Anything worth upgrading too?

G

gc86

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Im getting the itch to upgrade.. I game at 1920x1200. I was thinking of going i7 but will I actually see an increase in performance over my current setup?

E8400 @ 4Ghz
512mb 4870's in CF @ 790/1100

Are my 4870's bottlenecked at 4Ghz? I was thinking of picking up an E8500 and trying to shoot for 4.5Ghz. I was also contempalting getting a pair of GTX280's in SLI paired with a i7.

Considering the overclock I have on my 4870's, is there anything out there worth upgrading too? i've read that overclocked 4890s are on par or beat the GTX285 and I know my 4870 is essentially the same card just with less overclocking potential.

Im also thinking about load times, will I see a substantial difference going from my 74gb Raptors in RAID0 and DDR2 to a DDR3/Velociraptor setup?

Your thoughts and input are appreciated
 
I do not mean to be an ass, but go outside!

Your system is already high end.
 
I would say Dell 3007WFP HC or HP LP3065 30" display for an immersive gaming experience.
 
+1 for the 30" monitor.

And no point in getting VR's - it's money wasted compared to the competition nowdays. Get an SSD. And if you want storage space, pair it up with one of those silent 2TB HDD.

btw: no the 4870 512mb is not in the same league as the 4890, much less a GTX 285 - that's just wishful thinking. But with CF, you're fine until the next gen of cards.
 
echn111 said:
+1 for the 30" monitor.

And no point in getting VR's - it's money wasted compared to the competition nowdays. Get an SSD. And if you want storage space, pair it up with one of those silent 2TB HDD.

btw: no the 4870 512mb is not in the same league as the 4890, much less a GTX 285 - that's just wishful thinking. But with CF, you're fine until the next gen of cards.
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why is this? i've read that its essentially the same card that can handle higher clocks. I don't know if I wanna shell out that much cash for a 30" i'll definitely look into it though
 
I think that the 4870 benefits significantly from the extra 512 MB of memory in the 1gb version, especially if you are trying to do some high AA settings as there is a lot more room to hold all that stuff. The 4890 is close to the 4870 1gb.

I would second on the ssd, i just got my self an ocz core 120gb and it rocks, the computer just is a lot more responsive and this is one of the jmicron ones, I wonder what an intel x25 would do :)
 
I go through several monitor sizes and even at 24", 27" 1920x1200 res, I am not satisfied. A 30" lcd monitor is the only size monitor i have not purchased. But, I agree with you there on the price though. I wish it would drop in price. A 30" lcd with 2560x1600 res will make you really upgrade your system.
 
HardwareGuru said:
I go through several monitor sizes and even at 24", 27" 1920x1200 res, I am not satisfied. A 30" lcd monitor is the only size monitor i have not purchased. But, I agree with you there on the price though. I wish it would drop in price. A 30" lcd with 2560x1600 res will make you really upgrade your system.
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I agree, when I purchased my 24" it seemed soo big but when compared to a 30" there is no contest.
 
I've decided to hold off upgrading for one reason:
The rumor is that the ATI 5 series' mid-range card will be faster than the 4890 at around $150.
I can't think of a reason to spend $120 on a 4870 1gb (even if it is a good deal), when just around the corner you can choose a better card for $150 or get the 4870s for $100 or less. Also, I can't think of any reason at all to get a gtx 280 or 285 right now. Two 4850s are gonna be dirt cheap by July. ;)
 
OhMyGod said:
I do not mean to be an ass, but go outside!

Your system is already high end.
Click to expand...

+1 on going outside and getting some sun. I think if you are contemplating from upgrading from dual 4870s which is sufficient to handle every game except for ________, and _______. But any ways, why upgrade when a new series is coming, good point.
 
I would go ahead and get a couple 4890s since they are cheap and just sell your 4870s. 512mb on the 4870 is certainly not enough of vram for some games at 1920x1200. I have never understood why people would sli/crossfire 2 cards that even when solo barely have enough vram. I mean the whole point of adding a second card is to crank the settings and with just 512mb available you cant do that in some games. and your cpu at 4ghz is plenty even for a 4890 crossfire setup.
 
cannondale06 said:
I would go ahead and get a couple 4890s since they are cheap and just sell your 4870s. 512mb on the 4870 is certainly not enough of vram for some games at 1920x1200. I have never understood why people would sli/crossfire 2 cards that even when solo barely have enough vram. I mean the whole point of adding a second card is to crank the settings and with just 512mb available you cant do that in some games. and your cpu at 4ghz is plenty even for a 4890 crossfire setup.
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thanks for the insight, any word when the new gen cards are going to be released? aren't they a little overdue?
 
OhMyGod said:
I do not mean to be an ass, but go outside!

Your system is already high end.
Click to expand...

just because I have a semi-highend system means I don't see the light of day? I guess you could say im not your typical pc gamer geek/nerd guy? ;)
 
gc86 said:
thanks for the insight, any word when the new gen cards are going to be released? aren't they a little overdue?
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no actual dates yet and it could be a while since there are still issues with 40nm. from my understanding it will certainly be at least 3-4 months and the 4890s probably wont get much cheaper so if you are having the itch then go for it. the next gen cards may be priced high for the first few months anyway due to demand.
 
cannondale06 said:
no actual dates yet and it could be a while since there are still issues with 40nm. from my understanding it will certainly be at least 4-5 months and the 4890s probably wont get much cheaper so if you are having the itch then go for it. the next gen cards may be priced high for the first few months anyway due to demand.
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well I plan on playing Aion when it comes out, if I can't max it than its upgrade time. Unless I see some crazy deal on craigslist or in the classifieds :p
 
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