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drew64

drew64

drew64

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Joined
18 Feb 2009
Posts
691
Location
Cambridge
helloo, long time reader first time poster :)
this is another "wanna upgrade my 4850" post, which im sure you're all very bored of :( But i really dunno what to upgrade it with, and considering i built this PC by stalking these forums for ages, im guessing you guys know best :D
okay, my current system is

Q6600 running at 2.4ghz
Asus p5k-e wifi ap (apparently these 2 bits are amazing for overclocking but not luck)
4Gb dominator dddr2 ram
antec basiq 500watt (this is 90% likely to need replacement i know)
currently gaming on a 19inch screen, though i dont want a card that would be gimped if i got a larger screen.

i was looking at upgrading to a Nvidia285 (one of the BFG ones) but ive read that these arent worth the money? (despite other places saying they're good)
and then ive seen that new cards are apparently coming out in a couple of months...

so essentially, im a noob at this thing, and would just like a "buy X" or wait a bit, just cus im getting confused by so many conflicting write ups :(

thanks in advance
 
until you buy a newer bigger monitor you can save your money, theres no point upgrading your 4850, it should handle everything at that res. By the time you do get a monitor chances are prices for gfx cards will have come down, so ask nearer the time
 
If you want it get it, don't wait :p

For that money i would get 4870x2 or get 260 216, OC it and get 22" monitor with roughly the same money you would spend on 295 :)
 
get a screen that supports 1920x1200 before you think of getting a new GPU, or wait a few years until lack of smartshader whatever it is or directX somthing or other mean your 4850 work with games. at the res you game at the 4850 will be fine for a long time
 
i like to run things at max settings, and for example with shadows and everything else turned up i notice it struggling on WoW, in open areas, the game's not exactly cutting edge graphically, and i want a bit of future proofing, and knowing my card can handle it comfortably, wheras mine starts to show graphical problems tearing etc in more demanding games.
 
or trade in your 4850 and upgrade to a 4870 (not the X2)- you will see slightly better performance and it is more future proof - its also perfect for 19" and upwards sooooo....
 
drew64 said:
i like to run things at max settings, and for example with shadows and everything else turned up i notice it struggling on WoW, in open areas, the game's not exactly cutting edge graphically, and i want a bit of future proofing, and knowing my card can handle it comfortably, wheras mine starts to show graphical problems tearing etc in more demanding games.
Click to expand...

I'm not WoW expert but I doubt you're experiencing graphics lag. WoW looks like poo. If you have to upgrade, the 4870 1GB would the best choice.
 
drew64 said:
i like to run things at max settings, and for example with shadows and everything else turned up i notice it struggling on WoW, in open areas, the game's not exactly cutting edge graphically, and i want a bit of future proofing, and knowing my card can handle it comfortably, wheras mine starts to show graphical problems tearing etc in more demanding games.
Click to expand...


LOL WoW is dreadful for slow down since its patching mate - its common accross all cards. Since they introduced new shadowing effects etc the optimisation isnt exactly great - you are not on your own with this. However a reinstallation of drivers having completely wiped all trace of the old ones works a treat.

I assume you know that CNTRL 'R' shows your fps in WoW? try it and see what you get before a driver clean and reinstall. You may be surprised - i got 15 more fps lol.
 
deleted said:
I dont understand your problem? a 4850 is hugely able for a 19" monitor.
Click to expand...

I'd agree with this at the moment. You shouldnt really be struggling with any games at the moment on 1440x900; so I'd save your pennies until you change screens or the next wave of more demanding games and hardware come round.

At the moment you'd be spending money on e-peen numbers, not playable; I wouldn't think many games would drop below 40fps with your setup as it stands, if anything your quad at stock could be holding the 4850 back, although if multi-core enhancements make an impact in the next 9.2 catalysts, even that will get you a net gain.
 
Alexrose1uk said:
if anything your quad at stock could be holding the 4850 back, although if multi-core enhancements make an impact in the next 9.2 catalysts, even that will get you a net gain.
Click to expand...

what sort of speed do think would not be risking hold it back?
atm by processor never seems stressed at all
though thats going with the LCD display on my keyboard
 
The general gist is the 4850/70 like somewhere around 3Ghz for best performance, the X2 apparently like 3.4-6 to get the most out of it with core2.

Wow itself is also incredibly cpu hungry, and places like Dalaran will eat CPU time like tomorrow, and are CPU limited rather than GPU (I have tested this out; I get almost the same fps at 1920x1200 with all settings min and max in Dalaran). WoW is also not really multicore optimised beyond about 2 cores, so overclocking would benefit that as well.

Turning down shadows will help increase your overall performance as well, they are currently not the best optimised as already mentioned.
 
according to my g15. the processor is at about 35% load in built up areas, and on games like Left4dead.
so either that means the CPU is handling it fine, or its buggered im guessing?

like i said i fail at this, but ive saved up some money and just wanna upgrade to a point that i wont have to worry about it for a while.
 
Welll from my point of view I'd suggest you keep your money for now and tweak the rest of your setup. I'd say try overclocking the processor, and go from there. Also I wouldn't trust your readout for WoW. Does it actually tell you the load from ALL cores or just overall (remember 100% on one processor is only 25% in that case!)

From personal experience WoW will use the CPU power.
 
Right here we go, here's some proof for you. My CPU is at 3.2GHz and I've just gone and sat in Dalaran for a minute. The cpu load is a bit of a give away:

test.jpg


CPUs 3/4 are almost on 0, but CPU 1 is almost maxxed and CPU 2 is at least 50% load. With a 2.4Ghz processor you ARE CPU limited, as wow is relying on 2 cores...which are not fast enough to pump out what you want.
Your G15 (I'd guess) is reporting overall load, not core by core which is important when things aren't optimised for multi-core.

Save your money for when it can be put to some real use, buy a better cooler if you need it, and clock your processor. Most of them will make 3Ghz. I'm on a 520W Corsair so you might well be able to get a bit of a clock out of your PSU, as your 4850 will be using less juice than my slightly clocked 4870.

If you need some suggestings on BIOS settings take a photo with a digicam of the settings your board gives you and I'll suggest some dummy settings to try out, make sure you know how to access RAM timings, FSB etc and voltages :)
 
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OK enough, if you buy a new card before you buy a new monitor Im going to come round your house and beat you with a wet fish!!! lol, seriously man, the 4850 is not your problem
 
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