So I've got about £160 as a budget for an ATI video card, and I wonder which one of these to get:
[url]https://www.amazon.co.uk/XFX-Radeon-HD-6870-DisplayPort/dp/B0047ZH7GE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1309793704&sr=8-1[/url]
VS
[url]https://www.amazon.co.uk/XFX-Radeon-HD-5870-DisplayPort/dp/B0037YMWXO/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1309793843&sr=8-13[/url]
I'm looking to max BF3 @ 1080p in the future, and I'll probably dual crossfire whichever I get too. Since you guys know much more about GPUs for games than me, I thought that it would be best that I ask facepunch. If you have any alternatives, please post. My PSU is a 750W Core Edition from XFX, and I'm upgrading to a Phenom 955 soon.
Above 30fps there's no difference. So if I get below 60 but above 30 then I'm fine
i think the 5870 is better, but not sure, wait for the others to reply
and you could have trouble finsing antoher hd 5870 in future for crossfire, unless you dont want a used one
[QUOTE=QuAtT;30893380]i think the 5870 is better, but not sure, wait for the others to reply
and you could have trouble finsing antoher hd 5870 in future for crossfire, unless you dont want a used one[/QUOTE]
Thanks for the replies so far, and yeah - 30fps is fine, as long as it doesn't dip below 20 or so. I saw from benchmarks that the 5870 performs a bit better than the 6870, but then again - the 6870 is a replacement for the earlier 5770 which is a great card from what i've heard.
Waiting for more replies!
[QUOTE=TheNuB;30893379]Above 30fps there's no difference. So if I get below 60 but above 30 then I'm fine[/QUOTE]
I do find a difference between 30fps and 60, mainly response times and realism. 30fps looks a lot like a movie and 60fps more like real life... if you know what i mean :/
5770/5870 is a brilliant card but if you're looking to go crossfire in the future you might find it hard to get your hands on these, I'd say your best bet is to go with the 6870 and crossfire them when you have more dough in the future.
[QUOTE=TheNuB;30893379]Above 30fps there's no difference. So if I get below 60 but above 30 then I'm fine[/QUOTE]
Not true. There is a big difference between 30 and 60 fps. This has nothing directly to do with how many "fps" your brain can process. A game will feel much more responsive at 60fps than 30fps, and you still can see a difference. 30fps is just playable, but that's up to debate as well and varies between people.
The 6870 and 5870 can max out bad company 2 fine with something like 8AA and 16AF. My gtx 470 does 32CSAA and gets usually 45-60fps, and dips to 35-40 in intense moments. I'm saying this because I know the 5870 performs better in this game compared to a gtx 470. I also have an AMD Phenom II 965.
[QUOTE=drummerundrcovr;30893512]
The 6870 and 5870 can max out bad company 2 fine.[/QUOTE]
So yeah OP, if your processor and the rest is up to scratch then you should have no problem maxing BF3 with crossfire 6870's.
Thanks for the replies, hoping that gman003 posts here :3
If you're going to crossfire then definitely go with the 6870. The 6xxx series from ATI/AMD scales near 100% for a lot of games. The 5xxx series doesn't perform the same by a good margin. As for which card is better, google up some benchmarks. The 6870 is better with tessellation, but that's all I know. I think they perform similarly on most games. I don't know for sure though.
[QUOTE=Chickens!;30893547]So yeah OP, if your processor and the rest is up to scratch then you should have no problem maxing BF3 with crossfire 6870's.[/QUOTE]
I know that I'll probably end up with a crossfire set up by 25th october, but if I don't - will one card handle it?
[QUOTE=Speedfalcon;30893577]I know that I'll probably end up with a crossfire set up by 25th october, but if I don't - will one card handle it?[/QUOTE]
You'll definitely handle it at a fine FPS with decent settings with one, but if you want full FPS with very high end settings you'll need 2, if you do go with a 6870.
[QUOTE=Chickens!;30893608]You'll definitely handle it at a fine FPS with decent settings with one, but if you want full FPS with very high end settings you'll need 2, if you do go with a 6870.[/QUOTE]
Great, well I guess i've got my mind made up - 6870 it is, thanks!
[QUOTE=Satane;30893625]It will handle it but don't expect 60 fps.
Also don't get crossfire, it's not worth it.[/QUOTE]
Yes it is. The 6000 series scales incredibly well with multiple card setups. Depends on what other games the OP plays too.
[QUOTE=drummerundrcovr;30893642]Yes it is. The 6000 series scales incredibly well with multiple card setups. Depends on what other games the OP plays too.[/QUOTE]
I play source games, KF, BC2, GTA4, Crysis 2, Shift 2 Unleashed, Dirt 3 and getting Civ 5 + Medieval 2 soon. I'm hoping for an eyefinity set up soon to play some of the less demanding games on :)
Edit:
Oh and completely forgot, I'm a bit of a flight sim fanboy, so put FSX in there too. It came out in 2007 and I don't think that anyone has maxed it out yet (mainly because of the ridiculous render distances)
[QUOTE=Satane;30893869]Mainly because of Microsoft's shitty programming.[/QUOTE]
Well yeah, but you can't blame them - not exactly easy optimizing a 1:1 scale earth.. Still, best instrument simulation you will get... can't wait for whatever they plan to release next :D
edit:
sorry for rating disagree, that was meant to be an agree
[QUOTE=Speedfalcon;30893704]I play source games, [b]KF[/b], BC2, GTA4, Crysis 2, Shift 2 Unleashed, Dirt 3 and getting Civ 5 + Medieval 2 soon. I'm hoping for an eyefinity set up soon to play some of the less demanding games on :)
Edit:
Oh and completely forgot, I'm a bit of a flight sim fanboy, so put FSX in there too. It came out in 2007 and I don't think that anyone has maxed it out yet (mainly because of the ridiculous render distances)[/QUOTE]
What levels are you
[QUOTE=Chickens!;30893508]5770/5870 is a brilliant card but if you're looking to go crossfire in the future you might find it hard to get your hands on these, I'd say your best bet is to go with the 6870 and crossfire them when you have more dough in the future.[/QUOTE]
This is 100% correct. The 6870 is far better at scaling, if you ever need to upgrade again getting a second 6870 will be cheap as chips.
[QUOTE=Satane;30894031]Google did a better job :wink:[/QUOTE]
The google flight simulator in earth is really basic and has horrible physics - no real features, it's more like a novelty + a fun way to explore google earth :)
[editline]4th July 2011[/editline]
[QUOTE=drummerundrcovr;30894051]What levels are you[/QUOTE]
Oh, i've only just bought it a few days ago - im still level 0 at everything haha
Hmmm late but:
[url]http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/2011-gaming-graphics-charts/Enthusiast-Index,2674.html[/url]
The 5870 actually outperforms the 6870 a bit (since AMD decided that the *8** are now medium cards and not high end) but like previously said the HD6*** series do scale better in CF.
HD5*** is way cheaper though.
6950 (which is far better) for just over £160
[url]https://www.amazon.co.uk/VTX3D-Radeon-6950-PCI--Graphics/dp/B004ULFWAI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1309822896&sr=8-2[/url]
Not the most reputable brand, but everything is using the same reference chip, so the quality is the same. I just bought the 2GB version yesterday ([url]https://www.amazon.co.uk/VTX3D-Radeon-6950-PCI--Graphics/dp/B004L5XZBQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1309822896&sr=8-1[/url]) and it will arrive tomorrow so I'll update with how it is
[QUOTE=Dr Egg;30903387]6950 (which is far better) for just over £160
[url]https://www.amazon.co.uk/VTX3D-Radeon-6950-PCI--Graphics/dp/B004ULFWAI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1309822896&sr=8-2[/url]
Not the most reputable brand, but everything is using the same reference chip, so the quality is the same. I just bought the 2GB version yesterday ([url]https://www.amazon.co.uk/VTX3D-Radeon-6950-PCI--Graphics/dp/B004L5XZBQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1309822896&sr=8-1[/url]) and it will arrive tomorrow so I'll update with how it is[/QUOTE]
before someone chips in with "hurf durf unlock to 6970!!" i'll just tell you this - you will most likely not be able to unlock any currently sold 6950's. 99% of the cards currently being sold are revision 2, the unlockables being revision 1. Any rev1's that are left will just be cards which haven't sold yet, anyway it's not worth unlocking as it's possibly you may experience shorter lifespan with the card. Note that the last is speculation on my part.
[editline]4th July 2011[/editline]
don't want OP to get his/her hopes up :)
[QUOTE=Dr Egg;30903387]6950 (which is far better) for just over £160
[url]https://www.amazon.co.uk/VTX3D-Radeon-6950-PCI--Graphics/dp/B004ULFWAI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1309822896&sr=8-2[/url]
Not the most reputable brand, but everything is using the same reference chip, so the quality is the same. I just bought the 2GB version yesterday ([url]https://www.amazon.co.uk/VTX3D-Radeon-6950-PCI--Graphics/dp/B004L5XZBQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1309822896&sr=8-1[/url]) and it will arrive tomorrow so I'll update with how it is[/QUOTE]
oh god that thing looks fucking horrid, and i'm not sure if I like the brand or not..
[QUOTE=Speedfalcon;30904418]oh god that thing looks fucking horrid, and i'm not sure if I like the brand or not..[/QUOTE]
As long as it works great, who gives a fuck?
I think I'll go with a popular brand: XFX and crossfire them later.
They're both close enough in performance that it doesn't matter much, just get the cheaper one.
*cough* Bitcoins.
yup, i'd choose the cheaper one.
I usually buy the most middle-priced one.
[QUOTE=Speedfalcon;30904418]oh god that thing looks fucking horrid, and i'm not sure if I like the brand or not..[/QUOTE]
I admit I don't like the look of the cooler much either, but it's quieter than my old 4870. Brand wise, the box was fairly spartan. I got a DVI to VGA, Crossfire, and Mini DP to HDMI adaptors (the latter of which will be useful for my Macbook :v:) along with CD of drivers. Temps are far lower than my 4870 at the same fan speed (35 degrees to ~70 degrees at 24% fan speed). Not tried playing a game yet though :v:
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