MultiGPU Update: Two-GPU Options in Depth
by Derek Wilson on February 23, 2009 7:30 AM EST- Posted in
- GPUs
Calculating Value: Performance per Dollar
Have you ever wondered what you get for your money? Well, I suppose that's a silly question, as anyone reading this page could guess. There are a couple of ways to present this data, and we wanted something simple to understand. It is important to remember that the way we've presented this information, absolute performance is not accounted for at all: the only metric we are looking at on this page is how much you get for the money you spend. Keep in mind that a good deal on 25 frames per second might not be what you are after: absolute performance is important too and we'll be looking at that in the next section. In general, more expensive solutions perform higher, so even if there is lower "value" the performance increase could be worth it to some buyers.
We will be using these prices for this calculation.
| NVIDIA GeForce GTX 285 SLI | 700 |
| NVIDIA GeForce GTX 280 SLI | 630 |
| NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260 SLI | 400 |
| NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GTX+ SLI | 290 |
| NVIDIA GeForce GTX 295 | 500 |
| NVIDIA GeForce GTX 285 | 350 |
| NVIDIA GeForce GTX 280 | 315 |
| NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260 core 216 | 225 |
| NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260 | 200 |
| NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GX2 | 300 |
| NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GTX+ | 145 |
| ATI Radeon HD 4850 X2 | 290 |
| ATI Radeon HD 4870 512MB CrossFire | 350 |
| ATI Radeon HD 4850 CrossFire | 290 |
| ATI Radeon HD 4870 X2 | 440 |
| ATI Radeon HD 4870 1GB | 220 |
| ATI Radeon HD 4870 512MB | 175 |
| ATI Radeon HD 4850 | 145 |
These prices were gathered from newegg.com and google and do NOT include mail-in rebates.
Our method here is to look at the performance you get for every hundred dollars spent. Specifically this answers the question: how many fps do you get in a specific game for every hundred bucks you spend on a particular graphics card. To calculate this data, we divided our performance data in average framerate by the cost of the card and then multiplied the result by 100. This isn't really a number that means something tangible: it's more just a metric that helps us relate the value of cards within a specific test. You can't compare any of these numbers between games, or even between resolutions, except in terms of relative order -- you need to look at one test and one resolution at a time.
To help out, if all the cards in a test had a score of "10", that would mean for every hundred dollars you spend you get 10 frames per second of performance in our test. Of course, though our value chart shows all the cards on equal footing, more expensive cards will have proportionally higher performance: if you wanted 30 frames per second in that specific benchmark you would need to spend at least $300.
So this isn't the bottom line in what to buy. These benchmarks are an indication of relative value outside absolute performance. Absolute performance is also a value metric: higher performance is more valuable and may be disproportionally more valuable if it crosses a playability threshold. These graphs will help show how much of a premium or a deal you are paying or getting on your absolute performance relative to other parts.
In general, multiGPU solutions will show less "value" than single GPU counterparts because we see less than linear scaling. If a two card solution costs twice as much while performance scales at less than 2x, we'll see a lower "value" result. The single card multiGPU options have a better chance at improving value than two card solutions, as they can sometimes be found for less than twice the cost of their nearest single card single GPU derivative.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
95 Comments
View All Comments
MamiyaOtaru - Tuesday, February 24, 2009 - link
So we have to be perfect in every way to point out errors? NBA players shouldn't listen to their coaches because their coaches can't play as well as they do? Game reviewers shouldn't trash a game because they couldn't make a better one?ggathagan - Tuesday, February 24, 2009 - link
When it comes to grammatical errors as insignificant as the ones pointed out, yes.If you're going to be that critical, then you best check your own grammar.
cptnjarhead - Wednesday, February 25, 2009 - link
Grammar shmammar, you guys need to move out of your mom’s basement and get laid. :)bigboxes - Wednesday, February 25, 2009 - link
+1stym - Monday, February 23, 2009 - link
I am curious to see how a pair of radeon 4830 would perform in this lineup. A single one is quite weak at those resolutions, but I am willing to bet a pair of those would hold its own against a single GTX280.Oh, and it would be much cheaper, too ($180 including the bridge).
Could you possibly include that setup next?
DerekWilson - Monday, February 23, 2009 - link
You are right that a single 4830 won't be enough perform on par with these guys ... but I don't think two of them would really be worth it against the GTX 280 except maybe at lower resolutions. The 1GB 4830 will run you at least $145, so you're looking at $290 for two of them and the 4850 X2 2GB is the same price. The 512MB 4830 will be limited by memory usage at higher resolutions just like the 4850 512MB.We might look at the 4830 in CrossFire internally and see if it warrants an update, but so far it isn't in the roadmap for the rest of the series.
stym - Monday, February 23, 2009 - link
I was thinking 512MB 4830s, which are in the $90~$110 price range. That price range is the only reason I mention them, because it puts the price tag of a pair of those in the exact same range as a Radeon 4830 512MB or even a GTX260.You said that a 4850 1GB doesn't make sense, and that's even more obvious for a 4830.
pmonti80 - Monday, February 23, 2009 - link
I find too that this would be an interesting match at the $200+ pricetag.wilkinb - Monday, February 23, 2009 - link
why not just drop AoC, it was bad when it came out, has always had issues and odd results and no one i know played for more then 2 months...If you want to have a mmo, why not use one that people play? and maybe even more mature in development...
I know you will say it adds value, but you dont know its it bad code or showing a different view.
ajoyner - Tuesday, February 24, 2009 - link
Most of the issues with the game are gone. There are currently no other MMO's out there that have the graphics or combat system to tax a gpu like this game. Your comment on testing a game that people play is very subjective. There are many MMO's out there that I would not touch....WOW, cough, cough.....but that doesn't mean other people don't enjoy them. I think having this game as one that is regularly benchmarked adds a great deal of value to the article.