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Am i missing something with the 9800GX2?

Sh4rkie said:
My bad, i meant a single PCI Express socket as in not crossfire or sli whether on a single card or dual pcbs.
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Then HD4870X2 still be a good choice for you:D it takes only one PCIE slot and single PCB, just with 2x 4870 GPU onboard. And the card even scales better than 2x HD4870 crossfire. I would say, it's 1+1>2
 
LoadsaMoney said:
Id get a 4870 for that res, beats the GTX 280 in some at that, GX2 is SLi, so in games that are not SLi supported, your only going to to be running on 1x core, which is a single GTS downclocked to GT speeds, which is quite a bit slower than the 4870.
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4870 is still the best choice imo.
 
My 280 was way better than my GX2. Had trouble with the GX2 and some games, didn't have enough VRAM for my res, and always having to disabled SLI to get 2 monitors working. Wasn't impressed with that card.

GX2, GTX 280, and the 4870X2 are all about the same noise level when you get them spinning up to full speed in a demanding game. And the 280 was very slightly louder on the desktop out of the three, but at the same time used the least power on the desktop and kept cool when idle. So dont listen to others on this subject, i've owned 'em.
Currently i have a X2, and like the 4870 it's a hot mofo but personally i dont care about these things aslong as it works, plus i have good case cooling.

The 280 and X2 also load games quicker because of the extra VRAM, they also have a overall smoother experience @ 1920x1200 and higher because of the extra memory. Especially compared to the GX2.

As for the 4870 i sent mine back because of poor drivers that made it keep crashing, i did a whole thread on this and many others get it too. Was a great card otherwise but i wouldnt compare it to a 280 like some do on here (probably trying to justify there purchase), the 280 is easily better if you're willing to pay more.

So being as i've owned all these cards, trust me when i say that If you get a 280 you wont be disappointed, it will be the best for your res without spending a lot more on the X2, and the extra memory will give you a smoother experience and help it last longer.
 
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MR.B said:
As for the 4870 i sent mine back because of poor drivers that made it keep crashing, i did a whole thread on this and many others get it too.
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So will the X2 be going back due to the same poor drivers?

I have had zero issues with my 4870. Operator error or faulty card ??
 
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It was most likely user error, same for everyone getting huge masses of problems.

The only other possible causes are, it does not work well with the mix of hardware in your system or its faulty.
 
willhub said:
It was most likely user error, same for everyone getting huge masses of problems.

The only other possible causes are, it does not work well with the mix of hardware in your system or its faulty.
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I would also add remnants of previous Nvidia drivers causing problems.
 
Don't bother with a 9800GX2 the GTX280 is well worth the extra, or save a few quid and get a 4870 which is roughly 15% off a stock 280 in fps-terms.
 
The Asgard said:
With the current prices the 280 would get my vote now.

Just waiting for the BFG 280 to drop in price and I will buy one. :)
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Its not worth it if the GTX280 die shrink or w/e will be coming very soon. Well I guess it is worth it if you are smart and will be selling it before it drops in price anymore.
 
Sh4rkie said:
On paper from what i've read it seems a really good buy when up against the ATI 4870 or the 280GTX at it's current discounted pricing.

Is there something glaringly obvious i've missed that wouldn't make it an ideal card for 1920 x 1200 gaming (using a single card solution)? It seems to often surpass both the above mentioned cards sometimes with quite a lead and even the very budget / performance friendly 4850 in crossfire.

Currently tempted to upgrade my 8800GTX and i've narrowed it down to three, GX2, 4870 and 280. I don't mind spending the extra on the 280 but wonder if i can save a few pounds and end up with more with the GX2?
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It's a great card....my bro has upgraded to it & can play crysis on very high at 1600 x 1200 with minimal stuttering
 
willhub said:
Its not worth it if the GTX280 die shrink or w/e will be coming very soon. Well I guess it is worth it if you are smart and will be selling it before it drops in price anymore.
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Yep, I will be keeping an eye out for any firm release news on a 280 refresh (as long as the increase in performance is sufficient) and I'll be on fleabay like a rat up a drain pipe. :D

I sold my 8800 Ultra for just over 200 squids a couple weeks after the 280/260 release. ;)
 
rounddodger said:
Yep, I will be keeping an eye out for any firm release news on a 280 refresh (as long as the increase in performance is sufficient) and I'll be on fleabay like a rat up a drain pipe. :D

I sold my 8800 Ultra for just over 200 squids a couple weeks after the 280/260 release. ;)
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I think on the bay I could get 180 for my 4870 with Accelero S1 on, so wonder if that would be a good thing to do before the GTX280+ or whatever it is as that might be around 200-300 due to the die shrink and GTX280's will be going for maybe under 200 wont they? Wont be as good as a GTX280+ but would be a nice upgrade a GTX280 would be if I could get it without spending much extra. And I hope it coincides with a 5p listing day :p
 
willhub said:
Its not worth it if the GTX280 die shrink or w/e will be coming very soon. Well I guess it is worth it if you are smart and will be selling it before it drops in price anymore.
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But how much ???

Its going to be at a premium which is why the 280 is a good buy now.
 
The Asgard said:
But how much ???

Its going to be at a premium which is why the 280 is a good buy now.
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Its die shrinked no? It'll push the GTX280 down even more either way.

I'm planning on sticking my 4870 with Accelero S2 and stock cooler included on the bay today, aiming for £200, with abit of writing in the description I'm hoping it will sell it, then I'll buy a GTX280 for £244 as we got free postage atm from OcUK :D

Well I'll stick it up for 192 and postage will be like 8 quid.
 
You can't say the 4870 has got poor drivers, its only got 1.

All new cards from both camps have a very poor first driver, they are just to get the cards up and running etc..., improvements will come from the later ones, you've got to give it time, its new.
 
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LoadsaMoney said:
You can't say the 4870 has got poor drivers, its only got 1.

All new cards from both camps have a very poor first driver, they are just to get the cards up and running etc..., improvements will come from the later ones, you've got to give it time, its new.
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It seems he's the one justifying his purchase:D
Never mind his BS, Loadsamoney. If GTX280 is so genuis, it wouldn't keep dropping price,right?:p If OP can wait, he should really wait for the 55nm version of GTX280. We could see at least 50MHz increase on both core and ram clocks with much better overclocking headroom.
What an idiot to buy an 'old' version of 280 now...
 
LoadsaMoney said:
You can't say the 4870 has got poor drivers, its only got 1.
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No, ATI have had a massive problem since 7.0 drivers, this one. My 4870 went back because of that.

I've also noticed other problems with the drivers that affected both my 4870 and X2.

My 280 was a great card and i had zero problems with the drivers from the day of release.
 
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