5870 --> 6950

S

stevecamp09

Limp Gawd
Joined
Mar 27, 2009
Messages
172
Given my system (in sig) what type of gains could I expect to reasonably (FPS, driver stability, thermals) see moving from a single 5870 to a single 6950? I've just recently decided to move away from Crossfire to the best single GPU solution I can currently afford. My budget if I do replace my 5870 is no more than $400. I know the 6970 is around $380 but I understand the 2GB variant of the 6950 can be unlocked to that potential as well. So...is the 6950 the best option (for gaming at 1920x1200) currently and what gains could I expect to see? Also, have my i7 currently only mildly overclocked to 3.36, would a bump there make much difference in addition to the GPU upgrade?

Thanks!
 
None. The HD6950 isn't any faster than the HD5870 at 1920x1200 (at all, not even 5%)
 
Factoring in the cost in money time and effort relative to the performance gained, not worth it at all.
 
Awesome, thank you all for the replies, you saved me time and money, much appreciated! That being the case then...is there a single GPU out there that would significantly improve my gaming and overall experience in my budget? I would assume the GTX 580 would but it's a little rich for my blood and apparently overkill for 1920x1200...so, is there a card out there or should I hang onto the 5870 and just wait?
 
Last edited:
What's wrong with your 5870?

It should be plenty for 1920x1200. There is no single card that would significantly improve your experience that's worth it, not for $400 or more. No reason to upgrade.
 
Ok...thank you for taking the time to respond. I was probably hoping you'd say exactly that. Thanks again.
 
I agree with the others, there is really no need to do this since you aren't gaining anything. If you were replacing it with 2x 69x0 then it would be different, but for a single card it's no improvement at all.
 
Definitely hold on to your 5870 for the time being. At 19x10/12 it just wouldn't be sensible to get another card right now. I even bought a GTX 580 and used it for a little over 2 weeks before deciding it just wasn't worth keeping over a 5870 at 1920x1080 settings. (it also used a lot more power and created more heat for maybe 10% more gains)

Next generation amd or nvidia will hopefully bring more worthwhile performance vs the year old 5870 tech.
 
You can't really buy a high-end 40nm card and then replace it with a newer high-end 40nm card and expect substantial gains. You really need either to step up through the progression (say had you gone from a 5770 or 5830 to a GTX580 or 6970) or buy on a process change (say for example a 4870 to a 6970 or a GTX285 to a GTX580) to see a worthwhile difference. The fact that it's only been 16 months since the HD5870 came out, and the MSRP of the HD6950 is only 3/4 of what the HD5870 cost when it came out should tell you something :p
 
Maybe when Crysis 2 hits, it might be worth it? Right now, most major release are console ports, so graphic requirements has been lagging in advancement. I just bought the 5870 for $200 AR, and I expect it to fully play any new 2011 release at "high" setting in 1920x1200.
 
Not worth it, the 5870 is still a fine card. The logical upgrade for you arrives with 28nm some time late this year IMHO.
 
Crysis 2 is said to be less demanding than 1, I'm sure you are fine with your 5870 given your resolution. I don't plan on upgrading my 2x 5870s till next gen.
 
stevecamp09 said:
Awesome, thank you all for the replies, you saved me time and money, much appreciated! That being the case then...is there a single GPU out there that would significantly improve my gaming and overall experience in my budget? I would assume the GTX 580 would but it's a little rich for my blood and apparently overkill for 1920x1200...so, is there a card out there or should I hang onto the 5870 and just wait?
Click to expand...

that is why I didn't upgrade. there just isn't anything that would take advantage of it with my current screen. maybe 8X vs 4X AA,70 fps vs 45fps, and so on. The 6950 is a pretty damn good value right now but I just can justify it (and I am an eyecandy whore)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top