SLI my old card, buy 2 new ATIs or 2 new NVIDIAs

[alfred6]

Hello. So I have a 9800GT 1024mb card. I bought it in January, not knowing that it would be discontinued right around then (that particular card by PNY).

I was wondering, if I were to make a new gaming computer - on a budget - would it be smart to buy a new 9800GT 1024mb (~$140!?) or two ATI cards (HD 4850 or 4870?) or two new NVIDIA cards (probably quite expensive).

Obviously two new cards would give me much better performance than just getting another 9800GT 1024mb... However, does the increase in performance warrant 100 to 200 dollars more?

Also, do you think the GeForce 2xx GPUs will go down drastically in price when the 3xxs come out? Would they be comparable to ATI cards of similar specs?

based on http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-graphics-card,2404-7.html
I would think two ATI cards (HD 48xx) would be my best bang for my buck (because the GeForce GTX 285 is way more expensive than the HD 48xx CURRENTLY ... like I could buy two ATIs for the price of ONE NVIDIA???)

So let me organize what I've said:

1. Is buying another 9800GT fruitless?

2. Will GeForce GTX 285 cards go down drastically in price once the 3xx series comes out?

3. Does that even matter since ATI cards are way cheaper?

4. (a new question) If I were to stick to NVIDIA (that's all I've had, forever) - should I wait a little while for the GTX 285's price to drop or just get a second 9800GT?

The reason I ask this is because of the article I read on here where I read this:
"One more thing: SLI versus CrossFire. Oy. In certain games, ATI simply kicks butt. Its performance with one Radeon HD 4870 X2 simply walks Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 285, despite the fact that the two models we used are priced similarly. But add a second, and in some cases SLI gets close to doubling performance, while ATI not only fails to scale well, but outright loses its lead. Left 4 Dead, Grand Theft Auto, and Crysis are three examples. ATI still wins out in S.T.A.L.K.E.R., but SLI buys more performance for Nvidia. ATI simply dominates Far Cry 2, no matter which way you cut it. Even still, we'd like to see ATI match the scaling Nvidia is getting from SLI. At least then our point that gamers are better off with a second graphics card versus a pricey CPU would be easier to drive home."
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/core-i5-gaming,2403-11.html
(I am definitely considering the Intel i5 750 processor)

Thanks!

 

[shadow187]

1. No, it isn't. However, it isn't smart.

2. The GT2XX series will eventually go out of stock due to AMD's aggressive price/performance cards. AMD can match the performance of nVidia's cards with a lower price.

3. Nope! 😀

4. AFAIK, two 8800GTS's in SLI is as powerful as an nVidia GTX285. You'd be better off with the SLI.

5. If you can afford it, sell your 9800GT, and buy an HD5870. For $100 less, there's the HD5850. Both of these cards offerr supreme performance for your money, and either of them should beat a 9800GT SLI.

 

[Mousemonkey]

@ alfred6, what motherboard are you using?

 

[nforce4max]

SLI so long your cpu is a quad core because of the increased cpu interrupts but either than that games that are heavily cpu driven will benefit greatly. As for the pny 9800gt 1gb I bought one last week to put in sli with my bfg and in crysis and fallout3 things haven been better.

 

[Mousemonkey]

SLI so long your cpu is a quad core because of the increased cpu interrupts but either than that games that are heavily cpu driven will benefit greatly. As for the pny 9800gt 1gb I bought one last week to put in sli with my bfg and in crysis and fallout3 things haven been better.

SLi works just fine on my stock E8400 TVM, a Quad is not a necessity.

 

[jebie]

what's the difference between the HD and non HD ATI cards? is the HD just more optimized to view HD program or something? sorry for the basic question

 

[JofaMang]

I don't think there is a difference, just most of the time people forget that the actual model name for an ATI card is HD4870 for example. I didn't google it, so I could be totally wrong on this, but I am pretty sure it is no matter.

 

[Kaileb]

I'm in a similar situation, but with me it's the 9800gtx. I've just gotten about 350 for my b-day and am looking to upgrade my gfx a bit and was looking for some input.

My Rig right now:

xfx 680i LT Sli
q6600 @ 3.0Ghz
4gm geil DDR2 800 ram
(1) xfx 9800gtx, original, not the +
Ultra 750watt psu
CM Storm Scout
24" Asus monitor

1. Should I just buy another 9800gtx and run Sli and spend the remainder of my cash elsewhere?

2. Would the 5850 be the better upgrade? Can't get the 5870, it won't fit in the case.

3. I've read some customer reviews that mention the 5850 having a hard time with the physics in some games. One review mentioned that anytime something would blow up in Crysis his 5850 fps would drop to 10fps. Has anyone else encountered this?

Thanks for the input fellas.

 

[Mousemonkey]

I'm in a similar situation, but with me it's the 9800gtx. I've just gotten about 350 for my b-day and am looking to upgrade my gfx a bit and was looking for some input.

My Rig right now:

xfx 680i LT Sli
q6600 @ 3.0Ghz
4gm geil DDR2 800 ram
(1) xfx 9800gtx, original, not the +
Ultra 750watt psu
CM Storm Scout
24" Asus monitor

1. Should I just buy another 9800gtx and run Sli and spend the remainder of my cash elsewhere?

You should start your own thread rather than just hijacking someone else's.

 

[Kaileb]

You should start your own thread rather than just hijacking someone else's.

I apologize. I thought if I started a thread for such a similar situation that I'd hear I should have just posted in a similar thread.

 

[Mousemonkey]

I apologize. I thought if I started a thread for such a similar situation that I'd hear I should have just posted in a similar thread.

Nah, it's the opposite here mate and you get point's for starting a thread. yay!

 

[nforce4max]

SLi works just fine on my stock E8400 TVM, a Quad is not a necessity.

I got a lower end cpu than you piff not all of us got slush funds to splash when we feel like it. I can't spend like a Rothschild or print like the FED.

 

[alfred6]

@ alfred6, what motherboard are you using?

Currently I'm using an EVGA 680i TR edition or something.. I'll definitely be getting a new 1156 socket board though if I get the new core i5 CPU.

Pretty much, my graphics is potentially my least lacking area of my current computer. I have a super slow processor (Core 2 2.13GHz.. running at 1.6GHz due to a power issue) and obviously old mobo and RAM accordingly. So in order to make the core i5 750 jump I realize I'll have to buy not only the CPU, but the new DDR3 RAM, a new 1156 board, a new PSU (mine is terrible since it doesn't support 8 pins for the CPU power - thus 1.6GHz on my 2.13GHz rated CPU..) and maybe even an aftermarket cooler.

This computer is from August 2007, so I can start to justify getting a new one right around now.. but the reason I am torn is because my graphics card is the newest part of the machine. However, it seems like a bad idea to allow graphics to become my weakest part (then again, I could always replace my graphics later, since the PCIe slot isn't changing nearly as fast as CPU sockets).

Thanks for the responses though. I'm interested in what you've got to add mousemonkey.

 

[Mousemonkey]

I got a lower end cpu than you piff not all of us got slush funds to splash when we feel like it. I can't spend like a Rothschild or print like the FED.

Why then, do you assume everyone else and the OP does by saying that 'only' a quad core will do 'because of the increased cpu interrupts'.

Currently I'm using an EVGA 680i TR edition or something.. I'll definitely be getting a new 1156 socket board though if I get the new core i5 CPU.

Pretty much, my graphics is potentially my least lacking area of my current computer. I have a super slow processor (Core 2 2.13GHz.. running at 1.6GHz due to a power issue) and obviously old mobo and RAM accordingly. So in order to make the core i5 750 jump I realize I'll have to buy not only the CPU, but the new DDR3 RAM, a new 1156 board, a new PSU (mine is terrible since it doesn't support 8 pins for the CPU power - thus 1.6GHz on my 2.13GHz rated CPU..) and maybe even an aftermarket cooler.

This computer is from August 2007, so I can start to justify getting a new one right around now.. but the reason I am torn is because my graphics card is the newest part of the machine. However, it seems like a bad idea to allow graphics to become my weakest part (then again, I could always replace my graphics later, since the PCIe slot isn't changing nearly as fast as CPU sockets).

Thanks for the responses though. I'm interested in what you've got to add mousemonkey.

If you can get another 9800 really cheap then it may be an option, I'm running SLi'd 8800GT's @ 19 x 10 and have not found anything that they can't handle so until Nv and ATi sort out some DX11 cards that I want to buy there really is no need to rush ahead with any purchasing on the graphic front IMHO.

 

[alfred6]

If you can get another 9800 really cheap then it may be an option, I'm running SLi'd 8800GT's @ 19 x 10 and have not found anything that they can't handle so until Nv and ATi sort out some DX11 cards that I want to buy there really is no need to rush ahead with any purchasing on the graphic front IMHO.

Sounds good. I'll keep a watch on good 9800GT deals. Unfortunately they seem to be priced almost the same as in January (140 now, 150 then.. but I got mine with a free COD5 game, so it was essentially $100 in my mind)

When you say really cheap, i'm assuming like less than 80 bucks. They may have an awesome deal like that in the next 2-3 months due to the time of the year and also how old the 9800GT is... and if they release newer cards.. hehe.

 

[Mousemonkey]

I've been hoping the 275's drop to a price I want to pay, but it hasn't happened yet but that is exactly it, although how much over or under 100 they may never go is the gamble.