HeELP FROM M'LEARNED FRIENDS PLEASE

ac3144

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Apr 27, 2009
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Hello m'learned friends, I need you to impart some wisdom upon my ears...


Background:

I have come into some money- ~£300 (roughly $375-400). I am keen to spend it on my beloved machine (aren't we all).

My setup:

Q6600 @3.4GHz
8Gb RAM
Gigabyte EP45-DQ6
2 x 64Gb Samsung SSD's
3 Other HDD's mainly for storage
2 x 4770's
Samsung 2232BW 1680x1050 Monitor
Coolermaster Cosmos Case + Multitude of fans
Heaps of other gubbins- Sennheiser Headphones, games etc


Main issue:
With that money (or nearabouts) I could buy a 4890 AND a 26" Iiyama monitor @ 1920x1200 OR a single 5850. Which do you think I should get?

What I'm thinking

I probably won't get any more money to upgrade for some time (year or more maybe). I am tending toward getting the 4890 and the monitor because I can give my Samsung to my son for his X Box and the Iiyama is better resolution.

I am aware of DX11 which is what is holding me back from just saying yay to the 4890/monitor combo. In this respect I can see that the 5850 may be a better choice. However, I am also thinking that a whole system upgrade will be needed in the not too distant future so maybe the fact I can crossfire the 5850 will be a moot point as I won't have the CPU grunt to handle it.

Saving the money is not an option really, it will get frittered away on something boring so I am keen to put it to use sharpish.

What do you think I should do?

Is it worth it in terms of performance and visual beauty? (will 2 x 4770's perform as well as 1 x 4890 @1920 res?)

Should I get the 5850 because DX 11 will be amazing?

Should I use the money from selling my 4770's and lash out on a 5870? (curveball for you at the end there)


All advice greatly appreciated and if you need more info I will post it up asap.

Thanks in advance gentlemen (and Jennyh:p)

Andy
 
Option 3) Get monitor now and then get the 5800 card later. It's not like there are many DX 11 games yet.

I get the feeling that you want a new monitor, but will also feel sad to not have DX 11 support in the near future.
 

ac3144

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Hmm yeah I suppose you could say that. I am also a little worried that my 2 4770's won't be 'quite' as good at 1920 res as a 4970 would be. That said, I play the latest games and I'm guessing they are geared up for multi gpu support so my 4770's should hold their ground.

But what of the new 5850/70's? Will I get a good improvement over my 4770's with my setup or will I be CPU limited too much?

Thanks for your input.
Andy
 
Your 4770 crossfire setup outperforms a single 4890. I suggest that you spend the money on the monitor for now. I think a good monitor with more real estate is going to give you more visual satisfaction than a new GPU since that crossfire setup is still powerful.
 

Kithzaru

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Apr 23, 2009
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I would have to agree with everyone else. Buying a 4890 would only decrease your performance in most situations. A 5850 is nice, but your 2x 4770's are nice too.

If you want a new monitor to play a higher res, that's always fun =D but as far as upgrading the GPU, you may as well just wait. You aren't behind the curve with your current setup.
 

tiotaitch

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It's the Holidays !! Believe you said you will probably upgrade whole rig not too distant future. Spend money on other family members - be nice! Rig you have currently seems decent enough IMO. Family = Better return on Investment !!!
 

ac3144

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@ Rolli + Kithzaru

I think you are right, I'm going to stick with my 4770's and just get the monitor.

@Tiotatch

Thanks! Don't worry we are going to have a great Christmas, this is only a small portion of the money and my wife has the same amount to spend on whichever she chooses. Also my children will do very well out of Santa this year :)

Thanks very much for your advice chaps.
AC