nVidia 9800GX2 Review

conzy · 22-03-2008 01:39AM

Any idea when the 9800gtx / gts / gt / gs whatever will be out? They need to fill the 400 euro void between the 8800gt/gts and the 9800GX2!

I dunno what to get, I was planning on a 8800gts 512mb but I had an 8800gts 640mb and it doesnt seem like enough of an upgrade

Maybe a cheap 8800gtx from the states would be nice......

Sqaull20 · 22-03-2008 01:44AM

Fools day I think...

L31mr0d · 22-03-2008 02:04AM

Sqaull20 wrote: »

Import tax kills that though, I bought a psp a while back off a guy on toms hardware and sent they psp as a gift etc and I was still charged €50 import tax..

i've never been charged a cent

Sqaull20 · 22-03-2008 02:07AM

L31mr0d wrote: »

i've never been charged a cent

Do you mind me asking how?

pm me if you dont feel comfortable saying on thread...

awhir · 22-03-2008 02:13AM

send it as a gift squall

Flaccus · 22-03-2008 02:15AM

Depends on the courier. If it's FedEx, DHL or any courier that operates out of a port of entry in Shannon, it goes into a clearing area/bonding warehouse for inspection and you get hit by customs. But anything send by USPS -> An Post generally avoids this. That's my experience anyway. If I have to use a courier I never get them to declare it as a gift..customs can always revalue the item at their discretion...plus even if they don't you still can get caught for tax on the cost of actual postage. So generally I usually ask the company sending to write something like sample parts and a nominal value of $50.

Sqaull20 · 22-03-2008 02:54AM

Who have you bought off in the states Flaccus?

Any crowd you can recommend?

Im going to be getting a 9800gx2 or sli 9800gtx/8800gts etc in the next few weeks and they are so cheap over there....

Flaccus · 22-03-2008 03:10AM

Only bought from FrozenCPU in the US. Mostly case stuff / mods / watercooling. Never been charged a cent in import duty. Other times I have got people who are over there working for a few weeks to buy from NewEgg, Frys or BestBuy and bring it back.

Sqaull20 · 22-03-2008 03:37AM

Will give frozen cpu a try now...

I have just found a 8800gt on dollarshops.eu for 160 euro...

But I can get them to ship it, they should to Ireland because Terror had a link of an offer from them in the bargain alerts thread in building and upgrading....

8800gt in sli for 320, would be the job...

http://www.dollarshops.eu/

KamiKazi · 22-03-2008 04:48AM

actually looking at some of the reviews two 9600 gt's in sli perform better than a 9800gx2 in the game and resolution I play ( cod4 @ 1280x720 ).

9800gx2 = 380 pounds & 2x9600gt = 180 pounds.

Dont know what to go for

Sqaull20 · 22-03-2008 04:55AM

KamiKazi wrote: »

actually looking at some of the reviews two 9600 gt's in sli perform better than a 9800gx2 in the game and resolution I play ( cod4 @ 1280x720 ).

9800gx2 = 380 pounds & 2x9600gt = 180 pounds.

Dont know what to go for

Where can you get the 9600gt's for that?

Cheapest I have seen that ship here is £105 each

KamiKazi · 22-03-2008 05:13AM

link

shipping not included.

Sqaull20 · 22-03-2008 05:23AM

KamiKazi wrote: »

link

shipping not included.

Thanks...

Those deals would do your head in

2 x 9600gt €260

2 x 8800gt €328

2 x 8800gts €402

L31mr0d · 22-03-2008 11:03AM

Flaccus wrote: »

send by USPS -> An Post

ditto... just request the seller to ship via USPS as the package will go straight to anpost when it comes into Ireland.

flaccus, just wondering, you said you're not into 3Dmark in another thread yet you always stay at the front of released tech. Can I ask why? Surely benching is the main reason for perpetually upgrading?

Flaccus · 22-03-2008 03:29PM

I don't know..ask my bank manager

I do overclock my stuff allright, and I play alot games, but I don't spend time running 3dmark or prime or other benches as I found out in the past I spent nearly all my time doing that and not actually using the gear. If my games work when clocked it's stable enough for me. I suppose it's a form of OCD really when you get down to it.

Kami - those 9600gt's in sli are beating a GX2, but only in COD4. In other games the GX2 is matching and sometimes beating 2 GTS's in sli.

Sqaull20 · 22-03-2008 03:38PM

Flaccus wrote: »

I don't know..ask my bank manager I do overclock my stuff allright, and I play alot games, but I don't spend time running 3dmark or prime or other benches as I found out in the past I spent nearly all my time doing that and not actually using the gear. If my games work when clocked it's stable enough for me. I suppose it's a form of OCD really when you get down to it.

Kami - those 9600gt's in sli are beating a GX2, but only in COD4. In other games the GX2 is matching and sometimes beating 2 GTS's in sli.

Its power consumption is brillant too, same idle consumption as 2 x 9600gt and same load as 2 by 8800gt and it can compete with 2 Ultra's/Gtx in Sli...

You can always Quad Sli it in the future too and power consumption would be similar to 2 Ultra's/Gtx in Sli...

Its great card, but still a bit too expensive..

http://techreport.com/articles.x/14355/9

Sqaull20 · 24-03-2008 02:45AM

One question?

I have a 22" monitor on my desk with a 32" samsung hdtv above it, sometimes I watch films on the tv with the pc...

Can I still do that with the 9800gx2 without having to switch between tv dvi cable and monitor dvi cable ( as in switching between monitor 1 and 2, only using one screen at a time) or do I have to switch dvi cables everytime I want use the tv or monitor?

DanGerMus · 24-03-2008 09:58PM

think they come with hdmi output on em

Flaccus · 25-03-2008 12:45AM

I'll let you when mine arrive next week

Waiting for gtx reviews first

DanGerMus · 25-03-2008 01:51AM

Yeah i'm waiting on the GTX aswell Gx2 is beyond what i'd like to spend. I think the gtx would be a worthwhile upgrade for me as i have an x1950pro256mb. doesn't seem like current 8800gtx owers will be runnin out to get one though. Well they won't be gaining much anyway.

Flaccus · 25-03-2008 02:15AM

I'm interested in seeing how they scale in SLI on the 790i chipset as Nvidia have made some changes here. If it's anything like the 9600gt it should be good. Also waiting for the official driver which implements Quad SLI on the GX2.

Anti · 25-03-2008 04:37PM

I was thinking of getting a 2 gx2's but i cant justify spending the money as there is nothing that pushes my system yet. Crysis is playable at 1680*1050 with max settings.

conzy · 25-03-2008 04:55PM

Kinda off topic but how are you all finding your Nvidia motherboards? I know there was some major problems with the previous generation... Are they 100% now? It would be nice to have the option of SLI on my next rig

Flaccus · 26-03-2008 05:24PM

Anti wrote: »

I was thinking of getting a 2 gx2's but i cant justify spending the money as there is nothing that pushes my system yet. Crysis is playable at 1680*1050 with max settings.

Without AA I assume and on High not Very High, so I guess that's not max settings then

GX2's in Quad has only made marginal improvements in this game. I reckon it will be the next gen before we see big framerate increases.

TonyM. · 28-03-2008 12:50AM

Flaccus did you get that Freezone Elite yet I am still waiting for PC-Look to stock it.

Flaccus · 28-03-2008 02:41PM

Not yet. PerformancePC's in the US stock it. So does FrozenCPU (out of stock now I think). I am still debating it, as I have been looking at the CoolIT forums and the reviews (see below), and at max load (prime95) a QX6850 clocked to around 3.67 is putting out 66 degrees, probably 8-10 degrees cooler then what you could do on air, but the fan was automatically running at 100% and it's over 40Db. They did no testing for load temps and fan speed when playing a game which would be more realistic of loading a cpu for most people. So noise is a big factor with the Elite.

Review
http://techgage.com/article/coolit_freezone_elite_cpu_cooler/

CoolIT forums
http://www.coolitsystems.com/index.php?option=com_fireboard&Itemid=165&func=view&id=1488&catid=4
http://www.coolitsystems.com/index.php?option=com_fireboard&Itemid=165&func=view&id=1238&catid=4

Regarding air, I have tried all the solutions, and current favourite is the new Noctua cooler with 2 super quiet noctua p12 fans in a push pull arrangement. Anand said it matched the current leader, the TRU.

This seems like a much cheaper and almost as effective solution as the Freezone Elite, plus virtually silent.
http://www.anandtech.com/casecoolingpsus/showdoc.aspx?i=3268

conzy · 28-03-2008 04:00PM

Why not watercooling? That Freezone thingy is gimmick-tastic, If you dont want the hassle associated with watercooling then the Swiftech H20 220 Compact would be perfect, it performs great and its really quiet (Its basically an Apogee GT block with a MCP350 pump on it) The res is part of the Radiator too so theres only 2 components to install, the block and the rad

Theres a 120mm version too....

Flaccus · 28-03-2008 10:55PM

Nice one mate. Thanks for that.

Yeah, I was going to do a full watercooling setup, then I was looking at the vapochill lightspeed. End of day I don't want to cut up my beautiful case.

I'll take a look at the swiftech.
Who stocks it ?

Interesting, this review says it's not as good as high end air cooling..so maybe the Noctua NH-U12P which I linked to above would be worth keeping.

TonyM. · 28-03-2008 11:39PM

http://www.specialtech.co.uk/spshop/customer/product.php?productid=5075&cat=606&page=1

The Swiftech h2o-220 is the 120mm fan version only £30 dearer .

I also looked at the Alphacool Cool Answers 111 there was an extreme version available at one stage .

conzy · 29-03-2008 12:31AM

Its considerably better than the best aircooler, especially on a Quad

http://www.custompc.co.uk/reviews/125910/swiftech-h2o-120-compact.html

nVidia 9800GX2 Review

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