Widescreen Gaming Forum

It's really a matter of the quality you "need" and the games you play. I don't know about the other titles, but I did get FC2 to hit 39fps at max settings at 5040x1050 on a single 5850. I hit 56fps at 0xAA/High. For many people that would be fine.

http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/wiki/ATI_Radeon_5850_5830_-_Featured_Review_-_Page_6

It's also a matter of what you play. Not everyone plays FPS games, and not everyone plays the newest. I realize not everyone plays through Steam, but their stats show a pretty interesting tale. Here are their most popular games.

Code:

   Current    Peak        Game
   Players    Today
   
   46,925   65,802       Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 - Multiplayer
   43,687   56,470       Counter-Strike
   43,531   60,194       Counter-Strike: Source
   14,260   20,579       Team Fortress 2
   11,882   18,575       Football Manager 2010
    9,502   14,289       Left 4 Dead 2
    4,791   6,468       Condition Zero
    4,687   5,614       Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
    4,638   6,743       Empire: Total War
    4,135   7,516       Garry's Mod
    3,410   6,202       Battlefield: Bad Company 2
    3,254   4,652       Napoleon: Total War
    2,775   4,588       Left 4 Dead
    2,636   4,810       Day of Defeat: Source
    2,343   3,606       Football Manager 2009
    2,198   3,315       Killing Floor
    1,837   2,709       Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II - Chaos Rising
    1,701   2,556       Mount&Blade: Warband
    1,540   2,243       Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II
    1,484   2,107       Half-Life 2: Deathmatch
    1,326   1,900       Half-Life 2
    1,181   2,133       Grand Theft Auto IV
    1,157   1,933       Supreme Commander 2
    1,137   2,057       Torchlight
    1,091   1,655       Dragon Age: Origins
    1,012   1,416       Portal

MW2 does have the top spot, but considering that a single 5850 averaged 100fps in my HL2 tests at 5040x1050, I'm thinking it would be more than fine for CS, CS:Source, FT2, F4D2, Condition Zero, etc.

This user at HardForums averaged 45fps in BC2 with decently high settings - http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1500480

The problem is just because it is what you play, or what you would do, or what you would need - everyone else doesn't feel the same way. Some people don't have a motherboard capable of Tri-SLI, or have a PSU capable of pushing three video cards. Some many not even have a PSU capable of pushing SLI/CFX. For them, a single card solution would be the only solution. Now, they need to have proper expectations of what they can expect out of that system.

On the heat/power/noise issue, noise isn't a big deal for me. I live in a house with three kids. I can't game until they go to bed, and then have to do it with headphones. Power draw really isn't an issue either, back when I had a bit more money to throw around I got a 1k PSU. Not sure I would do that today.

For me, heat is the killer issue. My office ran about 5 degrees warmer than the rest of the house with the Mac, my screens and my work laptop running. Newer work laptop is much cooler. We had an AC supply and return added to my office last year. Even with that, running the E6 CFX benchmarks for hours made my office quite uncomfortable. I couldn't imagine pumping more heat in.

Since then we've put solar film on the house windows and fixed the attic ventilation, so everything is much cooler. But my office is still hotter than the rest of the house, even without the gaming PC running. I'm running an open case design for easy access and testing. That doesn't help. I have moved it so it's not under my desk at my feet. But I don't have the time, energy or money to pursue watercooling.

Is my situation unique? Yes. Does anyone share all of my issues? Doubtful. Are there people that can relate to some? Certainly.

There are plenty of people who...
... game with headphones
... are on a budget
... don't have the time, energy or interest to watercool
... need a single card solution
... don't need everything maxed out
... are happy playing Portal, L4D, TF2 or Torchlight.

Stop for a moment to see someone else's point of view. Even if it doesn't change yours, it helps with understanding. From Stephen Covey's "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" - Habit #5: Seek First to Understand, then to be Understood

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Habits_of_Highly_Effective_People

Really hahahhahahahha, why are people so upset with the title, if they didn't like it they didn't need to post in here.

The WSGF isn't:
- A site for fanboys. You may live and breath a certain platform, but leave the zealousness at the door.
- A place to flame other members or bash any particular company, platform, or manufacturer. We will not tolerate it, so don't do it.

[quote]
Really hahahhahahahha, why are people so upset with the title, if they didn't like it they didn't need to post in here.

The WSGF isn't:
- A site for fanboys. You may live and breath a certain platform, but leave the zealousness at the door.
- A place to flame other members or bash any particular company, platform, or manufacturer. We will not tolerate it, so don't do it.

Moved to the Nvidia 3D vision surround section, since the OP's questions are basically about Nvidia 3D vision surround. :)

Note that such threads often can cause arguments, so please keep it civil. :)

Ok just seems like another one of those moves against me.

And what about this thread, it has been up for a while, didn't get it's name changed. http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=76&t=18027

And you even posted this in the thread

[quote]Moved to the Nvidia 3D vision surround section, since the OP's questions are basically about Nvidia 3D vision surround. :)

Note that such threads often can cause arguments, so please keep it civil. :)

bowenac, your posts are consistently confrontational and absolutely consistent with fanboyism and trolling. I know (hope) that you don't want to be, or believe you are being either of these things, so might I suggest you just re-read your post before you hit submit.

It's not others being fanboys; It makes absolutely no difference whether you're posting about which graphics card is better, or the benefits of fluffy clouds over clear sky, the manner in which you go about it is absolutely infuriating. (For guidance, sentences that include "hahahahahhaha" contribute to this, as well as lengthy sarcasm).

You've been warned about it before, you've been banned for it before, you've been warned about it again in this thread. I realise this is just how you are, so I don't want to see you banned again, but as Tamlin quoted in the rules, we won't tolerate this kind of behaviour - from anyone. If you cannot change your style of communication, the next ban won't be lifted. :(

Really hahahhahahahha, why are people so upset with the title, if they didn't like it they didn't need to post in here. It is like people were actually crying by the name of the thread, and they got so upset, they could not control there anger and just had to post. Was it the word Kills, is that a BAD word? Or was it the fact that people just didn't want to see it? Because the truth is Nvidia Surround Beats Eyefinity, so why should the thread have to be changed.

This is the Nvidia Surround Section, if people that love ATI are going to come in here and flame my thread and ask for a title change, than that proves to me something. The only thing that was not civil in this thread was the people that were getting upset, and asking for a title change haha. Just boggles my mind that people can't see the truth. Ohhh heat, power, really everyone I have talked to says that is a bunch of crap. And actually there cards are running cooler then mine are because I have to run mine sandwiched together because the crossfire bridge is not long enough, good one ATI. Right now my top card is running at @ 61C, and bottom @ 40C.

So OMG I can't beleive how hot these cards are running geeez. And that power usage, that extra $10 a year is going to kill my savings..., and what they only tested all the best games out right now, why would they do that, I would love to see some WOW benchmarks, because everyone needs 480's to play WOW hehe just kidding on that one I hate that game and don't see how anyone could play it. But really, what other games you want, people always have to come up with some kind of excuses.