4870x2 or the gtx280

[The Asgard]

The GTX 280 is just not fast enough next to the 4870 to warrant its purchase.

Its simple enough.

The X2 is in a league of its own.

If I'm spending close to 300 on a GFX card I want it to be a lot faster than a 170 quid 4870.

Sadly its not. The 280 is an odd card imo its suffering from a identity crisis...It thinks it top end when its not.

Its available for much less and it feels much faster than the 4870.

Have you owned a 280? Do you own a 4870? Are these answers based on your experience or is it just what you read on a website?

The 280 is a great card and for £240 it's a worthy upgrade from a 4870. I have had both cards and I wouldn't go back to a 4870.

With reference to your last comment. The GTX 280 IS the fastest single GPU solution you can buy. Does this little fact not make it top end??

 

[86JR]

If you hadnt had problems with a 4870, ie, if it worked like your 280 does, with your other hardware and drivers etc, which would you buy if given the choice ?

 

[The Asgard]

If you hadnt had problems with a 4870, ie, if it worked like your 280 does, with your other hardware and drivers etc, which would you buy if given the choice ?

Are you directing this comment at me?

 

[86JR]

obviously as im replying to your post, lol

 

[JediFragger]

And you 2 nutters are the only ones up at this time of night *ahem*

 

[The Asgard]

If you hadnt had problems with a 4870, ie, if it worked like your 280 does, with your other hardware and drivers etc, which would you buy if given the choice ?

obviously as im replying to your post, lol

LOL. May be worth using the Quote button

I didn't have any problems with my 4870?

I'm pretty sure I answered that in my previous post.
"I have had both cards and I wouldn't go back to a 4870."

 

[86JR]

im up constantly speccing and respeccing a system i cant stop adding a 280 to my shopping cart, then deleting it and adding an x2, then deciding i dont really need more than a 4850 1gb at 1680x1050 but then thinking about the future and adding a 280 again :lol:

The only thing i know in my setup that isnt going to change is my 22" lg monitor as i love the IQ and i dont need anything bigger!

Just wish we could all come to some conclusion with the release of good drivers etc!

 

[86JR]

LOL. May be worth using the Quote button

I didn't have any problems with my 4870?

I'm pretty sure I answered that in my previous post.
"I have had both cards and I wouldn't go back to a 4870."

why wouldnt you go back to a 4870 ?

I thought u had compatibility issues with the ati and hence you sold it for a 280 ?

 

[The Asgard]

And you 2 nutters are the only ones up at this time of night *ahem*

For me thats down to twin 7 month old little girls. Can't remember the last time I had a decent nights sleep not to mention a nice lie in.

The joys !!

 

[The Asgard]

why wouldnt you go back to a 4870 ?

I thought u had compatibility issues with the ati and hence you sold it for a 280 ?

I had zero compatability problems. The 4870 worked great and overclocked like a demon. Just like Fornowagain I buy all the lastet graphics cards. I think I have had about 10 cards this year. I just like new tech.

Basically the 280 is all about smooth consistent gameplay and its the only card on the market that will give you this with every game. No Xfire/SLI hassles. It won't micro stutter and it won't give you erratic framerates. It adjusts power consumption to the game so its very efficient and it just works!

 

[JediFragger]

For me thats down to twin 7 month old little girls. Can't remember the last time I had a decent nights sleep not to mention a nice lie in.

The joys !!

Ahhhhhh you wouldn't change it for the world Andy

I'm soooo tempted to get a 280GTX myself, thought I'd settled on a 4870 1GB for £190 but if a good deal comes along for the 280....

Right, I'm off to try to sleep (again!)

 

[GoRedwings19]

I got to admit I do miss the IQ quality of the ati 4870's over the gtx 280. The way it handled textures really took my breath away.

But I like how nvidia's render hdr.

 

[The Asgard]

I got to admit I do miss the IQ quality of the ati 4870's over the gtx 280. The way it handled textures really took my breath away.

I don't see any difference in texture quality.

Do you have any images showing the difference?

 

[Boogle]

I got to admit I do miss the IQ quality of the ati 4870's over the gtx 280. The way it handled textures really took my breath away.

But I like how nvidia's render hdr.

Go into the NV control panel, enable LOD Clamp. Better texture quality than ATI Oh and enable AF too, its basically free on all high end NV cards since the 8800GTX.

 

[easyrider]

Its available for much less and it feels much faster than the 4870.

Have you owned a 280? Do you own a 4870? Are these answers based on your experience or is it just what you read on a website?

The 280 is a great card and for £240 it's a worthy upgrade from a 4870. I have had both cards and I wouldn't go back to a 4870.

With reference to your last comment. The GTX 280 IS the fastest single GPU solution you can buy. Does this little fact not make it top end??

I wouldn'r buy a 280 as its 240 quid and to close in pricing to an X2 so I would buy an X2 .

I use a 4870 (see my vantage score with a Q9250)


X2's are available for much less making the 240 quid GTX 280 redundant.

Paying an extra 70 for a 280 is simply not worth it over a 4870.

You might aswell pay the extra 70 again and get an X2.

Thats what makes the 4870 such a good card. Its cheap and fast.

The 280 is 70 quid cheaper than a x2 and yet 70 quid more expensive than 4870.

I would feel duped laying down 240 on a 280 when for not much more I could cream it with an X2

 

[The Asgard]

I wouldn'r buy a 280 as its 240 quid and to close in pricing to an X2 so I would buy an X2 .

I use a 4870 (see my vantage score with a Q9250)


X2's are available for much less making the 240 quid GTX 280 redundant.

Paying an extra 70 for a 280 is simply not worth it over a 4870.

You might aswell pay the extra 70 again and get an X2.

Thats what makes the 4870 such a good card. Its cheap and fast.

The 280 is 70 quid cheaper than a x2 and yet 70 quid more expensive than 4870.

I would feel duped laying down 240 on a 280 when for not much more I could cream it with an X2

The cheapest X2 is around £340 discounting Flee Bay and no warranty. £100 is not exactly close, is it?

Bottom line. The X2 is NOT worth the £100 difference for erratic performance in some games. IMO.

 

[kitfit1]

I would feel duped laying down 240 on a 280 when for not much more I could cream it with an X2

It makes no sense to do anything else. So i did it

 

[easyrider]

The cheapest X2 is around £340 discounting Flee Bay and no warranty. £100 is not exactly close, is it?

Bottom line. The X2 is NOT worth the £100 difference for erratic performance in some games. IMO.

You're looking in the wrong places.

Bottom line. The 280 isn't worth the extra £70 over the 4870 for the small increase in perfromance you get in some games .IMO

 

[The Asgard]

You're looking in the wrong places.

Bottom line. The 280 isn't worth the extra £70 over the 4870 for the small increase in perfromance you get in some games .IMO

Same places you look at

I suppose it depends on the games you play but my 4870 running at 850/1200 just didn't give me consistent performance.

 

[kitfit1]

I suppose it depends on the games you play but my 4870 running at 850/1200 just didn't give me consistent performance.

In that case then it would'nt be a bad idea to look at your clock/stability in general. My 4870X2 runs "consistant" even at 5.3ghz, which is 200Mhz above it's 24/7 stable clock. That's with the X2 clocked at 850/950 as well.