GTS's, GT's, or HD3870's?

[erocker]

Help me decide what I should do... Keep my 8800GTS 640mb and buy another used one for SLi or sell my card and buy 2 8800GT's, or buy 2 HD3870's. I've heard that they can work in sli boards but I may be wrong. I would also like it to be a good value. (Even though I'm talking Sli and crossfire.)

 

[panchoman]

you might be able to do tri 3870s with the cost of 2 gts's

 

[erocker]

My Sli motherboard only has 2 PCIexpressX16 slots.

 

[wazzledoozle]

I dont know where people are getting the idea that you can run the new ATI cards in crossfire on any chipset.

And even if they can, it would be in software mode. Software mode is a lot slower than hardware.

 

[erocker]

Thanks for clearing that up.

 

[JC316]

I say the 3870's because they are cheaper.

 

[panchoman]

well i'd have to go with the 8800gt's since the tech. for x-firing on non x-fire chipsets isn't out yet and you dont have an x-fire board.

 

[erocker]

You are right. I need to do some calculating and see what would be better for me to do. 1. One of the options above. 2. Buy that MSI 790 Motherboard, a 5000 Black CPU, memory, and the 2 HD3870's. I think if I can find cheaper GT's somewhere it may be my best bet.

 

[erocker]

I can't stand the cooling on the GT's either, so I would have to go and spend more on coolers! So confusing?!?!

 

[panchoman]

if you're panning on getting a new mobo and cpu, you might as well go intel cause the phenoms are really disappointing, and loads of c2d's can beat the 5000 be easily.

 

[wazzledoozle]

The cooler on the 3870 is really no better than the 8800gt. While it appears to be larger, its just a plastic shroud over a rather small piece of copper heatsink.

http://www.techspot.com/articles-info/76/images/Image_08.jpg
http://www.techspot.com/articles-info/76/images/Image_09.jpg

 

[erocker]

if you're panning on getting a new mobo and cpu, you might as well go intel cause the phenoms are really disappointing, and loads of c2d's can beat the 5000 be easily.

NONOand NO!

I also want to throw in that I am seriously starting to believe that you are becoming quite the post whore, or you have a severe internet addiction, both of which are better than being the other kind of whore, but none the less, get up, use the bathroom, eat, something..

 

[panchoman]

lol then ,have it your way, i'd suggest getting d44ve's vapoli, & hooking it up to the 5000 BE and oc that SOB, and then you want that on a msi 790fx(or smiliar) w/ tri 3870's in CFX

 

[Athlon2K15]

the msi 790 board is ugly as hell..why not get the rainbow board gigabyte 790fx dq6

 

[erocker]

Whoah there tiger! I'm a reasonable man, that's why I use AMD's, by your comments I see that you are rather unreasonable. I have no means or reason to purchase either of those craaazzzyyy things man... I'm going to go take a walk.

 

[erocker]

the msi 790 board is ugly as hell..why not get the rainbow board gigabyte 790fx dq6

The MSI board is cheaper, plus I can alway entertain the thought of having 4, 2 slot video cards in it!

 

[panchoman]

lol, some one really should buy d44ve's vapoli though, its like stealing it for him, the thing retails for over 1200+ and hes charing like 600 now or something. if i had the cash, i'd get it just cause its just a great deal. as for the rest, its reasonable

i would estimate that 3 3870s=2 8800gt?

@athlon

theres a giga 790fx dq6?
screw msi, gigabyte FTW

 

[erocker]

The cooler on the 3870 is really no better than the 8800gt. While it appears to be larger, its just a plastic shroud over a rather small piece of copper heatsink.

http://www.techspot.com/articles-info/76/images/Image_08.jpg
http://www.techspot.com/articles-info/76/images/Image_09.jpg

It's exactly like the hsf on my HIS x1950pro. I hate the fact that many manufacturers are selling "copper" heatsinks on thier cards that are nothing but copper anodized aluminum. Which is plain ol' aluminum. And they deffinitely aren't flat either.

 

[panchoman]

erocker, you have an x1950pro handy?

 

[erocker]

It's AGP, and if you want it , I'm going to need cash and another AGP card to replace it with.

 

[erocker]

Remember folks there's a poll! I can't believe people want me to ditch my system, just to get two HD3870's?!

 

[panchoman]

tis a shame that its agp, if it was pci e, you could've thrown it into the system with 2 3870's for CFX hybrid, where you can CFX different gpus together. the x1950pro could do physics and all while the 2 3870's do the main stuff

 

[erocker]

That is something not even possible to actually do yet. It's all still talk.

 

[panchoman]

http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/video/display/20071015081842.html

CrossFire X is already out there, with the 790FX chipset, we just need a driver update from ati in order to use it.

 

[HeavyH20]

Well, with an SLI board already on hand, and the fact that you have a 22 inch widescreen, the 8800 GT SLI will be the best choice. Now, if you had a 24 inch monitor, the GTS 640 cards scale better at that resolution, but that is not a limit in this case.

Sell the 640 GTS and pick up a couple of newer G92 8800 GT or GTS cards.