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Nvidia 8800 GT 256MB vs ATI 3870XT 512mb - Thoughts / Ideas for HD and Gaming

Scrutinize

Scrutinize

Scrutinize

Soldato
Joined
4 Apr 2003
Posts
8,078
So I have been looking for a budget Gaming / HD card. I have my comp set up next to my TV (LG 32LC56) which will be the main output.

My current spec

  • E2180 (Artic Cooling Alpine 7 Pro)
  • Asus P5K
  • 2GB Corsair DDR2 XMS2-6400C5 TwinX
  • WD 320 HD (16mb cache)
  • Antec Sonata 3 Case (Which I will add is a fantastic case and well improved over the 2 imo)
The CPU runs happily at 2.4Ghz without any effort or temp increases and after running a few benchmarks has made me very happy. I don’t see any need to push this atm.

As far as I can see there are two options for my money.

  1. This the HIS ATI Radeon HD 3870 XT ICEQ3 512MB which looks pretty nice and importantly comes with the DVI – HDMI converter that ATI seem to take advantage of.

    http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-089-HT&groupid=701&catid=56&subcat=416

    Or
  2. This Leadtek GeForce 8800 GT 256MB which looks pretty nice to.

    http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-128-LT&groupid=701&catid=56&subcat=1008

    Now here is the crunch. I have been trying to find reviews on the 8800 GT 256MB vanilla version and those that I have, show it is a good performer but on the whole not as good as the 3870. An OC version of the 8800GT (cost more) however appears to be really good, though but costs more to the point you may as well buy the 512 version.
Notwithstanding the above, given the overclocking potential of the GT 256MB (I am assume it does have some ) this would put it ahead of the 3870. Of course when overclocking both, would it still be a level playing field? And would the vanilla versions have the coolers and memory to allow overclocking to the nth degree?

I know it is clear the bigger memory versions of the GT are quick but it’s this entry level one in my budget.

Equally given my spec, I could add another 3870 in crossfire at a later date. And with future driver updates will the 3870XT shine more?

Cheers for the help
 
The 8800GT is faster but as soon as you pop in a modern game that needs more then 256MB (Crysis, WiC etc) then the 8800GT will suffer & the 3870 will pull ahead. If you go 8800GT then you'd want the 512MB version
 
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no_1_dave said:
The 8800GT is faster but as soon as you pop in a modern game that needs more then 256MB (Crysis, WiC etc) then the 8800GT will suffer & the 3870 will pull ahead. If you go 8800GT then you'd want the 512MB version
Click to expand...

KK I see.:)

Would overclocking overcome the lack of memory though on the GT? since the cost of the 512 version is above what I want to spend.

Does anyone know what the HD output is like from either card series. I.e. does Nvidia do it beter than ATI or vice versa?

At the moment I am leaning towards the ATI but not resolved either way since despite the plethora of threads and reviews on the net nothing is conclusive.
 
Overclocking wont solve the memory issue.
HD quality will be the same but they have pros & cons. ATI don't support 1360x768 out the box (1:1 pixel mapping), you need to create a custom resolution with Powerstrip. Nvidia series 8 dont yet allow for full screen video mirroring so you cant watch a film full screen on both screens at the same time etc...
 
no_1_dave said:
Overclocking wont solve the memory issue.
HD quality will be the same but they have pros & cons. ATI don't support 1360x768 out the box (1:1 pixel mapping), you need to create a custom resolution with Powerstrip. Nvidia series 8 dont yet allow for full screen video mirroring so you cant watch a film full screen on both screens at the same time etc...
Click to expand...

Are you sure the 3800 series or have this problem, I know the older cards do though after some googling but nothing turned up on the new ones.
 
taz488 said:
thats a bit of a wild statement, do you consider everyone to use 20" screens?
Click to expand...

No, 256mb is even no good for 1280x1024 these days, i used to use a 320mb GTS at that res, found myself having to turn some details down to medium after a while, and could only use a maximum of 2xAA, and with the likes of newer games, which need even more ram for their bigger textures that they are now using, i had to start going down a res as well to 1280x960, 512mb minimum these days.:)
 
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LoadsaMoney said:
No, 256mb is even no good for 1280x1024 these days, i used to use a 320mb GTS at that res, found myself having to turn some details down to medium after a while, and could only use a maximum of 2xAA, and with the likes of newer games, which need even more ram for their bigger textures that they are now using, i had to start going down a res as well to 1280x960, 512mb minimum these days.:)
Click to expand...

Agreed i still got a 320 and the 640 pulls ahead of it in a lot of new games now
 
Many games have been using well over 256mb for ages now. Benchmarks don't always show the difference because they're not always representative of the full extent of memory usuage on a particular map or level when you're actually playing.

I guess you could turn down the AA or reduce texture detail, but that would be an awful waste of power (especially when it comes to something as powerful as the 8800GT).
 
Another option if you are looking to save some money would be one of the pre overclocked HD3850's with 512mb of ram. (I used to have the powercolor model with the zerotherm cooler).

According to the techpowerup review the card is within 10% of the performance of the HD3870 out of the box and with a bit of overclocking (very easy thanks to the excellent cooler) can be made to be basically as fast in games (ie you probably wouldn't notice the difference in games between the two cards)

The 8800GT 256mb is a odd card in the sense that it has the grunt but is castrated by the lack of vram (even more so than the 320GTS). What is odd however is that in tests where the 8800GT does very poorly indeed the 256mb HD3850 seems to cope fine.

Example:

ut1600.gif


That makes no sense at all.
 
It's do with the way the drivers manage the memory. The same thing happened when the 320mb GTS first came out; there were lot's of odd results where slower cards with less memory were getting better scores.

Hopefully it should be addressed with future drivers.
 
Right, thanks for the replies. i am ordering the 3870.

As for the naitive resolution issue with TV my 2400Pro is fine with my LG, and the settings for the resolution are in the graphics settings, rather than CCC, i.e. right click on desktop.

However, I did have to adjust the resolution of the TV on the TV, to display naitive for the RGB/PC input. This may be where some people are hampered if their TVs are not auto switching to the naitive res when plugged into by a PC. When I first connected up, the resolution was not available in the PC graphics menus until I adjusted things at the TV end.

I have quite a fancy PC options list in the TV set up menu. Infact the LG for £399 makes the most uber monitor for the money. Since it has a 1080p input. Fine it downsamples but it does accept this and in the CCC it shows the maximum naitive input of the TV as a 1080p resolution.
 
Its 256mb the ones under 130 quid I hope you dont plan on playing latest games with AA or even Crysis on high no AA.

If you cant afford an 8800GT 512mb get a 3870XT 512mb.
 
willhub said:
Its 256mb the ones under 130 quid I hope you dont plan on playing latest games with AA or even Crysis on high no AA.

If you cant afford an 8800GT 512mb get a 3870XT 512mb.
Click to expand...

I know that its the 256 version, but given the reviews and the fact the resolution I will be playing at will be 1360x768 it seem ideal.

http://www.hardwarezone.com/articles/view.php?cid=3&id=2443&pg=2 is another one.

This one still shows the 256 GT beating the 3870 when AA is applied in some tests.
 
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at 1360x768 I would probably go with the 8800GT actually...that resolution is soo small you will probably be cpu limited :p
 
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