1800XT vs. 1600XT CF. Opinions please.

Iroth

I'm thinking about replacing my 1600XT with an 1800XT 256MB card. I have no real interest in a 512MB card right now because I have a 17" CRT monitor and at 1280x1024 I honestly don't see the need.

The other thing I was considering was just getting a second 1600XT for crossfire. I'm not really all that displeased with my 1600's performance but I'd like to get a little more out of my games than what I'm getting currently, and with DX10 coming within a years time I'm not looking to drop more than $200-$250 total.

So, if you have a 256MB 1800XT (or GTO) how do you like it? Have you seen first hand the difference between a single one of those against a pair of 1600XT?

Any opinions would be appreciated. Thanks.

X1800XTTOP

First of all, there is a diffrence between 256 vs 512. E.g. without a 512mb card, you cant choose "high" textures in the latest Ghost Recon - even if you play in 640X480.

With games like Crysis coming, 512mb will be needed to fully enjoy the power of an X1800XT.

http://rage3d.com/articles/preydemoperf/

In prey, the X1600XTs in CF loose against the X1800XT in all cases (but not by much). Also shows the the kind of performance boost you can expect (just make sure to set Catalyst A.I. to 'Advanced'!).

My tip would be, if the 512mb version of the X1800XT isn´t that much more expensive - then go with a X1800XT 512mb. If it is too expensive, go with a single X1800XT 256mb to get the wanted performance boost.

However, if I had an X1600XT, i wouldn´t upgrade I always upgrade when my hardware is below minimum. I bought my current machine in new year, and before it i had a Geforce 3 and AMD 1800+

So, if you´re going with DX10 cards, maybe waiting or just getting a cheap second X1600XT would be the way to go.

Iroth

The other problem that I forgot to mention in my first post with a 512MB card is that I have an A8R-MVP mainboard. I've heard nothing but bad things about 512MB cards in that board.

I appreciate the reply but your conclusions are about the same as mine. Still undecided.

EDIT: another thing to keep in mind is that I won't be upgrading to Vista until they release the first major service pack and not until the DX10 cards have their issues worked out as well. When I do get a DX10 card I'll be replacing the mainboard as well. So I'm thinking about 6 months to 1 year after Vista is how long this will have to last me.

BlueMak

Honestly I don't see the point in your case, on upgrading to a x1800xt 256 or 512. Since you are not going higher than 1280x1024, does it really matter if you get 70 or 50 fps? Since you are not rich, why spend your money for a x1800xt or even a second 1600 for crossfire? The 1600 will be fine for at least another year.

To the other question, I have an x1800xt (sapphire with 512mb) and apart from some driver problems and overheating (mostly solved and not the card's fault in the first place), it is a beast. My 19" samsung syncmaster 930BF is a great monitor and at it's max supported 1280x1024 I can run every game that I have (and is supported by the game) at that resolution with max settings without frame loss. Typical games that I play (that demand 3D power) are, Fear, Far Cry, Silent hunter 3, Splinter Cell, Doom 3, Quake 4, Brothers in Arms, Battlefield 2, Area 51, Toca 3, Oblivion, SWAT 4, among others. You can't go wrong getting a X1800xt but, are you really going to need any extra boost in speed from the 1600? Since you will upgrade or buy new PC in a year or +, why not save your money and get the top card when that time arrives?

H3X4D3C1M4L

I don't see anything wrong with chucking in another X1600 for CF, I just hope that CF works smoothly for you.

The advantages would be:

-Using the uber anti aliasing method
-Faster frame rates all across the board
-You get '512' MB of video ram, just split across 2 boards
-Relatively cheap but valuable upgrade

If you can find one cheap enough I say go for it