CF or not to CF

[Sorcerer_Tim]

I am currently running a 3X1 27" monitors and am getting good 5760X1080 performance in WoW and MW2. I am running a 780i MB with an e8500@4.0Ghz and one ASUS Rev 1. 5870. For around $500 I can put a Crossfire capable MB in my current rig, keep all the current components and add a second 5870.I am running Windows 7 64bit Home Premium with 4GB DDR2 800 and a 300GB Velociraptor as my HDD. A second option is I can scrap the whole thing and move to i7 930 rig and add the second 5870 for around $1,400. I hate to let my current 5870 go to waste and wonder if since I have to swap MBs to either way will I see enough performance benefit to warrant it or do I wait for Sandy Bridge and high end 6xxx parts down the road. Are those of you with 5870's (1GB) in CF seeing enough improvement to warrant it? Is the consensus that a single high end 6XXX in a new rig perform better than the 2 5870s in CF? Thanks for any help/advice. .

 

[Coaxial]

I don't have any experience with eyefinity but it seems that in your current situation the cost will far outweigh the benefit. I believe there's a much, much more elegant solution to get what you're looking for: sell your 5870 and get a 5970

 

[magoo]

here's something to chew on.
My current experience with dual 5870s has been really hit and miss.
I'm seriously considering junking my current GPUs (selling my 5870 2GB models) and buying two GTX 480s.

Since you already have an SLi board, think about selling the 5870 and buying two GTX 460s to run Surround......overall cheaper and in HardOCP testing the 460 did as well or better compared to CF 5870s.

http://www.hardocp.com/article/2010/08/09/geforce_gtx_460_1gb_sli_vs_radeon_hd_5870_cfx/

 

[Lorien]

I am currently running a 3X1 27" monitors and am getting good 5760X1080 performance in WoW and MW2. I am running a 780i MB with an e8500@4.0Ghz and one ASUS Rev 1. 5870. For around $500 I can put a Crossfire capable MB in my current rig, keep all the current components and add a second 5870.I am running Windows 7 64bit Home Premium with 4GB DDR2 800 and a 300GB Velociraptor as my HDD. A second option is I can scrap the whole thing and move to i7 930 rig and add the second 5870 for around $1,400. I hate to let my current 5870 go to waste and wonder if since I have to swap MBs to either way will I see enough performance benefit to warrant it or do I wait for Sandy Bridge and high end 6xxx parts down the road. Are those of you with 5870's (1GB) in CF seeing enough improvement to warrant it? Is the consensus that a single high end 6XXX in a new rig perform better than the 2 5870s in CF? Thanks for any help/advice. .

I'd say wait a bit 'til HD6xxx comes out (4-5 weeks). Prices for HD5xxx will drop to clear out whatever they have left of inventory (I doubt they'll have much inventory anyways since AMD is currently selling everything they can make) and you can pick up a second cheaper 5870.

Even if you want to go Nvidia you should wait because they will have no choice but to lower prices. Otherwise HD5xxx cards with reduced pricing and HD6xxx performance will make anything Nvidia has to offer pretty much irrelevant.

here's something to chew on.
My current experience with dual 5870s has been really hit and miss.
I'm seriously considering junking my current GPUs (selling my 5870 2GB models) and buying two GTX 480s.

Since you already have an SLi board, think about selling the 5870 and buying two GTX 460s to run Surround......overall cheaper and in HardOCP testing the 460 did as well or better compared to CF 5870s.

http://www.hardocp.com/article/2010/08/09/geforce_gtx_460_1gb_sli_vs_radeon_hd_5870_cfx/

Have you tried the 10.8 drivers with the new CFX profiles? There was an article about it posted here with impressive performance increases. Why didn't you mention this to the OP?
http://hardocp.com/article/2010/08/26/ati_crossfirex_application_profile_108a_performance/

 

[JMCB1001]

I have two 5870's in CFX, and to be honest, I'm not enjoying the performance boost it gives, as said earlier, it is hit or miss. Go with 2x480 GTX - that's what I plan on doing, especially since NVIDIA has better drivers atm.

 

[vjcsmoke]

Don't crossfire if you have to buy a new motherboard to do it. Sell the 5870 and get a 5970 instead. Then OC that to 5870 speeds. 5970 crossfire is much less glitchy than two separate 5870 card crossfire driver support.
If performance is sufficient for now, then just stay put and wait for the 6000 series to come out in october. They will blow away the 5000 series and should offer performance gains over fermi.

 

[Sorcerer_Tim]

Thanks to everyone who responded. Did I read it will be 2011 before the high end 6XXX will be available or is that just the dual GPU version if there will be one? I think I will stay put awhile and send back the parts I have unopened (I will need to convince the Egg to waive the restock fee), but I think I can get that done. Must squash upgrade bug.... Thanks again.

 

[Valset]

Thanks to everyone who responded. Did I read it will be 2011 before the high end 6XXX will be available or is that just the dual GPU version if there will be one? I think I will stay put awhile and send back the parts I have unopened (I will need to convince the Egg to waive the restock fee), but I think I can get that done. Must squash upgrade bug.... Thanks again.

If your going upgrade anything short term I would either go for a 5970 or drop in a good quad core, (you will not see 4ghz but it should still be an upgrade). probably not worth the money unless you get a good deal on it used. if you sell your current card and just go with a 5970 it would end up costing about the same as getting another card.

I don't know about the high end 6800, I think AMD first priority is to plug the hole at the 200 dollar price point.

 

[vjcsmoke]

What I've heard is that 6770 will come out first, then a month later the 6870, and a month later the 6970. Then the rest of the lower end 6000 series. So perhaps a 6870 by Black Friday? That would be real nice!