Tom's Hardware > Forum > Graphic & Displays > Graphics Cards > Feedback on 3850 512mb

Feedback on 3850 512mb

Forum Graphic & Displays : Graphics Cards - Feedback on 3850 512mb

Tom's Hardware: Over 1.4 million members in 6 different countries available to answer all your high-tech questions. Sign up now! Its free!

Ask the community Add a reply

Bottom Search this thread

Hi guys

It is time for me to help to the peeps here. Any of you have a 3850 512mb for gaming/htpc setup ?
Ive seen loads of benchies, tests, but what about real world performance/problems ?
I'm thinking of buying one because of falling prices, and a very nice version of Sapphire with a massive passive cooler.
I have a few questions if anybody can help me with it.
It will be a HTPC and will have other services, like file-server, print server, always hanged there. So im asking for real world use experience. if you don't have with this model explicitly, please feel free to yell about it anyway :bounce:

- Games like pes2008, bioshock, AC, does it run decently at 1680x1050 ? or 1080p ?
- Does the HDMI adapter works nicely ?
- Is it capable of HD or X.264 Decoding without burning too much CPU resources ?
- Drivers works Nicely on Vista 64 or Win XP 32?
- Any of you got it rigged to a "normal" (DVI) LCD monitor and a (HDMI) HD-TV ? If so what is your experience ?

Thank you for the feedback in advance.

The rest of the Setup will be a AMD 4800X2 with 3 Gig of Ram. Still deciding on Vista 64 or XP 32.
I think i will get my paws on one really cheap.

Message edited by radnor on 08-05-2008 at 05:00:41 PM

------------------------------ Rock journalism is people who can't write interviewing people who can't talk for people who can't read - Frank Zappa

Add a reply

- Games like pes2008, bioshock, AC, does it run decently at 1680x1050 ? or 1080p ?

Err..... Yeah.... But don't expect 60FPS consistent, especially with your A64 X2 4800.

- Does the HDMI adapter works nicely ?

Yes.

- Is it capable of HD or X.264 Decoding without burning too much CPU resources ?

Yes.

- Drivers works Nicely on Vista 64 or Win XP 32?

Never had any problems with my GeCube Radeon 3850 256MB.

- Any of you got it rigged to a "normal" (DVI) LCD monitor and a (HDMI) HD-TV ? If so what is your experience ?

Perfect. I mean it works and all, no problems playing games on such monitors/TVs.

Reply to stridervm

This card is only relevant if it's very cheap or free. Otherwise go for a 4850 and call it a day.

Reply to bydesign

The 3850 is an excellent card at its current price point.
Unless you are willing to go up quite a bit in price, you will not find a better card.

------------------------------ If its good in theory but not in practice,
its not good theory.
Reply to zenmaster

Thanks for the feedback.

As i said it is just a HTPC/Home server. Mainly for backup/share info through the network, Video and casual gaming.
Don't underestimate the utility of a home server. A 4800+ X2 will do perfectly for the use it will have.
Just checking if a 3850 will do the trick also.

I'm finding it the on the 60-80€ prices, so, at that price, its a freaking gift.Only worried by multi-monitor, but ill have to risk it for now. Im trying to find if the 3850 its capable of light gaming or surfing web during video playback. On Multi-Monitors of course.

------------------------------ Rock journalism is people who can't write interviewing people who can't talk for people who can't read - Frank Zappa
Reply to radnor

The 3850 retail for about the same as a 4850. The card doesn't perform all that well when matched with current $150 cards. So I guess we'll have to disagree on what makes an excellent card. In my book it has never been worth a look at and even less so today.

Reply to bydesign

- Games like pes2008, bioshock, AC, does it run decently at 1680x1050 ? or 1080p ? good enough.

- Drivers works Nicely on Vista 64 or Win XP 32? yes.

there are sub-$100 512m 3850s out there. If you go over $100, then spend $40 more and get a 4850. Newegg has an Asus 4850 for $139 and a sapphire 3850 for $99.

I like the 3850. It is a good card for light gaming. But it is hard to beat price/performance of the 4850.

I picked up a Gigabyte 3870 with a zalmon cooler on it from Newegg for $89 AR 3 weeks ago.

Riding shotgun on my 780G mobo w/hybrid graphics in my HTPC, mated to a 5000+ BE. The cpu is oc'd to 3.1 on stock voltage @42C full load (Atric Freezer pro 64), with the gpu oc'd at mid 50's, dead quiet.

Hd keeps the cpu under 20% all the time, and I can play Crysis on high on my 42" plasma. (1024x768 native res)

No, not the card the 4850 is, but perfect for my res screen and works with the hybrid graphics on my mobo.

Not bad for a $89 card. The 3850 is about $10 to 15 less.

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to Granite3

Granite3 wrote :

Here in Europe the 4850 is about 150-160€.

The 3850 in the other hand, is already in their 60-80€.

It is about half !!! Thank you again for the feedback mates. I guess the 3850 it is.

PS: Im looking at one with a passive cooler- A Saphire model. Living room PC must be quiet !! I got good airflow tough.

------------------------------ Rock journalism is people who can't write interviewing people who can't talk for people who can't read - Frank Zappa
Reply to radnor

Ask the community Add a reply

Tom's Hardware > Forum > Graphic & Displays > Graphics Cards > Feedback on 3850 512mb

Go to:

Help |
Forum rules

There are 1197 identified and unidentified users. To see the list of identified users, Click here.

Page generated in 0.631 seconds

Please mind

You are about to answer a thread that has been inactive for more than 6 months.
If you still wish to proceed, please ensure that your posting is original and does not duplicate or overlap any prior responses to this thread.

Add a reply Cancel

Focus On

Feedback on 3850 512mb

Forum Graphic & Displays : Graphics Cards - Feedback on 3850 512mb

Please mind