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[Danne-Danger]

Genuine question to you lovely self-regarding image-conscious PC types:

Things like the wrong type of AA and Micro-stuttering are a problem but having FUCKING GREAT BLACK BORDERS IN THE MIDDLE OF YOUR PICTURE is not?

Please explain.

Those black borders are jagg-free and have a great framerate, what's not to like?

Spoiler

People are more impressed with the fact that it can be done, not necessarily because it's an awesome and practical way to play games.

Spoiler

I hope.

 

[MickeyKnox]

Genuine question to you lovely self-regarding image-conscious PC types:

Things like the wrong type of AA and Micro-stuttering are a problem but having FUCKING GREAT BLACK BORDERS IN THE MIDDLE OF YOUR PICTURE is not?

Please explain.

Multi-monitor gaming is more suited to sims and certain other games that allow you to have a completely different image output on the other screen(s) like maps, inventories etc.

 

[nib95]

Until decent bezel'less monitors are available, multi screen gaming is naff imo. Those black borders are a complete and utter game breaker.

 

[Hazaro]

Genuine question to you lovely self-regarding image-conscious PC types:

Things like the wrong type of AA and Micro-stuttering are a problem but having FUCKING GREAT BLACK BORDERS IN THE MIDDLE OF YOUR PICTURE is not?

Please explain.

The awesome outweighs the practicality. Do you realize you are gaming on three screens?
I can't stand the gap personally.

 

[ChoklitReign]

If only they made 2.35:1 monitors.

 

[Thunderbear]

It's more useful for racing games and driving sims etc, where you can position the monitors on an angle on each side so you get a greater field of vision. You can see cars coming up beside you etc.

 

[artist]

5850 in stock, quick!

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10011258&prodlist=celebros

 

[SapientWolf]

Until decent bezel'less monitors are available, multi screen gaming is naff imo. Those black borders are a complete and utter game breaker.

Many games support using the second monitor as a mini-map or something similar, making the borders a non-issue.

 

[vazel]

Saw this at the amd blog.

The tessellator represents a natural next step in gaming hardware (in fact the Xbox 360 graphics chip that AMD designed already has a tessellator, and AMD graphics hardware has featured tessellator technology starting with the ATI RadeonTM HD 2000 series right up to the latest ATI RadeonTM HD 4000 series cards today).

So that means I'll get to enable tessellator on my 4850?

 

[Dreams-Visions]

5850 in stock, quick!

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10011258&prodlist=celebros

sure about that?

"Pre-ordering available & Estimate Delivery Time: beginning of October."

 

[ShockingAlberto]

Caught this on SlickDeals earlier

PRE-ORDER ATI Radeon 5870 (Sapphire or XFX) 1GB GDDR5, PCI-Express 2.0, CrossFireX Ready, Dual DVI, Dipslay Port, HDMI $343.42 or $313.42 SHIPPED BCB @ TigerDirect
1. search "hard drive" on bing.com
2. get 10.2% off your purchase of $379.99
3. (optional) use ebill me for $30 mail in rebate (bottom right of screen). valid only once, so if you've done it already then you can't do it again.

$379.99 - $38.76 bcb + $1.99 shipping = $343.42 shipped

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicat...ffiliateID=lw9MynSeamY-TIESJPLejRLE6n070lKpzA

OR

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicat...ffiliateID=lw9MynSeamY-RzFT.snKEWitbCZvZPmmbw

this is a good deal for people in California because no tax.. in the end it's about $70 cheaper than buying it from somewhere like newegg.

 

[brain_stew]

Saw this at the amd blog. So that means I'll get to enable tessellator on my 4850?

No.

 

[artist]

sure about that?

"Pre-ordering available & Estimate Delivery Time: beginning of October."

It was showing in stock when I posted, besides the official word is that they will be available in stores next week.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

it's still showing in stock. but it also says that near the top in red. look again.

 

[artist]

it's still showing in stock. but it also says that near the top in red. look again.

Ok, I should've worded it better. There was no such disclaimer in red when I posted. Satisfied?

 

[TouchMyBox]

Guess who's XFX 5870 is currently in the hands of UPS?

 

[Zaptruder]

I probably won't be using eyefinity for gaming purposes... but just in general purpose terms, it will be extremely handy

 

[RayStorm]

Things like the wrong type of AA and Micro-stuttering are a problem but having FUCKING GREAT BLACK BORDERS IN THE MIDDLE OF YOUR PICTURE is not?

Please explain.

1) Keep in mind, that you wouldn't use your screens in portrait mode but rather in landscape. Unless you play in portrait mode, this screen shot from anand you posted is not, what you would be doing.

2) As such, you don't necessarily watch the middle screen any differently than with a single-monitor set-up. Thus no black borders in the middle of your picture. If you were to only use two screens, you'd have a black border right in the middle, wich actually would be quite disturbing and a big problem. With an uneven number of screens? Not so much.

3) The two side screens are for your peripheral vision. Think of it as advanced ambilight. It's simply for immersion not necessarily for actively looking at it the whole time.

4) Go and play F355 Challenge, Sega Strike Fighter or Sega Airline Pilot (or whatever it was called) in your arcade in the 3 screen setup and notice how it actually works and looks.

---

I just want to finally see benchmarks on it. And I do wonder, if the 5850 is powerful enough to service 3*1920*1200, or if I would be kicking my ass later for not going with the 5870.

 

[MWS Natural]

Size wise does the 5850 = 4890?

 

[Blackface]

So I guess the $399 and $299 price points were a joke? $450 CDN :lol :lol :lol

 

[Deus Ex Machina]

Size wise does the 5850 = 4890?

 

[fistfulofmetal]

bah. i just realized the card definitely won't fit in my PC without altering it. the spot where my hard drives are is in the way and my 4850 is almost touching it :\

 

[dejan]

DX10 vs. DX11 BattleForge benchmarks:

Some more stuff here:
http://www.driverheaven.net/reviews.php?reviewid=842&pageid=5


Oh and ...

Waiting for the 2GB version tho.

 

[nib95]

Just pulled the trigger on a 5870. Should receive it tomorrow.

 

[TouchMyBox]

So I guess the $399 and $299 price points were a joke? $450 CDN :lol :lol :lol

I got mine for $429 CDN which is a lower price than $399 US. Hilarious joke indeed.

Spoiler

Well, yesterday it was. Today $399 = $428.95... NOW I'M PISSED.

 

[TheGuardian]

Does anyone know if the 5870 would fit in a Coolermaster Elite 333 case?

 

[brain_stew]

Does anyone know if the 5870 would fit in a Coolermaster Elite 333 case?

It'll stretch into the HDD bay but you'll probably be fine if you only have a couple of HDDs and rearrage them around it. I fit a GTX 260 in my 330 (same design I believe) just fine once I moved one of my HDDs, still left space for another two HDDs and its got a good 2/3 inches clearance still.

You should be fine.

Fwiw, I firmly believe the 5850 is the way to go for most people, its pretty hard to justify $120/£100 for a 15% increase in speed imo.

 

[ToddG15]

I've seen some people mention they've ordered it/already have it. Where are you guys buying it?

 

[Zaptruder]

It'll stretch into the HDD bay but you'll probably be fine if you only have a couple of HDDs and rearrage them around it. I fit a GTX 260 in my 330 (same design I believe) just fine once I moved one of my HDDs, still left space for another two HDDs and its got a good 2/3 inches clearance still.

You should be fine.

Fwiw, I firmly believe the 5850 is the way to go for most people, its pretty hard to justify $120/£100 for a 15% increase in speed imo.

Especially with that lucid GPU tech around the corner.

I am tempted to pick up a 5850 now just so I can use triple monitor, then upgrade to a lucid enabled mobo and drop in a 5870X2 later... but I need more details on lucid motherboards!

Or is it a sound plan?

 

[ShineALight]

img

Sorry to be a dummy, but is the one on the right the 5850?

 

[pestul]

Can you get the the 5850 yet? Also, what are the chances I'll be able to find one in the end of October when my copy of Windows 7 arrives? :S

 

[marsomega]

Genuine question to you lovely self-regarding image-conscious PC types:

Things like the wrong type of AA and Micro-stuttering are a problem but having FUCKING GREAT BLACK BORDERS IN THE MIDDLE OF YOUR PICTURE is not?

Please explain.

The AA and Micro-stuttering aren't a problem in that game because they're not there because those are running on a single 5870. Duh.

 

[matrix-cat]

I'm torn between my usual strategy of waiting for a cooler, quieter non-reference design or buying one now to get one with that awesome Batmobile shroud:lol

 

[RayStorm]

Sorry to be a dummy, but is the one on the right the 5850?

Given that someone stated the 5870 would be about the length of the 4870x2 coupled with the fact that apparently nobody has a 5850 yet I would wager I guess, that it's not an 5850 on the right.

 

[Macattk15]

Damn thing is sold out everywhere. Trying to get a 5870 and dump my 8800gt SLI ... I HATE using two cards.

 

[cleveridea]

its hard to get excited about the reviews not because the new cards arent impressive, but that pc development seems to be console-locked. All the games I intend playing and am looking forward too - GTA IV, Resident Evil 5, Fallout 3, Dragon Age, Borderlands, Risen, Arcania, Mass Effect 2, Alpha Protocol, - wont actually be meaningfully improved (from my core i7 920 and GTX 260 at 1920x1080) thanks to being developed with console budgets (geometry and scene complexity etc). I dont see any games I long to play with Crysis type demands. Way less exciting than prior graphic card launches.

So anyway my original plan was to upgrade my GTX 260 to 5850, could I just swap out the cards? Presumably 5850 doesnt need more power. Are things that easy? Will my drivers transfer ok nvdia->ati? I am using Vista 64.

 

[TouchMyBox]

So anyway my original plan was to upgrade my GTX 260 to 5850, could I just swap out the cards? Presumably 5850 doesnt need more power. Are things that easy? Will my drivers transfer ok nvdia->ati? I am using Vista 64.

Uninstall your nvidia drivers (and then i would reccommend running driversweeper afterwards), shut down your system, swap the cards, boot up your machine and install the latest ati drivers.

 

[Deus Ex Machina]

its hard to get excited about the reviews not because the new cards arent impressive, but that pc development seems to be console-locked. All the games I intend playing and am looking forward too - GTA IV, Resident Evil 5, Fallout 3, Dragon Age, Borderlands, Risen, Arcania, Mass Effect 2, Alpha Protocol, - wont actually be meaningfully improved (from my core i7 920 and GTX 260 at 1920x1080) thanks to being developed with console budgets (geometry and scene complexity etc). I dont see any games I long to play with Crysis type demands. Way less exciting than prior graphic card launches.

I fear you are right. The bright side is we do have some developers that are committed to PC. I can't fault them for going where the money is but it does hurt.

 

[Erebus]

So anyway my original plan was to upgrade my GTX 260 to 5850, could I just swap out the cards? Presumably 5850 doesnt need more power. Are things that easy? Will my drivers transfer ok nvdia->ati? I am using Vista 64.

You should be fine if you use this.

 

[Hazaro]

Sorry to be a dummy, but is the one on the right the 5850?

4870, a bit longer than the 4850.

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

the fact that the 5870 can nearly match the 295, is over a 100 dollars lowered price and is a single card is such a winner. and not to mention the 5850 pretty much matches the 5870 and is 120 less!? wow....

 

[AstroLad]

the fact that the 5870 can nearly match the 295, is over a 100 dollars lowered price and is a single card is such a winner. and not to mention the 5850 pretty much matches the 5870 and is 120 less!? wow....

the 295 is also a single card! ;P

 

[fistfulofmetal]

Is the 5850 really almost on par with the 5870? I went with the 4850 and regretted not just getting the 4870 afterwords because i want the best.

 

[Deus Ex Machina]

the 295 is also a single card! ;P

The 295 is a dual GPU solution.

Two 260 GTXs

 

[AstroLad]

yes, two gpus

 

[BravoSuperStar]

yes, two gpus

Don't worry, I got what you were trying to say. =)

I pretty much made a verbal agreement to sell my 4870 to a buddy last night. Looks like I am getting a 5870 sooner, rather than later. As soon as newegg restocks, anyway...

 

[Deus Ex Machina]

yes, two gpus

A single GPU(5870) matching and sometimes beating a two GPU solution(295 GTX) is what I gather evil solrac v3.0 meant.

 

[godhandiscen]

the 295 is also a single card! ;P

The one you have might be a single card. Mine is one of the first one that came out (Overclocked and all), and it is actually 2 cards sandwiched together. The 5870 beats the GTX295 in all tests across the board, and gets better fps in DX11. There is no contest that the 5870 is the better buy and that nobody in his sane mind should buy a GTX295 anymore. However, the only game in which I don't get g0fps is Crysis and the 5870 doesn't take me there, so I guess I can still wait while enjoying a premium experience.

 

[AstroLad]

A single GPU(5870) matching and sometimes beating a two GPU solution(295 GTX) is what I gather evil solrac v3.0 meant.

i know. i was just messing with solrac.

 

[godhandiscen]

A 5870 will barely fit in my case due to its lenght. An inch longer and I will be forced to get a smaller front fan.