Hi, is it worth it to spend the extra $30 or so to get the 3870?
For example, this Radeon HD 3850 with 512MB GDDR3 memory for $99 versus this Radeon HD 3870 with 512MB GDDR4 memory for $129.
I do not want to use nvidia because there are no free 3d drivers for linux. On the contrary, AMD is cooperating in the development of the free x.org radeonhd driver.
Besides, I am not sure how much the GeForce 8800 GT 512MB outperforms the HD 3870 512MB. In the "Sum of FPS Benchmarks 1280x1024" with no anti-aliasing, the HD 3870 scores an average FPS of 539.50 whereas the 8800 GT scores an average of 564.20. And, the lowest price I find on newegg.com for the 8800 GT is $110. Not to mention the fact that it's using GDDR3 whereas the 3870 is using GDDR4. The FPS benchmark on Tom's Hardware doesn't specify which version is being tested, so in theory the 3870 could perform better than the test results show.
Anyway, like I said, I need the ATI for the free linux driver support. So back to my question. How much performance difference is there between the HD 3850 and the 3870 and does it justify an extra $30-$40?
For example, this Radeon HD 3850 with 512MB GDDR3 memory for $99 versus this Radeon HD 3870 with 512MB GDDR4 memory for $129.
I do not want to use nvidia because there are no free 3d drivers for linux. On the contrary, AMD is cooperating in the development of the free x.org radeonhd driver.
Besides, I am not sure how much the GeForce 8800 GT 512MB outperforms the HD 3870 512MB. In the "Sum of FPS Benchmarks 1280x1024" with no anti-aliasing, the HD 3870 scores an average FPS of 539.50 whereas the 8800 GT scores an average of 564.20. And, the lowest price I find on newegg.com for the 8800 GT is $110. Not to mention the fact that it's using GDDR3 whereas the 3870 is using GDDR4. The FPS benchmark on Tom's Hardware doesn't specify which version is being tested, so in theory the 3870 could perform better than the test results show.
Anyway, like I said, I need the ATI for the free linux driver support. So back to my question. How much performance difference is there between the HD 3850 and the 3870 and does it justify an extra $30-$40?