Most Powerful Card to Date?!

theufnk007 · 6 Aug 2009 at 11:38

It's been over a year since I have upgraded and am currently running with a single GTX 285, can someone inform me of what card currently is the top performer?!

I am looking at upgrading my whole system but wanted to feel out the cost of a new shiny card?!

Thanks for any replies :-)

Meeeellar · 6 Aug 2009 at 11:42

MARS BAR haha

Not much as changed really... the 295's are the best cards around...

TBH i wouldn't bother even looking at a new card... that 285 is still one of the best around. Also the new DX11 cards are coming up in the next few months/early 2010.

Wait till then.

Antx777 · 6 Aug 2009 at 13:17

If this Mars Bar® was DX11, I would give it a shout myself. But being DX10 only, it is possible that this 1K plus card will be outdated this year

malachi · 6 Aug 2009 at 13:53

Over a grand for a mars bar!!madness!!

'Wes · 6 Aug 2009 at 13:55

Not worth it, doesn't contain chocolate.

Tute · 6 Aug 2009 at 13:59

Won't taste nice either.

Current lineup goes like this, starting with the fastest.

GTX295 MARS*
GTX295*
4870X2*
GTX285
HD4850X2*
GTX280
GTX275 = HD4890
GTX260-216 = HD4870 1GB
GTX260 = HD4870 512MB
GTX250 = HD4850

* means the card uses Crossfire/SLi.

Below that you're into budget cards.

The HD4850X2 i'm not sure about either, I think it's around GTX285 speeds?

WJA96 · 6 Aug 2009 at 18:48

At the risk of going off-topic I really don't see this thing about DX11. Even now, there are only a handful of games that really use DX10, and I think even most of those will play DX9.

I was at a LAN recently and there was a guy there with SLI'd 8800GTX's and he was running pretty well from what I could see.

Greebo · 6 Aug 2009 at 18:58

I think the key thing is as follows though

1. Cards brought for the new dx tends to run the old dx at much faster speeds.
2. There are and have being some dx10 only games. Nobody wants to spend maybe up to a grand now on the best dx10 card to find that in a month or two time, the nex dx11 cards are cheaper, outperforms it and worst than that a dx11 game only comes out next year that they can't play.

ryujinjakka · 6 Aug 2009 at 19:12

also by waiting for dx11 cards not only will they give your graphics a good boost they'll at least still be able to run latest games in 2-3 years time when dx11 is close to being/fully implemented

capriboy1978 · 6 Aug 2009 at 19:24

spend the money elsewhere chap -wine/ women/ debauchery/ insert your sin here *

Unless your planning on a new 30" monitor NOW and can't wait your 285 should be better than fine in most games upto and inc at 1920 x 1200.

Whats the rest of your system? If your itching to spend maybe a faster processor / new monitor etc.

Bennal · 6 Aug 2009 at 20:07

WJA96 said:
At the risk of going off-topic I really don't see this thing about DX11. Even now, there are only a handful of games that really use DX10, and I think even most of those will play DX9.

I was at a LAN recently and there was a guy there with SLI'd 8800GTX's and he was running pretty well from what I could see.

The 8800GTXs were/are wicked sick. They got replaced when they were still well in their prime.

dakotha · 6 Aug 2009 at 20:17

Bennal said:
The 8800GTXs were/are wicked sick. They got replaced when they were still well in their prime.

Actually in games that support SLI well, dual 8800 GTXs might even beat a GTX285? At least my dual overclocked 8800 ULTRAs (Ultra = overclocked 8800GTX) beat my single GTX285 in Crysis Warhead bench (1680x1050, no AA, DX10). With 3 8800Ultras I could get quite similar results as dual GTX285s on my setup ([email protected] GHz). It could also be that my CPU was bottlenecking the new cards, but it seemed that the old cards just didn't wanna give up..

titaniumx3 · 6 Aug 2009 at 20:17

Apparently DX11 is going to be what DX10 was supposed to be and bring in some substantial performance boosts.

straxusii · 6 Aug 2009 at 20:19

5870X2 will spank mars for £350

capriboy1978 · 6 Aug 2009 at 20:32

not yet it won't.

thevet · 6 Aug 2009 at 20:32

Antx777 said:
If this Mars Bar® was DX11, I would give it a shout myself. But being DX10 only, it is possible that this 1K plus card will be outdated this year

totally agree,you will probably get it in a few months for £300

capriboy1978 · 6 Aug 2009 at 20:44

where's this pricing come from for the 5870x2?

If it'll spank the 295 then wtf would ati sell it for less than it at launch? Surely it'll launch at a premium, at least until nvidia launch an alternative or the gt200 series price falls through the floor.

Happy to be wrong

It would be great for ati to continue the resurrect the recent spanking of nvidia if they are that far ahead with the next gen cards but i fear the current economic climate might not allow it.

Red Porsche · 6 Aug 2009 at 21:09

Theres no need for a card better than the one you've got unless you want stupidly unnecessary graphics and game on a massive screen

.

RizlaKing · 6 Aug 2009 at 21:15

Ati announced their pricing strategy a long time ago emphasising that max profit wasn't the main thing. Right now i think they are more interested in market share and are prepared to sacrifice a little profit to achieve that. I expect the 5870X2 to be about £380 on release dropping hopefully to about £350ish after a few weeks.

=VTA=MANFACE · 6 Aug 2009 at 22:03

RizlaKing said:
Ati announced their pricing strategy a long time ago emphasising that max profit wasn't the main thing. Right now i think they are more interested in market share and are prepared to sacrifice a little profit to achieve that. I expect the 5870X2 to be about £380 on release dropping hopefully to about £350ish after a few weeks.

58xxX2 plus CoD MW2, Winner !