5870 Questions

[coxmattycox]

Hi all, received my 5870, just don't feel its as much of an improvment from a 8800gtx as I would have though, Playing COD MW2 doesen't feel massively improved, can someone check if my 3dmark score seems correct?

This is using the balanced setting on Ati CCC

http://service.futuremark.com/compare?3dmv=1780083

Spec below

I have also always used Nvidia, and had the AA set at 8x and the AF set at 16X in it's panel.

Can anyone tell me what this would relate to in ATI's terms? smoothvision HD 8x and samples 24x?

Sumper sample AA?

Catalyst A.I?

Mipmap?

What settings should my system be able to run on, setting everything to its highest in ATI's CCC totally crippes COD MF2

Thanks for your input, just a little unsure on the settings with ATI

 

[Soylent Red]

Hi all, received my 5870, just don't feel its as much of an improvment from a 8800gtx as I would have though, Playing COD MW2 doesen't feel massively improved, can someone check if my 3dmark score seems correct?

I hear ya buddy, i've just upgraded from an 8800 GTS 512 and it's a bit odd. I was expecting a little more..

However.. COD MW2 probably isn't the best game to really test your card. Even my 8800GTS runs it maxed out. Your best bet is to crank the graphics up on crysis.

I've got a feeling that we'll need to see a next generation of games before the 5870 gets a chance to stretch its legs. It almost seems like the reqs have dropped for the last couple of years' games?

 

[Cocky-Roach]

just to add your 3dmark score is correct i get 17412 so similar

 

[Ritsugamesh]

I don't personally recommend setting AA, AF or any setting possibly selectable in games on the control panels, for nVidia or ATi.

As for performance boost I can say that the 5870 is leagues ahead of the 8800 in performance, it could be the resolution you are playing at, v-sync locking fps down or a number of things.

Either way I wouldn't worry yourself too much mate, benchies show the 5870 is pretty powerful as a card.

 

[FMTopfan]

Hi coxmattycox.

Just a quick note: Your CPU is causing the bottleneck - whether your using AA, AF or not - and your score could hit 20K with a better CPU as you only score 6523 being dual core. I would've bought a 5870 to double GPU performance (very good GPU score btw), but even my CPU isn't enough ([email protected]) and that scored 11149 for a total Vantage score of P13225.

Heres mine for quick compare, uses 4870 OC'd in CrossFire: http://service.futuremark.com/compare?3dmv=484168

I always use the default settings, using AA will decrease performance a lot so please don't use it for benchmarking, most people using Futuremark products don't, hence it being bad for comparison. To be sure, make sure your Ati CCC settings are all on Defaults apart from the GPU clocks in Overdrive.

 

[coxmattycox]

Thanks for your responces,

I hear what your saying Topfan regarding benchmarks, but in games my CPU isn't being maxxed, when I really ramp up the settings in ATI's CCC for COD MW2 the CPU usage is even less.

Tried dirt 2 now aswell, yes it looks good, maxed in game but balanced in ATI's CCC and its not laggy but its not uber FPS as I would have hoped, just feel its not the WOW of £300 I was hoping.

Thanks all

 

[dan7777]

Thanks for your responces,

I hear what your saying Topfan regarding benchmarks, but in games my CPU isn't being maxxed, when I really ramp up the settings in ATI's CCC for COD MW2 the CPU usage is even less.

Tried dirt 2 now aswell, yes it looks good, maxed in game but balanced in ATI's CCC and its not laggy but its not uber FPS as I would have hoped, just feel its not the WOW of £300 I was hoping.

Thanks all

well.... i think your cpu is bottlenecking i have a 5850 and maxing dirt 2 is a breeze 55fps

 

[mattup]

My rig in sig gets

GPU = 18096
CPU = 24949
overall = 19340

So its your cpu holding you back.

Matt

 

[FMTopfan]

Thanks for your responces,

I hear what your saying Topfan regarding benchmarks, but in games my CPU isn't being maxxed, when I really ramp up the settings in ATI's CCC for COD MW2 the CPU usage is even less.

Thanks all

Regarding game... Games are different to benchmarks as most engines are still optimised to use 2 cores than the full potential of 4 cores (I've had my QX6700 playing on most games since 2007), or even the 8 cores of the i7 are marginal unless you intend to play at 1920x1080/1200 or 2560x1600+ where you'll see the CPU utilisation increase as additional load is put on the CPU.

When I play MW2 or Borderlands on my Ati cards - the CPU can use up to 90% during loads or upto 40% during the gameplay (depends how heavy the physics is - Batman: AA is physics heavy & so is Dirt2 so a Physx card may help some people but Ati cards users need to use a tweak - as you see, it does use quite a lot of the CPU). Where you intend to utilise the most of the best/fastest/dearest gpu in the 5970 or your 5870, your FPS is still linked to your CPU; where it starts to run out of puff, you'll notice your fps starting to dip towards 20fps.

RE: mattup. could you provide a compare url please so we have more details.

 

[MoRT489]

I would've bought a 5870 to double GPU performance (very good GPU score btw), but even my CPU isn't enough ([email protected]).

I very much doubt there would be a significant bottleneck using ur QX6700 at 3.2

 

[OLDPHART]

Yes it could be your CPU E6600 even at 3.7 (DUO CORE) GHz holding you back. My son went from a E6750 > 3.2GHz (DUO CORE) TO A Q9550 > 3.2GHz (QUAD CORE) it improved his gaming all round FPS, smoother, faster loading, etc.

 

[coxmattycox]

Ok thanks all,

I thought if it was showing my CPU's weren't being fully utilised a faster CPU wouldn't make any difference to my FPS but maybe I'm wrong. Looks time for to go for a I5, I7 route in the future months.

Would only having pcie 1 and 2 not make much difference?

 

[FMTopfan]

Ok thanks all,

I thought if it was showing my CPU's weren't being fully utilised a faster CPU wouldn't make any difference to my FPS but maybe I'm wrong. Looks time for to go for a I5, I7 route in the future months.

My friend went for the i7 920 D0 Stepping from OC and that was guaranteed to clock at 4Ghz (I don't see OC doing them anymore on a quick check), which it did under Prime. It only reaches those dizzy speeds under load otherwise it clocks back to default speeds.

Would only having pcie 1 and 2 not make much difference?

It will make a big difference as each new PCI-e version doubles the amount of bandwidth. When I ordered my 4870, I also ordered a PCI-e 2.0 X48 mobo since my old PCI-e 1.1 680 Sli would hold it back, then I ended up buying another 4870 for CrossFire.

Using any modern GPU requires PCI-e 2.0(+) to fully utilise the available bandwidth (unless your on a budget and have to use PCI-e 1.1 on older boards). Ati's 5870/5970 uses PCie 2.1, whereas my 4870 uses PCI-e 2.0 but uses the same bandwidth so there is no difference apart gearing it towards PCI-e 3.0.