4850 to 5870?

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DeathSmasher

Gawd
Joined
Apr 14, 2006
Messages
579
As the topic states would it be worth it to upgrade from my 4850 to a new 5870? My current rig is something like this: Intel Core 2 quad Q9450 @ 2.66, Cheapo ECS GF7050VT-M Mobo, 4 GB corsair memory. I game at 1360x768 an i like to play every game right now i think the most graphic intense game im playing is ARMA2. Otherwise i dont really know whats games are very demanding that one just sticks in my mind as it has alot going on at one time. So what are your thoughts on this? Pointers ideas ETC. Im currently bed bound with a broken back an thought it would be a good time to work with the computer =). Thanks everyone =)
 
At that low of a res there's no reason to get a 5870. The 5850 would be the only justifiable upgrade.

Curious though... what monitor do you have that's bound to such a low res? Perhaps your best option is to go for a 5850 + a cheap 20-23" monitor (the total should be around the same price as a 5870).
 
I second what BlackTTC6 said. 5850 is lighter on the pocket and is a true vfm card imo. Do keep in mind whether you actually need this card right now because Direct X 11 platform will take some time to mature and so would the games compatible with the same.

I'm on a GTX 260 core 216 and don't see any need to upgrade. You can go ahead though if you're worried about the resale value of your 4850 a couple of months down the line.
 
If you don't have a good size monitor right now go with a 5850 and a 22-24 inch monitor.
 
DeathSmasher said:
As the topic states would it be worth it to upgrade from my 4850 to a new 5870? My current rig is something like this: Intel Core 2 quad Q9450 @ 2.66, Cheapo ECS GF7050VT-M Mobo, 4 GB corsair memory. I game at 1360x768 an i like to play every game right now i think the most graphic intense game im playing is ARMA2.
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It really depends on what you want. Most users here will tell you that your resolution is too low to justify an expensive video card. But if you are not an "enthusiast", and you are happy with it, you should probably take all of our words with a grain of salt. :D

Since Crossfire is not an option with your motherboard (and likely not to your taste, anyway), my second option, for the games you seem to enjoy . . . would probably be to wait. I don't normally say that, but the 5850 is VERY imminent, and might dramatically affect prices.

If you are willing to give it a week or two, there will likely be significant price drops in all sub-$300 categories. You can then take your pick of the spoils. I imagine you might find a great price on a GTX 275 or an HD 4890. And of course, if you want the latest and greatest, the 5850 is a great card, to be sure, and you can always go that route.

Geez, sorry to hear about your back. :(
 
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whats so bad about gaming on a tv? its not as crisp but it seems to look rather well. Am i missing something?
 
I think he is referring to the low resolution compared to the size of the tv. You can get 30" monitors with 2560x1600 resolutions, while your at 31" @ 1360x768. Not a biggy, if you like the resolution play it. As per the thread, do you really feel like your system can't handle games at that resolution? No point in upgrading unless you really can't play them. But I second the majority suggestion of the HD5850 and a 21-23" 1080p monitor.
 
I really like the size im at an a good 30" monitor is a bit out of my price range. As far as it can play all games but it gets the occasional dips an i wasnt sure if it would be worth the upgrade or would it just be a minor increase?
 
DeathSmasher said:
I really like the size im at an a good 30" monitor is a bit out of my price range. As far as it can play all games but it gets the occasional dips an i wasnt sure if it would be worth the upgrade or would it just be a minor increase?
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Sorry, I didn't mean to be insulting. I hope I wasn't! As I said, your monitor and resolution should be good enough for your satisfaction. That's all that matters. Regarding the 5850 vs. a 4850, here is a nice review. And here's one with ARMA II benchmarks.

I can only go on what I've read and heard from reviewers and users, but from what I understand, you are going from 9800GTX performance to GTX 285 performance. Roughly double.
 
If you're really looking for a good deal, you might wanna wait till black friday @ egg? You could easily land a Dell S2409W + The card you wanna go for.
 
Awesome on the benchies an no i didnt think you were insulting or anything. Also thats a good idea about black Fri. i think ill sit it out till then in the mean time try an learn a bit more about bigger monitors at this point i dont think i could any smaller then a 30 ive been useing this for a year an it is by far my fav upgrade dont get me wrong its not crisp like my 19" NEC gx2 i was using before but now i can sit back in the chair an enjoy. =) Thanks for all the info guys! great group of people!
 
With that setup, a 5850 is a better choice. You'll have next gen dx11 support and very good performance that beats out a gtx 285. And it would probably still be slightly bottlenecked by your cpu speed.
 
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. ;) I'll admit the first thing I thought of was how horrid it would be to read a lot of text. I'm all for the layback enjoyment. Even though I partly bought my latest 23.6 inch lcd for hooking my PS3 up to the HDMI port and play with HD resolutions, I put it back on my old ass 32inch low rez tv in the living room. Just doesn't feel right for me playing a console without being on my couch with my feet on the coffee table :D
 
Ya thats what im trying to say i could have HD rez an be nose to screen or kick back an enjoy the game. the kicking back an enjoying makes up for an some of the not so perfect graphics IMO.
 
zero reason to go with a 5870 at that low res. even with the 5850 you need to oc that cpu quite a bit to come close to fully pushing it at just 1360x768. unless you had an i7 at that res you would likely never even see the benefit of having a 5870 over a 5850.
 
I think there a couple games @ full eye candy that would like to be run on a 5870...if not now, soon.
 
maybe next 5770 is better than 4850 and maybe worth it, because your desired playing resolution is low. I personally want to wait for the 100-200dlls cards comming next months.
 
dekruyter said:
I think there a couple games @ full eye candy that would like to be run on a 5870...if not now, soon.
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not at 1360x768 which is less than half the pixels of 1920x1200. his cpu couldnt push that much gpu at such a low res. the 5870 is as fast as the 4870x2 so 1360x768 is ridiculously low to push that much gpu without the fastest cpu out there.
 
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WOW.. nobody even mentioned overclocking the CPU as a first step...

3.0-3.2Ghz should be easily doable without a voltage increase and probably even on the stock cooler.

3.6-4.0 with a good air cooler should be fairly easy... especially "only" 3.6.
 
I think any upgrade is a waste at that resolution. The 4850 will blow through any game at that rez and even crack up some pretty decent settings in Crysis with it. Heck, up until I took delivery of my 5870 I was running a 4850 on a 1920x1200 display for the last year.
 
cyclone3d said:
WOW.. nobody even mentioned overclocking the CPU as a first step...

3.0-3.2Ghz should be easily doable without a voltage increase and probably even on the stock cooler.

3.6-4.0 with a good air cooler should be fairly easy... especially "only" 3.6.
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:confused:

I thought cannondale06 mentioned it twice.

cannondale06 said:
zero reason to go with a 5870 at that low res. even with the 5850 you need to oc that cpu quite a bit to come close to fully pushing it at just 1360x768. unless you had an i7 at that res you would likely never even see the benefit of having a 5870 over a 5850.
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cannondale06 said:
not at 1360x768 which is less than half the pixels of 1920x1200. his cpu couldnt push that much gpu at such a low res. the 5870 is as fast as the 4870x2 so 1360x768 is ridiculously low to push that much gpu without the fastest cpu out there.
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RamonGTP said:
I think any upgrade is a waste at that resolution. The 4850 will blow through any game at that rez and even crack up some pretty decent settings in Crysis with it. Heck, up until I took delivery of my 5870 I was running a 4850 on a 1920x1200 display for the last year.
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Well, I thought the reason for the thread was that some games were dragging a bit.
 
The new cards are twice as fast as the old ones. Ask yourself, do you really need 4850 Crossfire at 1360 x 768? That's basically what you're proposing.

At that res, I would just pencil mod the 4850 and stick a new cooler on it. With some more juice, it should be good for 750+ core and performance better than a 4870. Mine's been running great like that for over a year now. Still handles every game I play at 1600 x 1200, max quality. At 1360 x 768, it would be bored.
 
<sarcastic_vent>
DeathSmasher said:
My current rig is something like this: Intel Core 2 quad Q9450 @ 2.66,blah blah...
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Let me get this out of the way first, you're DOING IT WRONG!!! OC that chip, 3.0GHz at least dude! It's asking for it! It helps. You're [H]Lite for 3.5 years, you should know this, MAN!
</sarcastic_vent>

First try overclocking the CPU and RAM to see what that gets you. It might even out those rough spots you've been experiencing. This has worked for me numerous times in the past.

If OC'ing doesn't eliminate the problem then I think the 5850 would be the best upgrade, unless you have secret plans of getting a 30" screen at some point in the future. I also like the the other suggestion of getting the 5850 and a new 23 or 24" monitor. Are you gaming from a lounge chair or couch? If you are not, try to save for a 24" or 26" and keep the viewing distance down to about 2 or 3 feet max.
 
TheQuestian said:
Well, I thought the reason for the thread was that some games were dragging a bit.
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I only heard mention of Arma II and no mention of how it was actually running. I just know that my 4850 on a 12x10 screen blows through any game I play and even crysis warhead at gamer settings. His resolution is significanly less demanding, 20% less infact.
 
5850 + new monitor and overclock cpu seems to be the collective answer. I would agree, especially getting a 1080p 21-23" monitor and use that TV as a... TV :D
 
Anyone willing to help with an overclock? i have read over the how to's an what not an im still on the wall. PM or i have AIM or Yahoo let me know it would be much appreciated!
 
Only reason I didn't mention upping the clock was because I dont know much about the mobo. I would definitely see what she could do though.
 
I dont really know where to start? The mobo was a package deal with the processor so im sure it is nothing special at all. I was planning on upgrading it from the get go an time has went on an now it just seems as tho it would be a waste with all the I7 stuff where ass a GPU could easily be transfered over to a new system in the future.
 
If this is a package deal it is very likely that it's a generic board, probably not much better then those ECS boad or maybe it is an ECS board, if that's the case, overclocking will be very limited if it's even possible at all.
 
RamonGTP said:
If this is a package deal it is very likely that it's a generic board, probably not much better then those ECS boad or maybe it is an ECS board, if that's the case, overclocking will be very limited if it's even possible at all.
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Yeah, I think the OP mentioned that it was an ECS.
 
yes it is a very generic ECS board. would it be worth my while to upgrade the board or just leave it be till i do a full i7 build later this year?
 
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