[New System Build] Crossfire question

[lawrie34]

hi all,

In the coming weeks I am looking to upgrade my current system.
I havent made any changes in a while and am a bit unfamilliar with running
two cards in crossfire.

My question is will two 4870 cards give a similar performance to a 4870x2?
to what extent does having two cards run in crossfire speed up framerates in games etc

thanks in advance, lawrie34

 

[th_username]

4870x2 is better than 4870 crossfire

 

[lawrie34]

if i do decide to purchase 2 standard cards and run them in crossfire, is it possible at some stage to replace one, and run the two diffrent models, or does this not work?

 

[groo]

I'm thinking its pretty close.
the x2 could be communicating with each other quicker, I'm not sure exactly how it works.
the x2 will be getting less bandwidth from the MoBo than a pair crossfired.
I also wonder were the energy savings from the x2 comes from, and if that affects performance.

 

[lawrie34]

thanks for the quick replies guys
Im still thinking the two standard cards might be the go, does anyone know the answer to the last post I asked?

Also on a side note, from what I have herd nvidia have fallen off the map a bit recently, are they worth looking at, or should I just go straight for the ati?

 

[Doltron]

Crossfire a 4870 and 4870X2? Of course you can. Just make sure you get a PSU that can handle them, like 750W.

 

[Proximon]

Probably even more. I think the x2 actually pulls 300W by itself.

And yes, crossfire is supposed to be flexible about linking different cards, but the performance benefits gained are unclear to me. Optimal to have the same type card, I'm sure.

 

[lawrie34]

do any of you guys run a 4870 or 4850 in crossfire? if so id love some feedback on how it is working out for you guys.

a quick question with motherboards, the last time i built a system was about two years ago. I have always run gigabyte motherboards, they have been great for me. are the latest offerings worth persuing for the new system?

lawrie34

 

[WR2]

Checkout this forum post:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/252193-33-hd4870-hd4850-crossfirex-benchmarks-info

 

[lawrie34]

thanks WR2, im new to the site so any help like that is appreciated

 

[WR2]

You'll find a lot of info on 4800 series Crossfire (including 4870X2) in that section of the forums