Radeon x1950 pro: how hot do they run?

[Fred G]

I'm planning to get 2 of these cards for xfire, i'm looking at 3 versions:

1 by ATI:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814195029

No built in cooling

1 by Powercolor:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814131030

This card has an artic cooling cooling device. there's also a 256 mb version

1 By Sapphire:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102070

this one has builtin zalman cooler

I prefer to get the 2 ATI cards, mainly because i wont loose any PCI-e x1 or PCI slots, so my questions is this, how hot do these cards run? If they do run too hot, then i can either get aftemarket cooling like a zalman vf700 or 900 or get either a Powercolor or Sapphire version, in each case i'll lose those slots. Does the ATI version require any aftermarkwet cooling?

 

[F1N3ST]

No aftermarkety cooling is needed but I HIGHLY reccomend the SAPPHIRE, that is a Vf-900 on there.

But some better advice is buy a 8800GTS and destroy these 2 in crossfire.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102061

Is a GREAT deal though. Has ATI cooler.

 

[Fred G]

Thanks for the response. Unfortunately i cant get 2 8800gts in SLI, i'm getting a P5W DH board, which is not SLI compatible. My other option is get a single 8800 or 2 x1950xtx cards in xfire, which will beat that 8800, but i'd rather stick with the pro, its almost as good as 2 x1950xtx, and they are pretty expensive.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102061


Is a GREAT deal though. Has ATI cooler.

Question: which one is better, the one you suggested or the one i mentioned. The price looks good, but performancewise which is the way to go?

Edit: there's also 512 mb version without the cooler, for a bit more money, is it worth it?

 

[F1N3ST]

Not really, but have you thought about my choice of a 8800GTS for less money but more performance in a single card package that will use less power.

 

[Fred G]

8800 GTS costs about the same as 2 x1950 pro, and i think they are about equal performance wise, is that correct? I just have more experience with the red team, though i own really old ATI cards. I think in this case its a matter of brand preference. When you say the 8800 uses less power, you mean watts? I plan to get an ocz game x stream 700 or 850 regardless, for future upgrades, that should give me enough power when i want to get the next gen of ATI cards.

And what do you think about the 2 different Sapphire cards we talked about, what is the difference betwennthem besides the price? Or if i do decide to get them is it worth getting the 512 mb version and add a aftermarket cooler to it over the first 2?

 

[Surkitz]

If you like ATI cards and are familiar with them, then use them. I was ATI for a long time until i wanted an upgrade so i switched to the green team, since we are talking teams here lol. what he is saying about the 8800 is that it will be a better choice for you as its faster than the crossfire combo you mention and cost a little less.

 

[F1N3ST]

Not to mention DX10 compatibility.

 

[Fred G]

Thanks for the suggestion. A lot of my friends have nvidia cards, and i've seen them in action (not the new 8800s though), a lot of people have told me to get one them, and i may actually do it. But right now i want to keep my options open, i'm just exploring all possibilities before making a decision, this is why i brought up the title question, ven though not all of my questions were answered. But to be honest i'm leaning towards ATI, i guess because i know them better.

In response to the remark about DX10: if i were to get an 8800, i wouldnt be getting it for its DX10 capability, i would get it because its the best DX9 card out there. It is still too early to trust DX10 to get it right, Vista is still full of bugs and its not something i'll be getting anytime soon. By the time all of that is worked out there will be lots of DX10 cards out there.So dont buy it simply because its DX10, thats the point i'm trying to make.

 

[F1N3ST]

Im suggesting it because its a beastly powerhouse, and because it is more future proof and will hold its value a lot better. Its your decision but you will regret it when you go to sell them. If you are gonna go the ATI route I suggest get the cheapest card you can find, Idk how loud the stock cooler is if that is a factor.

 

[Fred G]

Im suggesting it because its a beastly powerhouse, and because it is more future proof and will hold its value a lot better. Its your decision but you will regret it when you go to sell them. If you are gonna go the ATI route I suggest get the cheapest card you can find, Idk how loud the stock cooler is if that is a factor.

Yep, an 8800 is a powerhouse alright, i may wind up getting it afterall. And i will definately try to get a bargain if i get an ATI card, those Sapphire cards look pretty good, i dont know how loud are they but i prefer it to be quiet.
Thanks for all your suggestions!

 

[Sharkfood]

Hi Fred,
I agree with your expectations/assumptions on Crossfire, 8800/SLI/ Vista.

I do agree with previous posters that for raw video horsepower, the 8800 would be a good choice as it'll give raw performance greater than a pair of X1950's. But it'll really come down to what your needs are between going Crossfire or single 8800.

If you are really seeking greater degrees of antialiasing or like the new adaptive or future alpha antialiasing selections, the X1950/Crossfire solution would be the better fit.

As far as temps go, the X1950's do indeed run hot, but rarely need an aftermarket cooler if your case has good cooling. If your case and case fan arrangement creates a nice airflow of intake -> exhaust through the case, X1950's will generally run with max peak temps of 75C to 85C (depending on model), which is well below their maximum sustainable temps of 99C. (Yes, these newer GPU's can function very hot!).

 

[Fred G]

Well, basically i'm getting them to play games at high resolutions. I'm not sure that 8800GTS will beat 2 1950 pros, may be in some games it will, i recall seeing some benchmarks where they performed admibrably against nvidia's card. If that is not correct, please point it out.In regards to temperatures, i will be getting a nice fulltower case with good airflow, a thermaltake armor to be exact, it has 120mm intake and exaust fans, and 2 90mm fans as well. There's also a version with a 25 cm fan, but i dont know if i need that. I think this should be sufficent to cool down the cards, dont you thinnk?