Video Card Thread (Mostly Gecube x1950xt)

TX= Higher end VX

650TX has a lot more power and for 15 more I suggest you get it. Just to be a little future proof.

 

I've used the 450W Corsair VX in a build and it's very solid, but the 650W TX is a better unit than the 450 - of course in the UK it's 50% more expensive, but thanks to buy.com, in the US that's not so much the case.
Think of the 650TX as a 450VX with more power. Unless you do crossfire it'll be fine, but you were considering moving to using dual 4800s when you are running 2560x1600 weren't you? For that purpose I'd recommend at least the 650TX.

 

Chart updated! Yippee!
The 2560x1600 only figures at the bottom are artificially inflated from the normal scores since they are not bound by the same CPU limits as the other cards. However, nobody having tested these setups at anything other than 2560x1600, these results are all you can get.

9600GSO: 410 (est)
HD2900XT: 416
HD3870: 452
9600GT: 503 (moved)
8800GT: 525
8800GTS G92: 598
8800GT OC: 594
8800GTS G92 OC: 644
9800GTX: 644
8800GTX: 647
8800 Ultra: 710
9800GTX OC: 758
HD3850CF: 761
HD3870X2: 786
HD4850: 787
HD3870CF: 801
HD4850 OC: 839
9600GT SLI: 878
8800GT SLI: 893
GTX260: 979
HD4870: 983
HD3870X3: 1028
9800GTX SLI: 1056
9800GX2: 1059
9800GX2 Quad SLI: 1061
HD3870X4: 1080
8800 Ultra Triple SLI: 1083
9800GTX Triple SLI: 1089
8800 Ultra SLI: 1109
HD4850CF: 1230
GTX280 OC: 1252
HD4870CF: 1353
HD4870X2: 1438
GTX280 OC SLI: (2560x1600 benchmarks only) 2042
GTX280 OC Triple SLI: (2560x1600 benchmarks only) 2275
HD4870X4 Crossfire X: (2560x1600 benchmarks only) 2679

 

Nice chart Sam. Are those bottom numbers theoretical? Are the boards out right now? I see 4870x2 is slightly better than 4870CF. Then I see that the two 4870x2, shown as 4870x4, scales almost linearly - virtually double a singe 4870x2. I am sure that is very game dependent, but which game(s) at this time would scale so well - not crysis, right? What about EP2? What about that new one you guys were talking about - Operation Flashpoint 2?

Regarding the 650W TX, sounds really well worth it for another $15. Yes, ultimately I would be running crossfire 4850s or 4870s or maybe they'll have a 5000 family out by then. But whatever I put in this p4 case will stay there. It will just be another spare computer that I'll save for a LAN game of condition zero, or maybe to give away. So to have all that muscle sitting in a p4 box, I just won't need it.

The new build will be a crossfire, of course. I guess no point worrying about 4 gfx capacity on the mobo since the 4850x2 and 4870x2 will be readily available by then. The new build may go with the 650W TX or maybe even something bigger. I'll probably budget $2,000 at that time. Then there is the price of a 2560x1600 monitor - I'll have to see if boozer has any at that time.
Rich

 

lol

What do you do Rich?

 

I sell houses. Business slowed down to a crawl with the southern cali real estate crash. I used to go after expired listings - but the new thing I'm trying is to pick up short sale listings from the NOD notices available through my title company from the tax assessor's office.

Also I have a couple of buyers I'm working with.

Stick to the automobile business like your dad, Lol. Toyota has a sterling reputation.

 

lol

Both my parents are Doctors. I hope to be one, one day. Inshallah.

 

All the numbers are calculated from an adapted mean of various real world game tests (typically COD4, HL2:E2, Quake Wars, Crysis and UT3)
The bottom numbers aren't theoretical but they are taken from fewer benchmarks so the results are less accurate (the HD4870X4 bench is only taken from one test).

You are very right about Crysis not scaling well, the 4870X4 doesn't currently scale at all beyond the 4870X2, and the 4870X2 scales less than 50% above the 4870 in most tests.
The game that the HD4870X4 test was taken on is Age of Conan.

If you do use two 4870s Rich, you will want to consider the 750W TX, primarily because it has enough power connectors to run the cards. Despite being more than capable of powering them, the 650 only has two of the four required power connectors to run two 4870s.

 

Yeah, doctor, excellent choice, Inshallah - meaning "God be willing." You didn't know I spoke Arabic did you? Lol

 

In particular, let me recommend surgery, Inshallah! That way after you unload on a belligerent redneck with your nine, you can put the dude back together again! lol

 

Sam, the next build will not only need to be able to run two 4870's, it will need to be able to run two 4870x2 - four gpus. In that case, what kind of power would someone really need??

 

Sorry Sam, just read your post again - it's not a power issue, it's an issue of power connectors - interesting! These are special 6 pin or 8 pin connectors?

 

Yes, PCI express cards require different power connectors to AGP cards. 6-pin for normal cards, 8-pin for high power ones.

Man, use the post edit button! No need for four separate posts...

 

Post Edit - righto! Mate! (it's a different look with that big black writing just below LOL)

 

lol

I just read your comments.

Has your "buddy" Mo been teaching you Arabic? lol

 

To answer your other comment, the peak load of systems with two 4870X2s seems to be around the 750W mark (AC line, so maybe 650W DC), so an 850W PSU should suffice. To be on the safe side a 1KW PSU might not be a bad idea, for that I might go with the Corsair HX 1000, but my actual top-dog suggestion here is the Zalman ZM-1000-HP, it posts excellent performance results and is the quietest performance power supply money can buy. So there!

 

Abuzar - not really but I was right about Inshallah, right? "God be willing." I don't know where I learned that. LOL

Yeah, Sam that's what I figured - better get 1000 watts to be safe if you're gonna run that kind of horsepower.

Hey, Ray's idea of using his 500 watt just for his gfx cards, do people ever stick two PSUs in a case, I guess no reason why not, huh?

 

see sam remember when we were having that PSU argument, and i was saying getting a 1k would be good, and you said it would be absurd....

 

Two 4870X2s Shaffaaf? Hardly an everyday choice.
I agree with you though, it is a bit of a trend reversal, but it's been a well known fact that if you take graphics to the absolute limit, you can expect to need a 1KW PSU. Still doesn't mean anything above 1KW is necessary though...

Rich: The idea with the two 500s is sound except for one thing - you're thinking of using your 500W Allied still aren't you? Don't! lol

 

No no Sam, I really wasn't. I was only thinking of Ray, honest. So people on occasion have been known to throw two PSUs in a case? I promise I would never think of contaminating a new build with that Allied deceptive over-hyped PSU. It will go in the garage in storage. The new build will have all high-end parts, including that 1000 watt PSU you told Shaff was absolute nonsense a while back, LOL