Which card 5870 x6 or 6950?

[ltcharles]

Ok guys first of all I want to say hi and that this will be my first post here. Joined a while back but forgot I actually created an account LOL.

Ok enough back on subject, so I am in the market for a video card that can handle eyefinity with 3 1080p monitors. I am not expecting insane frame rates just enough to play games like stalker, half life, deadspace, crysis, with high settings just not with all the extra eyecandy like filtering and so on.

So Ive seen some benchmarks on both and well they both seem good at what they are suppose to do. Thing is the 6950 with 2gb is the newest thing out well somewhat and is around my budget of 300. Yet the 5870 eyefinity 6 also comes with 2gb or vram and the plus is that when I am ready to drop more coin on a card I can use this card for surveillance with 6 screens. or other uses. Also the 5870 x6 is way cheaper at around 239.99 or 200 used. Which also allows me to water cool it and so on.

With all this info do you guys think I am justified with getting an old card to save money and have more uses for it or should I suck it up and get teh 6950?

Also since I mentioned I am shopping for a video card so if you have any cards for sale I am willing to buy them. Note I am only interested in AMD/ATI for the fact I can run eyefinity with 1 card since my mb only has 1 pci x16 slot.

card interested in

5870 x6 with 2 gb
6950 2gb reference pcb only
6970 same as above.

budget 200-260 used since i can get a new one for 289.99 on newegg.

thanks guys.

 

[Spooony]

I would get 2 of these
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161348&cm_re=6850-_-14-161-348-_-Product
1 pci-e slot. Get the 6950 2gb version

 

[Naieve]

He's going eyefinity spoony, so 2 1gb cards isn't ideal.

Does your mobo have only 1 pci-e slot? If you have a second at x8 that will be fine for crossfire, even x4 wouldn't hurt too much.

I'd still get the 6950 2gb if I were you and shader unlock, don't flash to 6970, the drivers for that will be getting more love than the 5870. If cost is a factor the 5870 will do.

 

[ltcharles]

yeah I only have 1 pci x16 available since i have a mini-itx board. so it seems that 6950 is a better buy huh. ok now to shop around.

 

[Evil Penguin]

Yeah, 6950 2GB reference would be your best bet.

 

[ltcharles]

ok thanks guys i will start shopping smart for a 6950

 

[shawnmramsey]

+1 for the 6950, you won't be disappointed.

EDIT: If you want to unlock the shaders, ONLY UNLOCK THEM, don't do a 6970 bios flash, you will regret it.