Was it worth it?2900XT?

[-1nf1n1ty-]

What the title says sorta, In the end is the 2900XT still worth it? or was?

[Random Murderer]

no, the hd3870 performs on par with and in some games even surpasses it, all for a little more than half the price.

[hat]

It will shine more as you overclock your processor higher. Go for 3GHz if you can.

[Random Murderer]

It will shine more as you overclock your processor higher. Go for 3GHz if you can.

true, i didn't even look at his specs.
1nf1n1ty, your processor is bottlenecking the crap out of your card. hell, my q6600 bottlenecks my single 3870!

[Dangle]

This card is awesome, I love it! It beats my 7950GX2 - cheaper too, plus it came with free Black Box!!

[niko084]

true, i didn't even look at his specs.
1nf1n1ty, your processor is bottlenecking the crap out of your card. hell, my q6600 bottlenecks my single 3870!

Eh I highly doubt that considering my e6750 even at 2.66 doesn't bottleneck my 3850....

But more processor power is always better...

****

To get back to the 2900xt... By the time they had drivers half straight for it, in the end it draws WAY WAY too much power, runs WAY too hot! And doesn't perform well enough ahead of a hd3850 512mb or hd3870 which use about half the power and run much cooler, and on top of that they cost half as much.

[TonyStark]

true, i didn't even look at his specs.
1nf1n1ty, your processor is bottlenecking the crap out of your card. hell, my q6600 bottlenecks my single 3870!

How so? Do you play at 1024x768?

[niko084]

How so? Do you play at 1024x768?

1680x1050.

[Random Murderer]

How so? Do you play at 1024x768?

no, but it's quite obvious that it is when comparing it to higher clocked q6600's in similar systems. granted i do very well in games, but when the 3870 3dmark06 thread (http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=48426) opened up i was extremely surprised to see just how bottlenecked i am!

[Psychoholic]

I dont understand how people can say it runs so hot, mine is clocked at 820/1880, and Full load (30 Mins of COD4 Deathmatch) Stock cooling, Max temps are 78-80C, which is a little cooler than my 8800GTS 640MB Was.

edit: 2900 Pro, might as well be an XT Though.. I love it, great card.

[niko084]

no, but it's quite obvious that it is when comparing it to higher clocked q6600's in similar systems. granted i do very well in games, but when the 3870 3dmark06 thread (http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=48426) opened up i was extremely surprised to see just how bottlenecked i am!

That shows absolutely nothing... Don't beat yourself up over it :)

Higher cpu clocks alone no matter what the card is gives better 3dmark scores because they are also based on your cpu power. Chipsets make a slight difference there even.

If your q6600 was truly bottlenecking your 3870... There would be no system alive that could take on 2 8800 Ultras.

[niko084]

I dont understand how people can say it runs so hot, mine is clocked at 820/1880, and Full load (30 Mins of COD4 Deathmatch) Stock cooling, Max temps are 78-80C, which is a little cooler than my 8800GTS 640MB Was.

edit: 2900 Pro, might as well be an XT Though.. I love it, great card.

Thats the point... Thats not bad for a 2900xt but thats hot as hell...

My HD3850 doesn't pass 55c clocked at 740/1004 with the stock single slot cooler.

[Random Murderer]

Thats the point... Thats not bad for a 2900xt but thats hot as hell...

My HD3850 doesn't pass 55c clocked at 740/1004 with the stock single slot cooler.

lol, yea, my card's voltmodded and it never sees 60°C unless i'm doing a suicide run.

[JC316]

Yeah, the 2900XT is great, I love mine. The only thing that I am pissed about is that I gave $260 for mine and they are down to $160 now.

[niko084]

lol, yea, my card's voltmodded and it never sees 60°C unless i'm doing a suicide run.

Same I have cracked it out at 760/1050 and gotten it up to around 65c on a 3dmark06 test.

Now I should volt mod mine, but I'm going to give it to a friend and grab another 3870 or at least a 512mb 3850, doesn't much matter they perform dead on par with each other.

[Psychoholic]

GPUs are made to run hot, my 8800GTS stayed in the mid 80's, as did my X1900XT, X850XT, 6800GT, etc.. Just going down memory lane.. GPUs run "hot" in general, but hot is a relative term.. as long as its stable i dont worry about it.

[niko084]

Yeah, the 2900XT is great, I love mine. The only thing that I am pissed about is that I gave $260 for mine and they are down to $160 now.

Ya for the price now the Pro's are not a bad deal, but just power hungry...

I mean I'm far from a tree hugging enviromentalist, but when I can get the same and in some cases better performance and save the $ difference between the $170 2900pro and a $250 HD3870 in a few months on my power bill alone.

Heck going from my 2600xt to a 3870 my power bill went down a bit just because the 3870 down clocks when its not being used.

[niko084]

GPUs are made to run hot, my 8800GTS stayed in the mid 80's, as did my X1900XT, X850XT, 6800GT, etc.. Just going down memory lane.. GPUs run "hot" in general, but hot is a relative term.. as long as its stable i dont worry about it.

Heat Energy is wasted Energy. Yes you are correct some gpu's just run hot and thats that.
But if I can have the choice to save a bunch of money on my power bill, get the same level performance with newer technology and not add another space heater to my apartment...

For those that bought a 2900pro/2900xt when they were released, good buy good power, good performance once they fixed the drivers... By all means its not worth replacing it now, but as of now I wouldn't DREAM of selling anyone a 2900.

[DaMulta]

You sure that it's not because it is now winter niko?

[niko084]

You sure that it's not because it is now winter niko?

Yes I am on the electric bill, and if your curious about the temps, I'm sure on that too, computers are all in actually the naturally warmest part of the apt.

The drop was only about $6-$7 or so, but considering my computers are on 23.9 hours a day, my main system generally doesn't even get the chance to go into standby.

[flashstar]

The 2900xt is simply a more powerful card than the 3870. If you can handle the slightly higher temps (mine maxes at 74 degrees under 100% load on Crysis when overclocked to 820/960) and the increased noise when running games, you will do well to get the 2900xt over a 3870. I'm sure glad that I did. Why? Because of the 512 bit bus. Nothing, not even an Ultra comes close to that kind of bandwidth. My friend with a 8800gts 640 mb and 3.4 ghz core 2 duo gets 20 fps on high on Crysis where as I get a solid 27 fps with an Athlon X2 at 2.5. I attribute this to the much greater bandwidth of the 2900xt. If you can use water cooling, etc. to reduce the temperature there is nothing keeping you from higher core speeds. 1000/1000 is actually reachable with the correct cooling. At those speeds, you will simply womp even an overclocked 3870. Additonally, at stock speeds the 2900xt beats 3870's in many games. Nothing beats 2 2900xt's in crossfire. ;)

Anyway, I got my 2900pro/xt simply because I wanted something that kicks ass.

I got it.

[Random Murderer]

The 2900xt is simply a more powerful card than the 3870. If you can handle the slightly higher temps (mine maxes at 74 degrees under 100% load on Crysis when overclocked to 820/960) and the increased noise when running games, you will do well to get the 2900xt over a 3870. I'm sure glad that I did. Why? Because of the 512 bit bus. Nothing, not even an Ultra comes close to that kind of bandwidth. My friend with a 8800gts 640 mb and 3.4 ghz core 2 duo gets 20 fps on high on Crysis where as I get a solid 27 fps with an Athlon X2 at 2.5. I attribute this to the much greater bandwidth of the 2900xt. If you can use water cooling, etc. to reduce the temperature there is nothing keeping you from higher core speeds. 1000/1000 is actually reachable with the correct cooling. At those speeds, you will simply womp even an overclocked 3870. Additonally, at stock speeds the 2900xt beats 3870's in many games. Nothing beats 2 2900xt's in crossfire. ;)

Anyway, I got my 2900pro/xt simply because I wanted something that kicks ass.

I got it.
ok, fanboy, until i see some actual numbers from you in the form of a screenshot, your word means nothing.
countless reviews have pit the 38x0 against a 2900xt and/or an 8800gt, and 90% of the time the 3870 either matches or beats the 2900xt. the 38x0 is newer tech, it's as simple as that.
on paper, sure the 2900xt is a better card, but in reality it just can't keep up.
and overclocking! don't even get me started!
you will NEVER see a 2900 at 1GHz core, even at absolute zero. a 3870 on the other hand... mine's been to 950 on AIR. quantum force oc team got a 3870 to 1.2GHz core on ln2.

[niko084]

The 2900xt is simply a more powerful card than the 3870. If you can handle the slightly higher temps (mine maxes at 74 degrees under 100% load on Crysis when overclocked to 820/960) and the increased noise when running games, you will do well to get the 2900xt over a 3870. I'm sure glad that I did. Why? Because of the 512 bit bus. Nothing, not even an Ultra comes close to that kind of bandwidth. My friend with a 8800gts 640 mb and 3.4 ghz core 2 duo gets 20 fps on high on Crysis where as I get a solid 27 fps with an Athlon X2 at 2.5. I attribute this to the much greater bandwidth of the 2900xt. If you can use water cooling, etc. to reduce the temperature there is nothing keeping you from higher core speeds. 1000/1000 is actually reachable with the correct cooling. At those speeds, you will simply womp even an overclocked 3870. Additonally, at stock speeds the 2900xt beats 3870's in many games. Nothing beats 2 2900xt's in crossfire. ;)

Anyway, I got my 2900pro/xt simply because I wanted something that kicks ass.

I got it.

1- The 512bit bus was found to be near useless

2- My HD3850 gets about the same fps your 2900xt gets in Crysis and at the same resolution and its only 256mb

3- The 2900XT's the REAL XT's perform DEAD on par with a HD3870 1-2 FPS difference between different apps and they go back and forth. Can't take 3dmark for real performance. Needless to say even a flashed 2900pro can't keep up with a 3870.

I have had a 2900GT, 2900XT, HD3870 and 2 in crossfire and now my HD3850 in my machine, first hand experience tells, with all near the same base machine.

And here is my proof from one of our very own...
http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=46207
Notice right on par with REAL 2900XT's

[-1nf1n1ty-]

Is my cpu really bottle necking my card?if it is someone tell me how to fix that? and when you say bottlenecking..........what?

[flashstar]

Until this week, the 2900xt has been number 1 in 3dmark06. The 512 bit bus really helps at higher clock speeds. Even when overclocked, the 3870 falls behind due to this limitation. http://service.futuremark.com/compare?3dm06=3970826

Thanks for the link Nico. I've been looking for a comprehensive review. In fact, that was what I was saying. About 60% of the time, the 2900xt beats the 3870. What is really funny is that the 2900pro (can be flashed to xt easily) can be found for $160 where as the cheapest 3870's are still $250.

I don't think that I am a fan boy because I have owned a 9800 pro, 7800gtx, 7600gt, 7300gs, and my 2900pro/xt.

Btw, newer isn't always better... ;)

[flashstar]

You can try overclocking your cpu. I would estimate that you could get to 2.7 ghz. Although it won't be free of a bottleneck, it should help.

Here is an Athlon 64 guide. http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=22547

[niko084]

Is my cpu really bottle necking my card?if it is someone tell me how to fix that? and when you say bottlenecking..........what?

You could fairly easily be bottlenecking your card in some games.
About all you can do is overclock some more.

[Exceededgoku]

I've been disappointed by all high end cards as of late, graphics card makers have become consumed with making us by 2 (or now even more cards) to play games at an acceptable rate and to me that is just not a possibility. High end has suffered IMO and we get fed the same bull**** but with more cores. What happened to the days of 9800XT and X800/6800?? I'm out of this scene as far as I'm concerned...

[-1nf1n1ty-]

quick question about overclocking doesnt it wear out your parts that your overclocking?

[niko084]

Until this week, the 2900xt has been number 1 in 3dmark06. The 512 bit bus really helps at higher clock speeds. Even when overclocked, the 3870 falls behind due to this limitation. http://service.futuremark.com/compare?3dm06=3970826

Thanks for the link Nico. I've been looking for a comprehensive review. In fact, that was what I was saying. About 60% of the time, the 2900xt beats the 3870. What is really funny is that the 2900pro (can be flashed to xt easily) can be found for $160 where as the cheapest 3870's are still $250.

I don't think that I am a fan boy because I have owned a 9800 pro, 7800gtx, 7600gt, 7300gs, and my 2900pro/xt.

Btw, newer isn't always better... ;)

Well the only key there is 3dmark shows almost near nothing except a baseline about what area a card lands in performance wise. Being that in applications they perform dead on with each other, the 1024mb version crawling ahead just barely even with its 512bit bus.

The 512bit bus is not used hardly, same reason Nvidia dropped to a 256bit bus for the G92.
It offers more bandwidth yes, but it offers next to no performance increase.

Remember that the 2900pro is not always a 512bit either, some also had 256bit and those could not be flashed to an XT.

I'm not trying to bash on the 2900's if anyone is taking it that way, but in reality now its kinda old and fallen off its horse, it has been replaced by all matter by a much more efficient card, but thats the way technology rolls. If you can still find a 512bit 2900pro or a 2900xt for sub $250 maybe you want that extra little edge they tend to have, not a lot or noticeable but it does score slightly better fairly often.

[Random Murderer]

Until this week, the 2900xt has been number 1 in 3dmark06. The 512 bit bus really helps at higher clock speeds. Even when overclocked, the 3870 falls behind due to this limitation. http://service.futuremark.com/compare?3dm06=3970826

Thanks for the link Nico. I've been looking for a comprehensive review. In fact, that was what I was saying. About 60% of the time, the 2900xt beats the 3870. What is really funny is that the 2900pro (can be flashed to xt easily) can be found for $160 where as the cheapest 3870's are still $250.

I don't think that I am a fan boy because I have owned a 9800 pro, 7800gtx, 7600gt, 7300gs, and my 2900pro/xt.

Btw, newer isn't always better... ;)
unfortunately, 3dmark scores don't mean crap in real world apps.
quick question about overclocking doesnt it wear out your parts that your overclocking?

not if you cool it properly.;)

[-1nf1n1ty-]

not if you cool it properly.;)

K I got a bule orb 2 on my cpu and since that seems to be the only thing bottlenecking it what do I do?

[niko084]

quick question about overclocking doesnt it wear out your parts that your overclocking?

Well it can, biggest key is to make sure you don't volt things too high, your stable, and you have enough cooling. Generally speaking when done properly and not to an extreme you can run a machine years overclocked... I still have a few old P4's and AMD 64's around I have built and clocked for customers who didn't want to buy new machines yet, have been running overclocked fairly heavily for 3-4-5 years no problems.

Read up under the overclocking section on how to clock your amd for its potential and you should be able to find temperatures and such to try to stay at, safe voltages and such.

[Random Murderer]

K I got a bule orb 2 on my cpu and since that seems to be the only thing bottlenecking it what do I do?

read this. (http://www.techpowerup.com/articles/overclocking/148)

[niko084]

K I got a bule orb 2 on my cpu and since that seems to be the only thing bottlenecking it what do I do?

I don't know about your board, but that chip can hit a fairly easy 3ghz, around there you should about rid of most if not all of your bottleneck if you run a decent resolution.

[Wile E]

ok, fanboy, until i see some actual numbers from you in the form of a screenshot, your word means nothing.
countless reviews have pit the 38x0 against a 2900xt and/or an 8800gt, and 90% of the time the 3870 either matches or beats the 2900xt. the 38x0 is newer tech, it's as simple as that.
on paper, sure the 2900xt is a better card, but in reality it just can't keep up.
and overclocking! don't even get me started!
you will NEVER see a 2900 at 1GHz core, even at absolute zero. a 3870 on the other hand... mine's been to 950 on AIR. quantum force oc team got a 3870 to 1.2GHz core on ln2.

There are plenty of 2900XTs at 1GHz core. And the 512bit bus does make a difference at higher resolutions, where the 2900 still reigns supreme over both the 3850 and 70.

And about Quantum, notice that their 3Dmark06 top score is still being held by 2900s?

If you already have enough psu, and you get the 2900's temps under control, it's still a steal for $160.

[niko084]

Until this week, the 2900xt has been number 1 in 3dmark06. The 512 bit bus really helps at higher clock speeds. Even when overclocked, the 3870 falls behind due to this limitation. http://service.futuremark.com/compare?3dm06=3970826

Thanks for the link Nico. I've been looking for a comprehensive review. In fact, that was what I was saying. About 60% of the time, the 2900xt beats the 3870. What is really funny is that the 2900pro (can be flashed to xt easily) can be found for $160 where as the cheapest 3870's are still $250.

I don't think that I am a fan boy because I have owned a 9800 pro, 7800gtx, 7600gt, 7300gs, and my 2900pro/xt.

Btw, newer isn't always better... ;)

I just noticed you have a 206BW... I'm highly considering buying one!

Does it ghost at all, I can't stand that?
Is it as nice as it looks?

[Random Murderer]

There are plenty of 2900XTs at 1GHz core. And the 512bit bus does make a difference at higher resolutions, where the 2900 still reigns supreme over both the 3850 and 70.

o rly?
even though this is coming from wile e, i'll still need proof of this.
i phail to believe that a card that just pours out heat like the 2900xt can reach that sort of clock stably and for longer than a suicide run...

[niko084]

There are plenty of 2900XTs at 1GHz core. And the 512bit bus does make a difference at higher resolutions, where the 2900 still reigns supreme over both the 3850 and 70.

And about Quantum, notice that their 3Dmark06 top score is still being held by 2900s?

If you already have enough psu, and you get the 2900's temps under control, it's still a steal for $160.

The 2900pro for $160 is a 256bit model.... Can't be flashed and its 256bit...

2900XT's are still over $300 when you can find them 512mb.....
2900Pro's that are 512bit if you can find them also run around $300...

[Random Murderer]

The 2900pro for $160 is a 256bit model.... Can't be flashed and its 256bit...

2900XT's are still over $300 when you can find them 512mb.....
2900Pro's that are 512bit if you can find them also run around $300...

wrong. (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102717)

[niko084]

o rly?
even though this is coming from wile e, i'll still need proof of this.
i phail to believe that a card that just pours out heat like the 2900xt can reach that sort of clock stably and for longer than a suicide run...

Ya.... Looking not very many at all are hitting 1ghz... And the few that are, are also on water.
http://www.hwbot.org/result.do?resultId=681867 TOP Single 3dmark06 2900xt
http://www.hwbot.org/result.do?resultId=678433 TOP Multi 3dmark06 2900xt

Single card is Water, the Crossfire set is on LN2.... Thats FAR from anything air can touch.

[niko084]

wrong. (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102717)

Cons: Site had this listed as a 512-bit but its 256-bit... Was a pain to get this to run on winXP. For once, using the included CD to install a gfx card was usefull.

Looks like another GRAND ole Newegg typo.

All the 512bit 2900pro's and 2900xt's on EBAY are selling for $300+

[Random Murderer]

Ya.... Looking not very many at all are hitting 1ghz... And the few that are, are also on water.
http://www.hwbot.org/result.do?resultId=681867 TOP Single 3dmark06 2900xt
http://www.hwbot.org/result.do?resultId=678433 TOP Multi 3dmark06 2900xt

Single card is Water, the Crossfire set is on LN2.... Thats FAR from anything air can touch.

notice the one on water isn't even at 1GHz?
and the whole point of cooling something on ln2 is to make a freakin' crazy suicide run! :roll:

[Random Murderer]

Cons: Site had this listed as a 512-bit but its 256-bit... Was a pain to get this to run on winXP. For once, using the included CD to install a gfx card was usefull.

Looks like another GRAND ole Newegg typo.

well, i've never seen a newegg typo 'til now, thank you.

[niko084]

To even push the matter a bit further...

http://www.hwbot.org/result.do?resultId=681737

Single HD3870 on "AIR" Whats going to happen when someone nitro's that thing with a heavy volt mod.

[Wile E]

o rly?
even though this is coming from wile e, i'll still need proof of this.
i phail to believe that a card that just pours out heat like the 2900xt can reach that sort of clock stably and for longer than a suicide run...lol. Who said anything about stable? When you mentioned 1200MHz from a 3870 on ln2, I assumed that stable clock weren't what we were talking about. Nobody even said anything about using only air cooling either. I see nothing wrong with h2o cooling either. (But I'm obviously biased. lol)

But that raises an interesting question, if they are able to do 1200Mhz on the 3870, but not the 2900, and the 3870 is supposed to be superior in every way, why are their 2900's still holding their record?

[Random Murderer]

To even push the matter a bit further...

http://www.hwbot.org/result.do?resultId=681737

Single HD3870 on "AIR" Whats going to happen when someone nitro's that thing with a heavy volt mod.

and now you see my point.
put that thing on water and you're looking at 1100 to 1150.
i'm convinced that the only reason QF couldn't push their 3870 past 1200 is because of some sort of pll error or something. something like when the cards originally came out and they were hard-locking at 864.

[Random Murderer]

lol. Who said anything about stable? When you mentioned 1200MHz from a 3870 on ln2, I assumed that stable clock weren't what we were talking about. Nobody even said anything about using only air cooling either. I see nothing wrong with h2o cooling either. (But I'm obviously biased. lol)

But that raises an interesting question, if they are able to do 1200Mhz on the 3870, but not the 2900, and the 3870 is supposed to be superior in every way, why are their 2900's still holding their record?

because the cards were out for nearly a year longer, plenty of time for an oc team to cherry pick two crazy clocking cards and put them under some ln2 or phase and then still have time to tweak every little aspect of their system. we just haven't had that time with the 38x0 cards. give it time and i'm convinced the 3870 will come out on top.

[niko084]

lol. Who said anything about stable? When you mentioned 1200MHz from a 3870 on ln2, I assumed that stable clock weren't what we were talking about. Nobody even said anything about using only air cooling either. I see nothing wrong with h2o cooling either. (But I'm obviously biased. lol)

But that raises an interesting question, if they are able to do 1200Mhz on the 3870, but not the 2900, and the 3870 is supposed to be superior in every way, why are their 2900's still holding their record?

Well once again we are back to useless 3dmark competitions...
REAL application they are neck and neck.

But beyond that, like I posted above, I'm curious myself what will happen as more serious modders start blowing up with the 3870.

[flashstar]

I got my 2900 pro (already flashed to xt) for $200 shipped on Ebay a month ago.

It's not that the 2900xt pours out heat and therefore cannot be overclocked. It can be overclocked because it pours out heat! :rockout: The reason why the 2900xt is so slow is because ATI had to slow it down due to power leakage problems. If you can find a way to dissipate the heat, it is possible to get a huge performance boost with overclocking. Remember, ATI originally wanted the 2900xt to compete with the GTX. Like they say though, if you can't handle the heat, stay out of the kitchen! :D

Btw, the 206bw RULES. It has zero ghosting and when you turn on auto contrast, colors in every situation are so accurate that you don't need to manually adjust the contrast. It's also soo bright. I have the display down to 87/100 brightness and it's still satisfying bright.

[Random Murderer]

Well once again we are back to useless 3dmark competitions...
REAL application they are neck and neck.

But beyond that, like I posted above, I'm curious myself what will happen as more serious modders start blowing up with the 3870.

my EXACT point.
people(like me previously) put too much faith in SYNTHETIC benches and forget to look at the real world numbers...
but to get back on topic, NO, i do not believe the 2900xt is worth the price.

[niko084]

Sounds great, and nice price on that card!
I was quoting NIB prices I just came across on buy it nows.

[Psychoholic]

Cons: Site had this listed as a 512-bit but its 256-bit... Was a pain to get this to run on winXP. For once, using the included CD to install a gfx card was usefull.

Looks like another GRAND ole Newegg typo.

All the 512bit 2900pro's and 2900xt's on EBAY are selling for $300+

Mine's 512bit, i know that for a fact.. and i bought the one in that link a few weeks ago.

[niko084]

Mine's 512bit, i know that for a fact.. and i bought the one in that link a few weeks ago.

Now that makes me curious.... Beh friggen newegg... For me its a Love/Hate relationship.

Reviewers are un-knowledgeable, some lie, newegg gets things typo'd really often lately also.

If it is indeed a 512bit version, then for the price its a hell of a deal if you don't mind the power draw.

[Psychoholic]

Now that makes me curious.... Beh friggen newegg... For me its a Love/Hate relationship.

Reviewers are un-knowledgeable, some lie, newegg gets things typo'd really often lately also.

If it is indeed a 512bit version, then for the price its a hell of a deal if you don't mind the power draw.

Here's a GPU-Z Shot("defaults" are just my everyday settings i flashed to the pro bios).. it would suck to purchase one of these and receive a 256bit one though, id probably send it back.. hehe

http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/7925/dsfgt8.jpg

[Random Murderer]

Reviewers are un-knowledgeable, some lie, newegg gets things typo'd really often lately also.

qft!

[niko084]

I believed you but ya... I dunno, thats a heck of a deal for a 512bit though... If it wasn't for the massive power draw I would be tempted to buy one for that price...

Definitely TOASTS the 8600GTS and 2600XT GDDR4's that land in its price range!

Heck honestly at that price I may order one for a guy who I have been dealing with that was ranting for months he wants a 2900...
Save him a few bucks and still get 512mb for his 22", he has the psu and honestly the more extra heat in his office the better!

[Wile E]

because the cards were out for nearly a year longer, plenty of time for an oc team to cherry pick two crazy clocking cards and put them under some ln2 or phase and then still have time to tweak every little aspect of their system. we just haven't had that time with the 38x0 cards. give it time and i'm convinced the 3870 will come out on top.But they were over 1000Mhz core on the 2900 at it's release. And that still doesn't answer why, if the 3870s truly are 100% superior, and they already managed 1200Mhz core (which is higher than their 2900s), that the record is still held by the 2900s?

With Quantum down to 3rd behind Kinc in the 06 Hall of Fame, you'd think that if the 3870s really are superior, they would've tried to knock Kinc of the throne with them. In fact, looking thru there, I only see 2 3870s in the top 20.

At worst, I think both cards are equals in performance. With 2900 getting the ultra high res edge.

[Psychoholic]

Mine (Clocked as it is now) outperforms my previous 8800GTS 640MB.. In games as well as benches. I Bought the 2900 for $160, and sold the 8800 For $200 :P

I was going to order another one, but i havnt seen them in stock since i ordered mine.

[Random Murderer]

But they were over 1000Mhz core on the 2900 at it's release. And that still doesn't answer why, if the 3870s truly are 100% superior, and they already managed 1200Mhz core (which is higher than their 2900s), that the record is still held by the 2900s?

With Quantum down to 3rd behind Kinc in the 06 Hall of Fame, you'd think that if the 3870s really are superior, they would've tried to knock Kinc of the throne with them. In fact, looking thru there, I only see 2 3870s in the top 20.

At worst, I think both cards are equals in performance. With 2900 getting the ultra high res edge.
i'm not saying that the 3870 is 100% superior, i'm saying it edges out the 2900xt in SOME real world applications and games, and matches the 2900xt in others.

[niko084]

But they were over 1000Mhz core on the 2900 at it's release. And that still doesn't answer why, if the 3870s truly are 100% superior, and they already managed 1200Mhz core (which is higher than their 2900s), that the record is still held by the 2900s?

With Quantum down to 3rd behind Kinc in the 06 Hall of Fame, you'd think that if the 3870s really are superior, they would've tried to knock Kinc of the throne with them. In fact, looking thru there, I only see 2 3870s in the top 20.

At worst, I think both cards are equals in performance. With 2900 getting the ultra high res edge.

Thats about how I see it... For 99.9% of users they are dead on par in reality.

In a CRAZY resolution like 2560x1600 I can see the 2900 coming ahead because at that point the 512bit bus I believe would start to shine.

[Psychoholic]

hmmmm, something is a little fishy about the 2900Pro 512bit link.. That's the link i used when i ordered mine some weeks ago, I was just looking at the card in the pics though, Mine has 3 heatpipes -- that one has 2. Mine has Dual Power connectors, that one has one.


EDIT: That one is the 256bit version in the Pictures, the box says so.

[niko084]

hmmmm, something is a little fishy about the 2900Pro 512bit link.. That's the link i used when i ordered mine some weeks ago, I was just looking at the card in the pics though, Mine has 3 heatpipes -- that one has 2. Mine has Dual Power connectors, that one has one.


EDIT: That one is the 256bit version in the Pictures, the box says so.

That is odd.... I was just going to say the only 2900 I have ever seen with 1 power plug was the 2900GT, which was pretty much a bloody pile of junk.....

But that one does say 2900pro 256bit so I guess...

Hmm, very odd indeed..... That would be one of those things I would have to call and verify before I ordered to make sure it was indeed the 512bit 2900pro.

[Random Murderer]

what's really funny about this thread is the poll...
5 say "yes," 5 say "no," 2 say "maybe," and 2 say "hard to say."
it's split right down the middle.

[niko084]

Well I just sent an email to their customer service to inform them about a number of mistakes that are very annoying and screw over customers who don't know better...

1- the 2900pro 512bit or 256bit?
2- the 2600xt GeCube 256bit......... enough said
3- the Vistiontek HD3850 GDDR4........ enough said

Hopefully they will read the message and get them fixed, otherwise I will buy them, and then report them to the BBB for false advertisement with my proof that they were informed and had ample time to fix the issue.

[Random Murderer]

Well I just sent an email to their customer service to inform them about a number of mistakes that are very annoying and screw over customers who don't know better...

1- the 2900pro 512bit or 256bit?
2- the 2600xt GeCube 256bit......... enough said
3- the Vistiontek HD3850 GDDR4........ enough said

Hopefully they will read the message and get them fixed, otherwise I will buy them, and then report them to the BBB for false advertisement with my proof that they were informed and had ample time to fix the issue.

actually, there is a gddr4 version of the 3850. not sure on the 2600xt though.

[-1nf1n1ty-]

what's really funny about this thread is the poll...
5 say "yes," 5 say "no," 2 say "maybe," and 2 say "hard to say."
it's split right down the middle.

Whats REALLY funny is that I tried overclocking and I loaded up my pc and it froze about 5-10 times....I'll let a pro do it overclocking is not my field

[Random Murderer]

Whats REALLY funny is that I tried overclocking and I loaded up my pc and it froze about 5-10 times....I'll let a pro do it overclocking is not my field

just means it was unstable. maybe you clocked it too high or didn't give something enough voltage.

[niko084]

actually, there is a gddr4 version of the 3850. not sure on the 2600xt though.

Check Visiontek's website... I called them to verify they didn't make one.

But yes at least 1 has appeared others may have followed but Visiontek is one that has not *yet*.

256bit 2600xt's do not exist, if they did it would have been the end of the world for the 8600gts.

[-1nf1n1ty-]

just means it was unstable. maybe you clocked it too high or didn't give something enough voltage.

well Ill try once I have a better understanding on overclocking but till then I turned everything back and such and theres a program that freezes my computer once I use it. Imma see if my friend will over clock it for me tomorrow thanks though

[Random Murderer]

Check Visiontek's website... I called them to verify they didn't make one.

well i didn't know that visiontek didn't produce one, but i do know gecube and his do.

[niko084]

well i didn't know that visiontek didn't produce one, but i do know gecube and his do.

Okay, I also knew a few companies where picking them up but didn't know which ones have yet.

[-1nf1n1ty-]

does it actually matters what brand of graphics card you have, I know it does for nvidia but what about ati?

[Random Murderer]

does it actually matters what brand of graphics card you have, I know it does for nvidia but what about ati?

yes, it does. even though the cards may be labeled the same, they may use different ram chips or use a different pcb, or a more obvious difference, such as a different cooler.

[niko084]

yes, it does. even though the cards may be labeled the same, they may use different ram chips or use a different pcb, or a more obvious difference, such as a different cooler.

I would like to add here that the very commonly well respected ATI vendors are-

Sapphire, Powercolor are the two I buy mostly.

Sapphire is ATI's #1 vendor

MSI, HIS are also good cards, as I believe GeCube generally makes a nice solid card but I don't have any personal experience there.

[-1nf1n1ty-]

so would my brand be considered bad, I found this pic on ebay only place where I can find the same as mine:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ATI-HD-2900-XT-512-MB-PCIE-GDDR3-HD2900XT-NEW-2900XT_W0QQitemZ200192450363QQihZ010QQcategoryZ401 58QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[Random Murderer]

so would my brand be considered bad, I found this pic on ebay only place where I can find the same as mine:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ATI-HD-2900-XT-512-MB-PCIE-GDDR3-HD2900XT-NEW-2900XT_W0QQitemZ200192450363QQihZ010QQcategoryZ401 58QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

i don't see a brand name anywhere...:confused:

[niko084]

Thats standard ATI branded ATI. Can't go wrong there but generally pay a few bucks more than you would otherwise.

[-1nf1n1ty-]

Thats standard ATI branded ATI. Can't go wrong there but generally pay a few bucks more than you would otherwise.

Alright thats all I wanted to know cause it was either that(the cheaper one) or the asus edition which was more expensive at the time

[niko084]

Alright thats all I wanted to know cause it was either that(the cheaper one) or the asus edition which was more expensive at the time

I have also had good luck with Asus, but some people feel otherwise on their cards.
Never looked enough into the components *ram vendor etc* used to build them to make a more certain judgment.

And actually I may be wrong... But I think I heard somewhere that Sapphire is actually the OEM company for ATI, which would mean they actually make the cards sold at ATI/ATI cards like the one you own.

[-1nf1n1ty-]

I have also had good luck with Asus, but some people feel otherwise on their cards.
Never looked enough into the components *ram vendor etc* used to build them to make a more certain judgment.

And actually I may be wrong... But I think I heard somewhere that Sapphire is actually the OEM company for ATI, which would mean they actually make the cards sold at ATI/ATI cards like the one you own.

Just something I need to know because I plan on doing crossfire......someday I hate sli boards

[Deusxmachina]

you will NEVER see a 2900 at 1GHz core, even at absolute zero. a 3870 on the other hand... mine's been to 950 on AIR. quantum force oc team got a 3870 to 1.2GHz core on ln2.

http://www.nordichardware.com/news,6331.html

2900xt. 1230mhz. Eight months ago.

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=173975

2900xt. 1377mhz. Yesterday. Modded board.

[Random Murderer]

http://www.nordichardware.com/news,6331.html

2900xt. 1230mhz. Eight months ago.

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=173975

2900xt. 1377mhz. Yesterday. Modded board.

yes, yes, we've established that you will find a handful of 1GHz 2900xt's, but not without some crazy ass cooling and even then it's rare.

[ShadowFold]

I voted no because the HD 3870 is out...