Is it too late to get 4870x2?

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exe163

[H]ard|Gawd
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I am building my i7 build. I already have a 4870 512mb ready for use, should I get the 4870x2 (XFX) or should I just wait a bit for the next gen cards. I use the card for mostly game at 1920x1200 and fold. I will water cool the unit, so longevity is one of the priorities.
 
If by longevity you mean it will perform the same way a year from now as it does today then it has great longevity. If you mean that you can be proud to own the fastest card out there then no, it's life in that regard is going to be short. Since you really should only care about the former then it's longevity is great ;)
 
Since there is no guarantee that XFX will even produce a 4870x2 card, I would wait to see what's released in the next few months.
 
Hehe, by longevity I meant how it performs with future games running at 1920x1200 with mid to high settings, or just simply "how long it will last". Water blocks makes video cards cost a lot more than they are, which is what I am concerning about. If HD5000 series is around the corner, I might as well use my current 4780 512mb for a little bit more then go into an upgrade in graphic card to save some block transition fee.
 
Hmmm that's a tough one. Right now we don't know if or when AMD will refresh its high-end lineup. There isn't much stuff coming that would put the hurt on the 4870X2 - the new FEAR and Riddick drop soon but they should be manageable. I think you should go for it since there's no hint of anything better coming soon. Your 4870-512 is going to choke even on games today so if you're interested in the here-and-now you should upgrade.
 
You wont have problem using 4870 in 1920x1200 for some time - just wait for new GPUs from AMD / NV - they will likely release them in Q2.

 
If you really fold a lot and you want dual GPU, you might want to get an NVIDIA card like the GTX 295 since NVIDIA GPUs fold much faster with the folding GPU client than ATI GPUs.
 
Most people that have an i7 build don't have a 4870 in there. It's a GPU bottleneck with all that power.

I would definitely go for the 4870 x2, but if you don't need it right now, you can wait until prices drop.
 
BlueStorm said:
If you really fold a lot and you want dual GPU, you might want to get an NVIDIA card like the GTX 295 since NVIDIA GPUs fold much faster with the folding GPU client than ATI GPUs.
Click to expand...

Also, F@H doesn't support crossfire.
 
If you already have a 4870 then I see no reason to get a X2 since pretty much the only game you can't max out is Crysis and before games will start demanding more than a 4870 there will be better cards out. That's what I think...
 
The 4870x2 can't max out Crysis...nor can the gtx280. So why even think about upgrading?
 
The 4870 can't max out every game at 1920x1200 + AA. Especially not the 512MB version that he has.
 
Yah, that's what I'm saying, neither can the 4870x2 or gtx280 max every game out there at 1920x1200 as well with 4xaa. So it makes more sense to stick with the 4870 until
something better comes out.
 
NVIDIA upcoming refresh will not significantly raise the performance bar. Therefore, the 4870X2 is still relevant. Maybe it would be worthy to buy second hand?
 
That memory (512mb) will hold you back a bit gaming @ 1920 x 1200, even now. Definately get a ~1GB (per die) card such as the 4870 1GB, X2, or GTX 280 or (in a few weeks possibly) the GTX 290 or 295.
 
There's not much of a point, and this is just my opinion, to get a specific setup for a single game, especially because you already have the 4870 :)
ecstatic.gif
 
Change my mind, now that the GTX295 actually loses to the 4870x2, then I say go ahead
and pull the trigger, because at 2560x1600 with AA, the 4870x2 will still dominate due
to the larger frame buffer than the gtx295. Wouldn't expect the 5800 series to come out
for quite some time as well. This is why I think the 4870x2 will probably maintain
it's price point, so no need to wait.
 
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