Monitor Size and Graphics Cards

[tommy6860]

Hey All,

I am just about ready to get a high end gaming rig and have been waiting for the DX11 cards to hit. Now that I see that the Radeon 5870 is here, I have a question regarding what I am thinking of getting. Would the size of a monitor determine how powerful a card I need? I mean, if I get a 26" monitor, would it take more power to run that, than a 22", I admit I am unsure of this"?

Also, is there a benefit to waiting (other than price) for the 5870x2 or would two separate 5870s still work the same way?

 

[obsidian86]

size ain't a factor resolution is the main factor you can run a 22" a 1920x1200 or a 26" at 1920x1200 the amount of graphics power needed would only marginally differ

 

[tommy6860]

size ain't a factor resolution is the main factor you can run a 22" a 1920x1200 or a 26" at 1920x1200 the amount of graphics power needed would only marginally differ

So, a more powerful graphics card would be needed to run larger monitors?

 

[stridervm]

Usually, a monitor has what it's called a "natural" resolution.

So the best idea is to just look at a monitor's natural resolution, and then look up Tom's graphics charts for their suggestions on a specific resolution.

 

[obsidian86]

So, a more powerful graphics card would be needed to run larger monitors?

not really,graphics power needed depends on resolution more, the higher the resolutions the more power is needed

 

[Dekasav]

Size means nothing, resolution does matter, though. To put it simply any size screen with a resolution of X will run exactly the same as any other size screen with a resolution of X.

 

[tommy6860]

Thanks to those who answered about monitor sizes, that helps. But, can anyone now answer about the benefits of having a 5870x2 over two separate 5870s, excluding the worry about price and power consumption?

 

[wh3resmycar]

But, can anyone now answer about the benefits of having a 5870x2 over two separate 5870s, excluding the worry about price and power consumption?

space inside your chassis.

 

[renz496]

the only benefit i can think of is they only need single slot. and if you want more power later you can quad-fire them

 

[4745454b]

Seeing as the 5870x2 isn't here yet, we can only guess. It has been suggested that the 5870x2 will have to have lower clocks then the 5870 because of how much power the 5870 comsumes. You simply can't put two of those on a single board. By lowering the clocks, they can then put two on the board, but that would mean two 5870s would be faster. You'll have to wait and see how the 5870x2 pans out.

 

[tommy6860]

Seeing as the 5870x2 isn't here yet, we can only guess. It has been suggested that the 5870x2 will have to have lower clocks then the 5870 because of how much power the 5870 comsumes. You simply can't put two of those on a single board. By lowering the clocks, they can then put two on the board, but that would mean two 5870s would be faster. You'll have to wait and see how the 5870x2 pans out.

Thanks for the reply,

I am torn between waiting for the 5870x2 or going ahead and getting two 5870s (right now, money is not of a concern, but I want DX11) with a system ordered when Windows 7 is released. My current PC is pushing 6 years of age and I am getting burned out on console gaming and want to get back into PC gaming, especially for RPG, RTS and stealth gaming. I go on vacation near the end of the 2nd week of November for two weeks and I want to get my gaming in then with my new rig and as a very early Xmas gift to myself.

If I knew I could get a 5870x2 ordered and shipped to me before then, I would go that route. But, as it stands, I may just order the dual 5870s with my system two week before I go on vacation. Here's the system I want:


Intel i7-960 3.20 GHz 8M L3 Cache LGA1366

FAN: Asetek Liquid CPU Cooling System

HDD1 - 160 GB Intel X25-M 2.5 inch SATA MLC Solid State Disk

HDD2: Single Hard Drive 1TB

ViewSonic VA2626WM Flat 26"

MOTHERBOARD: Asus P6T Intel X58 Chipset SLI/CrossFireX MOBO

12GB (2GBx6) DDR3/1600MHz Triple Channel Memory Module (Corsair Dominator )

Thermaltake W0132RU ToughPower 1,000 Watts Power Supply

Creative Labs SB X-Fi Xtreme Audio 24-BIT PCI Sound Card

2 - ATI Radeon HD 5870s

 

[4745454b]

Sounds good to me, other then the TT PSU. I know they make good ones, but I just can't seem to like them. Seeing as the 5870x2 won't be out by the time you want to play, there is a good chance two 5870s in CF will be faster, and you said money isn't an issue, I would just go ahead and buy. The x2 is supposed to be here at the end of the year or the start of the next, and Nvidia has nothing coming for even longer. If you want the best before your vacation, two 5870s is it.

 

[Ehsan w]

Thanks for the reply,

I am torn between waiting for the 5870x2 or going ahead and getting two 5870s (right now, money is not of a concern, but I want DX11) with a system ordered when Windows 7 is released. My current PC is pushing 6 years of age and I am getting burned out on console gaming and want to get back into PC gaming, especially for RPG, RTS and stealth gaming. I go on vacation near the end of the 2nd week of November for two weeks and I want to get my gaming in then with my new rig and as a very early Xmas gift to myself.

If I knew I could get a 5870x2 ordered and shipped to me before then, I would go that route. But, as it stands, I may just order the dual 5870s with my system two week before I go on vacation. Here's the system I want:


Intel i7-960 3.20 GHz 8M L3 Cache LGA1366

FAN: Asetek Liquid CPU Cooling System

HDD1 - 160 GB Intel X25-M 2.5 inch SATA MLC Solid State Disk

HDD2: Single Hard Drive 1TB

ViewSonic VA2626WM Flat 26"

MOTHERBOARD: Asus P6T Intel X58 Chipset SLI/CrossFireX MOBO

12GB (2GBx6) DDR3/1600MHz Triple Channel Memory Module (Corsair Dominator )

Thermaltake W0132RU ToughPower 1,000 Watts Power Supply

Creative Labs SB X-Fi Xtreme Audio 24-BIT PCI Sound Card

2 - ATI Radeon HD 5870s

looks to me like you have too much money xD
if you can overclock, that cpu looks like an overkill
I think you should save the money and get a Core i7 920 and learn to overclock that (if you don't already)
and spend that money on upgrading later
just because that cpu doesn't give enough performance for the money

 

[tommy6860]

looks to me like you have too much money xD
if you can overclock, that cpu looks like an overkill
I think you should save the money and get a Core i7 920 and learn to overclock that (if you don't already)
and spend that money on upgrading later
just because that cpu doesn't give enough performance for the money

You may have a point about the 920, but then I hear equal pros to my choice or even the 975 extreme. Mainly because some think, and rightfully so, that processing power will be needed for future use. I also am not into overclocking, so I want that power right off This, by the way will not be solely a gaming rig, as I also do very heavy photo and video editing. Believe it or not, I am getting this rig built for about $3400.

 

[Ehsan w]

You may have a point about the 920, but then I hear equal pros to my choice or even the 975 extreme. Mainly because some think, and rightfully so, that processing power will be needed for future use. I also am not into overclocking, so I want that power right off This, by the way will not be solely a gaming rig, as I also do very heavy photo and video editing. Believe it or not, I am getting this rig built for about $3400.

I haven't checked, but Intel should be releasing a 6 core cpu soon, maybe you should wait for that.
The thing is, I never recommend the highest end hardware, just because the difference is always so small if you go one tier below it.
I really have no idea when that is coming though

 

[tommy6860]

I haven't checked, but Intel should be releasing a 6 core cpu soon, maybe you should wait for that.
The thing is, I never recommend the highest end hardware, just because the difference is always so small if you go one tier below it.
I really have no idea when that is coming though

I'll pass on the i9, not because of its unknown release date, but because I don't want to wait it out and the price of those chips are going to be pricey for at least the first few months of their availability anyway. I've actually been putting this purchase off for well over a year, somewhat because of hardware changes (quad cores to the i7s, and faster graphics cards) and knowing long ago the possibility of DX11. Buying the i7 will be good enough for a long time to come, considering the power of all of the hardware I am getting combined.

 

[Ehsan w]

ah in that case
GO FOR IT
maybe, since if you don't overclock yourself, you can get the place you're buying it from to overclock it for you, unless you don't want to of course 😛

 

[tommy6860]

ah in that case
GO FOR IT
maybe, since if you don't overclock yourself, you can get the place you're buying it from to overclock it for you, unless you don't want to of course 😛

The place where I am almost certain to get this PC from can OC it to 20% more for $30.

 

[Ehsan w]

The place where I am almost certain to get this PC from can OC it to 20% more for $30.

looks like you got yourself a deal ^^

 

[tommy6860]

Seeing as the 5870x2 isn't here yet, we can only guess. It has been suggested that the 5870x2 will have to have lower clocks then the 5870 because of how much power the 5870 comsumes. You simply can't put two of those on a single board. By lowering the clocks, they can then put two on the board, but that would mean two 5870s would be faster. You'll have to wait and see how the 5870x2 pans out.

Well, I thought I'd follow up to this reply with info from this site's benchmark test regarding what was mentioned as a 5870x2 (IOWs 2gpus on one card) being as good as two separate cards. I already got the two 5870s now and the 5970 (dual GPU card) just was released. And to your guess, your were correct that the dual GPU setup is not as fast as two separate cards.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-5970,2474.html

 

[tommy6860]

looks like you got yourself a deal ^^

By the way, I decided to build the system myself. I did tone down the processor to a i7 950 as getting an additional .27ghz of speed from the 975 is not going to make or break my gaming and I saved almost $400. Besides, with the heatsink I have installed, i could overclock this CPU bigtime. The 5870x2 setup irocks, as I hit 40-45fps with the highest settings with no issues on Crysis.