[Chiphell]nVidia 9800GX2 PCB Photo

[LordEC911]

I trust W1zzard the most on power consumption.



So the HD3870X2 takes 51watt more then the 8800GTX. That's not bad for 2 GPU's.

Why is the title named nVidia 9800GX2? It's not dualGPU, so i guess this ain't an GX2 card.

I hope you are joking on that last part...
As for that chart, everything seems normal except for the last 4 cards.

HD2900XT using less than the GTX?
1024mb using less than the 512mb?
HD3870 using 30w more than the HD2900XT?

That is very hard to believe. Link to the review?
Does he state how he finds the power consumption? My guess is a Kill-a-watt.
Read why most wattage meters mean nothing, with the exception of the Chroma.

[scottc19]

You guys think the swiftech mcw60 waterblock is gonna fit this? maybe with some small mounting mods or do you think the core part is too big to be cooled by it?

[ownage]

I hope you are joking on that last part...
As for that chart, everything seems normal except for the last 4 cards.

HD2900XT using less than the GTX?
1024mb using less than the 512mb?
HD3870 using 30w more than the HD2900XT?

That is very hard to believe. Link to the review?
Does he state how he finds the power consumption? My guess is a Kill-a-watt.

It's the average consumption, so nothing strange.
Look here for the max Peak power consumption, which is shows a better comparison.
http://i3.techpowerup.com/reviews/HI...power_peak.gif

[LordEC911]

It's the average consumption, so nothing strange.
Look here for the max Peak power consumption, which is shows a better comparison.
http://i3.techpowerup.com/reviews/HI...power_peak.gif

Average PC means nothing... which is why I was so confused.
Awesome that he doesn't tell us how he gets those numbers.

[Nanometer]

If you read the review, he awesomely explains it. Average of every 2 seconds during 3D marks 03. Garbage benchmark, but that's what he used.

[T_M]

I feel embarassed asking, but looking at the second PCB, it appears from the placement of the power connector that this PCB is actually in reverse of the other.
So does the seond PCB actually mirror the first back to back? If so then extreme cooling ftw!

[LordEC911]

If you read the review, he awesomely explains it. Average of every 2 seconds during 3D marks 03. Garbage benchmark, but that's what he used.

No, he explains the software he used to load the cards...
He does NOT explain what he used to measure the power consumption. My guess is that he is using a cheap Kill-a-watt which isn't anywhere close to accurate and if you would have read that link, you would not have only figured that out but that all other devices up until the Chroma also have inaccuracies.

[Tulatin]

So... this is 2 G92 cores, attached to one ty, thin heatsink, that blows hot air at the back of the case? This is a good idea... how?

[T_M]

I count two heatsinks.....

[StGL]

There is only one heatsink, the cores are faceing each other so the cooler will be sandwiched between the PCBs

[saaya]

well thats a combined TDP.
8800Ultra is TDP 190W
ATi 3870 is 135W
So I'm guessing that the 3870x2 will run hotter then this.

3870 is 90W and 8800gtx is 130W, 50% more
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/vid..._13.html#sect0

8800gt and 3870 are almost identical in power consumption, but if you look at the different approaches to a dual gpu card the ati version is definately superior. it only has a longer pcb and bigger heatsink while the 9800gx is made up of 2 custom pcbs that need to be assembled with the heatsinks in between.

both cooling and mfg cost wise the ati version of a dual card seems much better.

well, I think if K|ngp|n modded his LN2 pots, It would be easy.

sure you can build a pot that cools both gpus, but it would be ONE pot and it would have to make contact with a gpu on each side which would be a pita... how do you want to fasten the pot to the cards on each side? its incredibly messy...

i couldnt think of a worse approach than what nvidia did to build a dual gpu card actually... have both gpus face INSIDE in between the cards is just plain stupid. where do you get the frash air from and where do you exhaust it to?
you drill a hole in the pcb and bend the heatsink fins to the air moves in a 90 degree angle and then leaves on top.

[scottc19]

I was going to step up to this card when it comes from my 8800gt, but now i think I may just get the 8800gts. This sort of looks like a disaster closely related to the 7959x2...

[malik22]

So this card is to G92 Gts with DX10.1 support? wouldnt it be better just to get two G92 8800GTS wouldnt they oce better.

[T_M]

Ahhh, it all makes sense to me now thanks.

1 pot for two cards could actually be a good thing for SLI

[scottc19]

looks we will have to wait till march to get these anyway
http://64.233.179.104/translate_c?hl...om.microsoft:*

[hecktic]

think of the inside space consumption for your chasis. with this kind of 9800gx2 the quad sli idea might be feasible without having to sacrifice large amounts of chasis space.

Ofcourse though, this concern is more than likely to be irrelevant to the average gamer and/or enthusiast.

PLease post some more pics of the 9800gx2 if you can get them,

[STaRGaZeR]

Why NVIDIA VGAs always looks crappy as hell? Compared to that PCB, 3870X2's one is pure pr0n.

[MuffinFlavored]

They must have received a board partner non-working sample

It's enough to make me

[NickS]

Holy crap ma, theres a hole in my new video card!

[seamumc]

So this card is to G92 Gts with DX10.1 support? wouldnt it be better just to get two G92 8800GTS wouldnt they oce better.

The only 'advantage' of this card for consumers is that it can run on any chipset. Doesn't require a SLI specific mobo.

For NVidia the advantage is capturing the performance crown for a single card solution.

[doompc]

Coolest VGA Sandwich ever.
Not as elegant than the 3870X2 but way better than the 7950GX2.
Having an SLI bridge it must support QuadSLI.

[GoThr3k]

The only 'advantage' of this card for consumers is that it can run on any chipset. Doesn't require a SLI specific mobo.

For NVidia the advantage is capturing the performance crown for a single card solution.

i dont call this single card, just 2 cards slammed together

[[XC] gomeler]

I personally think the cooling solution is rather elegant.. dual GPUs in a compact chassis. I'd like to see what waterblock venders will do with this setup, two-faced waterblocks would be very cool but sadly limited to that single card. Sure it isn't as neat as the 3870X2 but don't knock the card until it's out in the wild.

[Wiggy McShades]

I hope you are joking on that last part...
As for that chart, everything seems normal except for the last 4 cards.

HD2900XT using less than the GTX?
1024mb using less than the 512mb?
HD3870 using 30w more than the HD2900XT?

That is very hard to believe. Link to the review?
Does he state how he finds the power consumption? My guess is a Kill-a-watt.
Read why most wattage meters mean nothing, with the exception of the Chroma.

well of course the 1024mb card is going to use less power than the 512mb one has gddr3 the other has gddr4.

[Seanie's Show]

I personally think the cooling solution is rather elegant.. dual GPUs in a compact chassis. I'd like to see what waterblock venders will do with this setup, two-faced waterblocks would be very cool but sadly limited to that single card. Sure it isn't as neat as the 3870X2 but don't knock the card until it's out in the wild.

Quite easy for water block makers really, just make a block the same thickness as the current cooler, double sided with entry/exit flow holes obviousley in the top, take the current GTS/GTX block for instance and slap another one on it opposite facing. after all thats all nVidia themselves have done, took 2 cards and slapped another one against it oppsite facing.