8800gtx impression and some tips

[tmx]

I bought the EVGA 8800gtx for $570. I am not an EVGA fanboy, I actually don't think they are that great, but I bought it for the lifetime warrenty (after registering). Some of the tips ahead will be applicable to the 8800gts as well.

 

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/eksasol/comp/8800gtx/th_8800gtx.jpg

 

My 3dmark2006 score double from 5.3k to 10.3k. I'm not that impressed with the card for actual game performance. For Oblivion I'm still running on 2xAA and 2XAF at 1280x1024. It can do 4xAA and 4XAF without problem either, but a little sturder now and then. 1600x1050 soon with the new monitor (stupid UPS, long story, I'm using FedEx from now on). Average 20-40fps outside with all the very intense graphic mod like Shaja, the seaweeds water mod, and the long distance architectures viewable. Newer games are even more graphical intense, I hope the DX10 will utilize them better, or this $570 might not worth it.

 

What I am really impressed with this card is how clear and sharp the textures are. AA or not it look clearer than my 7900gt. This help immensely with fps games, spotting and aiming the enemy is easier.

 

I encounter some installation problems:

Length: The card is 11inch long, make sure you have atleast that much clearance in your case or it will not fit. The 8800gts is 9.525inch long. http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/eksasol/comp/8800gtx/th_8800gtxvx7900gtmeasurement.jpg http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/eksasol/comp/8800gtx/th_8800gtxtightfit.jpg

(imagine if my harddrive is 2mm lower or the side metal thing is 1mm more inward, card would not fit)

 

Also note this double bracket. If you have problem installing it, you can unscrew it from the card, put it in first, and then the card, and then screw them together from outside the case.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/eksasol/comp/8800gtx/th_8800gtxslotbracket.jpg

 

Heat: Don't buy these cards unless you have a case with good cooling, especially the bottom area. A side fan in the bottom would be helpful. Not only because the card is hot, but because card will generate a lot of ambient temperature and make your whole case hotter. The nvidia's official driver currently have problem always reseting the fan speed to 60%, you want it to be faster even at idle. The software RivaTuner will allow setting the fan speed. I also use it to underclock the core speed for 2D, to make it run cooler for desktop. I get a high 50*C for idle temperature and a middle 70*C for load temperature. but for others it can be even higher. Even so the card have no problem running at the temperature.

 

System requirements: Also do not buy the card if unless you have a good system overall, with at least 500watt psu and a good cpu, especially dual core, otherwise it won't reach its potential. The card require two PCI-E connections and takes nearly 350watt at load.

 

If I had a SLI mobo and 800watt psu, I would buy two 8800gts 320mb for the same price as one 8800gtx and get much better performance, but that would be a big waste of electricity. So I think the 8800gts 320mb for $300 is the best deal for dx10 cards as of now. When I bought the 7900gt it costed me $320.

 

I am sure by the end of the year the 8800gtx price will plummet down, I suspect under $500, with the fast growing technology maybe $450 or $400 even.

 

--

This here is screenshot of the anvil dock area, which is one of the most graphical intense place I find in the game. I get around 18-28fps with completely max out graphic setting, 4xAA 4xAF and high quality texture, overclocked the card from 576/900 to 600/940.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/eksasol/comp/8800gtx/th_anvildock.jpg http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/eksasol/comp/8800gtx/th_anvildockfps.jpg

[Switch]

Some interesting tips in there for people thinking of shelling out for an 8800GTX. Thanks. ^^ Will pin this.

[tmx]

I may have given this card less credit than it deserved. I tried running oblivion without any mods and my frame rates increase around 40-60fps on average. Very impressive. Those distant mods are a killer. Note I am only using this game a reference since its so demanding, most other games aren't as demanding.

 

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/eksasol/oblivion/misc/th_obmod1a.jpg http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/eksasol/oblivion/misc/th_obmod1b.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/eksasol/oblivion/misc/th_obmod2a.jpg http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/eksasol/oblivion/misc/th_obmod2b.jpg

[Dark0ne]

I recently bought an 8800gts as a preemptive buy for the new intel price cuts that have either come in, or are coming in any day now. I'll be getting a new mobo, CPU and memory after my holiday to Spain on Tuesday.

 

Simply replacing the Gainward 7900GTX with the EVGA 8800GTS (320mb superclocked version) increased my 3DMark06 score from 5770 to 7500, which is an alright jump, I guess. I was hoping for a bit more gain, but I think perhaps my CPU (AMD X2 4400+) and mobo/memory (Asus A8N premium, 1.5GB Geil Value memory) may be throttling it a bit. I'll update this post when I move to my new mobo, memory and processor rig.

 

I'll also second the PSU suggestion; the new range of GFX cards definately need more than 500w of power. I had a 460w, good quality Akaska PSU and it couldn't hack the new GFX card. Had to move to a new modular 620w Corsair PSU, which is awesome. Reduces wire clutter significantly.

[agent0002]

I recently bought an 8800gts as a preemptive buy for the new intel price cuts that have either come in, or are coming in any day now. I'll be getting a new mobo, CPU and memory after my holiday to Spain on Tuesday.

 

Simply replacing the Gainward 7900GTX with the EVGA 8800GTS (320mb superclocked version) increased my 3DMark06 score from 5770 to 7500, which is an alright jump, I guess. I was hoping for a bit more gain, but I think perhaps my CPU (AMD X2 4400+) and mobo/memory (Asus A8N premium, 1.5GB Geil Value memory) may be throttling it a bit. I'll update this post when I move to my new mobo, memory and processor rig.

 

your processor is definitely holding you back. i think core 2 systems score more around 8-8.5k.

 

i dont wanna talk to much about it but if you're planning on upgrading CPU soon, you might wanna know that the new generation of both intel and AMD are supposed to be out within the next coming months.

 

thats what the google search on release date of penryn/wolfdale/phenom cpus came out to. Q4 2007.