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Uh oh, I think I've spotted a serious flaw....

For the benchmark I keep referencing at Anandtech, they used the 2Gig version of the 4850x2. The price is about the same, but I'm in real trouble if I try using that with 32bit WinXP. The benchmarks are also all performed with Vista Premium 64bit.

Arrgh! Do I have to change my religion? I was hoping to ease into Vista/Win7-64...

You can still get the 4850x2 if you don't have Vista 64 bit.
Newegg.com - SAPPHIRE 100270SR Radeon HD 4850 X2 2GB 512-bit (256-bit x 2) GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Desktop Graphics / Video Cards

It will still perform well in Windows Xp, there will be no performance flaws or complications.

First of all yes the 4850x2 does win over the 260 but ive seen alot of people having trouble with the x2's not being compatable with alot of games!!(like only useing 1 gpu while playing) As far as the ram goes lower cas is better if your not overclocking...but you can always set the timings lower on this ram to run the same as the other...That way you can have it either way!! The reason i say EVGA 750 is im a overclocker and this board rocks...One of my friends has that board your looking at and it dont clock near as good!!

I haven't heard of any compatibility problems with 4850x2s.

Every cpu overclocks differently, and there is a chance of user error. So you can't really base on one persons experience, to say the UD3R doesn't overclock well.
 
Asylum - thanks again for the feedback, I'm definitely feeling schooled. I didn't realize the X2's are basically 2 xfired cards in one. It seems like if I wanted two 1gig cards in an SLI or xFire configuration, I should seriously consider the i7/x58 route (again).

But I have a strong feeling that the dual card road is the wrong one for me. So looking again at 1-card/1-gpu/1-gig options I see two strong contenders:

ATI: SAPPHIRE 100259-1GL Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - $190
nVidia: I'm a bit confused here, I saw a lot of 896MB GTX-260 below $200, and one 1gig GTX-280 at about $300

Any thoughts on if there's a clear winner here?

Thanks!

-Fred
 
4870 1Gb is faster compared to a GTX 260 core 216. A GTX 280 isn't worth it, because you can overclock a 260 to reach 280 speeds.
 
First off, the PI Blacks are better than the Corsairs. They overclock better.

Second, there's not a lot of "easing" you need to do with Vista, it's very similar to XP. It would be worth it, trust me.

I believe the 4870 beats out the 260, but it really all depends on your gaming habits.
 
Thanks Evolv I was looking at just that card. I think under 32bit Windows I'll only have 1.3Gig ram available if I have a 2Gig card (since I'd have 2.3Gig available under a 1Gig card).

I'm also a bit wary of the dual gpu cards. The power requirements and heat dissipation worry me. I've been reading about some compatibility issues with games (they have to see the single card as a two xfired cards I think). These other factors worry me even though the price is right.

The GTX 280 is almost in reach, but the performance seem to be about the same as the 4870 1Gig

-Fred
 
Yes, I think I'll stick with the ATI side for now, and I'll wait. The 4890 will either be affordable (and not require too much power, generate too much heat, etc), or it will drive down the price of the 4870 :)

I still have my old X1800XT which I can use for a while yet :)

Getting back to the cooler. I've heard that the Sunbeam CR-CCTF is not a good fit for this mother board and that the Xigmatek is a better choice. The person telling me this sounded like they have had experience with these coolers and motherboards.
 
Okay, I've commited to the CPU, MBD, HSF and RAM. I've decided to wait a bit and see if the gtx 285 will drop in price :p
 
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