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SolidSnake3035
Limp Gawd
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2010
- Messages
- 192
Alright so I'm looking for some advice here. I'm currently running a Sapphire Vapor-X HD4890 1GB, and it works well but I feel it's about time to upgrade as I'm craving more power/frames.
I bought the card in I think November of '09 with the intention of upgrading it actually a bit sooner than this, so at least I know I'm not rushing into anything.
I've been reading a lot on this forum and some reviews elsewhere and it seems like the 6950 is my best bet.
Where I'm stuck right now is that I can't decide whether I should just grab one of the reference cards now or wait for a better solution to come along.
Is there news of anything else coming out yet? How long did it take the 68XX series to start getting proprietary designs?(if that's what you'd call them...)
Ultimately it would be cool to get a Vapor-X version of the 6950 but I feel like I'm in a hurry since I've just gathered some Christmas funds, and I've been basically sitting and watching as the 5000 series came and went, and it already feels like the 68XXs have been here for quite a bit already.
So I'd like to try to figure out a couple of things:
How good is the reference version of the 6950? Are there any major drawbacks to it that definitely look like they should be addressed? (Also, any significant hardware/performance reason not to go with Sapphire?)
What's the noise and temperature like? I see lots of people saying they're real quiet but my Vapor-X 4890 is damn near one of the quietest cards I've heard, even when cranking the fan levels. How much louder might a stock 6950 be than my 4890? I usually have a bit of ambient noise in the way of a heat/ac fan and such and/or headphones on, so this is only important if it would be a decent increase. For example my friend used to have a Diamond 4870x2(I think that's the right number) and it was in the same style case as these reference cards with the turbine fan, and it was practically louder than a helicopter... lol it was horrible. So that experience kind of scarred me for every time I see that style of cooler.
Lastly, I've been reading pretty ridiculous things about the quality of drivers lately, and I'm kind of put off by it. Is this something they seem to really be working on, and might these upcoming drivers provide increased performance/functionality? Or is there no hope in sight and would I be stuck rolling the dice on finding something that works well?
Finally, my intentions for the card:
I'd be using the card to run mainly a select few games in 1920x1200 at or near max settings. Mainly WoW, StarCraft II, Diablo III (if it's ever released!), and in a year most likely some Elder Scrolls 5 if it lives up to its name. Maybe some random first person shooters thrown in here and there.
None of this should be a problem for the 6950, correct?
I know this is a long post with a lot to ask but hopefully it's all pretty simple and straightforward so you guys can help me make a decision!
Thanks for the help!
I bought the card in I think November of '09 with the intention of upgrading it actually a bit sooner than this, so at least I know I'm not rushing into anything.
I've been reading a lot on this forum and some reviews elsewhere and it seems like the 6950 is my best bet.
Where I'm stuck right now is that I can't decide whether I should just grab one of the reference cards now or wait for a better solution to come along.
Is there news of anything else coming out yet? How long did it take the 68XX series to start getting proprietary designs?(if that's what you'd call them...)
Ultimately it would be cool to get a Vapor-X version of the 6950 but I feel like I'm in a hurry since I've just gathered some Christmas funds, and I've been basically sitting and watching as the 5000 series came and went, and it already feels like the 68XXs have been here for quite a bit already.
So I'd like to try to figure out a couple of things:
How good is the reference version of the 6950? Are there any major drawbacks to it that definitely look like they should be addressed? (Also, any significant hardware/performance reason not to go with Sapphire?)
What's the noise and temperature like? I see lots of people saying they're real quiet but my Vapor-X 4890 is damn near one of the quietest cards I've heard, even when cranking the fan levels. How much louder might a stock 6950 be than my 4890? I usually have a bit of ambient noise in the way of a heat/ac fan and such and/or headphones on, so this is only important if it would be a decent increase. For example my friend used to have a Diamond 4870x2(I think that's the right number) and it was in the same style case as these reference cards with the turbine fan, and it was practically louder than a helicopter... lol it was horrible. So that experience kind of scarred me for every time I see that style of cooler.
Lastly, I've been reading pretty ridiculous things about the quality of drivers lately, and I'm kind of put off by it. Is this something they seem to really be working on, and might these upcoming drivers provide increased performance/functionality? Or is there no hope in sight and would I be stuck rolling the dice on finding something that works well?
Finally, my intentions for the card:
I'd be using the card to run mainly a select few games in 1920x1200 at or near max settings. Mainly WoW, StarCraft II, Diablo III (if it's ever released!), and in a year most likely some Elder Scrolls 5 if it lives up to its name. Maybe some random first person shooters thrown in here and there.
None of this should be a problem for the 6950, correct?
I know this is a long post with a lot to ask but hopefully it's all pretty simple and straightforward so you guys can help me make a decision!
Thanks for the help!
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