ATI Question

[Guest]

Im not exactly an expert on PC hardware at the best of times but ive never had an ATI graphics card.

Im having a new system built and i was wondering which is the better option, 2 X 1GB 4850 cards or a single 1GB 4890 - The cost is pretty much the same.

 

[jennyh]

To use 2 cards you need a crossfire motherboard so check that.

Also...it's really close to the 5770 being released. It should be just a little bit less powerful than the 4890 but with all the dx11 stuff it is worth it, not to mention a lot cheaper to run.

Wait a few days and read up on the 5770 reviews, you should have a better idea then.

 

[Guest]

The motherboard is crossfire and SLI compatible. The site where im looking to order my new pc from has a series od drop down menus for choosing the options.
Im limited to 4850/4970/4890 cards and i doubt if the new 5770 will appear on these options straight away. Ive got an itchy trigger finger on the order button anyway, im not sure i could stand waiting much longer. Besides, wouldnt the new card add a significant price increase, even for a 512mb?

 

[jennyh]

Hmm it's a tough choice then tbh.

4850 crossfire is more powerful in most games but the 4890 is no slouch either. Crossfire is great when it works, but it's a pain when it doesn't and with you not being an expert you are probably better off with the single 4890. You can always add another later, and I would expect the prices on them to fall through the floor within 6 months.

 

[jsh1284]

+2 on that one. If you aren't a real power user in terms of knowing a lot about your system and such .. I'd go with one 4890 if that's an option. It won't be quite the same speed two 70's would be, however it should still run pretty much anything out there perfectly fine. And as the poster above me said .. you could always add another to crossfire and end up with much better performance than you would with two 70's .. and that way you don't have to spend the extra now but only when you really do need that extra oomph.

I almost got a 4890 myself as I was really eager to upgrade my video card .. and well .. I waited for teh 5870 and it was well worth it. With that said .. if you did wait .. the 5770 would be a really good choice. But if you can't buy from any other site than the one you were talking about, I'd go with the 4890. It's still a very good and relevant card for todays gaming needs.

 

[Guest]

It's not the only site i could get from but its the best of the ones ive seen. Im getting an all singing, all dancing setup so i wouldnt want to fall short on the graphics.
Im sorry for changing the goalposts but would it be worth taking the 'free' option on the site (a 1GB 4850) and putting the savings of about £75 towards one of the 5 series?

 

[coozie7]

^Yes.
The HD4850 is not exactly top line but you'll have few problems with it driving even a 24" 1920x1200 monitor at playable framerates as long as you keep the AA off and settings within reason.
What are the specs of the new system by the way, and what is the resolution of your monitor?

 

[Guest]

Ive got a 1080 lcd tv doing nothing in the spare room so im going to use that as a monitor, its only 19" so may be more forgiving on the less powerful card. The specs are here;
Intel® Core™ i7 920 Quad Core Processor (2.66GHz,8MB Cache) - LGA1336
Free Upgrade to Windows 7 Home Premium Edition - English
Super Tower 98 XGS+ Xtreme Gaming Chassis - Black Mesh + 700W PSU
Performance Pack - OCZ Vendetta Heat pipe quiet cooling, Performance updates, specialist cabling
ASUS P6T SE Mainboard - Intel Core™ i7 & i7 Extreme Edition - ATX
6GB 1333MHz Triple Channel DDR3 SDRAM - ( 3x2GB )
1TB Serial ATA 2 Hard Drive with 32MB Buffer
Samsung 22x Dual Layer DVD Writer Super Format +R/-R/RW/RAM
1GB ATi HD4850 Graphics accelerator - DVI, DirectX 10.1 PCI Express 2
52-in-1 Multi-format Memory Card Reader (ATX)
7.1 High Definition onboard sound card - for 8 Channel Cinema sound
Hercules XPS 5.1 70 - Smart 5.1 kit for the Surround Sound Experience
Logitech Cordless Keyboard & Cordless Optical Mouse

(A bit messy but cutting and pasting was the easier way to go!)

 

[coozie7]

Nice specs
There should be no need for AA on that size and resolution of screen so the HD4850 should be fairly OK.
If you're happy with the price, then, by all means go for it, but I would advise getting some soothing balm for the trigger finger and wait if you can. DX10 is far from dead but why put a DX10 card in a brand new rig when you can have a DX11 one with a little patience?

 

[Guest]

I cant really wait, my pc sounds like a tractor these days - i have to close the door so the noise doesnt travel through to my living room!

Ill go for the 4850 and upgrade that when the 5 series drop a little in price (or not if it handles well).

Thanks for the advice, i feel a lot more confident about the whole thing now.

 

[enayet_redeemer]

Ive got a 1080 lcd tv doing nothing in the spare room so im going to use that as a monitor, its only 19" so may be more forgiving on the less powerful card. The specs are here;
Intel® Core™ i7 920 Quad Core Processor (2.66GHz,8MB Cache) - LGA1336
Free Upgrade to Windows 7 Home Premium Edition - English
Super Tower 98 XGS+ Xtreme Gaming Chassis - Black Mesh + 700W PSU
Performance Pack - OCZ Vendetta Heat pipe quiet cooling, Performance updates, specialist cabling
ASUS P6T SE Mainboard - Intel Core™ i7 & i7 Extreme Edition - ATX
6GB 1333MHz Triple Channel DDR3 SDRAM - ( 3x2GB )
1TB Serial ATA 2 Hard Drive with 32MB Buffer
Samsung 22x Dual Layer DVD Writer Super Format +R/-R/RW/RAM
1GB ATi HD4850 Graphics accelerator - DVI, DirectX 10.1 PCI Express 2
52-in-1 Multi-format Memory Card Reader (ATX)
7.1 High Definition onboard sound card - for 8 Channel Cinema sound
Hercules XPS 5.1 70 - Smart 5.1 kit for the Surround Sound Experience
Logitech Cordless Keyboard & Cordless Optical Mouse

(A bit messy but cutting and pasting was the easier way to go!)

Why don't you try for a 4850X2? Thats a very good card and price is not too high also.