Tri-GPU CrossFireX Gaming

Our final set of GPU tests are a little more on the esoteric side, using a tri-GPU setup with a HD5970 (dual GPU) and a HD5870 in tandem.  While these cards are not necessarily the newest, they do provide some interesting results – particularly when we have memory accesses being diverted to multiple GPUs (or even to multiple GPUs on the same PCB).  The 5970 GPUs are clocked at 800/1000, with the 5870 at 1000/1250.

Dirt 3

Dirt 3 on HD 5970 + HD 5870 (3x CFX)

Bioshock Infinite

Bioshock Infinite on HD 5970 + HD 5870 (3x CFX)

Tomb Raider

 

Tomb Raider on HD 5970 + HD 5870 (3x CFX)

Sleeping Dogs

 

Sleeping Dogs on HD 5970 + HD 5870 (3x CFX)

Our lopsided GPU CFX test is where we've seen the bigger discrepancies between memory kits, and the Patriot 2400 C10 hits the middle-to-high notes across the board.

Single dGPU Gaming CPU Real World
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  • Impulses - Monday, November 18, 2013 - link

    Ian has a pretty in depth article on this subject, look back thru the archives.

    Memory prices haven't increased as much as I thought, if at all... I bought a 1600 4x4GB Patriot kit last year, precisely around this time, it was like $55 or something with a discount (I remember not seeing any better deals around Black Friday). My first exposure to Patriot too but it's worked out well.
  • hp9000 - Friday, November 22, 2013 - link

    I'm not so sure about that, I bought a 32gb 1866 G.Skill Ares kit in December of last year for $109.99 (I'm looking at the invoice) and now the same kit is $283.49 (newegg). That's a huge price increase in my book.
  • IanCutress - Monday, November 18, 2013 - link

    You want my memory scaling article on Haswell:
    http://www.anandtech.com/show/7364/memory-scaling-...
    There are 26 different combinations of MHz / CAS there, from 1333 C9 to 3000 C12, representative of many 2x4 GB Hynix MFR kits available to purchase today.
  • Franzen4Real - Monday, November 18, 2013 - link

    Oh great!! Thank You!! Not sure how I missed that in the first place.... Bigtime thanks for all of your time and effort on these tests!!
  • djscrew - Tuesday, November 19, 2013 - link

    A (very) basic rule of thumb: 1 Cas Latency = 1 Command Rate = 1 Bump in MHz (1333/1600/1866). With the bump in MHz considered more valuable.
  • dingetje - Monday, November 18, 2013 - link

    1.65 volt and higher ?
    so the haswell memory controller doesnt have a problem with voltage higher than 1.5 or will it get fried eventually ?
  • IanCutress - Monday, November 18, 2013 - link

    Did you used to have Hyper memory on Nehalem by any chance? That combination had issues above 1.75 volts. I have not encountered any issues running memory up to 1.75v on Sandy Bridge, Ivy Bridge or Haswell. All my chips just work. Otherwise 1.65 volt kits wouldn't be selling as well as they do, and overclockers wouldn't be pushing 1.8v on air / 2.0+ volts on liquid nitrogen.
  • dingetje - Tuesday, November 19, 2013 - link

    that it runs great i dont doubt....was just wondering wether on the long term the hawell memory controller will have issues (seeing the spec is 1.5)
  • dingetje - Tuesday, November 19, 2013 - link

    ^haswell (typo)

    im running a 1.35v (@1.5v) crucial kit myself on haswell by the way
  • mfenn - Tuesday, November 19, 2013 - link

    Yes, because extreme overclockers care so much about longevity. Ian, you should make an effort to get out of the extreme OC and corporate PR echo chambers once and a while. It is really having an effect on the quality of your articles.

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