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Need video card recommendation
Just bought this pc not so long ago and I need to upgrade my video card for FFXIV. So I was wondering what video card would someone suggest. Price range around $200-$300 is doable. Thanks for the help!
New pc link: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883227247
30
Comments
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150494&cm_re=5850-_-14-150-494-_-Product
I bought a sapphire toxic edition recently of the 5850 and am very happy. Its around 30-40 bucks more. For under 300 thats a very nice card IMO.
for about 300 bucks you will be able to buy Radeon 4870x2. It is very good card and the only disadvantage (not for me) is lack of DX 11. Check this:
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/270974-15-5850-4870
Well, it depend a little if you want ATI or Nvidia.
ATI: 5850 is a good card for the money. It performs very well for the money it costs. $290
Nvidia: 465 GTX is somewhat worse but also cost less $250. the 470 cost just over 300 bucks and is about as good as the 5850 but we said max 300. There is however a limited time offer on one but you have to buy it today in that case.
Anyways, all good cards at good prices.
I would argue that the GTX 470 outperforms the 5850, in most if not all cases. It also occasionally overtakes the 5870 in DX11 benchmarks. If you're looking for longevity in your purchase I would choose the GTX 470, however you will face some challenges (heat and power). If you can get past that it's an amazing card that will take on most DX11 titles and beat current ATI cards. Also the drivers are improving rather quickly, so you will get more performance on those as time wears on. The current ATI drivers are already striving towards maximum card performance on the hardware they have released. I've owned a 5770 and a GTX 470, I love my GTX 470 for it's power, I loved my 5770 for it's price:performance ratio.
The best government is a benevolent tyranny tempered by an occasional assassination. - Voltaire
i5-750 OC'd to 4.0Ghz - PNY GTX 470 Performance Edition - Western Digital 2X2TB in RAID 0 - Samsung BD Drive - 4GB DDR3 2000Mhz - CM Storm Scout
Im a fan of ati so Id say the 5850, but I sure like the new 5970s, has any one a toxic 5970 ati radeon graphics card? Those things are crazy!
I normally choose Nvidia over ATI, for the simple fact that most developers use Nvidia cards to program their games, this makes for less issues when you play the games.
This of course may not be an issue these days but maybe something worth considering if you are undecided between the two.
I recommend a ATi Radeon HD 5850 because it's the most bang for the buck these days.
Edit: spelling error
All those memories will be lost in time, like tears in the rain.
The simple fact is that there's just nothing to recommend Nvidia cards right now.
They suck power, produce loads of heat, and give no more performance for the money (less if you consider the need for a beefier PSU for a given card range). For every Nvidia card out there right now, there's an Ati card a little above and below it that will be just as good in terms of performance and value, and won't run up your electric bill by $4 a minute (or melt your computer) in the process.
One GTX480 consumes as much a two Radeon HD 5870s (and more than a 5970), but of course, doesn't give anywhere near the same level of performance as such a setup.
Where are you reading this BS? my currently system draw power is less with a 480 in than a 4870x2.
Really blows my mind with the misinformation.
As for FFXIV it is an Nvidia game and so far the talk is it "currently" performs better on equal systems with an apples to apples comparison for Nvidia GPU in place.
Well, in all fairness, a 4870X2 is a dual-core solution, which tend to do poorly in power-draw comparisons, even against larger single-core cards. And if I"m not mistaken, ATI hadn't quite sorted out the GDDR5 power draw issue at that point. So it's entirely likely that your GTX480 is doing better than the 4870X2.
But Cat's power claims aren't BS at all - check the following links:
HardwareCanucks power draw analysis
TechReport power draw analysis
[H] power draw analysis
Sadly, Nvidia's still got issues to work out with the 400-series in the areas of efficiency and leakage, and the results show. All else equal, ATI's putting on a fantastic showing this round.
Having said all that, I personally fall into the camp of people who have been burned too many times by ATI on the software/driver front, so I'm fully expecting to take the power and cost hit to run a 400-series card in the near-future.
edit: Spelling/formatting
A Modest Proposal for MMORPGs:
That the means of progression would not be mutually exclusive from the means of enjoyment.
Oh I have read those, but thanks for pointing out, I do no see 2 x 5870 = to 1 480 in terms of consumption, I also do not see $4 / minute extra nor melting your PC. Which is why I call BS. Nothing against ATI the figures speak for themselves but blantantly spreading BS like that is bollocks.
I few months ago I got the HIS 5850. It has proven to be the best with the games I play. (LotRO, AoC, Dragon Age, and others) I play with the graphics maxxed. It's unbelievable how astounding the graphics look.
SuperBiiz.com is having a sale on their MSI 5850.
http://www.techbargains.com/news_displayItem.cfm/214139
After coupon code and rebate, you can get it for $255.
"Those who dislike things based only on the fact that they are popular are just as shallow and superficial as those who only like them for the same reason."
I realize sarcasm and hyperbole don't exactly translate well over the internet, but it's a little sad if you can't figure out that the $4/minute claim as an exaggeration, merely intended to indicate utterly ridiculous power draw.
Furthermore, you should be more than able to figure out that anything matching and surpassing a 5970 would do the same for two 5870s, which is exactly what a 5970 is (just on one PCB, which does save a little bit of power).
Read Techspot's review here (bold text mine): "Power consumption figures for the GeForce GTX 480 are truly terrifying... With a total system consumption of 506 watts under load, it was 22% more power hungry than the Radeon HD 5870. Despite being a single GPU graphics card it used slightly more power than the dual-GPU Radeon HD 5970 at both idle and load, and was comparable to a pair of Radeon HD 5870 graphics cards in Crossfire mode."
They actually mis-stated that slightly. The total system load was 22% greater with a GTX480 than with the 5870, not the relative card draw (which is about 100% greater). Nevertheless, the tests say it all.