Looking for a no BS answer

R

RumpleForeSkin

Limp Gawd
Joined
Sep 14, 2008
Messages
228
So here's my system..

Core2 6550 @3.04
3GB mushkin DDR2 800
Abit IP35 Pro best board they made since the BP6 days this thing is a tank!!!
2 seagates in a stripe
evga 8800gts g92

I'm an Arma2 player. yeah yeah i know. well to no surprise the game run's like shit. XP or Vista or even 7, doesn't matter. with mods i can make it somewhat playable and I suffer through but it has gotten to be too much.

I am in the midrange spending market. $150-$200. I am tired of dealing with nvidia and would love to have that ATI fidelity again.. I had a 9700pro for 5 years before it was just plain outclassed and i like that kind of return in my investment. so now to my question....


would, given my current system specs be better suited with a 4890 or one of the newer 5770s.. i do see a quadcore in my future sometime by the end of the year but am not in a position to do a complete build. ( second child coming in may). now i can justify a couple of hundred bucks to the missus but i might as well just hang myself if i went and got something extravagent.


give me the goods [H]'ers i've been a daily reader for far longer than i will admit and have based my purchases upon the information garnered for years please don't just reply with buy some $400 dollar card and a seventymillion intel i42.. just the straight poop.. that's why i'm here and will continue to return


right on
 
Consider me a good [H] member dedicated to the very hardest and finest computer hardware. :)

At your service.

Right now you are lucky because the HD5770 will meet all of your current needs and will grow with your future planned quad core system.

:cool:
 
Hmm... I'd say go with the 5770 just because it's newer and has support for newer stuff (it can't hurt right :D)

EDIT: I actually think Digital Viper-X-'s suggestion is probably even better because the 5850 is very very fast and should be great for you but if you can't wing that then go with the 5770
 
the one thing your missing is the resolution you play at.. that will determine which cards more useful for you be it the 4890, 5770, or 5850..
 
Uberbob102000 said:
Hmm... I'd say go with the 5770 just because it's newer and has support for newer stuff (it can't hurt right :D)
Click to expand...

So just because it's newer buy the 5770? Even though the 4890 outperforms it??? :confused:

This is from the Anandtech article on the 5770. They even recommend a 4870 over the 5770 so a 4890 would obviously be even better.

So here’s the bottom line for the 5770: Unless you absolutely need to take advantage of the lower power requirements of the 40nm process (e.g. you pay a ton for power) or you strongly believe that DirectX 11 will have a developer adoption rate faster than anything we’ve seen before for DirectX, the 1GB 4870 or GTX 260 is still the way to go.
Click to expand...
 
RumpleForeSkin said:
So here's my system..

Core2 6550 @3.04
3GB mushkin DDR2 800
Abit IP35 Pro best board they made since the BP6 days this thing is a tank!!!
2 seagates in a stripe
evga 8800gts g92

I'm an Arma2 player. yeah yeah i know. well to no surprise the game run's like shit. XP or Vista or even 7, doesn't matter. with mods i can make it somewhat playable and I suffer through but it has gotten to be too much.

I am in the midrange spending market. $150-$200. I am tired of dealing with nvidia and would love to have that ATI fidelity again.. I had a 9700pro for 5 years before it was just plain outclassed and i like that kind of return in my investment. so now to my question....


would, given my current system specs be better suited with a 4890 or one of the newer 5770s.. i do see a quadcore in my future sometime by the end of the year but am not in a position to do a complete build. ( second child coming in may). now i can justify a couple of hundred bucks to the missus but i might as well just hang myself if i went and got something extravagent.


give me the goods [H]'ers i've been a daily reader for far longer than i will admit and have based my purchases upon the information garnered for years please don't just reply with buy some $400 dollar card and a seventymillion intel i42.. just the straight poop.. that's why i'm here and will continue to return


right on
Click to expand...

I would say you cannot go wrong with a 5850.

Great card, good overclocker.

And if you want a NO bullshit answer, Stay away from any of Sonda5 answers.
 
Shane_c82 said:
So just because it's newer buy the 5770? Even though the 4890 outperforms it??? :confused:

This is from the Anandtech article on the 5770. They even recommend a 4870 over the 5770 so a 4890 would obviously be even better. Of course if you can find another $60 for the 5850 that would be even better.
Click to expand...


if all you want is raw performance and dont give a crap about power usage.. then yes the 4890 is a better choice then the 5770.. but when you can get almost the same performance at an even less wattage.. why not go with the 5770 over the 4890..

5770
1255370233EukOTJwLkM_7_3.gif

reference design IDLE = 22w LOAD = 137w OC= 153w
4890
1252817687vQcCM50bQh_9_4.gif

reference design IDLE = 46w LOAD = 198w

do the math over an entire year running the 4890 at idle how much it would cost you.. then do the math for the 5770 running idle for a whole year.. even overclocked the 5770 still uses less power then the 4890..

pretty much sums up by the 5770 is a better choice then the 4890.. even if the 4890 beats it by a few fps in each game..
 
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In HardOCP's review of the 5770, they report that the 4870 is sometimes a bit faster than the 5770, but usually the two are tied. So there's no question that the 4890 is definitely faster than the 5770, because last I checked, the 4890 was a solid step up from the 4870.

I see that on newegg, the 4890 is as low as $170 with mail-in rebate but I would prefer the XFX 4890 at $195; the cheapest 5770 is $160 while the XFX 5770 is $175.

See the HardOCP ARMA II gameplay review; they tested a 4890 versus a 4870 1GB at each resolution. Just assume the 5770 is a little bit slower than the 4870 and you'll have a good idea of how the two cards you are deciding between perform in that game.

The no BS answer is that for $175, you get the slower card that does DX11, and for $195 you get the faster card that doesn't do DX11. You tend to keep your video cards for a long time, so DX11 may matter to you in this purchase.

To get both performance even better than a 4890 and DX11, the 5850 is the next step up, but it blows your budget starting at $260 (and none are available at newegg as I write this).
 
Here are 3 HD5770s for under $150.

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1460924

HD5770 will offer great gaming ability with room to grow for gaming, home entertainment, and computation power. Less power usage for more money savings in electric bills.

Plenty of performance to get your game on and have some money saved for your next child.

Being real.
 
SonDa5 said:
Here are 3 HD5770s for under $150.

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1460924

HD5770 will offer great gaming ability with room to grow for gaming, home entertainment, and computation power. Less power usage for more money savings in electric bills.

Plenty of performance to get your game on and have some money saved for your next child.

Being real.
Click to expand...

I had some smart ass comment to make, But I have given up my crusade. I have finally found someone dumber then George W Bush
 
DASHIT = Win/

OP: The 5770 is good, at the price, but the 5850 is the more futureproof of the two. Wait a month or so for prices to (hopefully) drop, as initial demand drops, too. XFX is golden, on the ATi side, mostly due to the service and support it gets.
 
We all are. It's late, very late where I am. I just survived my blood pressure going through the roof with my current setup (almost failed, or something), and... It's late :D.

We need a 'drunk' emoticon.
 
sirmonkey1985 said:
lol i know.. but i just had the urge to out do you and come up with the smart ass answer.. im quite bored right now.. :p
Click to expand...

O i know....Im just having a bad day, SPECIALLY after learning there is no Dedicated servers/mods or server list for MW2 for PC. They basically are making it matchmaking AKA Xbox 360.

But yea I would either go with a 4890 or 5850.

I would say 5850 first though
 
I have personally owned a gtx260 (orig) gtx260 (216) and I am now using a 4890. I must say the 4890 is kicking some major ass, on a 24" Asus running at 1920x1080 I can play Crysis:Warhead at enthusiast minus the shaders and pull 38-40 frames and I pull a constant 60fps in Fallout 3 Maxed. In benchmark scores of the new cards the 5800 series is going to be the biggest upgrade for you. Depending on the game of choice the 5770 is going to perform either under the GTX260/4870 or right above it. I would save up the extra money and get a 5850, and depending on the game and resolution you can match the performance of a GTX285 or even 5770's in CF.
 
kschaffner said:
I have personally owned a gtx260 (orig) gtx260 (216) and I am now using a 4890. I must say the 4890 is kicking some major ass, on a 24" Asus running at 1920x1080 I can play Crysis:Warhead at enthusiast minus the shaders and pull 38-40 frames and I pull a constant 60fps in Fallout 3 Maxed. In benchmark scores of the new cards the 5800 series is going to be the biggest upgrade for you. Depending on the game of choice the 5770 is going to perform either under the GTX260/4870 or right above it. I would save up the extra money and get a 5850, and depending on the game and resolution you can match the performance of a GTX285 or even 5770's in CF.
Click to expand...

That is the only NOBS answer here:D
 
DASHlT said:
O i know....Im just having a bad day, SPECIALLY after learning there is no Dedicated servers/mods or server list for MW2 for PC. They basically are making it matchmaking AKA Xbox 360.
Click to expand...


he he.. glad i wasnt one of those idiots that payed 60 bucks and pre-ordered it 3 months in advance.. :D
 
sirmonkey1985 said:
pretty much sums up by the 5770 is a better choice then the 4890.. even if the 4890 beats it by a few fps in each game..
Click to expand...

Maybe you pay a lot for power, we don't know if the OP does or even cares about power consumption. It's a freakin graphics card...based on performance the 4890 is the better choice. evilsofa summed it up pretty good.
 
A few of you need to take your chit chat to AIM or yahoo messenger.


HD5770 for under $150 will beat your budget and allow you to game and meet your stated goals.
 
... like a recurrent nightmare.

OP, I recommend the 5850 too.
 
Shane_c82 said:
Maybe you pay a lot for power, we don't know if the OP does or even cares about power consumption. It's a freakin graphics card...based on performance the 4890 is the better choice. evilsofa summed it up pretty good.
Click to expand...

yep.. i do.. just over 300 bucks a month.. cant wait to get out of california..
 
HD4890 or HD5770.

Either card is great depending on what you want out of your purchase. HD4890 has more raw performance, but the HD5770 has DX11, much lower power usage, quieter, cooler, cheaper, and great overclock potential.

Looking at the [H] review indicates ATI video cards run ARMA II better.

The HD5850 would be the best of both, but is $260.

Edit: Looking at the pricing of the HD4870 that may be worth your money and pick up a DX11 card for your next build when DX11 games are more available. Its a little cheaper and a tad faster than the HD5770, but still lacks its other advantages.

At Newegg:

XFX HD4870 1GB is $145 shipped
HIS HD4870 1GB is $135 shipped (after $15 promo code)
Asus HD4870 1GB is $140 AR ($160 shipped)
 
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ClearM4 said:
HD4890 or HD5770.

Either card is great depending on what you want out of your purchase. HD4890 has more raw performance, but the HD5770 has DX11, much lower power usage, quieter, cooler, cheaper, and great overclock potential.
Click to expand...

Mentioning overclock potential is a moot point when comparing a 5770 to a 4890 as they both overclock to roughly the same speeds, while the 4890 will always perform much better at identical clocks.

My opinon is buy a better performing 4890. You dont need eyefinity or dx11 (can always stil play dx11 games on it)
 
OP, buying a card for ARMA II won't help you much, you need a new system.
I'm running the latest patch with i7@4.2 and gtx295, with 3000 viewing distance, and it's still chocking, 20-40 fps. My advice is wait for a few more patches, and get a newer system.
 
Reading your original post I see two things you want... a card in the 150-200 dollar range and a card that will last you a long time. Right now... I dont see that happening. I also have 2 kids and I can tell you, money is just going to get tighter.:eek:

Here are a couple things to consider. That is an awesome board and it will take a q9550 so no reason to upgrade it, also it has two video card slots. The second is only x4 though. So.... you could get a 5770 now and another down the road when the price goes down to about 100 bucks. Even with two kids you could probably swing 100 bucks :p Personally I would feel it was a bit of a waste to stick anything bigger than a 5770 in that second slot because of its x4 limitation. Also, not sure what your PSU is, but with the 5770's lower draw, adding a second one might work.

I can tell you right now that what I would do is try and get together 280 bucks, buy the XFX 5850 and call it a day. Yep, I know thats not what you wanted to hear, but thats my no BS answer for you. I'ts a card that has the latest tech (for what thats worth) will only get faster as the drivers mature and has great bang for the buck. Its about the same as a gtx 285 (which still cost $350+ right now).

Your next option (another you dont want to hear) is hold on and see if ATI drops a 5830 model. That should be in your price range but your going to have to hide that $200 bucks away and no one knows for sure it its going to happen anytime soon, (or at all).
 
To the OP,

I too build on a budget, but have more meager gaming needs than yourself. Of the two cards you listed, I would go with the 5770. If your hoping to keep the card for so long DX11 is the way to go. Like one of the above posters also stated, you can at a later date drop in another for some xfire goodness that will make up any performance your giving up now. With a long term outlook on your upgrade, to me none of the HD4XXX cards make any sense. A year from now the 5770 will have come down in price likely, and you will have a pair of them for the price of a 5850 while likely having better performance depending on your resolution and needs. If you can spring for the XFX model, you'll also be sitting on a double lifetime warranty for long term peace of mind. YMMV though.
 
OP, based your first post alone: I recommend the 4890 if you want the best Arma 2 performance you can get for your money, given your budget.

(Note that this is only based on your first post. If you care about multi-monitor usage, DX12, power usage, silence, overclocking, tri-Xfire, or any number of random requirements you have not mentioned, my recommendation will change.)
 
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SonDa5 said:
Consider me a good [H] member dedicated to the very hardest and finest computer hardware. :)

At your service.

Right now you are lucky because the HD5770 will meet all of your current needs and will grow with your future planned quad core system.

:cool:
Click to expand...

/facepalm

DASHlT said:
I would say you cannot go wrong with a 5850.

Great card, good overclocker.

And if you want a NO bullshit answer, Stay away from any of Sonda5 answers.
Click to expand...


yes, save up $50 and upgrade to the 5850. And +1 for ignoring Sonda's posts. If you ask what video card he suggests, he will say 5770, no matter what.

DASHlT said:
I had some smart ass comment to make, But I have given up my crusade. I have finally found someone dumber then George W Bush
Click to expand...

Yeah dude, no point in bother with him anymore, he doesn't get it...

SonDa5 said:
A few of you need to take your chit chat to AIM or yahoo messenger.


HD5770 for under $150 will beat your budget and allow you to game and meet your stated goals.
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Thanks sonda we get that you think the HD5770 is great, but it won't be a great upgrade for the OP.

The 5770 performs onpar with the 4870 on arma 2.

Either way, op if you want a card that will last you for the next 2-3 years with DX11 support and eyefinity, go with the 5850, the 5770 just doesn't have the bang for the buck right now, the 5850 does. Save up $50 more and splurge on the 5850. It will save you from having to buy a second 5770 just to get decent numbers in arma.
 
DASHlT said:
O i know....Im just having a bad day, SPECIALLY after learning there is no Dedicated servers/mods or server list for MW2 for PC. They basically are making it matchmaking AKA Xbox 360.

But yea I would either go with a 4890 or 5850.

I would say 5850 first though
Click to expand...

what? Why the hell would they do that? Man just ruined my day.
 
SonDa5 said:
Consider me a good [H] member dedicated to the very hardest and finest computer hardware. :)

At your service.

Right now you are lucky because the HD5770 will meet all of your current needs and will grow with your future planned quad core system.

:cool:
Click to expand...

Dont listen to this load of bullshit or anything else that comes from this guys.

Arma2 is a very performance hungry game and you would be better suited saving the extra 100 bux and get the 5850 in the long run. The 5770 even overclocked to extreme proportions offers less performance then a stock clocked 4890. Seriously dude, a game like Arma2, save an extra week and get the 5850 (and look into upgrading to a core2 Quad sometime in the near future
 
SonDa5 said:
Consider me a good [H] member dedicated to the very hardest and finest computer hardware. :)

At your service.

Right now you are lucky because the HD5770 will meet all of your current needs and will grow with your future planned quad core system.

:cool:
Click to expand...

LOL man really its enough with all of 5770 cards.

The 4890 is better choice no doubt.
 
I love how the OP asks for "no BS" and people think that means "let's spout verbal diarrhea for some 20-odd posts." Honestly, if you can't help, STFU.

sirmonkey1985 said:
the one thing your missing is the resolution you play at.. that will determine which cards more useful for you be it the 4890, 5770, or 5850..
Click to expand...
Bingo. OP, I'd need that information before I could give you a "no BS" answer. Also, what's your budget like? Under $150, I'd go GTX 260, $150-200 I'd go 4890, and if you can pony up $260, the 5850 would be the best choice. All of those cards will do well at 1920x1200 and under; if you are playing on a 30", I'd say the 5850 is your only choice.
 
now that i'm sober and have read all of your replies it does now seem important to have given my resolution.. I have an Acer 22' @ 1680x1050.. I am a little concerned with DX11 as there were some DX10 effects that i enjoyed ( WiC.. Farcry2) and given that these monitors are so damned cheap now i can only imagine that they will get cheaper and triple monitor gaming might be a possibility in a year or two. also my MoBo supports crossfire so even a midrange ATI can be improved with another. Power isn't really a concern as we really don't use alot, my PC being the only excessively hungry device other than major appliances.

Arma2 is more of a throughput hungry application.. it will not be playable with even a moderately fragmented HDD.. there is nothing i can do about that other than an SSD and that's just not going to happen. Shader power is my greatest need IMO... the 4890's are cheap as hell for the performance but looking at the long run i'm thinking that ATI might be pulling another 9700pro out of their ass with the 5000 series.. i'm just not sure



Thanks [H]ers.. you have yet to steer me wrong

edit: also i'm running with a 500w antec PSU right now but planned on a larger one with the quadcore..550-650w max.. i just don't believe that a 1000w PSU is really more than just bragging rights for the most part.. I've built some pretty hairy servers in my day for MIT and even with a dozen scsi drives a 500w was more than enough for stable operation
 
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