Upgrading from a Radeon 4890 1gb...

DecoySA · 6 Feb 2011 at 15:09

Hi im looking to upgrade my pc so i can gain a few extra fps as well as have direct x 11 capabilities.

My Current System is:

AMD Phenom IIx4 955 BE Overclocked to 3.8ghz
Gigabyte MA790XT-UD4P
ATI Radeon 48901gb
Titan Fenrir Cooler
OCZ ModXstream Pro 600w PSU

Would it be enough to just upgrade the graphics card ? If so what graphics car (costing around £150-200) would give me a noticeable boost in fps and give me directx 11 ?

Im looking for performance increase mainly for forthcoming games like Crysis 2 and id also like to get some better peformance in Arma 2 Operation Arrowhead in anticipation for the forthcoming Project Reality Mod.

Im a bit hesitent to upgrade my CPU to an I5 or I7 because im pretty sure that would mean i would need a new motherboard (and possibly cpu cooler ?) and i can't really be arsed with that, ideally id like to just be able to upgrade the graphics card and keep the rest of the system the same...

Is it worth it or do i need to upgrade my CPU/Motherboard as well ? If so what do people Suggest ?

stulid · 6 Feb 2011 at 15:11

You could crossfire a second 4890 with that motherboard.

anuraj · 6 Feb 2011 at 15:12

Stulid he wants direct x 11 a 560 would be good

Darkpilgrim · 6 Feb 2011 at 15:12

Or get ones of these Clicky

6644kp · 6 Feb 2011 at 15:18

GTX480 is a pretty good upgrade

anuraj · 6 Feb 2011 at 15:19

Are you recommending to him the most hot loudest card in the world?

DecoySA · 6 Feb 2011 at 15:21

if the GTX480 is really loud and hot im not sure if its good for my system. things are pretty cramped inside my case and temps are quite high (40 degrees idle)

Fanatic · 6 Feb 2011 at 15:21

XFX 6950 for £209? Flash it with an unlocked ASUS BIOS then use Smart Doctor to remove the limits in Overdrive.

stulid · 6 Feb 2011 at 15:22

anuraj said:
Are you recommending to him the most hot loudest card in the world?

careful with this statement.

DecoySA · 6 Feb 2011 at 15:25

Fanatic said:
XFX 6950 for £209? Flash it with an unlocked ASUS BIOS then use Smart Doctor to remove the limits in Overdrive.

i should also state that i am not tech savy at all, and sentences like this leave me utterly bemused !

i don't want to be dealing with any overclocking or flashing or anything technical, i just want a card i can plug directly into my current system and notice a performance increase !

Fanatic · 6 Feb 2011 at 15:26

Roger that

So... an XFX 6950 for £209, but skip the flashing and overclocking bits. It is still a good card and you should see an improvement.

Or you could get the Gigabyte GeForce GTX 560Ti OC for £198.

Darkpilgrim · 6 Feb 2011 at 15:27

stulid said:
careful with this statement.

Lol but think of the money your save on heating your house

chipps101 · 6 Feb 2011 at 15:32

lol i used to have one of those fx5800 ultra's.

thats probably why i didn't think my 4870x2 was loud

Cookeh · 6 Feb 2011 at 15:34

HD6950 for £210 is by far and away the best bet.

DecoySA · 6 Feb 2011 at 15:47

ok, gonna check out the 6950 now...

what kind of FPS increase should i see ? trying to work out if its worth it ?

stulid · 6 Feb 2011 at 15:50

something like this - http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/304?vs=293 but thats using a 4870 as a comparison, for some reason the 4890 isnt selectable.

but with the older benchmark it is, so 4890 vs 4870 - http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/175?vs=176

Silenced · 6 Feb 2011 at 16:26

Don't listen to everyone saying the GTX480 is loud and hot, I've had mine for 2 days now, it's quieter and cooler than my old 4870.

It's currently idling 38c, and peaks at like 55c. My PC is actually quieter than it was before.

And that is inside an Antec 300, with about 1mm space for fit it in and the fan is over an IDE cable, so if I had a better case, it'd be cooler and quieter.

Aretenon · 6 Feb 2011 at 17:27

Well the 4800 series was pretty hot and loud as well. So if they are comparable in your opinion, that just illustrates to me that it is too hot and loud. I know because I also have a 4890 1GB, and I'd almost be happy with a trade down in performance just to get rid of it.

Personally I'm looking at a 6850, but that's because that is cool and quiet, and my resolution is quite small. Oh yea and reasonably cheap.

Cookeh · 6 Feb 2011 at 17:28

Aretenon said:
Well the 4800 series was pretty hot and loud as well. So if they are comparable in your opinion, that just illustrates to me that it is too hot and loud. I know because I also have a 4890 1GB, and I'd almost be happy with a trade down in performance just to get rid of it.

Personally I'm looking at a 6850, but that's because that is cool and quiet, and my resolution is quite small. Oh yea and reasonably cheap.

HD5850 betters the HD6850 for a cheaper price

CptMorgans · 10 Feb 2011 at 00:03

Will be interested to hear what you go for DecoySA.

I've been in the same situation, upgrading from a 4890. Strangely my upgrade timing nowadays is based more on the re-sale value of my current card rather than actually needing something faster. Should be able to get around £60-70 on eBay for my 4890 just now so don't want to hold on to it any longer really (although it's still a great card).

I game at 1680x1050 so frankly don't need the fastest most expensive card out there. My current shortlist comprises 5850, 6850, 6870 and 470. At the moment I'm swinging towards the 6850 option based on price approx £140 and the ability to easily overclock to 6870 speeds.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4002/amd-radeon-hd-6850-overclocking-roundup-asus-xfx-msi

http://www.guru3d.com/article/radeon-hd-6850-6870-review/1

I'm annoyed I missed out on the MSI GTX 470 offer when it was down around £140 last week, that would have been nice.

Anyways, be good to hear what you go for.