ATI 3870 X2 or 4870 single?

My Sapphire radeon 2900XT recently died, probably coz of overheating problems as i played a marathon of Age Of Conan 2 days with only sleeping brakes. I got blue screen telling me that video hardware is causing this, game crushed. I thought it was a driver so i installed Catalyst 8.7. It certainly isnt the case of driver problems, it started to show vertical lines all over the display (dos and win) ...I am using Vistax64.

Due to my warranty and the fact i bought this card on 2 year credit and now its been 10 months old i went for reclamation to my local hardware store. They told me that they dont have this model on the market anymore, and i payed 500$ for it that time. So, they will probably offer me a newer model in the same price range (500$).

What should i get? I must choose from ATI cards from 3XXX to 4XXX. Now, 3870 X2 cost more than single 4870, and the 4870 X2 isnt on the market here yet. I must choose visely with your help. 3870 x2 or 4870 single? HELP PLEASE, time is ticking fast.

I dont want to play games on my weak laptop anymore:cry:

single 4870, I think it consumes less power, more stable performance on the 4k series part, becouse its single card and if some game doesn't utilize CF on 3870 X2 part then you get the performance of single 3870.

get the single 4870

Yes, i cant switch to Nvidia 9xxx or 2XX. And i cant wait for 4870 X2 over a month to get here, coz the money isnt my biggest problem, the biggest problem is that if i buy 4870 x2 or some of the latest Nvidia 2xx line, i will be stuck with two different cards when my reclamation card got back. I am in the middle of nowhere now and i am stuck with decision which to choose from the poll:(

Plus, i still have 1 year and 2 months to pay off my old card.

Incoming picture !!!
http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/article.html?art=MTUzMSw5LCxoZW50aHVzaWFzdA==
marcthpro

Incoming picture !!!
http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/article.html?art=MTUzMSw5LCxoZW50aHVzaWFzdA==
marcthpro

I wouldn't take this powerdraw chart serious at all...

This is VAY far from what all other have shown.

And does really HD4850 crossfire draw LESS power than a single HD4870 does?

From what iv'e seen the new HD series is quite nice to powersuplies, very unlike what the nex GTX are.

I'd be the one to call this wattage-draw BS.

yes Fanatic of the Brother hood err i mean swehunt you pic scare me ! j/k
Yeah 4850 is consuming less as i heard off mean while 280GTX & 260GTX are Basicly the same. it just Locked Steam processor and less memory. ors o i heard from nvidia for idle it more at max power that there a differance
i donno ask Wesker if you find him or pm him someting. im not a powersupply & wats Specialist.
it take a while and knowledge it not that hard to know it it just i haven't study the case much
better ask some people who really know it. my point of view.
marcthpro

then go 4870X2 CF. if that what you aim specially if you intend to double your resolutions line in future to buy a 1920x1200 monitor imo it not worth it to buy the 1150$ 2560x1600 too much gpu required power mean while 1920x1200 is Decent GPu Requirement that 4870x2 endle well on this review
http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3372
http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3372&p=7
http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3372&p=5

and compatible for Releahs of X58 motherboard & nehalem Bloomfield with CF 4870x2 . depend of user. ! just letting you know
i ma may go buy nehalem since 4600x2 ? Intel dual core don't seem to be the Option Since the release of nehalem bloomfield since to be the best bang for buck worthy upgrade according X360 & some other forum poster at first you have a opion then you see new & article. then i just got like.. hmm maybe it could run right ? maybe i won't get thousand of hundred BSOD on nehalem launch who know!

then go 4870X2 CF. if that what you aim specially if you intend to double your resolutions line in future to buy a 1920x1200 monitor imo it not worth it to buy the 1150$ 2560x1600 too much gpu required power mean while 1920x1200 is Decent GPu Requirement that 4870x2 endle well on this review
http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3372
http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3372&p=7
http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3372&p=5

and compatible for Releahs of X58 motherboard & nehalem Bloomfield with CF 4870x2 . depend of user. ! just letting you know
i ma may go buy nehalem since 4600x2 ? Intel dual core don't seem to be the Option Since the release of nehalem bloomfield since to be the best bang for buck worthy upgrade according X360 & some other forum poster at first you have a opion then you see new & article. then i just got like.. hmm maybe it could run right ? maybe i won't get thousand of hundred BSOD on nehalem launch who know!

marcthpro

yes Fanatic of the Brother hood err i mean swehunt you pic scare me ! j/k
Yeah 4850 is consuming less as i heard off mean while 280GTX & 260GTX are Basicly the same. it just Locked Steam processor and less memory. ors o i heard from nvidia for idle it more at max power that there a differance
i donno ask Wesker if you find him or pm him someting. im not a powersupply & wats Specialist.
it take a while and knowledge it not that hard to know it it just i haven't study the case much
better ask some people who really know it. my point of view.
marcthpro

Actually I didn't intend to scare you, i'm quite friendly annyway.. :P

Thing is that GTX280 OC does take less power than the HD4870 in this test and I find that quite hard to belive, either is the HD4870's power draw in this test to high or the whole test is just broken.

HD4850 crossfire does consume a lot more than a single HD4870 obvious, but not in this chart either.

im joking ! you don't scare me with ur brother hood icon ! Im was joking :) to see if you would take me serirous !
i just saw u use nod icon ;) and i love nod they are evil ! :) kane is awsome lol
EXTRA Benchmark on the WAY !
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/4870-x2-amd,1992-7.htmlmarcthpro

whoha, i thougth i was the one joking. :P

Yeah, Nod. = :twisted:

I lost the a whole package with old games and now i cant find it. I miss the stupid things Kane does and say... (..bother an systas welcome to the planet of c&c.. )

get the 4870.it's apparently better than 3870x2 if u overclock them.even if u don't 4870 is still better and worth the money.

Read the first post ...i need to choose as reclamation on my 2900XT a swap card, now 3870X2 cost more than 4870 ...and it must be limited to 500$ ...4870X2 is not an option.

Read the first post ...i need to choose as reclamation on my 2900XT a swap card, now 3870X2 cost more than 4870 ...and it must be limited to 500$ ...4870X2 is not an option.

gfile

Even tho the HD3870x2 cost more the HD4870 is alot better, so I understand your thougths, but i assure you you'll get more performance of the HD4870 than the HD3870x2.

[QUOTE="gfile"]

Read the first post ...i need to choose as reclamation on my 2900XT a swap card, now 3870X2 cost more than 4870 ...and it must be limited to 500$ ...4870X2 is not an option.

swehunt

Even tho the HD3870x2 cost more the HD4870 is alot better, so I understand your thougths, but i assure you you'll get more performance of the HD4870 than the HD3870x2.

[QUOTE="swehunt"][QUOTE="gfile"]

Read the first post ...i need to choose as reclamation on my 2900XT a swap card, now 3870X2 cost more than 4870 ...and it must be limited to 500$ ...4870X2 is not an option.

gfile

Even tho the HD3870x2 cost more the HD4870 is alot better, so I understand your thougths, but i assure you you'll get more performance of the HD4870 than the HD3870x2.

But can't you get a refound of the money you get over?

No, sadly i can`t get my money back coz i bought it on two year credit (like i do with all of my hardware) so i can only choose one of three listed ...i think i will go for 4870 now.gfile

Who do you get your replacement card from?

If it's derectly from ATI you only have that opt sorry...

But if it's a cardmanufactuer (gigabyte, msi, or the one you have) you could perhaps get a GTX280 (~$500? ) Even tho i'd never thougth i'd recomend that card to anyone because of the abnormal price.

The performance diff. is small but that card has a higher price and you'll get your already payed money more valu than getting a 250-300$ card.

HD4870 X2 is in stock and shipping world-wide.

Just pay the extra $50 to cover the higher cost. You won't be dissapointed.