4870X2, Q6600, 1680 x 1050

[djc604]

I'm in need of a new video card upgrade since my 8600gt fan is crapping out on me.
I've found someone in craiglist who is selling their Diamond 4870X2 Xoc for $350 CAD.
I beleive that this would be an absolute steal.

Just like the topic here, I would like to know your opinion if having this video card would be worth it for my Rig.

I've already done my research and found that my Q6600 stock wouldnt bottleneck the 4870X2 as much as I thought as I saw that it's doing better than any of the Core 2 Duo's, but only with Crossfire enabled games. http://www.legionhardware.com/document.php?id=770

I've also heard that at 1680 x 1050 the card would be under performing, but if I were to turn AA and AF to the max I could be gettin more of the potential of the card.

I want to run all my games in DX10 if available. Any upgrade that is able to play DX10 is OK for me since I currently have a video card that has DX10 enabled but doesnt allow for playable framerates.

I also play Crysis DX9 on 64-bit vista, and with the 8600gt with everything high except shadows on 960 x 600 is, IMO, not good enough.

Apparently, I will also need a PSU upgrade. I've heard that a 520w PSU can handle everything. What do you think? What would be the minimum that I should get for a PSU?

So what do you think? Any help would be much appreciated, as this thread could determine my decision.

 

[hairycat101]

I'm always skeptical when it comes to used electronics... As far as any X2 card goes, it is my understanding that you are basically running cross fire drivers. That may be a good thing for some games, but others are not optimized for multi GPU games. I would get something new if I were you. Just my skepticism on used parts.

 

[djc604]

yeah thats quite true. I found a 4870 to about the same price from NCIX buy they do charge an extra 50$ for shipping. I'm thinking about this one because I always wanted to get a SLI or Crossfire setup and my mobo is not either so this would basically be my only ticket. And IMO video cards now-a-days are all about the resolution and not polygon crunching. But for 350 you can't go wrong lol

 

[spaztic7]

I agree with hairycat101. I would never buy used parts from anyone, ever. It's just safer that way. But for the price, that is great! If they can prove to you that it still works or if you can use it to ensure that it works before paying them then I don't see what the big problem would be.

As for the 520w PSU. Um... for the 4870x2 you need at least a 750w psu.

With my 4870x2, I can run Crysis at 1920x1080 with everything on extremely high with no problem. I recommend that card because it is still faster than any other option out for a single card.

 

[aevm]

$350 is an incredibly good price for that card, but can you trust the guy? What if he never sends the card, or it's a HD 4870 (not an X2) or it's defect?

Visiontek recommends at least a 650W PSU for their HD 4870 X2. I agree with spaztic7 about getting a 750W - you don't want the minimum because then you have to worry about heat/noise/PSU aging/ no room for overclocking/no room for adding hard disks/etc.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814129114

Keep in mind that even a game that doesn't support Crossfire at all would benefit a lot from the upgrade. That is, the HD 4870 X2 working at half capacity is still equivalent to a HD 4870, which is WAY better than your current 8600GT. Besides, with ATI leading and nVidia dropping partners, I expect any sane game developer to pay lots of attention to Crossfire these days.

 

[cerulean]

$350 for a 4870x2 would be quite a steal...

Chances are if it's too good to be true then it most likely is. I would want to know this person's reason for pawning off their card for such a low price. It's not like he could be upgrading to something better when he already has the best. It's possible he might be strapped for cash, but then I would say he's not very bright for buying a $500 card if there's a chance you'd have to sell it a month or two later to buy grocieries. 😛

I also do not recommend buying used parts. If you're set on buying this I would advise you to be careful and maybe try to put that money in escrow until you've had the chance to check out the hardware to make sure it's working and that you're getting what was advertised!

 

[djc604]

Yeah I agree with all of you, because now that I look at the ad http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/sys/885210220.html it does seem a little sketchy. The only way I should buy it is if I get him to test it in front of me, but that could be a hassle if it's already out of the box (having to plug it in, install drivers etc.) I know It was just the sheer cheapness just caught my eye.

And thanks for the tip about the PSU, it would be more logical to pass well over the minimum requirements in case of needing to overclock.

But if I were to get a brand new 4870X2, would I be able to play at 1680x1050 with AA and AF and some added performance? or would I get the same results if I played games at 1920x1200?

 

[aevm]

But if I were to get a brand new 4870X2, would I be able to play at 1680x1050 with AA and AF and some added performance? or would I get the same results if I played games at 1920x1200?

http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.aspx?i=3372&p=6
In Crysis, that card gets 45.1 at 1280x1024; 40.2 fps at 1680x1050; 39.8 fps at 1920x1200 (all with no AA)
I'd play at 1920x1200 with a system like that, of course.

In other games it does better, usually. For example Age of Conan 60.3 fps instead of 40.2 fps at 1680x1050, and 56.3 fps instead of 39.8 fps at 1920x1200.

 

[djc604]

http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.aspx?i=3372&p=6
In Crysis, that card gets 45.1 at 1280x1024; 40.2 fps at 1680x1050; 39.8 fps at 1920x1200 (all with no AA)

Yeah thats what I thought, so I'm basically getting the same performance with unnoticeable gain. So I should really be looking at a 4870. From what I know, playing at 1680x1050 doesn't require the 1gb version, no?

 

[spaztic7]

If you are not running at 1920x1080 or higher, a 4870 should be fine. The 1 GB is a little better due to more ram and I believe the up the clocks on that card as well.