5870: Worthwhile upgrade from GTX 280?

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thefrick

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I'm currently running a BFG GTX 280 OC2 (overclocked to around 285 speeds), and managed to snag a Sapphire 5870 Vapor-X off of Newegg. After looking at about 10 different reviews of the 5870, there seem to be mixed opinions as to whether it's a worthwhile upgrade from a GTX 280/285. I bought the 5870 because I've started to notice that the 280 can't quite keep up a solid 60fps in some newer games at 1900x1200, 4x AA (e.g. L4D2, Serious Sam HD, etc). However, if I'm going to drop $400 on a card, I'd like it to have some staying power.

Any opinions on whether I should keep it? Would adding a second 280 be a reasonable option on a Corsair 750TX power supply? I'm a little wary of SLI because of the stuttering problems that have plagued multi-card configurations in the past...

System Specs: Core i7 920 @ 3.7GHz, HT on, 6GB memory
 
id go with a second 280 if you can get one for a good price. I wouldn't worry about stuttering... I've never noticed any on my 295 (which is more or less an sli setup), although I don't have much experience with it beyond that.... YMMV

Or try to pickup a 5970 :)
 
l once saw an 864w load on my 1000hx with linx and furmark on two overclocked 280s and an i7 @ 4ghz HT 1.4v. Games were typically more like 650w though, it depended on how stressful the title was.

Stuttering was never an issue for me with SLI 280s or 285s.
 
thefrick said:
However, if I'm going to drop $400 on a card, I'd like it to have some staying power.

Any opinions on whether I should keep it?
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Well, the 5870 should have more staying power than the GTX280 due to DirectX11 imo. Its not that crucial now at the moment as only a few games support it. However, in a year, there will be more and more DX11 titles being released. In two years, many more titles. So I think in the end, you'll be happier if you went with the 5870 but at the same time.

I think another GTX280 would be the best route for now and OCing it similar to your current card. That route should cost less than the 5870 but give similar performance. I'd almost suggest going that route and then replacing both of them in a year and replacing them with the 68xx series and/or nVidia's offers in next fall which I guess would be a Fermi refresh? My only concern would be your power supply.
 
Romir said:
l once saw an 864w load on my 1000hx with linx and furmark on two overclocked 280s and an i7 @ 4ghz HT 1.4v. Games were typically more like 650w though, it depended on how stressful the title was.

Stuttering was never an issue for me with SLI 280s or 285s.
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Was 864w the measured load from the power outlet? That would mean the system is actually drawing 864 * 0.8 (or so) = 691w, which is feasible on a 750TX but would probably be pushing it...
 
I would get another GTX280. I love my SLI setup, very hassle free and not a lot of compatibility problems. I have a 5970 in my possession right now and I'm strongly thinking about selling it. Or if not, I'll have a pair of 280s for sale.

Your PSU may be stretching it though. My antec 850 was enough for 2xGTX280 and an overclocked e8400, but I don't know if I'd want to use less with an overclocked i7,
 
thefrick said:
Was 864w the measured load from the power outlet? That would mean the system is actually drawing 864 * 0.8 (or so) = 691w, which is feasible on a 750TX but would probably be pushing it...
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Yep, I probably have a picture of the watt meter read out somewhere. I saw it not too long ago and chuckled.

I'd second that recommendation for another 280. They tear everything up at 1920x1200. Even Crysis at 60 fps (without AA....). Almost every game I played on my HDTV never lost vsync at 60 fps.
 
Romir said:
Crysis at 60 fps (without AA....). Almost every game I played on my HDTV never lost vsync at 60 fps.
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I never got that performance from Crysis. Unless you're talking DX9 or not maxed. I agree with the general sentiment though.
 
JCDenton said:
I never got that performance from Crysis. Unless you're talking DX9 or not maxed. I agree with the general sentiment though.
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No config tweaks, and I'm probably thinking of the 285 OCX's I had at at H2OC speeds. One of the 280s ended up being flakey and not really used until I stepped up.

This is how the single card clock speeds worked out for me in RE5 btw. 1920x1200 maxed settings I think.

280 stock 80.58%
285 stock 89.41%
285 OC 91.17%
285 OC+ 93.04%
285 OC2 94.39%
285 OCX 95.85%
285 OCFU 97.72%
285 H2OC 99.79%
285 770/1584/1332 100%
 
Those are some nice clocks. My PNY card is a badass overclocker...when I got it it was capable of near 720/1512/1400 on default volts with the factory cooler. Then my EVGA could sadly only manage tiny overclocks so I just ran them stock.Kind of has me hesitant to buy from a manufacturer that has a ton of skus again because I feel like that EVGA was speedbinned.
 
Picked up the 5870 at the UPS depot this evening. Very tempted to try it out, but also wondering whether I should send it back and go for the 280 SLI setup that so many in this thread are recommending...

Tough decision to make.
 
What games do you play? My 280s were enough to play almost every game at 1920x1080 rarely breaking 60fps vsynch on my plasma. They're going to have more raw power than a 5870 but possibly be more inconsistent. One of the prime things I remember was HAWX, which dropped below 60fps DX10 maxed in some levels even though it shouldn't have. Either would get you over 60fps for most games. Go with the 280s if you like crysis, or the 5870 if it's more important to have a single card.

Depending on what you decide, I might be interested in buying your 280 or maybe giving you a 280+cash for your 5870.
 
Sure, 5870 is a much better/faster card dunno why you guys creating this threads?! when there are so many reviews and benchmarks.

BTW lol @ Denton post!
 
Mostly L4D2. My 280 is dropping frames like crazy whenever there's a lot of stuff going on (dips into the 40's). This is one of the reasons I went with the 5870:

l4d2d-1920-bar.jpg


However, I just bought Batman: AA through the Steam sale, and have been looking to pick up Borderlands when there's a similar price drop on it. Both of these games don't do too well on ATI hardware, though there is apparently a hack to get PhysX working with ATI cards (I have an old 8800GT lying around). I don't care too much for the Crysis series; IMO they're mediocre games that are only useful as benchmarks.
 
That's tough...not a lot to push you either way. You definitely get the better batman experience with nvidia...but that's one weekend of gaming and I wouldn't base a purchase on it. I think if you plan to keep the 5870 for a long time and are happy with the top end performance then go with that, but if the 5870 is too weak for you long-term then go with the extra 280 and plan on upgrading. What do you want for your long term goal? Two 5870's or fermi/refeshed ati card?
 
psyside said:
Sure, 5870 is a much better/faster card dunno why you guys creating this threads?! when there are so many reviews and benchmarks.

BTW lol @ Denton post!
Click to expand...

The 5870 was generally slower than a gtx 295, and gtx280/285 sli is a fair amount faster than gtx 295 as shown in other reviews. This thread isn't about whether a 5870 would be a good upgrade, it's about whether it's a better upgrade than just adding another 280.

http://www.guru3d.com/article/radeon-hd-5870-review-test/17

Just came across this, which shows performance for 1-3 GTX285s vs 1-3 5870s. Pretty useful stuff.:

http://benchmarkextreme.com/Articles/HD 5870 TriFire/P18.html
 
thefrick said:
Was 864w the measured load from the power outlet? That would mean the system is actually drawing 864 * 0.8 (or so) = 691w, which is feasible on a 750TX but would probably be pushing it...
Click to expand...

Where do you get the formula for deducting a little over 3/4 of a percentage point from the load read out? Curious. Are you deducting for reasons like monitor on the same outlet or is there some loss associated with the measuring device?
 
I sold my SLI 280s and bought 2x 5870s for Crossfire. I don't miss the 280s.
 
jimbean21 said:
Where do you get the formula for deducting a little over 3/4 of a percentage point from the load read out? Curious. Are you deducting for reasons like monitor on the same outlet or is there some loss associated with the measuring device?
Click to expand...


Wattage draw at wall multiplied by the psu efficiency rating equals actual wattage output by your psu. Most modern power supplies have an efficiency of 75% to 85%.
 
Ah, gotcha... I wasn't thinking of the conversion part of it. I get it!
 
If money is tight I would go for a used 280 so that you can SLI.

It is actually a bit faster than a 5870. I went from 280 SLI to an 5870. So I know what I am talking about. By a bit I mean you cannot actually feel the difference, but can measure it.

But if you have a bit of spare cash, I would go with the 5870. I think in the long run it will not cost you a lot more. The reason is that the 280 you have can still get some decent resale $.

The 5870 is super light on power while idling, nice and cool, can do Eyefinity, which even if you dont want it, it will increase resale value.

All in all I am glad I went with the 5870 eventhough I have not even started using Eyefinity.
 
Either way works to be honest. Sell your 280 and buy a 5870 or just buy a second 280. The price / performance ratio would be pretty close to the same imho.

With 280 SLI you would get mature drivers, slightly better performance over a single 5870, 3d stereo vision if you are into that, and keep gpu accelerated PhysX as well for the 10 or so games that use it, if you are into that.

With a single 5870 you would get much lower power draw and less heat compared to 280SLI, DX10.1/ DX11 for what that is worth currently, Eyefinity if you are into it, a single gpu, (multi gpu is mature and usually works well but does not always work quite as well as we would like), and it could end up being cheaper depending how much you are able to sell your current 280 for.
 
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