Video Card Thread (Mostly Gecube x1950xt)

Triple SLI is being done by a lot of system manufacturers using the 780i platform now, now that the rest of the PC parts industry has lowered prices, that leaves enough room to buy one more 8800 card that still costs as much as it was released 15 months ago. If I had £5000 to spend on PC parts would I do it? Probably not. A 780i board and three8800 Ultras would set me back £1850. A Crossfire-based Gigabyte board and a pair of HD3870s would cost me £360 and would achieve similar results. In a lot of games, a single PCIe board and one HD3870 would get a similar score, and that's only £210 worth. I think you can see my point here, right?

Typical game that supports multiple graphics:
Triple 8800GTX solution: 75fps - £25/fps
HD3870 CF solution: 40fps £9/fps
Single HD3870: 25fps £8/fps

Properly Crossfire-supported game:
Triple 8800GTX solution: 105fps - £18/fps
HD3870 CF solution: 60fps - £6/fps
Single HD3870: 30fps - £7/fps

The other 50% of games on the market:
Triple 8800GTX: 28fps - £66/fps
HD3870 CF solution: 26fps - £14/fps
Single HD3870: 30fps - £7/fps

Triple 8800GTX average: £36/fps
HD3870 CF average: £10/fps
Single HD3870 average: £7/fps


As far as the CS831 goes, it's a stunning case (especially for watercoolers) but it carries the usual top-end case price tag. Equivalent models from Lian Li and Silverstone are equally expensive. The P190 isn't quite so bad because it comes with power supplies.
I wouldn't be too surprised if the Twelve Hundred is far from cheap either, if it comes with that reservoir it'll probably command a price tag of $250 or so I reckon.

Remember: A CS831 at its RRP, with two PSUs in it will probably set you back $550. That third 8800 Ultra is $650...

 

Sam you know what I mean. Fine if not Crysis then COD4 or something. Can't I turn down the resolution? Anyway I'll still enjoy the fact that the screen is so big lol.

That case, well only one pic loaded for me. It's OK, not anything to rave about. Maybe if I could have that display I'd stick it in my case and call it a day. Seriously I don't see what's so good about it. Just a big matte piece of plastic.

 

Lol the Sentry LX is sold separately.
We all have our different tastes in cases, I personally dislike the Cosmos and the Armor, but there you go.
The Cs831 is good because of what's inside it.
I've no idea why you can't load those other photos, but they're well worth looking at.

 

I don't thing have 9 freakin fan still justifies the 400 dollars price mark. Other cases cool fine with have dual intake, dual exhaust, and triple fans on the bottom.

Ray, you're REALLY gonna spend 400 on a new case? Shouldn't you get a decent case for around 200 and buy your self some better RAM?

EDIT: For what it's worth the Stacker 830 is a nice case too.

 

Jeeeesus H! Would anyone here seriously spend £200/$400 on a case!? Does this thing get you up in the morning with a hot cuppa, some toast and a BJ!? That is just ridiculous - that's when you know you've crossed the line from being 'interested' in computers, even past enthusiast that is major 'spotty-kid-bullied-at-school-billy-nomates-massive-geek' sessions!

 

Haha, yeah maybe he is. You honestly should have to spend more than 170 on a case.

I got mine for 70!

 

Well doesnt the CM stacker cost $400 too? Or something around there...

I love the case same recommended because:

Dual 120mm front intake

Dual 120mm rear exhaust

Triple 120mm center fans

Dual PSU slots(not that I'd be using 2 PSUs)

Made of aluminum

Its got a cool screen in the front, although I'm not sure if it really comes with that.

Also, the $400 was an estimate, hopefully the prices will drop quite a bit as I dont plan on getting a new case for quite some time, maybe 4 or 6 months from now as my 900 suits me fine.

Heres some more info on it: http://www.nzxt.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5002

BTW sam, where did you get those photos from??

This was my option before: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811144205

The only thing I dont like about it is that there's only 1 front 120mm fan, but thats ok.

 

That's crazy. My current case was bought as a 'performance' P4 system for £800 about 3 years ago. Can't imagine it cost them more than £10 and I certainly wouldn't pay more than £50 for a box to put my bits in!!

 

The stacker is about 170 with free shipping.

 

The stacker 830 evo costs £170 in the UK, around $330.

Waymon: I got the photos because i'm an active member at NZXT. Lounge.
An Apevia case? Lol for $160 you've got to be yanking my chain. All Apevia/Aspire do is buy out old unused designs, mess around with the fans and add blue LEDs. $400 may be a lot for The CS831, but I'd say $160 for the X-Jupiter is just as much a rip off.

 

Oh ok, I just found out the one I saw came with a PSU... So I guess thats why it was more money.

I still would either take the Aprevia or the soon to be released NZXT over the stacker though, as I would image those cases are designed more for watercooling than aircooling (unlike my 900...).

 

Man you spent so much money on that watercooling setup. If you head over to anandtech they show you that air cooling actually cools BETTER than water cooling.

 

Apevia PSUs aren't worth anything. I'd pay someone to take one off my hands, they're so shoddy.
Abuzar: Now you know that isn't true. It's just that some watercooling setups are beaten by some air cooling setups (namely WC kits are crap, but properly designed systems will beat any air cooling setup, full stop)

 

I don't know much about them but the Corsair Nautullus(sp?) was beaten out by the Thermalright 120.

 

Where are the 4Ghz on air benches? Hmm?

Anyways, I FOUND IT FINALLY!!! HAHAHA I am so proud of myself!!!

http://vr-zone.com/articles/AMD_Radeon_HD3850_and_HD3870_-_AMD's_salvation?/5392-14.html

Of all those other articles that are Ati vs nvidia, and how Ati has a better picture, well here's proof!

 

VR-Zone! I knew one site had pointed out the differences, I couldn't remember which...
Abuzar: The Corsair Nautilus is one of the worst watercooling kits ever made...

What's worth mentioning is that this is a stunt nvidia have been pulling for years - reduced rendering detail in favour of better fps. It's enough to make someone obsessed with image quality like myself favour ATi products, but I don't consider myself a fanboy, because I happily recommend nvidia's products to other people if they're not going to care as much.

 

Interesting screens. I had seen them all before apart from the top two, and the 8800 looks appalling in comparison in those. In the others I cannot see a difference apart from the contrast seems higher in the 3870 shots, which makes the shadows that are there seem more rich. But yes, no shadows in the water - that's pretty rubbish really! And the bottom left corner on the beach looks like a completely different texture. I can't believe though that the non-rendering of these shadows accounts for the whole performance gap between the cards. Surely the 8800 is actually be able to render these? If so, a cynicist might deduce that Nvidia thinks that many people in the market for a new graphics card will be making their choice based upon Crysis performance and therefore as Sam says the bigger the fps gap the more likely Joe pub is to buy a 8800. Does anyone know of this rendering disparity in any other titles?
Edit: Apart from Tomb raider!

 

It's supposed to be really prominent in Oblivion too, but I've not seen any direct comparisons... I think all the big hitting games exhibit it, it's just an underhand tactic really to attract fanboys.
3dmark03 is probably the worst.

 

Ray, that's because you're crazy enough to crank it up to 1.6. G0 stepping doesn't get that hot. Here is your 4.0 ghz on air.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=-JJr2Vnfs1w&feature=related

 

Is it 3DMark06 stable? I mean, surely you can clock it to that but can you go about playing games on it?

And where does it say it's on air?