Maybe a dumb question about a XFX 5870?

GOD'SlittleSERVANT

GOD'SlittleSERVANT

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I'm replacing my 4890 with a 5870 this week and was just curious if everything in my rig was good(?) for that type of card? (rig in sig)

This will be my first extremely powerful card I've owned, so any tips, pointers, etc, would be much appreciated!
 
get a quad core

thats all you really could use without changing everything to an i7 system.

q9550 is 200 bucks. :D

otherwise its all good
 
That's what I was kinda thinking, too. I'm going to run some benchmarks before I install the new card and see how much of a difference there was. I'll post them in this thread.
 
For which games?
E8400 is a decent CPU, but you want a quad for things like Bad Company 2, Metro 2033
 
LeninGHOLA said:
For which games?
E8400 is a decent CPU, but you want a quad for things like Bad Company 2, Metro 2033
Click to expand...

Right now I'm currently playing Dragon Age and Bad Company 2. I have Dragon age running at 1920 x 1080 with no problems so far but I don't know what I have BF2 running at.
 
GOD'SlittleSERVANT said:
Right now I'm currently playing Dragon Age and Bad Company 2. I have Dragon age running at 1920 x 1080 with no problems so far but I don't know what I have BF2 running at.
Click to expand...

When you get the HD5870, just max every graphics setting, both in the game, and in CCC, in order to minimize any CPU bottleneck.
 
Consider you could get ~$100 for your E8400 and get a Q9550 for $200 or less, I'd pay the $100 out-of-pocket to have peace-of-mind for sure.
 
Sell the 3.6GHz capable E8400 and buy a Q6600 for roughly the same price. Overlock to 3.6GHz again.
 
Dragon Age can even benefit from a quad. By something like 75% gain, though the 2.4GHz E6600 -> 2.4GHz Q6600 is on the low end of quads anymore. They do have an E8400 at 3.6GHz, so the comparison to what you ahve is valid, though it's losing to a STOCK Q6600. :eek:
 
GOD'SlittleSERVANT said:
This will be my first extremely powerful card I've owned, so any tips, pointers, etc, would be much appreciated!
Click to expand...

You didn't ever consider the 4890 powerful when you got it? I'm assuming you've had it for awhile. As in before the 5k series came out and it was.

Anyways, your cpu will probably be fine for awhile with where your OC is to feed it. But not too long methinks, 6-12 months before you'd really need a new cpu to breathe life into the 5870.
 
Samson4EiT said:
You didn't ever consider the 4890 powerful when you got it? I'm assuming you've had it for awhile. As in before the 5k series came out and it was.

Anyways, your cpu will probably be fine for awhile with where your OC is to feed it. But not too long methinks, 6-12 months before you'd really need a new cpu to breathe life into the 5870.
Click to expand...
See, this is what I was kinda thinking. I thought my 8400 could last for awhile until the new and better PC games will be coming out.

From what everyone has said so far, getting a quad is by far in my favor. I shall probably get one her ein the next few months or so. i'll post my 3d mark scores once I receive my 5870.

and yes, I've owned this 4890 for awhile now.
 
P17439 (vantage)

Stock i7 930, stock HD5870 (this is just for your reference).
HT is on,Turbo is on (2.937GHz)
 
jeremyshaw said:
P17439 (vantage)

Stock i7 930, stock HD5870 (this is just for your reference).
HT is on,Turbo is on (2.937GHz)
Click to expand...
Yeah, I get 17280 in Vantage with my card at 900/1250. My Q9450 at 3.2GHz (QX9770 speeds) is on par with a Core i5-750 for all practical purposes.

GLS, I still didn't see what resolution you were playing at. If it's less than 1920x1080, a 5870 is overkill, you'd be better off with a 5850.
 
LoneWolf said:
Yeah, I get 17280 in Vantage with my card at 900/1250. My Q9450 at 3.2GHz (QX9770 speeds) is on par with a Core i5-750 for all practical purposes.

GLS, I still didn't see what resolution you were playing at. If it's less than 1920x1080, a 5870 is overkill, you'd be better off with a 5850.
Click to expand...

1920x1080 is what I'm playing at on Dragon Age. I love my monitor :D
 
Spare-Flair said:
Sell the 3.6GHz capable E8400 and buy a Q6600 for roughly the same price. Overlock to 3.6GHz again.
Click to expand...

I believe that Q9550s OC better than the Q6600s, and would be the better upgrade if he's going to do a plug in upgrade from his dual core.
 
GOD'SlittleSERVANT said:
What can I overclock this thing to without hurting it?
Click to expand...

stock volts? about 950MHz.
CCC limits you to 900mhz, so you're going to need to use:

rivatuner
evga precision (same as riva just [imho] the best interface so far)
msi afterburner (same are riva, and has voltage control [unlike evga precision]).
 
jeremyshaw said:
P17439 (vantage)

Stock i7 930, stock HD5870 (this is just for your reference).
HT is on,Turbo is on (2.937GHz)
Click to expand...

You need to crank your CPU up...

my i7 920 @ 4G with GTX 480 gives me 25116 :eek:

that is nearly 8k differences...
 
My 5870 running vatange with i3-530.
VantageCPU4_6ghzGPU1ghz2.jpg

And Crysis.
CrysisStock4_4ghzGPU1GhzC.jpg
 
I notice Dragon Age getting a bit choppy once I get to the market area in Deniem (sp?). And the loading times are a bit long in that area as well. I have everything maxed out, but I might turn down the AA a bit? Or will that do absolutely nothing at all? haha.
 
shansoft said:
You need to crank your CPU up...

my i7 920 @ 4G with GTX 480 gives me 25116 :eek:

that is nearly 8k differences...
Click to expand...
Thank you for teh note. I'm debating getting a HD5970 for a trifire setup (I only have one slot left, in mATX case).
GOD'SlittleSERVANT said:
I notice Dragon Age getting a bit choppy once I get to the market area in Deniem (sp?). And the loading times are a bit long in that area as well. I have everything maxed out, but I might turn down the AA a bit? Or will that do absolutely nothing at all? haha.
Click to expand...

Dragon Age, unfortuneately, is one of those games that like quads, and nothing lower.

It is, in NO way, limited by your GPU (it's pwning that game).

Your CPU is taking a slight pummeling, though. :(
 
That's what I thought. it's nothing too crazy, so I can deal with it until I feel it's time to purchase a new CPU. Thanks!
 
Did you get your 5870 yet? I went from 4870 > 5870 and I keep all my settings pretty low so I can break 60 fps constant in bad company 2. I was pretty disappointed. Overclocking my e8400 to 4.2 hasn't really helped.
 
I see a pretty big difference. I jumped from 15,000 3dmarks to 17,000. My 4890 was running like shit at 1920x1080 but my 5870 is running pretty good now at that resolution.
 
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