value="0" />
</Feature>
<Feature name="FanSpeedPercentTarget_0">
<Property name="Want" value="65" />

Change the value to "manual" and Want value to "65"

Save the file then reload your profile in catalyst.

65% seemed perfect for me, 70% was loud but you may need it if your case has poor air flow.

You will may have to select the profile everytime you start the computer, but it will work until there is a fix or better info so i can figure how to change the auto target temp.
Good Luck ,bretware

http://forums.guru3d.com/showthread.php?p=2751569

Confusis say
The answer you seek is just a google search away.
Graphics card Master

I am going to have to vote 4870

And to think i use(fan speed) 35% :)  for folding and sometimes games.

The auto fan speed on the card actually works very to give you a balance of noise vs cooling. The card should not go out of the specs selected for it.

82 gaming with it on auto. Same as my 8800GTX was.
Graphics card Expert

i just got my 2 gtx 260. all i can say is wow these cards r amazing. im playing crysis dx10 1680x1050 all very high, vsync enabled, 4aa! avg 30-35fps, while my previous 9800gx2 got the same fps but without any aa.

both priced @ $299
i pick 9800gx2 over 4870 anyday.
i can't find a review that specifcially proves gx2 > 4870
however, 3d mark06 scores shows gx2 faster than 4870 in almost every bench.
from my exp, nv performs btr in real gaming than ati does.

I personally would have went for the 9800GX2, if it were at that price at the time. Most time's it's smoking the HD4870 and even GTX280. I have the 4870 right now and will say that it just rocks :D . GTX260 as a last resort if you can find it really cheap (If you find it >$20 less then the HD4870, then maybe I would go for it)

hakkafusion said:

i can't find a review that specifcially proves gx2 > 4870


There are many reviews that show their performance, but it's still a question of which game, because the X2 doesn't win all the time although it would have the edge overall.
Best recent review of all three candidates, performance goes back and forth and back and forth starting with the first two benchies;
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/video/display/geforce-...

Quote:
from my exp, nv performs btr in real gaming than ati does.


That to me means you're experience has been very limited.
They usually go back and forth from generation to generation going back to the GF4.

GF4<R9700<GF680=X800<GF7800<X1900<GF8800<GTX2xx=HD4K

The GF6800/X800 and GTX280/HD4870 era swaps rolls, where the X800 had performance edge but GF6800 had features edge, now GTX280 has performance edges and HD4870 has features edge.

Which has had overexagerrated performance in 3Dmark depending on both the generations of cards and generation of 3Dmark.

Is the 4870 still the best choice now? I'm deciding between these three cards now. I can get a 4870 (512mb) for $269.99, which is cheapest compared to the other two. The most expensive is the GTX 260 at $309.99 (EVGA Superclocked eition w/ 216 cores... worth it?).

My PSU will be an Antec EA650 (650W). Will that handle it along with an E8400, 4GB RAM, 3 hard drives (1 IDE, 2 SATA)?

The GTX260 is also the 216 core edition, not the 192... If that makes a big difference?

Get the GX2. I've still not encountered microstuttering with it, and it keeps taking everything I throw at it. Its the most powerful of the cards you have listed, and by far the cheapest to boot!

L1qu1d said:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

A 4870 for 239.99 after rebate, 10$ for an overall better card, plus the added bonus of DX10.1

But the GX2 can be found for 274.99 and it blows both cards out of the water lol.

so yea :D 


Thats the one I ended up going with. Bought it as a combo with the P5Q as well. Originally I had a 4850 as my choice, but I decided to stretch my budget just a little bit more.

Thanks for the input guys.
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