[ablearcher]

TOC:
Intro
Pics
System Pics
Opened up
Info/Test System Setup
3DMark06
Battlefield Bad Company 2 1600x900
Heaven 1600x900
Heaven 1920x1200
Supreme Commander 2 1600x900
Crysis 1920x1200
Conclusion, what I think about it

Intro============================================= =========
Hello,

I realize this may not be up to par with a good, professional review. I will do my best to do well. (otherwise known as my evil plan to get +rep)

Pics============================================== ========
First off, some shots of the two cards. Revision XFX 9800GT cards V9.B, I think?

System Pics============================================== ===
Please forgive the mess, I didn't think to pick up the HX620 at the time (ran at the same price as the TX750, when I bought it). *watts..... power...... big ..... numbers......SNORT!....RIP!....GRUNT*

I'm Sorry for the bad shot. It's the only good SLI-cable-attached-in-the-case shot I have.

Yes, H50 fits neatly into the case once the black outer shell is properly placed back on. Far better load temps than the anemic Stock cooper cooler. (silly pushpins... goodbye!)

Opened up================================================ ==
These few are shots of one of the 9800gt cards I had (I sold this one). They are all the same, though.

"Under the Hood"

The cooler revealed?

Contrary to what GPUz claims for all of my 9800gt cards, this die shot reveals they indeed are 55nm B1 revision silicon.

The semi-faulty GPUz

INFO/Test System Specs=======================================
The GPUs run at 300-400-400mhz while in 2D mode (core/shader/memory), so this helps with tempuratures, a lot. They are fabbed off of the 55nm TSMC process, and in theory, run cooler, and suck less power up as a result.

mATX power!
i7 930 @ 3.00GHz (yeah... high load temps of 75C have discouraged me from going too far).
ASUS Rampage II Gene
6GB Corsair XMS3 DDR3 CAS7 @ 1033 (no guts on me

)
9800GT SLI (2 cards) 512MB variant
Corsair TX750 750W PSU (... non modular

)
Windows 7 X64 Home Premium
Forceware 197.13 beta

I run many of these tests at 1600x900, my native resolution. Some, I run at 1920x1200 because... it seems more popular? And I am a sellout?

3DMark06========================================== =========
Since my motherboard came with a free copy of 3Dmark06, I'll include it in, over all arguements to the contrary.

The small dip in FPS is when the system is switching over to the second test.

Battlefield Bad Company 2 ======================================
I tested this on the level when the player pilots a tank from the start. I have not passed this level, so this lasted all the way until I got destroyed by TOW missles

Settings

FPS

It's definately playable

Heaven Benchmark 1600x900====================================
This runs very smoothly, unlike the next test will show. But this is silky smooth

Settings

FPS

It's nice, pretty. It's obviously geared to help showcase what tesselation can do, and is not a DX10 benchmark

Heaven Benchmark 1920x1200===================================
This... has places where the FPS goes to 0. The benchmark then skips (sprints?) over to the appropriate place to catch up, and make up lost frames. Very wierd.

Settings

FPS

This is barely usable, for these two SLI'd cards

Supreme Commander 2 1600x900=================================
Fun game, but simpler than I was used to. The AI is still spam-happy. This is a decent game VS 3 Normal Turtle AI, shortly before my base gets bombed back into the stone age

(no screenshots, unfortuneately)

Settings

FPS

I think I may of left VSYNC on. Either way, the FPS meter is clearly maxed out.

Crysis 1.20 1920x1200=========================================
This game is barely playable at these settings at this resolution. At my native resolution (1600x900), everything is silky smooth with these settings (excluding a few random areas, across the entire game).

Settings:

FPS

So this game is playable, but not really... smooth. I have a definate feeling this is not the best way to run Crysis (maxed out

).

Conclusion, thoughts?=========================================
The 9800GT SLI is certaintly good... for lower resolutions (below 1920x1200). I realize Crysis is an anomaly, in terms of GPU power required, but it is the way of the future. GPU power will be ever-more needed, and 3 (soon to be 4) generation old cards are just NOT the way to do it. That being said, these cards are very, very solid performers. They pump pixels out perfectly, when I request it to. Even in Crysis, the cards could play, abheit with some minor hickups throughout the game.

The cards DO output a decent amount of heat, and they DO get loud, under heavy, heavy load.

The highest I have seen them go it 78C, while running Heaven benchmark. Otherwise, 70C-73C is a more normal tempurature range for these cards, using no custom fan profile.

I would definately go multi-card again, in the future. But for now, these cards have been demoted out of the "high end" range.

And a 40pic/smiley limit!? Really?

Thank you!
-AbleArcher

 

[ablearcher]

Please let me know that you think of this! Thank you very much!

 

[The Master Chief]

Great review, just a little dated video cards. We all know what these can do already.

 

[sgdude]

9800gt sli is still a very good set up, as it is similar to 9800gx2 (32 less shaders, not THAT much worse), which is similar to gtx 285. So this is probably better than a 260 c216 and close to a gtx 275. The 512mb really hurts it at high res, since vram isn't shared. Good review.

 

[Bo_Punk_2.0]

Interesting results. Quite surprised really.

 

[Open1Your1Eyes0]

ablearcher, nice to see another great GPU reviewer joining OCN. +rep

 

[ablearcher]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Master Chief Great review, just a little dated video cards. We all know what these can do already.

Yeah

I bought these cards around fall 2009. I never thought to run them in SLI until this week

Quote:

Originally Posted by sgdude 9800gt sli is still a very good set up, as it is similar to 9800gx2 (32 less shaders, not THAT much worse), which is similar to gtx 285. So this is probably better than a 260 c216 and close to a gtx 275. The 512mb really hurts it at high res, since vram isn't shared. Good review.

Hmm.... the power saving features of the XFX 9800gt (55nm, and it downclocks

) have the potential to make ithe 9800gt sli supurior in power/performance. Especially since my 9800gx2 ran so HOT! (in my SG02 lanbox), too! (power = heat)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bo_Punk_2.0 Interesting results. Quite surprised really.

Thank you

(your item has still not been shipped, yet. I am really sorry!)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Open1Your1Eyes0 ablearcher, nice to see another great GPU reviewer joining OCN. +rep

Thank you!

btw, I did the whole thing, just to see how reviewers got those fancy FPS/time graphs. After that, I had to make sure everything was neat and presentable!

 

[whe3ls]

your 3dmark 06 sm score seems really low.

 

[ablearcher]

Quote:

Originally Posted by whe3ls your 3dmark 06 sm score seems really low.

The 3DMark score is just the GPU.

My total score is 17,159
http://service.futuremark.com/compare?3dm06=13350513

 

[mothrpe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sgdude 9800gt sli is still a very good set up, as it is similar to 9800gx2 (32 less shaders, not THAT much worse), which is similar to gtx 285. So this is probably better than a 260 c216 and close to a gtx 275. The 512mb really hurts it at high res, since vram isn't shared. Good review.

You mean even with the 2 running in sli, it only uses up to 512mb of video ram?

I have one 9800GT, you guys think it's worth it to get another one for sli? i.e. is there a large performance boost, just in general.

 

[adventfred]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mothrpe You mean even with the 2 running in sli, it only uses up to 512mb of video ram? I have one 9800GT, you guys think it's worth it to get another one for sli? i.e. is there a large performance boost, just in general.

if you can get it for cheap go for it

 

[GAMERIG]

OP, thats awesome! I am glad to see the good outcome of SLI 9800 GT running in the adorable SG02 for games..

 

[whe3ls]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ablearcher The 3DMark score is just the GPU. My total score is 17,159 http://service.futuremark.com/compare?3dm06=13350513

the link says ~14k

 

[ablearcher]

Quote:

Originally Posted by whe3ls the link says ~14k

oops

I did not make my new results public!

http://service.futuremark.com/compare?3dm06=13483552

thank you!

 

[Fear of Oneself]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mothrpe You mean even with the 2 running in sli, it only uses up to 512mb of video ram? I have one 9800GT, you guys think it's worth it to get another one for sli? i.e. is there a large performance boost, just in general.

depends on what games you play, many games i've found didn't run very well with SLI (i had two XFX 9800gt's)

(1680x1050)
Crysis ran clutch
COD4 ran well
DIRT ran like dirt
GTA 4 ran like poop.

I would say you should go for a 5 series GPU, but you have Ubuntu too, and there are no drivers for us, only older cards are good for ubuntu.

Now if you plan on only using a single monitor, i'd say you should go for a 5770 instead of SLI. Multi-monitor support blows chode in ubuntu with 5 series cards. The 5770 is a tad slower than the 9800gt's in Crysis, but still amazing.

again it depends on what games you play and how many monitors you want

 

[Mechrock]

Can you run Crysis with 1600 by 1200 with no aa and all very high?
I would like to know what I can expect in that game if I add another 9800gt to my setup.

Also does GTA4 support SLI? If it does can you run that benchmark as well if you have it that is.

Thanks for the help. This is still good to have even though it is showing older cards.

 

[kromar]

are these 9800 with one 6pin connector a newer revision? how are the temperatures under load with these cards?

 

[ablearcher]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kromar are these 9800 with one 6pin connector a newer revision? how are the temperatures under load with these cards?

Since I had three fans, one intake, two exhaust (all 80mm), the temps hovered around the 65C range during load. At idle, the cards would downclock (as far as I am aware, of the G92 cards, only the 55nm variants would downclock), and temps ran about 40C.

I'll include temp graph data in my next review.

 

[ablearcher]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mechrock Can you run Crysis with 1600 by 1200 with no aa and all very high? I would like to know what I can expect in that game if I add another 9800gt to my setup. Also does GTA4 support SLI? If it does can you run that benchmark as well if you have it that is. Thanks for the help. This is still good to have even though it is showing older cards.

I'm sorry for the late response. Yes, Crysis runs smoothly with 2X AA at maxed out settings for 1600x900 (very close to 1600x900 - though you may need to reduce A to 0X?).

EDIT: the 55nm cards have two variants:

cut down 65nm PCB (PCIe 6pin) <-- I have these
redesigned 55nm PCB (no PCIe 6pin)

 

[Mechrock]

That's good. I hope I can get a 9800gt this summer for cheap. This will be a much cheaper option then getting one faster card.