3870 price drops???

[Brewster0101]

For a month there were rumours that ATI were cutting the prices of the 3850 and 3870...

Seems though the cheapest 3870 is only to be found for around £120 where as I can find a 8800gt 512mb version for only £117 on Scan...

Anyone know where you can find a cheap 3870 that has the reference cooler on it... If I can't find a good one looks like Ati will loose my business to Nvidia, first time since my 9600pro replaced my Geforce 3.

[staffsMike]

there is this one
OcUK ATI Radeon HD 3870 XT 512MB GDDR4 TV-Out/Dual DVI (PCI-Express) - Retail
but not in stock.

non reference cooler
PowerColor HD 3870 XT PCS 512MB GDDR3 256bit Dual DVI TV Out PCI-E Graphics Card - Ebuyer

and the best i can find
Sapphire HD 3870 XT 512MB GDDR4 Dual DVI TV Out PCI-E Graphics Card - Ebuyer

[Brewster0101]

Ebuyer one has no photo, so I am guessing its the one with the single slot cooler which is crazy considering the temp these cards run at.

Not interested in Sapphire or Power colour. I want to use an EK water block but the EK web site claims its not compantible with Sapphire and power Colour cards.

[Betty_Swallocks]

To be honest if a £3 difference will make you swap from one to another you obviously don't care too much about what you buy.
I'm not saying one of those cards is better than the other but when I choose a graphics card I look at the features I want and then the price comes second. A £3 difference wouldn't even enter into my decision making.

[Brewster0101]

£3 extra for the 8800gt and you gain upto 40% performance in some applications/games!!!

Although you are right. I would rather have the features of the 3870 over the 8800gt but for £3 less than the 8800gt you do have to consider the performance difference.

[Blitzen]

For the price, the 8800GT is the better card anyway.

(Power Color are awful btw - their RMA process is harder than picking you bum with your little toe)

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

The £104 Sapphire HD3870 seems to come with the dual slot cooler with heatpipes if you read the latest user review of the card on the Ebuyer website.

[this_is_gav]

Ebuyer one has no photo, so I am guessing its the one with the single slot cooler which is crazy considering the temp these cards run at.

Are you getting it confused with the 2900? :\

The stock fan on the HD3870s is the rather excellent (and stunning by recent standards from ATI and NV) double-slot fan anyway - it's the HD3850 that as the single-slot as reference.

[-iceblade^]

Get the Gecube HD3870 X-Turbo III OC edition. Exactly the same as an 8800GT...

i speak from experience

[Brewster0101]

Are you getting it confused with the 2900? :\

The stock fan on the HD3870s is the rather excellent (and stunning by recent standards from ATI and NV) double-slot fan anyway - it's the HD3850 that as the single-slot as reference.

No no, Sapphire do a cheap 3870 with a single slot cooler nearly like the 3850.

SAPPHIRE HD 3870 512MB GDDR4 PCI-E Single Slot Fansink

[this_is_gav]

Yes, but that's not a reference cooler. That may well be the one available on the Atomic card Hexus reviewed. It's not crazy if it works.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

No no, Sapphire do a cheap 3870 with a single slot cooler nearly like the 3850.

SAPPHIRE HD 3870 512MB GDDR4 PCI-E Single Slot Fansink

The cooler is probably the dual slot one shown in this thread:

Sapphire's new Radeon HD3870 - XtremeSystems Forums