M17X, how would a single ATi HD5870 graphics card perform ?

A CPU overclock adds very little to the GPU score. The benchmark was designed to isolate the two . And the 620m has hyperthreading so still 4 logical threads - making it in the benchmark appear as a VERY strong dual core lol (QX9300 stock is between 10k and 11k CPU score, not sure what stock i7 parts can do)

The overclocked 5870 can however challenge stock SLI GTX 280m (NOT 28 5m) which is still impressive

 

To the OP your better off getting 5870 Crossfire now as it'll be a hell of a lot more expensive to upgrade later down the line!

 

Actually the price of upgrading GPUs yourself down the line (especially just adding in a 2nd one) is usually the same as the upgrade would be at configuration with dell, or close to it. So if he does not want to wait, this should be fine as long as the 5870m used now is compatible with the ones used for the CF configurations.

 

You can`t get that 5870 Crossfire in the UK, its not an option on the Dell site. All i was asking is do i need a 2nd graphics card if i won`t be doing a lot of gaming.

Could i buy a single one now and if i need the 2nd one at a later date will i be able to put a 2nd one in to make it crossfire ?

 

Yes you can add a 2nd later if you want it. By itself one card is more than ample for 95% of games today though

 

If the OP gets the cards in a year or so off eBay or secondhand somewhere it won't be that expensive.

 

I don't know based on what you're predicting that the 5870 upgrade will cost more later. Since there isn't even a price for CF 5870 upgrade on the Dell web.

So OK, I dug up two stock non oc'd, 3DMark Vantage runs for comparisons:

1. ATI 4870m CF, QX9300; all stock by DR650SE: 10270
2. ATI 5870m single, i7 X920; all stock from m15x+5870 thread: 7836

... so ends up being ~31% higher vantage score. Not *too* bad, but I thought they are going to be closer together in performance.

 

I get >12k vantage stock with a 920xm setup. I'll post a pic here soon to double check.

 

You would have to look at just the GPU scores for that comparison to be accurate, which it is not.

it is really 4870 CF: 10270 vs 5870m: 7836

which is a 31% increase. Although the 4870s stock actually get in the mid 11k range with current drivers, so the difference is actually MUCH larger.

I got 11149 GPU score off dual 4870s with older drivers making it a 42% increase now

 

What's an average vantage score for a SINGLE 4870?

 

Overclocked heavily I got a 7800 GPU score with my 4870. Pretty much a heavily overclocked 4870m = stock 5870m lol

Single card to single card, the 5870m is hands down a huge increase in performance

 

Here is mine:

3DMark Score: P12390

CPU Score 11634

Graphics Score 12665

820qm, oc'd 4870's but that doesnt add a ton to the overall score.

I always like to max my settings as much as my system will let me, and this system will let me max more settings than a single 5870.... but i will want dual 5870's when they come out, no doubt

 

Keep in mind Vantage is not indicative of actual gameplay differences. The best way to test is to compare benchmarks with a single 5870m machine at the same resolution, CCC settings and game settings vs a dual config machine. Since s0ysauce is buying my R2 and he's local, I figure I can give him a call and do direct comparisons once my 5870m machine comes in sometime June..sigh.

 

Sounds like a date... ..

 

June? With all the orders of 5870 crossfire it will be later than that. It is possible Dell/Alienware will be on their game and get them sooner (yeah right).

 

One month turn around is common so that's right in time for my bday.

 

Judging by features sets (dx11 vs dx10.1), and extend of utilization of CF, 5870 and 4870x2 is quite close to justify getting 4870x2 at this point in time. He would be better buying a single 5870M, if only it has a CF connector, else it would be quite a pain to upgrade in the future.

Weird thing is I didn't even say anything about the forbidden word, maybe it's just that my sig contains the forbidden word that causes my very existence to be forbidden, oversensitive much?

 

I ordered the single 5870 and my delivery date is the 13th of May. Would a second card be that much longer?

 

The reason I said 5870m + M17x for now is that the Dell version is almost certain to have a CF connector. The 4870m xfire is also no slouch and better than a single 5870m. No offense to you, the Clevo criticism wasn't directed at anyone - just my opinion that no other notebook maker measures up quite yet. I'd be very happy to see Clevo shift away from their usual designs and plastic to something more AW-like. I know they can do it.

 

Indeed, and it also feels nice when using it. Comfortable, responsive, no flex on mine at all, and of course the icing on the cake, back lit.

 

If you take out the keyboard and twist it, it will hold whatever shape you put in it, very flexible backplate in it lol

At the same time though, when installed it will not move at all, so you can shape it then install and you are set.

I did not properly appreciate the quality of this keyboard until I went to Micro Center and played with the M11x there - that keyboard is a cheap looking POS compared to this - pretty much made me completely uninterested in the M11x

 

^that's is very interesting. I wonder if this is the future of alienware cheap or if its just that way because of the target audience.

 

most likely them trying to cut some cost on the M11x due to the market it is supposed to be in (netbooks)

 

I desperately miss the "right-click" key. It disappeared on my M1730 and din't come back with the M17x.

And when I'm writing, I use the cursor keys A LOT. Having the Home-End-PgUp-PgDn keys on top of the numpad just drives me crazy.

 

Hopefully I can the single 5780 comes with the xfire cables and I can buy another card in the future, because I'm getting an m17x w/ a single 5780 as a system exchange.

 

The single 4870 systems did not. You would need to get the "kit" which should include the card, heatsink and XF cable.

 

After your try out and see how well the single 5870 performs you might just hold off on a second card for a while

 

Will a 5870 work in a R1?

 

Don't get me wrong, this is just thinking way into the future. I'm 100% confident I will be happy with the performance of a single 5870 since I was plenty satisfied with my 7950 gtx

 

From what I'm hearing the answer is no.

 

Driver conflict?

 

BIOS conflict if anything. No one has tried it yet but you can be certain Dell will not be releasing the 5870 for the R1

 

Do they still even sell the R1? It seems like they'd discontinue it...

 

They still sell it on Dell.com. The only GPU option is 260M SLI and no 1200P screens.

 

So no, they don't sell it

 

They are just clearing inventory now, thus the highly reduced options. If they handle it like they did the M17 you may get lucky and order it with a low cpu and get a qx9300 or something like that lol

 

So if I ordered 50 then returned whatever I didn't want...

My own lottery

All it needs is a BIOS ID?

 

Good luck with that.....lol

 

Thanks Joker! I had no idea 4870 CF is actually quite a bit ahead of single 5870. I found out the source of my confusion: it was a 3DMark05 graph on this page: http://www.notebookcheck.net/ATI-Mobility-Radeon-HD-5870.23073.0.html that I took as a rough guideline (which ended up being completely stupid thing to do...).

This (+ the fact that I will happen to get paid $1000 more than what I expected next month ) sold me on 5870 CF. And now... the waiting for Cinco de Mayo begins...

 

What is overclocked Heavily exactly? I have mine at 600/1050 and I get 6600 total vantage score GPU score is 5300-5800 stock-overclock\

CPU score is 11K i7-720qm

 

overclocked heavily for the 4870s is 675/1150 from 550/888

 

I`m being quoted a crazy price for a single card M17X with the 5870, the best price ive got so far is £2360 which is for the 820QM, bluray writer, 4GB memory and 2 x 320GB hard drives, 17 inch RGBLED and a single 5870 card.

I can get a similar spec Asus for £700 less and a far better specced Clevo for quite a bit less as well with more memory and more storage with the same 5870 card.

I`m not sure i can justify Dell`s price on a single card system, i don`t really need crossfire.

 

Not many people can. If I wanted a single GPU system I would get something lighter. You pay extra for things like anodized aluminum and the ability to run two GPUs.

 

Mandrake, how do you rate this ?

ASUSTeK Computer Inc.

 

Lighter than m17x? That should be pretty easy to find!

 

That's my current system. My biggest problems with it is Asus support (very hard to deal with) and the chiclet keyboard. I'm not a fan of that type of keyboard. Otherwise it plays games at "high settings" with no issues.

 

Cheers, to save me reading the whole Asus thread can you give me the positives and negatives of the machine.

Is it quiet, whats the screen like, do you get a choice of processor, basically any info you can give me will be appreciated.

 

Joker put together a nice pros and cons a while back. I added the stuff in red. If you buy from someone like Gentech or XoticPC they can upgrade your processor without voiding your warranty. With that being said I removed the warranty sticker on my first G73 and Asus still honored the warranty.

The screen is nice also. Better than the M17xR1 CFFL but not nearly as good as the M17xR2 RGB LED.

 

A single 5870M M17x may cost more than a Clevo or the G73JH, but the build quality, cooling, and Dell support make it better if you can afford it IMO. Sure the Dell reps suck, but if something is wrong with your system, Dell's support sure beats having to wait a few weeks while having to send in your system. If you can't afford it, well the G73JH is perfect for you then.

 

Guys, I went through the whole thread and I was basically asking the same question on my thread here:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware/481939-single-5870-vs-dual-4870-crossfire.html#post6224993

Anyways, I'm a little taken aback by something in particular. Is there absolutely no one out there who's got their system with a 5870 yet??? Damn...this is kinda weird and scary too. I was one of the first people who had ordered the SXPS 16 with ATi 4670 last year and that turned out to be a disaster. I just hope I'm not Dell & Alienware's guinea pig this time around as well.