Unsure of what to do, 5770?

E

E-Peen

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Jan 27, 2010
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Well, I've been wondering for awhile.. I know around May I'm going to upgrade my Asus ATi Radeon 4850 to a newer card. Now, obviously if I get a new card/crossfire, I'm going to have to upgrade my PSU (currently 430w). So my plan was to get the following:

GPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102868&cm_re=5770-_-14-102-868-_-Product

A friend of mine told me to select that certain GPU because of the better cooling. I'm fully aware of the shader problem, and that won't be a problem that won't be easy to fix.

PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...e=corsair_power_supply-_-17-139-006-_-Product

But people over at Overclock.net are telling me I'd be better off getting another 4850 to crossfire, or to get a 4890 because they'll both beat the 5770 when it comes to performance.

So since he's always bragging about this forum being the best for hardware... Here I am looking for some help.

Thanks.. And sorry if I don't seem like I know too much, I'm relatively new to hardware.
 
If you have a 4850 already, and you sound like you're pretty sure that you're going up upgrade May... I'd stand pat with the 4850, there are very little gains going to a 5770 from your current card. Unless there is something in specific you really want to play, even then, I don't see how the 4850 won't be able to handle it very well.

Pick up a PSU if you really feel the need, 430w is pretty small, you'll have to upgrade it eventually anyways, and the Corsair unit is a good choice.

But I'd stick it out with the card until May, hell the prices on the 5850's might fall back down to MSRP by then, and that would be a great buy. And taking a look at Nvidia's new offerings (is it out by then? I'm not sure, I haven't been following) couldn't hurt.
 
4890 requires 500watt ps..... I would wait for the new 5830s coming soon that much be okay with your ps

" 500 Watt or greater power supply with two 75W 6-pin PCI Express® power connectors recommended (600 Watt and four 6-pin connectors for ATI CrossFireX™ technology in dual mode)"
 
HD5770 is a fine card. But its like upgrading your HD4850 to a HD4870, which is not that large of an upgrade. I'd wait for cheaper HD5850's or for AMD/ATI to release something like an HD5830*.
 
4830 is somewhere between 5770 and 5850 and estimated to be $200-$230 retail
 
vmarkx1 said:
4830 is somewhere between 5770 and 5850 and estimated to be $200-$230 retail
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You mean the HD4890* (HD4830 = below the HD4850), and I would not spend $200 on a non dx11 card at this point. If you need a card right now the HD5770 will work fine, but you might want to wait a month or 2 for nvidia's dx11 cards, see what happens to ATI's pricing and see if they release something like an HD5830.
 
Buy a new PSU now and wait about a month until Fermi comes out. Then make your video card purchase whether it be ATI or nVidia. A HD 5770 is not much more than you have now.
 
There was a topic that showed the Vapor X not being much better than the eggshaped cooler for 5770. What's the shader problem you're speaking of?

If you already have a 4850 and do not absolutely want DX11 then upgrading your PSU and crossfiring 4850s should get your performance close to 5850 performance in games that do scale well, however there are the usual issues with multi gpu setups (micro stutter, more power/heat etc). I've no experience but you can look those up.

But since you have to upgrade PSU + get another 4850, it actually might be cheaper to upgrade to a more powerful single card solution although with a 430W PSU I would be a tad bit worried to go higher than a 5770, but as others have said a 5770 is not much of an upgrade compared to what you have.

Either way you may have to upgrade PSU if you want more performance. If thats the case crossfire 4850s might not be a bad idea.

@ClearM4:I think vmarkx1 meant 5830.
 
The 5830 will likely be the most powerful card under 150W TDP (1 6-pin). I would forgo the PSU upgrade and go for it.
 
there isnt mch of a difference between a 4850 and 5770. upgrading your PSU first would be a good idea. now if you jump to a 5850 then you got some power.

also be in mind that crossfire doesnt always scale well in games. try to get the best single GPU you can for your money. the 5830 will be released very soon for around 200 dollars so you might want to give that a looksy
 
If his PSU is a quality 430W with a recent design and isn't too old, he won't have to upgrade his power supply (depending on the rest of the system as well, of course). Hell, a 5850 will run on a nice 300W just fine.
 
friend'scatdied said:
If his PSU is a quality 430W with a recent design and isn't too old, he won't have to upgrade his power supply (depending on the rest of the system as well, of course). Hell, a 5850 will run on a nice 300W just fine.
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I would not go that far, though a good 430 watt will run a 5770 just fine. and adding a second 4850 would probably be a better upgrade then going to a 5770.

a few questions for the OP

what are the rest of your system specs?

what resolution are you going to be playing at?

is the 4850 in your system 1gb or 512mb?
 
Valset said:
I would not go that far, though a good 430 watt will run a 5770 just fine.
Click to expand...

I dunno, I think people seriously overestimate the power consumption of the 5850 from just looking at TDP. My system barely hits 216W on full-load (FurMark and linpack, peaks inclusive [not Kill-A-Watt]), and I imagine the 5850 takes up far less than the 158W TDP. I am very sure it will work perfectly if the 430W is of caliber and not some peak-rated crap.
 
Sorry for late reply, here are the rest of my specs.

AMD Phenom X3 II 720 @ 3.2GHZ +4th core
Gigabyte MA785G-UD3H
ATI Radeon 4850 HD
4GBs DDR2
Antec 430W
Lian Li Cool
Windows 7 Ultimate x64
Freezer 7 Pro

Link to my PSU - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...71023&cm_re=antec_430w-_-17-371-023-_-Product

So far from the replies I've seen, it'd be better to get another 4850 and crossfire? At this point, I can really afford anything up to a 5770, but since the majority of you said it wouldn't be a noticeable upgrade I'm pretty much stuck now.

What I don't care about:
DX11 - Let's face it, it won't matter for a few more months/another year.
Having to invest in a new PSU (I'm definitely going to buy a new PSU since I'm fairly certain a 5850*if I were to get one*+my 430=not enough.) Unless somehow, it IS enough.
Cross-firing as long as it actually increases performance in noticeable FPS gains.
What manufacturer, I don't care if it's XFX, Sapphire, etc. Unless there's "special" perks or better things about one.

What I do care about:
The price, if it's anything remotely close to $350-400 including PSU *if I need a new one if I'm able to go 5850*, it's a no-go.
FPS increase. The main reason I'm upgrading my 4850 is because of its FPS in some games. For example, Red Faction Guerrilla... I have to run the game in 1280x720/windowed mode with medium shadows, no soft shadows, and 0xaa to get anything close to 40FPS. Same goes for BC2:Beta. I barely hit 40fps, it was always sitting in MID 20s, rarely hit 30+.

TL;DR - I want a card that will be a noticeable FPS increase from my 4850. I CAN overclock the card, so it'll be even more FPS (hopefully). My budget if I need a new PSU is $300. $350 is pushing it, but I MIGHT be able to pull it off. And if a 5850 will work my with PSU.. Then I automatically choose the 5850, but I doubt it.

That's all I can think of right now, hopefully that's enough information.

EDIT - I was told a 4850x2+my 4850 now would be best for my budget. I've always wanted to crossfire, so I have no problem with doing that.

Is that true?
 
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The best thing to do is not upgrade. The jump won't be a useful enough increase for anything to be worth the cost, unless money is nothing to you. If you are going to upgrade anyway then 4850 crossfire is probably the best option. Fairly cheap, and doesn't waste the old card. On the other hand, a new PSU probably eliminates any cost saving, and whether or not you care about it now, the setup won't have great longevity because of DX11.
 
I ran a 4870 on a 5-year-old Antec 300W SmartPower (using molex->PCI-e connectors - this was not a PSU designed for supplying the extra power). CPU was a Sempron 2600+. Perfectly happy under load, including FurMark. BTW, I was testing it for a mate to confirm it wasn't the card causing problems ... (no way I'd pair those for normal usage).

People seriously overestimate the PSU wattage they need (with a quality PSU). I'm very comfortable with my 3-year-old Antec 380W EarthWatts powering my i7 860 + 5770.

As to the OP - I definitely wouldn't upgrade to a 5770 - my rule of thumb is to only upgrade when needed, and get at least double the power I previously had. Which generally for me means buying the current < $200 card. If I were upgrading from a 4850 I'd get a 5850, and either cascade or sell the 4850. You wouldn't need to change your power supply at all, you're getting a much faster card, and power usage will be similar to what you have now (I think - so many cards, hard to keep them straight).
 
Well judging from most replies on here, a 5770 isn't a very good upgrade/noticeable.

And with my budget, I thought about it and came to the conclusion that a 4850x2+my 4850(both over clocked+crossfire) would be the best option.

Is that good? Like I said, I don't give a rats ass about DX11 right now.
 
magao said:
I ran a 4870 on a 5-year-old Antec 300W SmartPower (using molex->PCI-e connectors - this was not a PSU designed for supplying the extra power). CPU was a Sempron 2600+. Perfectly happy under load, including FurMark. BTW, I was testing it for a mate to confirm it wasn't the card causing problems ... (no way I'd pair those for normal usage).

People seriously overestimate the PSU wattage they need (with a quality PSU). I'm very comfortable with my 3-year-old Antec 380W EarthWatts powering my i7 860 + 5770.

As to the OP - I definitely wouldn't upgrade to a 5770 - my rule of thumb is to only upgrade when needed, and get at least double the power I previously had. Which generally for me means buying the current < $200 card. If I were upgrading from a 4850 I'd get a 5850, and either cascade or sell the 4850. You wouldn't need to change your power supply at all, you're getting a much faster card, and power usage will be similar to what you have now (I think - so many cards, hard to keep them straight).
Click to expand...

I think a lot of people would just like that overhead. In the case of future proofing, overclocking or adding new components.
 
E-Peen said:
Well judging from most replies on here, a 5770 isn't a very good upgrade/noticeable.

And with my budget, I thought about it and came to the conclusion that a 4850x2+my 4850(both over clocked+crossfire) would be the best option.

Is that good? Like I said, I don't give a rats ass about DX11 right now.
Click to expand...

you psu would prohibit that. you could run another 4850 but your up higher then I would be comfortable with. ( I like some overhead) a 5770 is ~4870 so it is an upgrade but not that much of one, like said another 4850 would be better. (trifire, that is what you would get with a 4850X2 + 4850, is too much and scaling past 2 gpu sucks). your PSU is a pretty good brand and you could get away with adding another 4850 until you could upgrade your PSU. Given what you have said that is the best option to you outside of waiting. while close to your max it will only be there while you are gaming. Still sooner or later your going to need a better PSU so I would bite the bullet at some point. the other option is to get a 5850 though you will be running very close to your max wattage (as you would be with a pair of 4850) http://hardocp.com/article/2009/09/30/amds_ati_radeon_hd_5850_video_card_review/7 and so you at your budget limit and still needing to upgrade your PSU at some point.

and you didn't say how much memory the 4850 had.

cliff note: just add another 4850 until you can upgrade your PSU. or bite the bullet and get a 5850 and upgrade your PSU when you can.
 
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I do not know for sure, but I am pretty certain that your Gigabyte MA785G-UD3H only does 4x in the second PCI-E lane and that would really neuter your performance gains from going crossfire. If that is the deal, I'd hold out if you could and wait for the 5830's which hopefully should be available soon.

Also, I personally own both a 4850 and 5770 and the performance gain I've noticed by the 5770 is about 15-40% but it largely depends on the game. Not a big boost sometimes and other times a very nice boost. I fully recommend the 5770 to someone looking for a new card in the $150 range, but for you I'd just wait and get a 5830 or 5850 when you can.

I think that your power supply could maybe run a 5850, however it will be working very hard to do so and at the very upper limits of it's capabilities. A new and more robust power supply is not a bad idea. I recently attempted to upgrade my brother from his old 3850 256MB card to my old HD 4830, however his new-ish 400W Thermaltake PSU just did not have the power to run the 4830 when the system was loaded, we grabbed him a BFG GS-550 for $35 AR a bit ago, which is not the best PSU, but is a good one for the low budget he had and now he is rocking.
 
Well, like I said.. I'm investing in a new PSU.

I was planning on upgrading to this PSU unless someone has a better recommendation - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...e=corsair_power_supply-_-17-139-006-_-Product

I mean, I have 3 months.. So of course I can wait to see if the 5830 is out by then. But if anyone could just throw a little insight on my 4850 512mb+ a Sapphire 4850x2 which would = tri fire.

The reason I can go balls deep on a good GPU is because my budget is anywhere from $300 to $350. And a 5850 is $300 alone.
 
E-Peen said:
I was planning on upgrading to this PSU unless someone has a better recommendation - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...e=corsair_power_supply-_-17-139-006-_-Product
Click to expand...

Its a good PSU.

I mean, I have 3 months.. So of course I can wait to see if the 5830 is out by then. But if anyone could just throw a little insight on my 4850 512mb+ a Sapphire 4850x2 which would = tri fire.
Click to expand...

Scaling past 2 GPUs is terrible, so don't bother with the 4850x2. PSU + selling 4850 + buying 5850 is what I would do. Otherwise you could look for a used 4850 for like $60-70, that would be a good deal.
 
kllrnohj said:
Its a good PSU.



Scaling past 2 GPUs is terrible, so don't bother with the 4850x2. PSU + selling 4850 + buying 5850 is what I would do. Otherwise you could look for a used 4850 for like $60-70, that would be a good deal.
Click to expand...

That's not a bad idea, I never thought about selling it. In case I can't sell it, or there isn't any price drops on the 5850...

Would the 5570 be more of an upgrade than 2 512mb 4850s crossfired?
 
E-Peen said:
Well, like I said.. I'm investing in a new PSU.

I was planning on upgrading to this PSU unless someone has a better recommendation - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...e=corsair_power_supply-_-17-139-006-_-Product

I mean, I have 3 months.. So of course I can wait to see if the 5830 is out by then. But if anyone could just throw a little insight on my 4850 512mb+ a Sapphire 4850x2 which would = tri fire.

The reason I can go balls deep on a good GPU is because my budget is anywhere from $300 to $350. And a 5850 is $300 alone.
Click to expand...

tri gpu anything is not going to do well, it just offers poor performance for the dollar / watt. just add a second 4850, hell pick up one used. unless you can pick up one on the cheap it isn't going to be worth it. but we are hoping in three months to see a big price drop in the 5800 series unless Fermi falls completely on its face.
 
E-Peen said:
That's not a bad idea, I never thought about selling it. In case I can't sell it, or there isn't any price drops on the 5850...

Would the 5570 be more of an upgrade than 2 512mb 4850s crossfired?
Click to expand...

Do you mean 5850? A single 5850 performs about the same as 2x 4850s in CF iirc, but doesn't have any scaling issues. I would take a single 5850 over 2x 4850s any day. Then again, I upgraded from a 4850 to a 5870, so.... ;)
 
kllrnohj said:
Do you mean 5850? A single 5850 performs about the same as 2x 4850s in CF iirc, but doesn't have any scaling issues. I would take a single 5850 over 2x 4850s any day. Then again, I upgraded from a 4850 to a 5870, so.... ;)
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Alright, so then since I'm on budget it'd just be better getting another 4850 and crossfiring?

And what scaling issues, exactly?
 
E-Peen said:
Alright, so then since I'm on budget it'd just be better getting another 4850 and crossfiring?

And what scaling issues, exactly?
Click to expand...

2 cards doesn't not mean 2x the performance. Generally you are looking at about a 70-80% increase in FPS from a single card. Worst case you are looking at LOWER fps than a single card. Granted, the worst case is quite rare, but there will be some games where crossfire doesn't work, resulting in basically just having a single card.

But yes, if money is tight I'd go with the better PSU and then pick up a used 4850 for ~$60-70.
 
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