Decision time

[Smokey21]

Ive got a buyer for my X1800XT (with it's custom VJ cooler) for a decent enough price. Im seriously thinking of selling it, but my options really aren't that open.

I had a 7950GX2 for a week, and i really didn't like it at all. I had shimmering in Far Cry, and i love that game, and i really wasn't impressed with the drivers, and i had aweful performance in Doom 3 and Quake 4 just like when i had a 7800GTX, so i want to stay with ATI.

Now i know Vista is due out next year, but ive read from MS that it's 15% slower than XP, and im sure there will be plenty of problems with it for a good while before it's all ironed out. G80 next month isn't an option, and R600 looks like it's going to be at least Xmas, probly Janurary, which is 4 months away.

So iam thinking of going Crossfire now, with 2x 1950XTX's? Obviously ill need a new board, im going to keep the CPU. Is my PSU powerful enough for Crossfire? and is Crossfire worth it? From benchies ive seen the X1950 together and has a very good lead against 1900 in xfire, and seeing as i game at 1600x1200 and want to use AA/AF it should be well worth it.

If i got Crossfire now, id keep it until probly summer next year, and the refresh of DX10 cards. Im sure Xfire 1950 could handle the likes of Supremme Commander, Crysis and UT2007.

What do you guys think? Anyone with crossfire, can you comment on it?

Ill be playing loads of DOW Dark Crusade soon, and my single X1800XT can struggle with loads of units. Not to mention ive got COH, and ive pre-orded FEAR Expansion.

[sawyen]

I thought you're selling that CoH? Considering how rubbish you found that game to be.. .. no pun intended..

But anyways, I really see no reason for dual card setup. An X1950XTX by itself should sustain you long enough until maybe the first refresh of G80 or R600.

X1950XTX should be fine for 1600x1200 with AA/AF on a majority of games including FEAR. Crossfire, just like SLI are abit of a diminishing returns exercise. But unless you have a bunch of money burning a hole in your pocket.. perhaps take the plunge for C2D?

EDIT: My opinions are biased anyways, I've never seen light in dual card setup as its far too much money and effort for too little returns.

[Smokey21]

Yeah, im not a huge fan of dual cards either, i really need some people with Crossfire X1900 opinions. It's probably not worth it. I can get a X1950XTX for about £290, so thats £140 for the upgrade, it's probly not worth it. hmmmmm.

[sawyen]

yeah, my vote would just go for a single X1950XTX.. it comes with a quiet-ish cooler too.

That way you'll save on a new mobo too as the A8N-E is more than enough for it..

But if you buy another X1950XTX Master card, which is I suppose £320ish with an AT8 32X £110+, you could easily spend that on say a DS3 or AB9 £90+, E6600 £210ish, and 2GB of okay-ish DDR2 £170... abit more I know.. but makes a ton more sense than Xfire..

[Smokey21]

How does Conroe make more sense than Crossfire, thats make the least sense of any upgrade i could do.

A 4400+ is more than enough,i don't game at 800x600. #

Found a X1950XTX for £278, might order it.

Where are the crossfire owners?

[sawyen]

Well, for starters when I meant 'sense'.. it doesnt necc mean its faster on games. Everything else comes in too, faster processing, encoding etc. Call it a general upgrade..

So not only games make all the sense Smokey, even though you're asking about it.

Kapish?

[MadduckUK]

DS3 or AB9 £90+, E6600 £210ish, and 2GB of okay-ish DDR2 £170... abit more I know.. but makes a ton more sense than Xfire..

i know what your saying. But when you look what he wants to get out of the upgrade it makes no sence to do this

[this_is_gav]

Save the money tbh. My 1900XT works flawlessly at 1920x1200 (couple of occasions in Oblivion where it sneaks into the <40fps bracket), so a single 1950XT at 1600x1200 will be fine at pretty much everything that WinXP will see I'd imagine.

[sawyen]

, well I understand Smokey's question..

Its just that I'm trying to give suggestions to maximise the money paid throughout an upgrade.. or better still maximise the upgrade path.

Then again, thats just my opinion.. , I guess everyone's thinking is fairly subjective..

But if we are going to talk here and now about absolute gaming performance, then X1950XTX Xfire makes more sense..

I'm just worried about whether the &#163;400+ he spend will actually last him that long overall...

[Robbie G]

I agree with Sawyen. A single 1950XT will be fine at that res and then you can spend that money on Vista / DX10.

[Smokey21]

But i can't see me getting Vista when it comes out, so a DX10 cards will be a waste of money.

I don't think anyone understands what i was saying. Conroe is certanly not a good idea, and would be the worst upgrade i could do for the money.

Crossfire would be pretty pricey, i think id need a new PSU as well. I just don't like the idea of getting 1 X1950, as i don't see it as that much of an upgrade.

[sawyen]

But i can't see me getting Vista when it comes out, so a DX10 cards will be a waste of money.

I don't think anyone understands what i was saying. Conroe is certanly not a good idea, and would be the worst upgrade i could do for the money.

Crossfire would be pretty pricey, i think id need a new PSU as well. I just don't like the idea of getting 1 X1950, as i don't see it as that much of an upgrade.

I get what you mean from the start Smokey, and I've given you my comment . If an absolute upgrade that 'only' concerns gaming is what you're after, then crossfire it. But what I'm trying to get you thinking is that the money may prove more useful and more sense if it brings the whole system a step up. Conroe will not give you much gains in gaming as crossfire, but it carries an upgrade path forward as a whole in the future.

But then you can just filter through my comment and only see

'best gaming performance now over your X1800XT = X1950XTX crossfire'

but my point has always been the 'why not?'.. not asking you to do it, but just stimulating your mind to think in another direction rather than just this..

-------------------

Anyways, if I was going to choose between crossfire and a single X1950XTX, I would just go for a single XTX.

Think about it, not only will you have to change your motherboard, then you need to swap that PSU + the added cost to fund 2 cards.

Having read around, X1950XTX will give you a fair bit of boost from an X1800XT.. More than enough to justify it alone. No need for Xfire IMO.. 1600x1200 isnt that high res anymore really.. Unless you're going step up to 1920x...

[5aboy]

if i was in your position, id go and get a x1950xtx and a second 19inch samsung tft - i think you will be amazed, and might save some cash (the 19inch samsung is way less than a single x1950xt)

or sell your current monitor and get x1950xt + 24inch benq hdmi monitor.

[Smokey21]

My monitor is fine, i love it, apart from the other thread i posted about it. Why would i want an LCD?

[gOdman]

to get a higher resolution, because the 1950xtx, like the 7950gx2 works best at hgiher resolutiuon with all the eye candy turned on.

1800xt xfire>1950xtx

get 1950xtx. It'll serve you well, and think about the bragging rights ...GDDR4... LOL

[Smokey21]

to get a higher resolution, because the 1950xtx, like the 7950gx2 works best at hgiher resolutiuon with all the eye candy turned on.

Well yeah, but i like my current monitor, and anything higher than 1600x1200 and you need dual cards.

Anyways, im gonna order a X1950 2moro!