Gigabyte's 3870

[aliquidparadigm]

It's been a while since I've posted here. Hmm. (c:

Anyway, Gigabyte just released a pair of HD 3800 series cards with some of their Ultra Durable 2 tech from their motherboards. What I consider to be the biggest mistake in a long, long while is that they're selling it with a Zalman fan AT A DISCOUNT. Unlike the card referenced here:

http://www.gpureview.com/320-512mb-8800-gts--109-waterblock--529-card-article-612.html,

you get the 3870 from Gigabyte with a Zalman fan for cheaper than you can get any other 3870.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125086

The thing that I am anxious to find out is whether or not it has GDDR3 or 4; both Newegg and Gigabyte list 3, but the singular hands-on review of it that I've read says it's 4. And it was aTweakTown review, so it's not like I consider it to be propaganda. -- http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/1253/gigabyte_hd_3870_with_ultra_durable_2/index.html

I am very, very interested in this and will post more details when I get the card here in a couple of days. Even if it does have DDR3, it's still a damn steal... so would be the 3850 for $30 less, doubly so if the 3870 indeed does have DDR3 on it; I'd still rather have the better rated core because it will overclock higher than the 3850's will.

3850 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125084

[anonymousD]

dd3 ddr4 its more or less the same, that gpu is not bandwith starved or anything...

the gt 512 from nv would be a better card overall if u havent bought already..dont get the 256 version of anything, ati or nvidia

[aliquidparadigm]

Oh I'm aware that the 8800gt with 512 will be better than a 3870 512, but the $30 price tag difference, and lack of future ability to crossfire it, makes the 3870 a better choice for me.

And, honestly, I was looking at the OC'd 3850 by HIS before I went with this; they're the same price before MIR, and I've never been particularly fond of MIRs, so I never consider them as part of the actual price of the card. (c:

[aliquidparadigm]

Indeed, this is a mighty fine card. It handles 850MHz core just fine.

[Deathmarx]

I'd much rather the Gigabyte-3870-B (the stock cooler) so the hot air goes out of the computer and not circulating around thank you. (However Stock cooler model is $10 more expensive @ $300 or so)