Yea 8800GT is still worth it, probs got a lower minimum, I just benched same settings as gurusan in Vista 64, dx9, 1280x1024 all high and got around 9fps higher at my 700/1800/1000 overclock, in XP the frame rate will be even higher too.
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** The Official ATI 3870/3850 512/256mb Review/Overclocking Thread **
- Thread starter clocka
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Yea 8800GT is still worth it, probs got a lower minimum, I just benched same settings as gurusan in Vista 64, dx9, 1280x1024 all high and got around 9fps higher at my 700/1800/1000 overclock, in XP the frame rate will be even higher too.
32.25 average best so far with 810 on the clock and core at 2.67Ghz
I'm actually having problems oc'ing this card beyond something like 820-830. Just seems to crash with no warning and screen goes blank. Will have to try the modded bios in a few days, maybe tonight if I'm feeling ok about it
Matthew
I'm actually having problems oc'ing this card beyond something like 820-830. Just seems to crash with no warning and screen goes blank. Will have to try the modded bios in a few days, maybe tonight if I'm feeling ok about it
Matthew
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most sites have the GT about 3 fps faster in general in DX9, apart from those done when the ATI cards launched *cough*
http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2007/12/11/nvidia_geforce_8800_gts_512/6
http://www.legitreviews.com/article/610/10/
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Got the "Thermalright HR-03-GT VGA Cooler" for X-mas and I can say temperature is pretty good without any FAN on the heatsink. I'm getting 33C Idle / 55C load on Call of Duty 4.
My old temps were 35C idle / 55-65C load with the standard fan @ around 30-50% spin.
I'm sure you can overclock pretty good with these heatsink + fan.
Everything is silent and the PC performs decently with the latest games, what more can you ask.
My old temps were 35C idle / 55-65C load with the standard fan @ around 30-50% spin.
I'm sure you can overclock pretty good with these heatsink + fan.
Everything is silent and the PC performs decently with the latest games, what more can you ask.
I'm currently having trouble clocking my 3870 (powercolor) to get it over about 820Mhz on the core. Any advice as i'm currently using ati tool 0.27 beta 4. Memory can go to about 1280 before starting to artifact. The core issue doesn't seem to be temperature as it crashing the pc immediately from cold when changing rather than anything graceful 
Currently using the standard powercolor bios.
Matthew
p.s.Managed to get 10214 in 3DMk06 so far.
Currently using the standard powercolor bios.
Matthew
p.s.Managed to get 10214 in 3DMk06 so far.
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Is there still no voltage options for HD38-- series cards with ATI Tool?.
With my 2900Pro, I can hit 833Mhz on stock 1.150V on VDDC (GPU core voltage). I need 1.213v to run 847Mhz stable and that is five increments ahead of 1.150v. Every step failed until I reached 1.213v.
With my 2900Pro, I can hit 833Mhz on stock 1.150V on VDDC (GPU core voltage). I need 1.213v to run 847Mhz stable and that is five increments ahead of 1.150v. Every step failed until I reached 1.213v.
As far as I'm aware ATI Tool doesn't currently support the voltage options for the 38xx cards, but will in the future.
I do only have an Asrock 4CoreDual board with a 4x PCI-E slot so my problems may stem from that. I wondered if there are any regular issues I need to deal with before attempting anything more drastic with my 3870.
Oh, and Gurusan, I'm not as mental as you if you think i'm gonna stick something like 1.8 on air through my card with a pencil mod lol
(I'd much prefer a hard wired method rather than 'iffy' pencil).
Matthew
I do only have an Asrock 4CoreDual board with a 4x PCI-E slot so my problems may stem from that. I wondered if there are any regular issues I need to deal with before attempting anything more drastic with my 3870.
Oh, and Gurusan, I'm not as mental as you if you think i'm gonna stick something like 1.8 on air through my card with a pencil mod lol
(I'd much prefer a hard wired method rather than 'iffy' pencil).Matthew
As far as I'm aware ATI Tool doesn't currently support the voltage options for the 38xx cards, but will in the future.
I do only have an Asrock 4CoreDual board with a 4x PCI-E slot so my problems may stem from that. I wondered if there are any regular issues I need to deal with before attempting anything more drastic with my 3870.
Oh, and Gurusan, I'm not as mental as you if you think i'm gonna stick something like 1.8 on air through my card with a pencil mod lol
Matthew
Actually I've just learned that I was measuring my vGPU off of the wrong point, and I was actually running about 1.59v
Very nice.
What third party air coolers can fit on these? (Excluding the HR-03-GT)
Nice.
and any coolers that fit the x1900/7900s also fit the 38xx series. For example the VF-900, Accelero S1....etc
but I dont like the actual fan inside, looks odd.
Gurusan... so why aren't you running a 'mere' 1.59v now? lol
Can't help but play Crysis on 'high' settings else it looks a bit lame without post processing and shaders on medium (really makes a difference). Just need a bit more juice to make it play slightly smoother sometimes otherwise I wouldn't be quite so bothered
May give a modded bios a go later, but I doubt it today as it's new years eve and it will not be a good idea getting home and attempting a vid card bios. I will A) kill my card B) The wife will kill me for attempting to play on the PC
Matthew
Can't help but play Crysis on 'high' settings else it looks a bit lame without post processing and shaders on medium (really makes a difference). Just need a bit more juice to make it play slightly smoother sometimes otherwise I wouldn't be quite so bothered
May give a modded bios a go later, but I doubt it today as it's new years eve and it will not be a good idea getting home and attempting a vid card bios. I will A) kill my card B) The wife will kill me for attempting to play on the PC
Matthew
Because TBH there's nothing that I play that this card can't completely destroy even @ stock. (UT3 and CoD4)
I only run 1440x900 so a faster card would only feed my ego, extend my e-peen, and basically just be overkill.
I just crank the voltage up for benching.
I only run 1440x900 so a faster card would only feed my ego, extend my e-peen, and basically just be overkill.
I just crank the voltage up for benching.
Got a Zalman VF-900CU LED cooler fitted on my card now and boy am I happy
Its quiet and cool! Using max fan setting and a bit of a whimper and thats all! Idles 32degrees C and 60degrees C load now
Plus I can now break the limit I was finding on my ram with the stock heatsink! I was basically topping out just over 1200Mhz mem and now with the fan positioned over the ram and the Zalman heatsinks I have upped it to 1300mhz with no artifacts, will try top push it further later on!
Its quiet and cool! Using max fan setting and a bit of a whimper and thats all! Idles 32degrees C and 60degrees C load now
Plus I can now break the limit I was finding on my ram with the stock heatsink! I was basically topping out just over 1200Mhz mem and now with the fan positioned over the ram and the Zalman heatsinks I have upped it to 1300mhz with no artifacts, will try top push it further later on!
im also suffering from vpu recovers when doing any overclocking whatsoever....my problem is im forced to use 8x rather than 16x due to a quirk with my board, does this mean i cant OC it at all ??
I need to play more with the bios settings I think, as I can't get it much further than 820Mhz without it bailing instantly.
I will try disabling a few other things on this naff motherboard etc, and see what happens. I think that it ain't getting enough juice from the PCI-E slot (x4), but strange it was able to clock my x1950xt 256 to over 700Mhz with no trouble, so maybe I am wrong?
Matthew
I will try disabling a few other things on this naff motherboard etc, and see what happens. I think that it ain't getting enough juice from the PCI-E slot (x4), but strange it was able to clock my x1950xt 256 to over 700Mhz with no trouble, so maybe I am wrong?
Matthew
seems strange the clocking issues some are having, especial if its motherboard related, im running mine fine at 860/1300 on an abit AX8, that only pcie 1.0 so far as i can tell, not even 1.0a (VIA KT890 based).
also, this card seems to draw LESS power thru the slot than the X1800 it replaces as the pcie regulator is now notably less likely to instantly blister to the touch
also, this card seems to draw LESS power thru the slot than the X1800 it replaces as the pcie regulator is now notably less likely to instantly blister to the touch