Regarding recent upgrades...

06 Sep 2008 18:36 (Edited: 06 Sep 2008 18:36)

I'm not usually one to go out there and buy the top stuff. I've for a long while used a bottom-end Dual core processor due to how it works, and perhaps against better judgement went with ATI's cheap and correspondingly underpowered HD3870 graphics card(s). That changed recently though, purely on the basis I was able to secure some good value hardware, I still wouldn't have done so otherwise.
I speak of course, of the Radeon HD4870X2 and Core 2 Quad Q6600, both rather controversial components regarding gaming performance. Do games really work with Crossfire that well? Do games really support Quad cores? My initial expectations before I started out, were a) somewhat and b) probably not. I have to say though, I've been pleasantly surprised. So far I've got big boosts from the following games:

Half Life 2 Episode Two: Crossfire: Major impact, Quad core: Major impact
Portal: Crossfire: Minor impact, Quad core: Major impact
Age of Conan: Crossfire: Major impact, Quad core: Major impact
Crysis: Crossfire: Major impact, Quad core: Major impact

What's more, the benefits seen from Crossfire have proven 'hidden away' until the quad core CPU came along. One really does tie hand-in-hand with the other. Given that all 4 of the games listed are playable at ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM settings at 2560x1600 on a DirectX9 machine, all bar Crysis even with Anti-Aliasing applied, the performance of this pair is absolutely phenomenal.

To all the nay sayers, IT WORKS!

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User comments

by abuzar1 @ 06 Sep 2008 23:37

Whooo, I was right!!!

I win!

by sammorris @ 07 Sep 2008 15:48

Indeed you were... :)

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