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Card to replace 4870?

S

Stevarian

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jun 13, 2002
Messages
502
I posted earlier about my friend's computer, started browsing, then got the idea to upgrade my own video card. I currently have a Visiontek HD4870 (512mb).

My system: Abit IP 35 Pro motherboard, Intel Q6600 Quad core proc, at 2.4 ghz, 8 gigs of Mushkin RAM, a Corsair TX 750W power supply. DVD burner. Loads of fans in a tall Antec case.

I am not overclocking the system, even though that was my intention when I bought the parts.

I mainly play WOW, but recently got Civ 5, and will likely play some other games, mainly FPS.

The 4870 has been a great card....not sure if the Nvidia GTX 470 or the AMD 6970 would be huge improvement or not. My budget would be $250 or less.

Any thoughts? Thanks!

Steve
 
For $250 the GTX470 is the best card. It would be a pretty noticeable upgrade from the 4870. For example, the 4870 gets in the 30's in most Crysis benchmarks where the GTX470 is running in the 50's usually if I remember right.

The 6870 is really close though but I'd rather have the 470 cause its got great overclocking potential in case you ever decide to try it. You never know, you might get the OC bug. ;)
 
The 6970 will be a massive improvement... But it's not out yet, and it's on a very different class from the GTX 470 - nor will it be under 250... So I'm assuming you mean the 6870. The 6870 would be quite an improvement over the 4870 512mb, even with that CPU @ 2.4ghz...

But you'd see a much better improvement in CIVV if you overclocked your processor to at least 3ghz (which would be very easy to do, mind you).
 
6970 would be awesome assuming you run the resolutions that need that much power, And 2 thumbs way up for rocking an Abit board!
 
for 250$, a 6870 is out now already. 6950 will probably be around 350$ and 6970 100$ more, so save up if you want that awesomeness :)
 
Thanks for the info guys....and Stealth123, thanks for the thumbs up on the Abit...it has been a good board...I have had a few Abits over the years. I suppose I should start looking at building a new system....LOL

Any difference in the brands of video cards? I was looking at newegg, and the EVGA GTX470 has a ton of good reviews...as does the Gigabyte, and pretty much all of them. Any of them better for overclocking?

Also, when are the 6950 and 6970 due out?
 
Thanks again for the responses. Of course I have continued to read this forum, and have been watching newegg...kind of waiting for Black Friday deals....however I feel kind of "stuck" over the whole 6870 vs 470 deal....on the one hand prices on 470's are a bit better and there seems to be more stock and more promotions...it is a faster card...but by most accounts it is hotter and uses more power than the 6870. Some of the reviews also indicate the 6870 can be noisy too when it gets cranked up.

My system is a bit loud now, as I have an Antec 1200 case with fans pretty much everywhere....:p

So I think the case and cooling setup in my system should be fine as far as the card is concerned, but I am concerned about ambient temperature in the room where my system is, and also if either of these cards would be loud enough to be heard above the rest of my system?

It sounds like the 6870 has MLAA, which seems to have mixed reviews....

I game at 1920 x 1200 (or at least that is the native resolution of my 24" monitor). I don't think I will be making a bad choice with either card, and I have been leaning towards the 470 since my last post....just need one more kick in the pants....
 
You wont make the wrong decision either way :), except in SLI the 470 will most likely need a power supply upgrade whereas the 6870CF most likely will not :p
 
Speaking from experience, my 6850 is better than my 4850 Crossfire setup. a 6870 will rival a 4870x2. I game at 1920x1080 and the 6850 is awesome for me, I can only assume a 6870 would be pretty sweet for you.
 
TBH i just upgraded from 4870 512MB to 6870 and its perfect for how i play my games at 1920x1200 medium/high settings. If you want the cheapest get another 4870 for $85 and crossfire used. It should be almost similar performance for way less if you dont care about power usage.
 
Christobevii3 said:
TBH i just upgraded from 4870 512MB to 6870 and its perfect for how i play my games at 1920x1200 medium/high settings. If you want the cheapest get another 4870 for $85 and crossfire used. It should be almost similar performance for way less if you dont care about power usage.
Click to expand...
or Dx11, but ya that's what I did. I'm not regretting it
 
I am also a former owner of a 4870 and went through the very exact process you are going through right now. After hours of research and contemplation, this is what I've concluded:

I don't think there's a genuine "successor" right now to the venerable 4870 in terms of performance per dollar with the same prospect of longevity (2+ years!). In addition, the current generation of cards are still using 40nm process because 32nm was cancelled and 28nm is going to be pumping out chips within 8-10 months. This means the next gen cards are going to have a relatively greater boost in performance than usual because of the full-node jump.

My advice is to spend as little as possible right now to hold you over for a year, then spend a larger amount on a more significant upgrade later, which will probably be a more worthy investment. I would argue a $180-200 card will serve your needs just fine for any games coming out now. I recommend you look for a good deal on a 1gb GTX 460 or a 6850. Both of these cards are known to oc very well and can perform at the level of a GTX 470 and 6870 with much less power and noise.
 
I thought I would resurrect my post from November...I had some other things come up, so I didn't get around to buying a new card....then it became clear that I should wait till the latest round of cards came out....which is now.

My monitor is a 24" BenQ, with 1920 x 1200 native resolution. It seems that right now the HD 6950 and the GTW 560 ti are the latest best for the buck cards....however, I wonder with my setup, if they would be overkill?

I would like to have DX 11, and would like to have the best card for 1920 x 1200 gaming. I will likely build a new system sometime down the road, but I don't know when that will be....

One of the reasons I didn't buy the 470 were the heat and noise issues I read about. The AMD cards seemed to be better in that regard.

There are 6870's at newegg for 189.99 - 199.99 AR right now. There is also a 6950 2 gb HIS for $259.99 after rebate.

I think the 6950 might be way overkill at my resolution....what do you guys think?

Basically, what would be the best bang for the buck card for 1920 x 1200 gaming, with my current setup? I can't imagine I will build a new system till late in the year, or maybe next year.
 
The HD6950 is a sizeable upgrade from your HD4870 which you will notice. However, you will notice it more with a faster and/or overclocked CPU. You'd be better off buying an HD6870 on your current setup.
 
Arcygenical said:
The 6970 will be a massive improvement... But it's not out yet, and it's on a very different class from the GTX 470 - nor will it be under 250... So I'm assuming you mean the 6870. The 6870 would be quite an improvement over the 4870 512mb, even with that CPU @ 2.4ghz...

But you'd see a much better improvement in CIVV if you overclocked your processor to at least 3ghz (which would be very easy to do, mind you).
Click to expand...

did you say the 6970 isnt out yet? or did you mean the 6990? Also the 6950 1GB or 2GB is not overkill at all for 1920x1200. I would grab either or Preferably the 6950 2GB & unlock it to a 6970

also make sure you OC that Q6600 to at least 3.0 or 3.2ghz
 
I upgraded from the same card. I wouldn't even consider anything 470 or below. I went with a 6950 and I fell like I should have waited maybe one more generation. Im happy with it and I have seen an improvement, but it hasn't been mind blowing or anything with the games I play.
 
Because of the delays in a new silicon process, there isn't much to show for 2 1/2 years of progress really, you can get double the performance, but not quite for the same price. What the HD4870 1GB cost when it came out will buy you about a 70-80% increase in the form of the HD6870 or GTX560Ti.
 
Came from 2x 4870's in Xfire and I noticed an improvement to a single 6970. Perhaps up the clocks on your CPU a bit more...3Ghz isn't a whole lot for some games.
 
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