Be carefull when u buy a Gigabyte 3870 card..

[intel igent]

Be sure to take a screen shot of their website and the pictures in question for proof so they don't give you any grief.

+1 on that

good advice there

 

[Darknova]

What's the difference between a 3870, and a 3850 512?

The 3850 512 uses GDDR3, the 3870 uses GDDR4.

So what trog is getting is a highly overclocked 3850 512 NOT a 3870.

That's misleading.

 

[ShinyG]

Simple question: isn't a 3870 with GDDR3 practically a 3850?
False advertising is a serious offense in this case...
Edit:
Damn it Darknova, you answered my retorical question before I even posed it! That makes my post totally worthless
Note to admin: make this post NOT count for my "postcount"

 

[Darknova]

Simple question: isn't a 3870 with GDDR3 practically a 3850?
False advertising is a serious offense in this case...
Edit:
Damn it Darknova, you answered my retorical question before I even posed it! That makes my post totally worthless
Note to admin: make this post NOT count for my "postcount"

No no, I worked it out....it's a 3860!!!

 

[trog100]

Be sure to take a screen shot of their website and the pictures in question for proof so they don't give you any grief.

my gripe wasnt about gigabyte it was about sellers not showing the right pics and applies to any 3xxxs series card.. once a 3870 was a 3870.. now it seems they can be any bloody thing.. i used the gigabyte pic cos thats the card i bought.. it happened to be on this week only OC/OK special offer..

i would sooner the title be changed back to how i put it.. i think the advice is generic..

be careful when u buy any 3870 card.. it might not be what u think it is..

it might sound funny this.. but OC/UK put their own brand name on things.. they have a nice cheap 3870 with a pic of a dual slot ati reference design type card showing..

being clever i emalied em and checked if it was as the picture depicted.. they answered and said they couldnt guarantee it was sorry.. so i didnt buy it..siimple..

i did make the mistake of assuming a real brand name product would have a real picture.. sadly i was f-cking wrong.. he he he

trog

 

[WarEagleAU]

Ive noticed both of these on the egg. And Im sure that the gddr3 one is higher.

 

[trog100]

this post brings up two problems.. sellers not using the right pictures..

and partners taking the piss.. when is a 3850 not a 3850.. the answer it seems is when they choose to call it a 3870....

hence be careful when u buy a 3870 card..

trog

 

[tkpenalty]

this post brings up two problems.. sellers not using the right pictures..

and partners taking the piss.. when is a 3850 not a 3850.. the answer it seems is when they choose to call it a 3870....

hence be careful when u buy a 3870 card..

trog

You got a better card, so please stop complaining :shadedshu

have you completely ignored us?

1. ITs not gigabyte's fault, its OCUK's fault
2. I highly doubt they would let you refund
3. GDDR4 does not always > GDDR3.
4. STOP COMPLAINING.

The HD3870 doesnt even put out much heat anyway, so what is there to worry? We KNOW that the stock cooler doesnt pump out a screamer, but it runs hot thanks to that. The VF700ALCU on the gigabyte keeps the card cool and does it quietly.

In all...

Keep your card and use it. Its a good card, non ref designs are usually designed to last longer. Its NOT cheap, having better components used isnt called cheap. Same as the cooler.

 

[trog100]

You got a better card, so please stop complaining :shadedshu

have you completely ignored us?

1. ITs not gigabyte's fault, its OCUK's fault
2. I highly doubt they would let you refund
3. GDDR4 does not always > GDDR3.
4. STOP COMPLAINING.

The HD3870 doesnt even put out much heat anyway, so what is there to worry? We KNOW that the stock cooler doesnt pump out a screamer, but it runs hot thanks to that. The VF700ALCU on the gigabyte keeps the card cool and does it quietly.

In all...

Keep your card and use it. Its a good card, non ref designs are usually designed to last longer. Its NOT cheap, having better components used isnt called cheap. Same as the cooler.

dude u miss the point.. u think its a better cooler i think its a crap cooler.. u think ddr3 is better than ddr4 i dont.. u think having no memory cooling is better i dont.. u think blasting the heat into the case is okay i dont..

u think partners alter things to make them better i dont.. if that was the case gigabyte would be selling this thing as a "better" 3850.. they aint so enough said..

its all down to ati.. they set limits on how much partners can alter the reference design and still use the name.. its seems the limits are very wide with the 3xxx series cards.. i would think too wide from looking at the gigabyte example..

to use an example.. with the 1900xt cards partners were not allowed to alter them at all.. the result being all 1900xt cards were the same.. people knew exactly what they were buying.. the partners altered their bundles and stickers.. but a 1900xt card was a1900xt card period..

and they will let me refund cos i wont accept delivery.. in the UK i dont need a reason to not accept except delivery i have a seven day option to change my mind.. changed my mind i have.. he he

my reason.. the product isnt as described.. but legally i dont need a reason..

trog

 

[tkpenalty]

dude u miss the point.. u think its a better cooler i think its a crap cooler.. u think ddr3 is better than ddr4 i dont.. u think having no memory cooling is better i dont.. u think blasting the heat into the case is okay i dont..

u think partners alter things to make them better i dont.. if that was the case gigabyte would be selling this thing as a "better" 3850.. they aint so enough said..

its all down to ati.. they set limits on how much partners can alter the reference design and still use the name.. its seems the limits are very wide with the 3xxx series cards.. i would think too wide from looking at the gigabyte example..

to use an example.. with the 1900xt cards partners were not allowed to alter them at all.. the result being all 1900xt cards were the same.. people knew exactly what they were buying.. the partners altered their bundles and stickers.. but a 1900xt card was a1900xt card period..

and they will let me refund cos i wont accept delivery.. in the UK i dont need a reason to not accept except delivery i have a seven day option to change my mind.. changed my mind i have.. he he

my reason.. the product isnt as described.. but legally i dont need a reason..

trog

I dont think GDDR3 > GDDR4, but the cooler part is factual. The stock cooler of the HD3870 reference is poor in comparison with the VF700ALCU thats a FACT, not opinion, reviewers have already shown how cool the card runs with the VF700ALCU. Memory cooling only costs another 5 quid so stop complaining about that.

*Sighs*

Gigabyte's card is perfectly fine. Product was as described anyway.

EDIT: I'd refund and get a 9600GT.

 

[[I.R.A]_FBi]

You got a better card, so please stop complaining :shadedshu

have you completely ignored us?

1. ITs not gigabyte's fault, its OCUK's fault
2. I highly doubt they would let you refund
3. GDDR4 does not always > GDDR3.
4. STOP COMPLAINING.

The HD3870 doesnt even put out much heat anyway, so what is there to worry? We KNOW that the stock cooler doesnt pump out a screamer, but it runs hot thanks to that. The VF700ALCU on the gigabyte keeps the card cool and does it quietly.

In all...

Keep your card and use it. Its a good card, non ref designs are usually designed to last longer. Its NOT cheap, having better components used isnt called cheap. Same as the cooler.

"better card" or not its not what he wantsa .. why give someone cake when they want bread?

 

[erocker]

I dont think GDDR3 > GDDR4, but the cooler part is factual. The stock cooler of the HD3870 reference is poor in comparison with the VF700ALCU thats a FACT, not opinion, reviewers have already shown how cool the card runs with the VF700ALCU. Memory cooling only costs another 5 quid so stop complaining about that.

*Sighs*

Gigabyte's card is perfectly fine. Product was as described anyway.

EDIT: I'd refund and get a 9600GT.

Don't get worked up because he doesn't want the card you have. No one is ignoring you, but the points you are bringing up aren't relevent to this thread. You apparently are ignoring Trog since he has had to state over, and over again his issue.

 

[mitsirfishi]

in all fairness trog you made a mistake its partly you for (not reading specs) aswell as oc/uk to blame you but you should of checked which model on gigabyte website which card you would of recieved and looked at the specifictions 2 different models misleading in that sense

GV-RX387512H is the ddr3 model
GV-RX387512H-B ddr4

think just need to take more care but the v700 isnt a bad cooler otherwise they wouldnt of fitted it

 

[trog100]

Don't get worked up because he doesn't want the card you have. No one is ignoring you, but the points you are bringing up aren't relevent to this thread. You apparently are ignoring Trog since he has had to state over, and over again his issue.

he is also wrong.. the stock ati cooler is a good cooler.. if it runs hot its because ati set the bios to target 90 C as the cards operating temps its no fault of the cooler design..

basically he seems to be saying that what i got is better in "his" opinion than what i wanted so shut up moaning..

as u say completely irelevant to the post..

but what i havnt mentioned i already have one ati 3870.. i want a similar one to crossfire it.. but why i want it shouldnt matter..

i have also discovered something i didnt think existed.. a 3870 with 3850 memory on board.. being as i didnt think such a thing existed i must admit to not noticed the 3 amidst the other identical stuff that comes with all 3870 cards.. chuck in the reference design picture and i was fooled..

now i am niggled that i was fooled.. he he

trog

 

[erocker]

in all fairness trog you made a mistake its partly you for (not reading specs) aswell as oc/uk to blame you but you should of checked which model on gigabyte website which card you would of recieved and looked at the specifictions 2 different models misleading in that sense

GV-RX387512H is the ddr3 model
GV-RX387512H-B ddr4

think just need to take more care but the v700 isnt a bad cooler otherwise they wouldnt of fitted it

Good point. Hopefully, and probablly OC/UK will do the exchange for the one he wants. Either way it's in Trog's favor because of the incorrect picture. I don't think it's a law to have to know how to read more less than mis-reading something.

 

[mitsirfishi]

he is also wrong.. the stock ati cooler is a good cooler.. if it runs hot its because ati set the bios to target 90 C as the cards operating temps its no fault of the cooler design..

basically he seems to be saying that what i got is better in "his" opinion than what i wanted so shut up moaning..

as u say completely irelevant to the post..

but what i havnt mentioned i already have one ati 3870.. i want a similar one to crossfire it.. but why i want it shouldnt matter..

i have also discovered something i didnt think existed.. a 3870 with 3850 memory on board.. being as i didnt think such a thing existed i must admit to not noticed the 3 amidst the other identical stuff that comes with all 3870 cards.. chuck in the reference design picture and i was fooled..

now i am niggled that i was fooled.. he he

trog

stock cooling isnt really what you would call good design chunky heatsink without heatpipes then just a fan which blows cool air over it and exhausts it. i know the hd3870 is more efficient over the 2900xt but my sapphire hd3870 got toasty on stock cooling at stock bearing in mind i hadnt touched the clocks or voltages even put fresh mx-2 on it but then tried a mad mod of putting a HIS icq3 on my 3870 from a x1950pro which worked had to make a few changes but it kept it alot better until i got my arctic s1 with turbo modules which keeps it chilly in the uk but v700 on 3870 is plenty good enough

 

[tkpenalty]

Good, idea get a refund and get the non-ref GDDR4 version...

As mitsirfishy said, the stock cooler is just a restrictive copper block + low airflow fan.

 

[mitsirfishi]

meh id keep the card i mean aslong as its suffient enough for what games you play on and depending what resolution you play at in the review they got 889mhz out the core i had to flash mine because once got by the good old 862mhz... and 1089mhz out of the memory which isnt bad considering its got no heatspreaders or ram sinks id get some of them of a arctic s1 with the turbo modules and clock it up i mean its a shame its not a ddr4 model but the memory on the card is samsung and its rated to run at 1000mhz

 

[trog100]

dudes.. the stocker cooler is a good cooler.. it has a very powerfull fan that sounds like a leaf blower when run at full speed..

as it comes its set to target 90 C.. ati set it this way.. its set for silent running.. ati also think 90 C is an okay temps for the card to run at..

the other cooler in question runs flat out all the time.. the stock cooler comes in at 90 C and runs at 40 %..

my stock cooler has the fanfix bios.. i know what the stock cooler does.. with the fan running faster it cools very well..

lets get our facts right before we start talking em..

and how anybody can claim or even think slower cheaper gddr3 memory that might clock up to 2000 max is as good as more expensive gddr4 memory that might clock up to 2600 max is an improvement defies any logic i have..

and yes my post did say be carefull when buying a 3870 card u might not get what u think u are getting is perfectly correct.. i wasnt carefull enough

i have clealry offending some who have such a 3870 card.. sorry.. that was not my intention..

but without any doubt whatsoever.. as 3870 cards go.. this gigabyte offering is a dud.. if only down to its cheaper slower gddr3 memory.. its more like an overclocked 3850.. it should be sold as such..

it needs to crossfire with a real 3870 card.. if it wasnt for the memory i might keep it.. but it will slow the other card down.. so i cant..

trog

 

[linktriscuit]

It what you might call FIFO with their stock, first in, first out. It may be possible to get the later red HSF, You'll probably will just have to wait. if you ask me, i'd sacrifice and wait. I too plan to get the same one, and if i got the one with the funny zalman thing, i'll raise H***. Hope you get what you want.

 

[MrW]

-Despite looking fairly pathetic, the zalman cooler infact cools much better than the stock cooler and does so while producing much less sound. It's only disadvantage is not cooling the memory as well... $10 ramsinks will fix that problem.

-As for the card picture being wrong, this is the retailers fault and has nothing to do with Gigabyte.

-Not having GDDR4 is not as big a deal as you may think. Read a few reviews of the card before deciding that it is inferior.

 

[calvary1980]

disappointed in people turning this into card vs. card thread, you should contact the retailer if the model number and picture is wrong they may send you the correct card, if they don't contact gigabyte maybe they can strong arm the retailer, I would hardly call this a false advertising case lol this happens all the time.

- Christine

 

[erocker]

Yes, I think the point of this thread has been made.