Failcard: SAPPHIRE 100245L Radeon HD 4850

So I bought a new graphics card, but it ended up being a disaster. I installed the card and benchmarked it, and was instantly disappointed in the results. The card just wasn’t performing very well. I loaded up Unreal Tournament 3 and maxed the game out at 1680×1050 and got awful performance with FPS dropping into the low 20s. My roommate has a very similar PC (Q6600 w/ 4850 instead of Pheonom 9600), and he would never drop below 50FPS in that game. I dropped the resolution down to the lowest, and turned all the settings down all the way and I was still getting horrible performance with around 25-35fps.

After messing with drivers for a while (using driver sweeper and such), my friend and I decided that I might as well format. I had replaced a lot of hardware without reinstalling vista. So I wiped my pc clean, installed all the drivers and benchmarked again. This time I got about 1K more, but still less then what this card should be getting based on other benchmarks. I load up UT3 again and have exactly the same poor performance. I hop into Counter Strike Source and I could swear that the performance was about the same as my old card. So I run the video stress test and get 93.82 FPS. I uninstall the card and its drivers, and put back in my old 7800GT, and run the same test at the same settings (1680×1050 max settings 2xAF 0xAA), and I get 112.79 FPS. I then went and loaded up UT3, once again at the lowest settings. I ended up getting FPS that ranged from 35-60fps, and overall a much smoother performance then the HD 4850. So obviously the card is either defective or there are major driver issues (not surprising since its ATI).

Needless to say I will be returning the card. No way is that worth the $160 that I paid for it. I issued a RMA on newegg, and it looks like they try to charge a 15% restocking fee, but I sent an e-mail to their customer service asking them to remove that since the card is having issues. I think they probably automatically do that to every refund request (I didn’t ask for a replacement). I will update when I find out if they accept my request. So this is going to be both my first and last time buying a Sapphire (or any ATI) card. In addition to wasting literally an entire day, I also ended up formatting my PC for no real reason since the card still performed poorly afterward. Instead, I am now looking at 9800GTX and 9800GTX+ cards. I just need to see how big they are before I order one (I don’t want to end up with a card that doesn’t fit in my case).

Update - 01/01/09: Newegg dropped the restocking fee and gave me a pre-paid label to ship the card back to them. So it looks like their reputation for good customer service is deserved. So I have ordered a BFG 9800GTX+ from them. Hopefully everything will go well with that card. I measured the room in my case and I should have more then enough room, but for some reason I am still a little nervous that it wont fit. I guess its because of my bad experience with the 4850.

Time For New PC Parts

Well, my PC is a little over 3 years old now, and it was starting to show its age. My CPU was limiting my performance in games after switching to Vista, so I have been thinking about upgrading it for a while. So yesterday I ordered new CPU/Mobo/Ram and was planning on getting a new graphics card in the next few weeks. What I wasn’t counting on was my current power supply giving out. So unfortunately I am now down more then I was expecting. So it looks like that new graphics card is on hold for a while longer.

Anyway, my new parts are:

OCZ StealthXStream OCZ600SXS 600W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready Active PFC Power Supply - Retail
AMD Phenom 9600 Agena 2.3GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache 2MB L3 Cache Socket AM2+ 95W Quad-Core Processor - Retail
MSI K9A2 CF-F V2 AM2+/AM2 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
OCZ Platinum 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail

Which means I now have the following extra parts:

OCZ Platinum 2GB (2 x 1GB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200)
CORSAIR XMS 1GB (2 x 512MB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Unbuffered Dual Channel Kit System Memory
MSI K8N Neo4/SLI Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 SLI ATX AMD Motherboard
AMD Athlon 64 3700+ San Diego 1GHz FSB Socket 939 Processor

Perhaps I should hit eBay to recover some of the unexpected costs (unless someone wants to make me an offer)

Zune Updated to 3.1 & Price Drops

One of the best portable media players on the market has had another update. I am really impressed with how things are moving along with the Zune. Since I have had mine, I have seen some pretty big updates for both the software and the player. Keep up the great work Zune team!

From Zune Insider:

Zune gets a little update which will bring a handful of free games, a refresh to Zune Social and incremental improvements to the software.

On the games front, we are giving away three new additions, Checkers, Sudoku and Space Battle, plus a new multiplayer mode and single player difficulty levels for Texas Hold’em.

The team also did some great work the Zune Social visual refresh to make it easier to navigate, as well as adding a new feature called “like minded listeners,” which will let you see how compatible your music tastes are with other listeners and friends.

On the more techie side we focused on improving overall stability and performance in the Zune PC software and device firmware, such as improved play count reporting and content synchronization between the Zune software and the Zune device.

To get the new update, use the PC software, just click settings: check for updates.

Also, Microsoft has cut the price of the smaller flash-based Zune models. The 4GB version dropped to $99, the 8GB model dropped by $10 to $139, and the 16GB model now sells for $179, down from $199.

Microsoft also kicked off a new wave of TV ads on Monday that aim to get more people to download the free Zune software, even if they haven’t yet decided to plunk down for a Zune player or Zune Pass subscription.

Yahoo! Shopping: PS3 Was Overhyped

In a piece over at Yahoo! Shooping, Nick Mokey put together a list of what he feels were some of the most overhyped gadgets in recent memory. Included in that list was the Playstation 3:

If the more recent cloud of negativity surrounding the PS3 has erased your memory of the hype surrounding its launch, let us remind you: Some of these things sold for over $2,000 on eBay in the days after they went on sale. A man was shot trying to secure one. It was the ultimate gaming machine, the console to destroy all consoles, the status symbol of November 2006. And it totally flopped. After most gamers discovered that being able to see individual blood droplets from an alien’s brain or the glistening sweat on a football player’s neck didn’t make the games any more fun, the $600 price of admission just didn’t seem worth it anymore. Nearly two years later, it’s starting to gain some ground, but we’re guessing the guys that originally shelled out thousands of them to impress their friends still feel like tools.

While I don’t agree with his entire list (I personally love my Zune, as does everyone that I know who owns one), I do think he hit the nail on the head when it comes to the Playstation 3.

Microsoft Launching 3rd Gen Zunes

Microsoft is bringing two new Zune models into the marketplace. The new blue 120 Gbyte model will cost $249.99, while the new 16-Gbyte model will be priced at $199. Both the 80-Gbyte and the 4-Gbyte model are priced to move, at $229.99 and $129.99 each. The 16-Gbyte model remains unchanged, at $199.

In addition to the new hardware, Microsoft is updating the Zune software with new features. And unlike the $10 Apple charged for an update to its iPod touch, all of the Microsoft updates are free.

Beginning on Sept. 16, a new feature called Buy from FM will allow users to, as the name suggests, tag a song being played on the radio for purchase. The service uses the Radio Data System and RT+ systems of digital song ID used by the U.K. and the U.S., respectively, to identify the song to the player. If the Zune is in the presence of a Wi-Fi hotpsot, the new Zune software will instantly connect it to the Zune Marketplace online store. A song tagged for purchase will also instantly be downloaded to the Zune.

Also new, the updated Zune will make recommendations based on the songs someone is listening to and there will also be new Zune “channels” programmed by experts and along themes like “work-out” music.

Other new features include support for Audible formatted media, and the ability to download audiobooks for the Zune. Also, games are now available for the Zune. The first two are Hexic and Texas Hold Em, both of which will be free.

Lastly, Microsoft has a subscription update: $14.99 per month allows an unlimited number of downloads or streaming, either to the Zune itself or to a PC.

And as always, current Zune owners can upgrade their Zune software and firmware to obtain the new features.