New build need GFX advice

[pborowiecki]

Hey everyone.

I decided to throw together an i5 rig since I havent built a pc in about 3 years and really need something new (currently running an 805D Overclocked w/ 7800GS AGP).

Back in the day I was quite a heavy PC gamer but now that I own an HDTV and a ps3 I find myself gaming on that thing instead (hey I'm old now and work full time, just dont need bleeding edge anymore like I did back then :lol: )

My pc is going to be for casual use, and Ill probably play sc2 and diablo 3 and judging by how blizzard games run they make it easy to run on any kind of hardware (leave it to blizzard to get me back into my pc lol).

Anyway to cut to the chase, ill be using my 20 inch Monitor (1650x1050) for the foreseeable future but I plan on getting something slightly bigger and go dual screens.

I'm looking at a ATI 4670 and I'm on a tight budget. Anyone have some thoughts on this card? I generally like my purchases to last me awhile as I dont upgrade as much as I did when I was younger (ahh the good old days, every paycheck from my after school job went to new hardware ). I'm totally out of the loop but this is the card my research has lead me to, but I'm sure I lack the touch that many of you on this forum have. I am willing to stretch my budget a bit as long as its nothing drastic. I toyed with going AMD instead but I figure the extra 200 for the Intel setup is worth all the extra performance down the road (hopefully).

Any thoughts ?

Thanks,

 

[paperfox]

Perhaps get a HD 5670 slightly more powerfull with dx11 which I think diablo 3 and SC2 will be dx11... right?

 

[capt_taco]

An i5 machine is a complete waste if you're only getting a 4670. That card will be a huge bottleneck on your CPU and will not play most modern games very well. Same with the 5670 -- the x670 cards are just not very powerful overall.

If price is a concern, I'd just say get a 5770 and you should get reasonable performance and it will be compatible with any game that comes out for the next few years. It'll be worth it.

 

[JofaMang]

I would also recommend a 5770 for when you upgrade your monitor. At 1680x1050, an x670 card will perform well, but once you get a larger monitor, it will not be able to hold up as well. Going multi-monitor will also put a much larger strain on the videocard, and a 5770 might not hold up as well as per your standards.

If your goal is multi-monitor gaming, you will need something stronger than a 5770, especially if each monitor is going to be 1920x1080 or higher. If your multi-monitor set up is not going to be used for gaming (game on a single monitor, use multi for daily stuff) than a 5770 will be great for you. If you want to game on both monitors, than a 5850, or crossfired 5770s will be what you should shoot for.

If DX11 isn't important to you, than a 4890 might be a much better choice, for only a little more than a 5770, though to be honest, I am ignorant of the multi-monitor capabilites of those cards.

 

[pborowiecki]

Dual monitors is not for gaming. Its just easier for me to do work on two screens. Gaming will be strictly on 1 monitor.

 

[Guest]

You're on a tight budget but you're willing to spend an extra $200 on intel because it might be worth it 'down the road', yet your pc is only for casual use?

You'd rather spend an extra $200 on a cpu that is basically the same as an AMD, and lower your graphics system to a 4670 when you could have a 5850 instead.

Go to the cpu forum, ask people what they recommend between an i5 + 4670, and a Phenom II and 5850 at the same cost.

 

[JofaMang]

You're on a tight budget but you're willing to spend an extra $200 on intel because it might be worth it 'down the road', yet your pc is only for casual use?

You'd rather spend an extra $200 on a cpu that is basically the same as an AMD, and lower your graphics system to a 4670 when you could have a 5850 instead.

Go to the cpu forum, ask people what they recommend between an i5 + 4670, and a Phenom II and 5850 at the same cost.

You are answering an unasked question. He wasn't soliciting CPu advice, and you should respect the choices he did NOT ask advice about. He is a casual gamer, with other uses for his computer. I would never suggest a 5850 to a casual gamer, just as I wouldn't put a 500hp motor in a lawnmower. C'mon, have some respect, drop the elitist attitude, and stick to the question at hand.

 

[JofaMang]

Dual monitors is not for gaming. Its just easier for me to do work on two screens. Gaming will be strictly on 1 monitor.

Then a 5770 would be a solid choice, considering a future that includes a higher resolution monitor.

 

[bystander]

The one good thing about going with the i5 now is that he won't have to upgrade the motherboard and CPU for a very long time. Looking at some charts with 5870's in CF, it's clear the i5, especially when OC'ed can push a system harder. The problem is that atm, most systems, even with a 5870, are GPU bound.

In the future, he can upgrade to a 6xxx or 4xx GPU and have a cpu that will utilize it without having to upgrade the CPU.

Check this artical out: http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/video/display/radeon-hd5870-cpu-scaling_4.html#sect1

Notice that with CF'ed 5870's that the i7 really takes a lead when the GPU isn't holding the system back. An i5 performs almost identically to the i7 in the same situations. Although it might not in the future if hyperthreading catches on.