Conclusions
The GeForce 9800 GX2 is the fastest graphics card at the moment, overtaking quite easily but also regularly the Radeon HD 3870 X2 (42% on average and between 33% to 57% depending on the resolution chosen). Today, NVIDIA has more experience than AMD when it comes to multi-GPU configurations, SLI being far more popular than CrossFire even if it targets a niche. That means certain games like Test Drive Unlimited, which aren’t profiled by AMD’s drivers, are profiled by NVIDIA. On a majority of games, the 9800 GX2 is faster, although it’s essentially just two 8800 GTS 512 MB configs with a slightly lower GPU clock, while the Radeon HD 3870 X2 is based on two Radeon HD 3870 configs with a slower memory clock. Yet, those two GPUs don’t running in the same league.
Having said this, we do not recommend buying a GeForce 9800 GX2 for those who rarely change graphic cards and want to invest in a very high end card and keep it for a long time. There are times when a card like this should excel, like in higher resolution and with demanding settings, but the 9800 GX2 is barely better than a simple GeForce 8800 Ultra. The blame, just like on the 3870 X2, is on the amount of memory being limited to only 512 MB, a quantity incompatible with the very high resolutions and even more with antialiasing. Numbers speak for themselves, when the 9800 GX2 out performs the 8800 Ultra (with 768 MB) by 29% on average and up to 41% in 2560x1600, activating antialiasing at this resolution shortens the gap to 13%! Yet, in many games, it’s the only mode that still isn’t smooth and the 9800 GX2 doesn’t deliver much.
At the same time, this card is clearly the new very high end from NVIDIA and it’s sold as so. The Point Of View model was announced at €500 ($791) and even with the lower price announced by NVIDIA ($600), the price difference compared to the 3870 X2 that we can find for less than $400, barely matches the average performance gap. The price-performance ratio isn’t the best and gets worse at very high resolutions even if this is typical with very high end cards.
Doesn't inspire much. I might stay with my 8800 gtx and just overclock it.
some nice footage comparing the 3870X2 and the 9800GX2
i like the nvidia chip here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBGIQ7ZuuiU
Wow, Rick Rolling Dobby, nice and mature. The card looks great, I'm tempted to shell out for a good 24" monitor now.
I dont know whether I should blow all my money on this card or buy a 360
Tough choice
Ill keep my 8800GTX and wait a bit longer
I don't like the design of the 9800 GX2. Aircooling for it is a disaster.. How can you watercool this beast?? The performance is rubbish given the amount of room it takes up!!
I think most people were expecting the 9800GTX to be a 1Gb card with similar architecture to the 8800GTS but with a 512bit memory bus like AMD/ATI. A big disappointment about the memory architecture. Nvidia need a die shrink ASAP and a move to wider buses like ATI...
The problem of course is AMD/ATI not delivering in the processing power department with the 3870 (X2). Therefore there is no incentive for Nvidia to leap-frog a really powerful ATI GPU (like the X1900XTX situation).
Bob
It's cute. I was wondering when nVidia was going to do a DX10 dual-chip card.
*checks wallet*
*has wallet shot*
its realy 2x 8800gt cards in there not sure why thay called it an 9800 GX2 when it should realy be 8800 GX2 as its not useing the 9600 tech
1 9800 GTX card should be Close to this card perfoamce wise (seen what the 9600gt does and it only has 64 SP the 8800 gts has 128 SP)
I went with a xbox 360 .... PC games have been a huge letdown and the graphics card upkeep is ridiculous !!!
I went with a xbox 360 .... PC games have been a huge letdown and the graphics card upkeep is ridiculous !!! Plus I can play them on my hd tv !!!
I went with a xbox 360 .... PC games have been a huge letdown and the graphics card upkeep is ridiculous !!!
Thats perhaps why you've been asleep for 8 months then I guess... Resurrecting long dead threads/articles to make irrelevant/outdated comments like that is just sad. Especially with the double post. Itchy trigger finger/RSI from the controller perhaps?
The GPU market has been blown apart by ATI's new 48xx range and it is much cheaper to go for a performance card now. I mean the 4850 is gloss to the performance for a 8800 Ultra with AA on. Do the maths...
Most games are shit these days because people spend so long on the graphics they forget to develop an actual "game". The consoles are in part causing this because they require simpler levels and then the games are typically ported to the PC as an after thought. Thinking of Mass Effect and Assassins Creed here. Look quite nice but turn out to be fluff. Both suffer from "consillitis".
Bob