• Competitor rules

    Please remember that any mention of competitors, hinting at competitors or offering to provide details of competitors will result in an account suspension. The full rules can be found under the 'Terms and Rules' link in the bottom right corner of your screen. Just don't mention competitors in any way, shape or form and you'll be OK.

Narrowed it down to 2 cards!!!!

Wiggins

Wiggins

Wiggins

Soldato
Joined
14 Sep 2006
Posts
3,664
Location
Dorset Apple Cake
Either the BFG GeForce 8800 GT OC2 512MB GDDR3 HDTV/Dual DVI (PCI-Express) - Retail

OR

HIS ATI Radeon HD 3870 XT ICEQ3 TURBO 512MB GDDR4 TV-Out/Dual DVI/HDMI (PCI-Express) - Retail

I will be gaming on 1280x1024 for a considerable time yet until probably late Spring when it will be no more than 1680x1050.

Anybody got either of these cards?

I see that the BFG has a lifetime warranty and the HIS has 2 Years.

Mainly be playing FPS games and want something that will give all the glory on Frontline - Fields Of War, Timeshift etc....
 
I'd recommend the GT. It's a fair bit faster than the 3870 and you get a lifetime warranty from a highly regarded manufacturer.

gt
 
Ive got the BFG 8800GT OC, its a fine card. The 3870XTs are typically 85% the performance of a GT.

I game at 1920x1200 and the only game that gives this card trouble is crysis
 
The warranty has swayed me a little more into buying the BFG. The HIS was winking at me with the clock speeds but as I have an Nvidia board, again the BFG seems to win.

Hmmmmm

I have heard there RMA service is exceptional.
 
I have the BFG OC2 8800GT and love it - wicked card, never given me any problems and not too loud and great performance.
However, if I was going to buy a card now, I would but a 3870X2 so I am curious why you havent included this card in your selection as the price difference is not that much?
 
I would say the BFG 8800gt is the better card, especially the OC2. But, I have a powercolor ati 3870 extreme and have been very impressed by the performance for the price and as each new driver comes out each month it seems to improve.
 
edgedemon said:
I have the BFG OC2 8800GT and love it - wicked card, never given me any problems and not too loud and great performance.
However, if I was going to buy a card now, I would but a 3870X2 so I am curious why you havent included this card in your selection as the price difference is not that much?
Click to expand...

The ATI X2 are £110 more :confused:

My budget is no more than around £180.

Am I right in thinking that the AA & AF is better on the Nvidia's?

Edit: Ooooohhh just seen in another thread that 512mb X2's are kicking around for £150.00.

Damit, it just goes on and on and on :rolleyes:
 
Last edited:
I wouldn't waste money on a pre-overclocked card.

Just get a standard GT and overclock it with RivaTuner. All the ones i've tested will do 700MHz+ on the core. Thats higher than the manufacturer pre-overclock.
 
Wiggins said:
Edit: Ooooohhh just seen in another thread that 512mb X2's are kicking around for £150.00.
Click to expand...

AFAIK there isnt a 512MB X2, I wouldnt but one if there was as it would only be 256MB per card. They are about £250 at the mo.

You should be able to pick up a non OC GT for ~£130, I agree with the post above, I wouldnt go for an OC card they all seem to clock very well. (The only reason I bought the BFG 8800GT OC was because it was the cheapest GT I could find at launch)
 
I guess it would be a better option to get the non oc option.

Its just the reviews on the BFG 8800GT have always been good when it comes to the cooler.

Then again, £140.00 on a standard 8800GT along with an aftermarket cooler may give me better overclocks and temps than the overclocked versions themselves.
 
Wiggins said:
The ATI X2 are £110 more :confused:

My budget is no more than around £180.

Am I right in thinking that the AA & AF is better on the Nvidia's?

Edit: Ooooohhh just seen in another thread that 512mb X2's are kicking around for £150.00.

Damit, it just goes on and on and on :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Im sure thats not right, as you cant get the X2's with only 512mb ram, that would mean 2x 3870's with 256mb ram each, the 3870 never came in a 256mb version, and even if they did start doing it as 256mb, it would be absolutely useless as 256mb is no good today, games need more for higher textures, AA etc... so an X2 crossfire card with 256mb will be absolute crap, you'll have to turn details down, and drop resolutions as well on top of that, and you wouldn't be able to use any AA, avoid 256mb cards as they no good now, if you have £180, then get the 8800 GTS 512mb, stonking card. :)

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-017-PV

Only £162.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for that :)

Didn't realize how much the GTS cards have dropped in price.

Will be ordering one of them in the morning :D
 
Ever going to fancy running 2 graphics cards?

I went for the 3870 since I planned to run two of them at one point. Or a 3870x2 with a 3870.

If you are only ever going to run the one card then the GT/GTS could be the better choice.
 
LoadsaMoney said:
Im sure thats not right, as you cant get the X2's with only 512mb ram, that would mean 2x 3870's with 256mb ram each, the 3870 never came in a 256mb version, and even if they did start doing it as 256mb, it would be absolutely useless as 256mb is no good today, games need more for higher textures, AA etc... so an X2 crossfire card with 256mb will be absolute crap, you'll have to turn details down, and drop resolutions as well on top of that, and you wouldn't be able to use any AA, avoid 256mb cards as they no good now, if you have £180, then get the 8800 GTS 512mb, stonking card. :)

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-017-PV

Only £162.
Click to expand...

Bought one of these myself the other week, with the GTS at that price I can see no reason why people would want to get a GT.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom