EVGA 9800 GTX+ Review Comment Thread

[SKYMTL]

Personally, I think your Akimbos are more than enough in nearly any game. From what I see, the only thing you can really buy at this time to give you a significant enough performance increase over your current setup is a GTX 280.

[lemonlime]

Great review, SKY. Impressive power consumption and load temperature

[magictorch]

Great review. But one problem is that the 4850 beats the 9800GTX when AA is turned on in Dx10 in every Dx10 test-sometimes by significant amounts in gaming resolutions. I assume that's to do with the way AA is handled by the cards and use of the frame-buffer.

Also the 4850 is tiny compared to the 9800GTX which makes it better suited to smaller cases and cramped systems, plus its single slot.

I'd agree though that the overclocking potential could offset some of these disadvantages and ATI needs to get it together with the drivers and the folding.

[SKYMTL]

I actually still think the 9800 GTX+ is a better buy. Newer games like DMC4 and COD4 both now benefit the GTX+ where they used to benefit the HD 4850. I have begun to do testing on Crysis Warhead and Far Cry 2 for the revised benchmarks and the GTX+ is out front in those games too.

Granted, the WiC DX10 test shows the real power of the 4850 but for with the number of driver problems I have had within the last month with ATI cards along with the constant complains all over the tech forums of horrible ATI AIB support, I just can't recommend the 4850 over this particular 9800 GTX+.

[magictorch]

Yes understandable. Nvidia has worked hard on the drivers and cards to undermine ATI. The GTX is better looking, with better build quality, better ocing, although it is big.

[Lithotech]

Great review. Rather than say better late than never, I'll say never too late!

I got one of the SC version EVGA cards a while ago for a super price (before the insane price jumps), and am now feeling the pain as I try to pair it up. In Vista, Crysis, I get some lag here and there when the firefight starts up. I am thinking it is the physics doing it, and possibly my lack of ram (2gb). Pairing it up in SLI may help, maybe not.

I am only at 1280x1024, left the settings on high except shadows on low, 8XQ AA through NV control panel. Maybe running SLI won't help me at all, but I will need it anyway when I go to a larger widescreen display.

Otherwise, I am super happy with the card, it runs smooth as silk in the main games I play, with full settings it rarely drops below 100FPS and is usually in the 200's (GTR Evo and rFactor).

So I will have to live with a single card now, and wait for prices to settle down. I have other thigs on my wish list too like more ram and a quad core cpu.

.

[MonsterSound]

WoW! Nice overclock SKYMTL. You got the ram up 2512mhz! I didn't even try going higher than 2400.

Update: based on your success I ran my 9800GTX+ a few times at 241/2508 and had no trouble at all. Thnx again.

[Eagle Eye]

In light of the late release of the review its really nice to see older cards paired with drivers that have had some chance to mature and offer better support and performance.

While its great to see the latest and greatest review within a day of its release, however these new cards always seem to run into issues with the current drivers available to them and it always take 1-2 releases before things are sorted out.

Great review,

EE

[Silvgearx]

i was wondering, is there gonna be a 9800gtx round up as well?

thanks for the review, great details like always

would anyone know the length of the 9800gtx+ ? they should be around 10.5in right?

[dadzilla]

I didn't measure how long it was, but my XFX 9800gtx+ was long enough that i had to move the location of my hard drive just to fit it in the case. Not a small case either. And I lost one pci slot. But the thing does well in games, so :)