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So which card?

T

[TW]Fox

n00b
Joined
Jun 12, 2005
Messages
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Hi guys,

Want to upgrade the graphics card in my rig. I want to try and get another years gaming performance out of my machine and I feel the best way to do this is with a new video card setup. A bit about how I game - I play at 1680x1050 and like to go for as much detail and AA as I possibly can, and obviously want as close to a perfect framerate as I can.

I'm currently running a BFG 8800GT 512Mb OC, 3Ghz Core2Duo, Abit IP35 Pro, 4Gb of OCZ Platinum (Of which Windows only sees as 3gb as it's 32bit XP) and a Corsair HX580 PSU.

I'd like to get upgraded in time to enjoy games like Far Cry 2, Need for Speed Undercover, etc etc in their full glory. I also play a lot of COD4, BF2, CSS, TF2 and Race Driver GRID.

So, I've come up with the following options I'd appreciate some opinions on to help me chose the best. I am a die hard Nvidia fanboy but it certainly seems to me at the moment that my loyalty will not be rewarded with kick-ass performance so... I don't mind going ATi *IF* it doesn't cause me a world of driver related pain and hassle.

I run dual monitors and I hate whiney fan noise.

Option 1, £180:

Go for a single Radeon HD4870. Perhaps with a view to Crossfire if the price of the 4870 crashes in 6 months time, but for all intents and purposes a single card solution.

Option 2, £220:

Go for a GeForce GTX260.

Option 3, £200:

Go for two Radeon HD4850's in Crossfire. I don't actually know much about Crossfire. Is the epic performance of this setup in some games crapped on by the fact that in other games I might get the performance of only one HD4850? What about power requirements?What about extra noise? Will Crossfire work properly on my IP35 Pro? What practical effect will having a 16x PCI-E slot and a 4x PCI-E slot have on me?

On the surface, this option seems to give me massively more performance than any of the other options. Am I right?

Option 4:

Sit it out for a few months. See what else is coming out. Buy something new. I don't want to wait for ever, I'd like to have a new card by October/November really.

Which option would YOU chose and why? Can you help me with the pros and cons of each choice?

Thanks guys!
 
Take your pick from the 4870 or GTX260, they are about the same price and performance wise. Both are more than enough power at that resolution.
 
If your going to run either Crossfire for ATI or SLI for nVidia you will not be able to run dual monitors. For dual monitor support, I would either go with the 4870 or the GTX260. You can always OC the 260 to a higher card and get better performance. Either way you'll still have your dual monitors and enough power to run anything you would want.
 
Whats wrong with the HD4850 CF option? If it's just that its considered overkill, then thats good. Overkill is a good thing, not a disadvantage. I find myself attracted to the big numbers in benchmark tests I've seen featuring them...

Edit: I just saw the comment about dual monitors. Wow, this has suprised me. So Crossfire flatout = no dual display?
 
Wow 220 pounds for a GTX260? That's crazy - they are not much more than $220 here. Have you considered picking up a used GTX 260 priced in dollars?
 
Actually I got the prices the wrong way round - 2xHD4850's are £220, a GTX260 is £200 - but it's still a lot more than you guys pay :)
 
[TW]Fox;1033016598 said:
Whats wrong with the HD4850 CF option? If it's just that its considered overkill, then thats good. Overkill is a good thing, not a disadvantage. I find myself attracted to the big numbers in benchmark tests I've seen featuring them...

Edit: I just saw the comment about dual monitors. Wow, this has suprised me. So Crossfire flatout = no dual display?
Click to expand...

Actually, ATi has recently enabled dual monitors on CrossfireX configurations a couple of months back in a recent Catalyst driver update, IIRC. NVIDIA OTOH, still limits you to a single display with SLi enabled. So if dual montiors are a must (and you don't play S.T.A.L.K.E.R. - Shadow of Chernobyl), go ATi.

And yes, you guys in the U.K. do pay a lot more than us yanks. Newegg has a PNY GTX 260 for $249 with a $20 M.I.R. right now...
 
Next question then - P35 and Crossfire. Waste of time? Initial research suggests it might well be.
 
[TW]Fox;1033017347 said:
Next question then - P35 and Crossfire. Waste of time? Initial research suggests it might well be.
Click to expand...

Yes. The 4X slot cripples CF performance.

Out of the options listed above, the 4870 seems like by far the best deal. It trades blows with the GTX260, but for such a large price difference it isn't worth going with the 260.
 
Zero82z said:
Yes. The 4X slot cripples CF performance.

Out of the options listed above, the 4870 seems like by far the best deal. It trades blows with the GTX260, but for such a large price difference it isn't worth going with the 260.
Click to expand...

But the 260 is the cheaper of the two. You can find them for about $220-240 after rebate, while the 4870 is still around 260.
 
The GTX260 is generally more expensive than the 4870 here - although at the moment the cheapest 260 is £164 and the cheapest 4870 is £169.

However I have also just found a GTX280 at the amazing price of £246. Worth the extra? This makes it only 26 quid more than CF4850's..?
 
[TW]Fox;1033019108 said:
The GTX260 is generally more expensive than the 4870 here - although at the moment the cheapest 260 is £164 and the cheapest 4870 is £169.

However I have also just found a GTX280 at the amazing price of £246. Worth the extra? This makes it only 26 quid more than CF4850's..?
Click to expand...

no, I only bought my GTX280 when I could get it for under 350 us dollars. at 430 dollars it is still over priced for what it will do over the 4870 and the GTX260. at those prices take your pick between the GTX260 or the 4870, if you don't have a sli board I would lean toward the 4870. but ether is a good choice.
 
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