4870 X2 Upgrade Advice

1

1186

Limp Gawd
Joined
Sep 26, 2002
Messages
138
Hi all,

I have been running a 4870 X2/Core 2 Duo rig for a couple of years now and I am planning to upgrade my rig to a Core i7.

I use my rig for:
Gaming 40%
Digital Photography 40%
Video editing/encoding 10%

One of the things that I wanted to focus on for my new machine is power consumption. I would like to strike a nice balance between performance and power consumption. For this reason I have decided to go with a i860/p55 setup instead of a i960/x58. Given what I plan to use my machine for, I think this config offers the best combination of power and efficiency.

The one thing that I cannot decide on is the video card. I have a 4870X2 that I really like, but it is a power hog. Looking at a bunch of reviews of the 5870, it seems as though the two cards are pretty close in terms of performance (at 1920x1200 - the resolution of my monitors) but the 5870 is much more power efficient. There are also other benefits to the 5870 (DX11, Efinity, Etc) but I am not sure how much I will end up using those features. It looks as though I can sell my 4870x2 for around $200-250, which would make the upgrade to a 5870 around $200.

My questions are:
1. Do you guys think that it is worthwhile to upgrade from a 4870X2 to a 5870?
2. How long do you think it would take to get my money back (from the savings in electricity costs) given that I use my home computer around 4 hours a day?

Thanks,

1186
 
I don't think the cards are really pulling all that much power at idle. My idle power consumption with one 4870x2 was about 265watts and my idle power consumption with two of them is 345watts; so that one card only added 80watts at idle. A single 4870x2 only used about the same amount of power that my 4850's in crossfire used beforehand; all easily ran from a small 650w powersupply.

a 5870 will use less power but still a lot compared to many cards. If you really want to focus on power consumption go for a 5770 or wait a generation and get a mid-range card then.
 
the 5870 is exactly what your looking for 4870 x2 power with lower power usage and heat , i was in the same place ..after the switch I feel no guilt
 
Addressing your questions concerning you electricity bill. Considering that there is about a light bulbs difference in power consumption between the two. It will take you a very very long time to nullify you part cost. The 5870 wouldn't be a bad trade in if the electricity consumption is that important.

Consider, the trade up to 5870 would be a side step in performance, a reduction in heat and energy cost, and about a $400 investment.

If the power consumption is that important, go for it. I dont personally worry about it very much
 
The 5850 has the highest performance-per-watt of the 57xx/58xx series. The 5870 offers power very close to that of the 4870x2 with less power consumption, but it isn't quite as efficient as the 5850.

Case in point: The 5850 comfortably fits on my 300W PSU. The 5870 most likely would not.
 
Thanks everyone for the advice.

The point about the difference in power consumption being a "light bulb" is probably the most compelling argument to not upgrade the 4870x2.

I also did some research and agree that the 5850 is the best card to get on a performance/watt basis.

I think I will stick with m 4870x2 until I really want Efinitiy.

Thanks again.
 
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