Which of my options would get me the best results?

I'm building a new computer today. The parts are sitting here on the table next to me. I have a question about my GFX card options though.

My current system has a ATI Radeon 3870 HD X2 which has 1GB GDDR4 (512meg per GPU).

My new motherboard has an ATI Radeon 4250 HD single GPU that is integrated.

Now would I be better off to dump my 3870 X2 and use the on-board 4250 and later buy another 4250 to run Crossfire or is my old card still better then then 4250 setup?

I see both support DX 10.1, and from what I can tell the 3870 HD X2 seems to be a faster card. I'm just not sure what the 4250 might offer over the 3870 if anything.

My thinking keeps telling me the newer numbered card should be a better card but on paper, that doesn't seem to be the case.

Someone educate me.

It appears you can't Crossfire your onboard video with a video card if that is one of your ideas.
You would need two video cards the best I can tell from the chart here.

http://game.amd.com/us-en/content/images/crossfirex/CF_combo_chart.jpg

More info.
http://game.amd.com/us-en/crossfirex_about.aspx

I'm not 100% positive but it doesn't look promising.

According to Asus webpage, you can. In fact, it only HAS one PCIe slot so you can only add in one more card.

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Quote:

Hybrid CrossFireX™ Support

Boosted Performance with onboard GPU and discrete graphics card
ATI Hybrid CrossFireX™ technology is a unique hybrid multi-GPU technology. It takes your gaming experience to the next level boosting PC performance by enabling the chipset’s integrated graphics processor and a discrete GPU to operate simultaneously with combined output for blisteringly-fast frame rates unleashing the graphics performance
* Visit Global Provider of Innovative Graphics, Processors and Media Solutions | AMD for the Hybrid CrossFireX selected GPUs.
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I know I could have gotten a board with 2x PCIe but I figured if I ever got another videocard is would probably be another X2 anyway which is a single PCIe SLI card.

That and I intended on on buying a Micro ATX case because I'm sick of this huge ass computer tower I've got now. If it wasnt for that thought, I would have gotten the 2x PCIe full ATX model of this board.

Okay. I was looking at the ATI site not the moboard specs. ASUS built it into the board.

I learned something new.
Good to know.

Well it makes sense to Crossfire.
I'm sure some of the others on the forum are a lot more informed on the cards you are asking about.
Mike

Well going by the specs as I read them... It sounds like my 3870 HD X2 that has 1GB GDDR4 w/ DX 10.1 support, still out classes the built in ATI 4250 HD even IF I pick up a second card and run Crossfire.

Unless I'm reading wrong, hence why I asked. Hopefully someone can confirm this for me!

That HD 4250 is about the equivalent of the HD 4350/4550 or at a stretch the HD 5450, which are also the only cards that can be run in Hybrid Crossfire.

And yes despite being a couple of generations old now, your 3870 x2 is far and away better than the 4250 or the 4250 and any compatible card run with it in Hybrid Crossfire.

Also don't get hung up on the whole PCI-E 1.0/2.0/etc thing, as all newer cards are backwards compatible with the older spec. Will you lose performance running a 2.0/3.0 card in a 1.1 slot, yes but not enough that it would likely be noticeable.

Well, I seem to be having an issue.

PC is built. It's running good with the exception of the video card. Well, I mean, it's running good but I can't get Crossfire working right.

ATI's CCC see's my cards, I can enable and disable Crossfire etc on the 3870 HD X2 but games will not work.

For example, MOH works if I disable Crossfire but if I enable it, all I get it a big black screen, nothing loads. No sounds, no nothing.

I know MOH works on this card in Crossfire, it worked fine on my old Asus MB/CPU/Ram I just upgraded from. In fact, using CF was the only way I could get it playable on my old system, hence the upgrades.

Thoughts? I have the newest Asus bios, ATI drivers etc.

*Update*

OK! I guess Crossfire DOES work, it's just MOH (Medal of Honor) that's being stupid on my PC.

The funny thing is, on my old Asus/Single Core setup, Crossfire worked fine for MOH on this same video card (HD3870 X2) but on the new setup, it causes a black screen however it runs 100% if I disable Crossfire and run it as a single video card.

That said, COD MW2 (Modern Warfare 2) runs 100% in Crossfire mode on the new PC. MAX MAX details on EVERY option, MAX res for my monitor 1680x and its SMOOTH as hell. I couldn't even play COD MW2 on my old PC even with this ATI Radeon HD3870 X2, it choked big time. Loving this new setup.

No idea why MOH won't work on the new PC in CF mode. Anyone have any thoughts?