Compare ATI 5870 vs 5770

[SiCHIPS]

Hello,

Could someone please explain what the 5770 x2 vs. 5870 x1 really means?
Is the Frame rate twice as fast or the resolution higher? Exactly what is gained?

I am buying a Mac-Pro box with the Westmere 3.33GHz chip and want a high end workstation.

Thanks for any and all help in this matter!!!

 

[benski]

5770 x2 vs. 5870x1 means there are two 5770 cards in Crossfire-X and one 5870 card being compared. Resolution and frame rate are determined by the monitor and demands of the software. I don't know a damn thing about Macs but in a PC single cards perform better in windowed apps and are less of a hassle generally.

 

[COLGeek]

That info indicates 2 HD5770s in Crossfire mode vice 1 HD5870. 2 5770s are faster than 1 5770, but not faster than 1 5870 in most applications.

When you say you want a high end workstation, what sort of applications do you plan to use?

 

[wa1]

http://www.techpowerup.com/132662/Yeston-Designs-Radeon-HD-5770-X2-Graphics-Card.html
Quote:
"is a dual-GPU graphics accelerator that makes use of two Radeon HD 5770 GPUs, each with its own 1 GB of GDDR5 memory, that share the PCI-Express interface using a PLX-made bridge chip"
So basically, dual GPU on single card.

About HD 5870:
http://www.hardwareheaven.com/reviews/902/pg4/dirt-2-dx11-performance-ati-dirt-2-4xaa.html

A single HD 5870 is generally faster than dual HD 5770.

 

[Maziar]

2 5770s perform pretty much like 1 5870(slightly slower),moreover;OS X doesn't support CrossFire,so go with 1 5870.

 

[johnxfire]

Hello,

Could someone please explain what the 5770 x2 vs. 5870 x1 really means?
Is the Frame rate twice as fast or the resolution higher? Exactly what is gained?

I am buying a Mac-Pro box with the Westmere 3.33GHz chip and want a high end workstation.

Thanks for any and all help in this matter!!!

Hello!

Basically, having two HD5770s in Crossfire is slightly slower than an HD5870. You might as well go with the HD5870. Also, last I checked, Crossfire doesn't bode well with OpenGL, so you might want to keep that in mind.

For a high-end workstation, I'd advise you to check out ATi FirePros or nVidia Quadros if you aren't limited to Macs. Much more optimized drivers for AutoDesk Maya, AutoCAD, etc. etc. Of course, those will run you up to 500~3000USD, depending on the card. Otherwise, just get the HD5870. Don't forget to get a decent amount of RAM to make the most of your Westmere!

 

[SiCHIPS]

Thanks for all the help folks.
Sounds like my video editing and photography needs will be handled by the 5770 card.

 

[jerreece]

?? I think folks were suggesting you go with the ATI 5870. Which would also be my suggestion. Especially if OS X wont' support Crossfire, that 5770 X2 card might be a waste of money and cause you issues.

Besides that, One powerful video card is always better in the long run than 2 lesser ones.