New Video card, what to get?

[zmatt]

As by up to scratch you mean not very fast, then yes, everyone does that including Nvidia. As by not up to scratch you mean they don't work, the no, I haven't experienced that yet. And Nvidia has been known to release stinkers itself. I think ATI's reputation for bad drivers is unearned as I think theirs are as good as Nvidia's on the whole. Both companies have good days and bad days. And if you jot them all down they seem to average themselves out.

 

[HAVOC]

Mostly driver issues. When i researched it over a month ago i found alot of mediocore reviews on the 4850x2. I sure the drivers are alot better, ATI usually have in the past released drivers that need a bit of optimizing from the start, but through the months get alot better. I was going off what i had read from reviews mostly from when the card came out - this is because follow-up reviews can be hard to find.

And zmatt, ATI has had a reputation for releasing drivers not quite up to scratch. They always get better, as they are now, but there is a reason. As a side note, i was going to go for a 4870 until i dedcided to spend more cash, just not xfire cash!

Hate to break it to you but Nvidia's track record on drivers isn't any better than ATI's.

The drivers in question were the original drivers for the 4850X2. Most likely because the card is made by a third part "Sapphire Tech". It wasn't a card made by AMD/ATI. The original drivers were 4850X2 specific. Now, you can use the mainstream catalyst drivers.

I bought my 4850x2 around Christmas time last year. I can't say that the reviews were mediocre. They certainly weren't saying, "BUY THIS CARD NOW IT'S THE BEST YOU CAN BUY." Plus, I tend to put more value on reviews done buy real users. People who purchased the card and are running it everyday in their systems. Not some website that runs some benchmarks in a TESTBED.

just my 2¢

 

[meat_helmet]

Hate to break it to you but Nvidia's track record on drivers isn't any better than ATI's.

The drivers in question were the original drivers for the 4850X2. Most likely because the card is made by a third part "Sapphire Tech". It wasn't a card made by AMD/ATI. The original drivers were 4850X2 specific. Now, you can use the mainstream catalyst drivers.

I bought my 4850x2 around Christmas time last year. I can't say that the reviews were mediocre. They certainly weren't saying, "BUY THIS CARD NOW IT'S THE BEST YOU CAN BUY." Plus, I tend to put more value on reviews done buy real users. People who purchased the card and are running it everyday in their systems. Not some website that runs some benchmarks in a TESTBED.

just my 2¢

Well its fine to go off user's reviews, but reviews from trusted sites that benchmark seem to be the definative way of measuring performance. And when it comes down to it that is often the most important thing to people, not always, but often.

Look, all i was saying was from what i gathered the 4850x2 lacked some driver support (from what your saying it doesn't now, i cant say) - trying to remember back i think it was mostly from xfire scaling in games.

Yeh Zmatt, 'not quite up to scratch' was probably a bit harsh, i am aware nvidia have had their fair share of driver, and hardware stuff ups (and then even some possibly un-ethical 'tweaks'). I wasnt making the point that ATI have alot more driver issues than Nvidia, it was more a reply to you comment about nvidia owners being the only ones who complaing about ATI drivers. I was merely saying the was reason for it appart from fanboy bs.

The sumwhat poor scaling i saw in reviews was what turned me off the 4850x2 and onto the gtx285. That was pretty much what i was refering too about the 4850x2 issues.

 

[zmatt]

I would say the issues with the 4850X2 are all but gone. The recent reviews that I have read show that ATI's newest drivers kick ***. Also on average Crossfire scales better than SLI.

 

[veedubfreak]

I would say the issues with the 4850X2 are all but gone. The recent reviews that I have read show that ATI's newest drivers kick ***. Also on average Crossfire scales better than SLI.

Can you please keep the flaming about "fanboism" and "nvidiots" down. I'd really prefer not to start handing out infractions. Brand loyalty doesnt matter to me as much as "company" loyalty. If Evga made ATI cards, i'd be more likely to try them out. As it is, i was one of the first people around to get 4870 crossfire, and the drivers were, in fact, crap. They may be better now, but i spent 3 months with nothing working properly. Also, if you ever have to try to RMA a card to an ATI partner, its like playing russian roulette. NONE of the companies that sell ATI cards will cover changing the cooler or going to watercooling. So if you plan to just use the card bone stock, never change the cooler, or overclock, ATI is great. Assuming the card doesnt die, then you get to pay shipping both ways to Sapphire(only company that makes the 4850x2) and hope they dont ship you the same card back saying there is nothing wrong with it.

All of this might change now that XFX is on the red side, but the driver issues are real, and just because the 4870 works fine now, some 8 months after release, does not mean that those of us who bought it when it came out did not have headaches for 3 months. So far every single SLI setup i have used has run flawlessly (ok well not the quad setup, but i know better than ever touching sandwich cards again).

 

[zmatt]

Veedub, I only say it cause it's true. I'm not trying to start a fight.

As for drivers, I was an early adopter of the HD4000 series i got my 4850 the week after they came out. I had absolutely no issues. And I never have had driver issues with ATI cards. To me the accusation are a lot of hot air, I have owned the hardware and none of the dreaded drivers have come to get me. What am I supposed to believe?