tax return time: 4850X2 or GTX 285?

S

ShaidarHaran

hardware monkey
Veteran
My year-old o/c'd 8800 GT can't quite handle the latest games @ 1080P with max. details anymore, so it's time for an upgrade. I think my 4GHz E8400 will hold me over another year or so though so I'll stick with it for now. Also running 4GB DDR2 @ 1GHz on Vista 64 so graphics is my system's only real weak point at the moment.

I've read some reviews of each card but can't quite make up my mind. Both are priced similarly on Newegg. The 4850X2 seems to offer higher avg./max. FPS but the 285 seems to have higher min. FPS and is less likely to suffer from uneven frame distribution aka micro-stuttering. Also there is the AFR driver situation where I might have to wait for a driver release or two (or three, or four) before a proper driver comes out and supports new games.

Thoughts?

I play/plan to play:
World in Conflict
Supreme Commander / Supreme Commander Forged Alliance
FEAR 2
Orange Box
FSX
GTA4
Fallout 3
Bioshock
Farcry 2
Crysis / Crysis Warhead
Stalker / Clear Skies
Left 4 Dead
COD:WaW
Deadspace
 
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285
I know at least 1 b3d member who ditched a 4850x2 for a similar performing single gpu card because of sli problems and thats an expensive thing to do for no performance gain.
 
I have to agree with everyone else and say the 285 is the best bet. The X2 may be slightely faster on average but with this kind of power, the minimum framerates are just as important if not even more so. And the reliability and consistency of the single GPU will be much better.

I played a game (GRAW2) in a store once on two different PC's. Once was a GTX260 (190sp) and the other was a pair of 9800GT's in SLI. I figure the two systems should have roughly the same power but at the same settings the GT's were quite "hitchy" while the 260 was like butter. I don't know the relative framerates though.
 
This will be the first time I've gone Nvidia twice in a row since I went from a Geforce 4 ti 4200 to a shyte-tastic FX5200 back in '02/'03 (4200 fried, downgraded out of necessity). Here's to hoping this is a much better experience ;)
 
I saw one today (along with some 285s for $345 or so, my mind was blown) at Fry's--I think it was the only PCI card they had there.
 
but in the uk pci-e 5200's are selling alongside cheaper 6200's , 7300's + 8400's who the hell is buying these things ?

heres another thing
x1950pro 256mb pci-e £146
hd4850 512mb pci-e £122
 
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ShaidarHaran said:
Thanks guys, XFX GTX 285 it is. $345 w/Farcry2 and COD:World at War is way too good a deal to pass up.
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Bought that exact card and it arrived Friday with both games. FC2 inside the box and CoD in a paper CD sleeve. The 285 is sitting next to a i7 965 that's using a reference cooler and I've never heard the former spin up once. It's also crowded up against a X-Fi sound card thanks to this Intel X58 mobo's lack of PCI slots.
 
John Reynolds said:
Bought that exact card and it arrived Friday with both games. FC2 inside the box and CoD in a paper CD sleeve.
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Saw that in another thread, thanks for the tip-off. I bought it the last day the deal was available. Price went up by $5 @ midnight. Still a great deal though. Now the Egg has a PNY 285 for $340 but no games AFAICT.

John Reynolds said:
The 285 is sitting next to a i7 965 that's using a reference cooler and I've never heard the former spin up once. It's also crowded up against a X-Fi sound card thanks to this Intel X58 mobo's lack of PCI slots.
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Wow, a 285 and an i7 965. Very nice. I'm building an i7 920 system for my roommate in a couple weeks when his tax return gets here, he's probably going to go with the refreshed 4870X2 if its available next month.
 
Davros said:
285
I know at least 1 b3d member who ditched a 4850x2 for a similar performing single gpu card because of sli problems and thats an expensive thing to do for no performance gain.
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Am I the only one that found this funny? Anyway that is why I am not into this multi GPU car craze.

Personally I think good old fashioned Xfire of SLi is superior as you can give the cards away to two persons at the end instead of just one :)
 
Raw framerates of CFX/SLI may be higher, but they vary wildy and usually exhibit lower minimums. Until they get that sorted out I'd rather have stable performance from a single, powerful GPU than the spiky performance of two lesser GPUs.
 
Oh I meant I prefer a single GPU card, or if I must get a dual GPU then I preferred two cards as I could give them to two separate people or put them in separate PCs afterward. If you purchase a X2 card of the 295 etc you still only have 1 card.
 
As I dont want you to get all stressed out, you can give it to me I wouldnt do that for just anyone you know ;)
 
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