• Competitor rules

    Please remember that any mention of competitors, hinting at competitors or offering to provide details of competitors will result in an account suspension. The full rules can be found under the 'Terms and Rules' link in the bottom right corner of your screen. Just don't mention competitors in any way, shape or form and you'll be OK.

If you had £400...What would you get?

Associate
Joined
21 Nov 2006
Posts
247
Ok I have £400... and its burning a hole in my pocket.

I'd like a semi long-term card for gaming...BF3, Skyrim, and onwards etc...

I've always been an ATI fan, although the MSI GTX580 appeals to me.

That being said a few people have posted comments regarding the heat non-ref cards can blow into your case. Is the difference between reference and non-reference cooling and heat extraction that large?

Please advise...
 
Last edited:
Assuming I wasn't playing the waiting game, which I more than likely wouldn't, my preference would be to get one of these with an aim to adding another later :

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-150-EA&groupid=701&catid=1914&subcat=1010


While over budget, I'd also be tempted by two of each of the following :

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-274-SP&groupid=701&catid=56&subcat=1752

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-140-MS&groupid=701&catid=1914&subcat=1341

The Phantom 560 were also on my list but they are out of stock. The EVGA ones are also as just a good a consideration as the MSI.
 
Last edited:
580gtx, horrible horrible performance/£. It costs 40% more than a 570gtx, yet performs, clock for clock, less than 10% ahead, overclock both to their max, the 40% extra becomes a joke. Pretty similar for 6950 vs 6970.

Either way, new AMD cards are due in December by most reports, with TSMC confirming finished wafers have are shipping to AMD with production in full swing(albeit limited capacity as with all new processes so hard to know about numbers).

With cards that could be 70-80% faster due in just over a months time(the rumoured date is 6th December, but I wouldn't put loads of money on that just yet), I really wouldn't be buying anything now. New gen launches, you should have options of, more performance for the same price, current cards at much lower prices, basically all kinds of options while right now, other than the odd 6950 deal, none of the cards are generally good value right now. At the best pricing months and months ago we had 570gtx's for £220, 580gtx's for closer to £300, 6970's for £250-260 now and then.

Current pricing(bar the 6950) is not good, so new cards will be welcome no matter what you're buying to be honest.

If you HAD to buy now, 560 sli/6950 xfire are the decent value/performance options really, I prefer 6950's, and if you can get ones that unlock then you get even more value. £180-195 is pretty easy to find in the past couple weeks on 6950's.
 
Have to agree with more news if not actual cards very close the GPU market will change in the not too distant future. I really would like a new card now as a 5830 on 2560x1440 won't cut it for modern games but I'm going to hold out for the 7950.

I hadn't realised that the 580 was only 10% ahead, I pay more attention to the AMD cards. However that and the 6970 are not good value for money/performance, if that matters to you.

I'm just hoping I don't have to wait too long and the prices aren't too high when the 28nm cards come out. Really looking forward to seeing how they perform at 1440p.
 
I went for 2x sapphire 6950 toxic for £460(£420 after selling the deus ex codes as I'd already bought the augmented edition for £25), I upgraded to a dell u2711 back in august after the Hyundai w240d 'caught' the well documented screen flicker problem(was outside the 3yr warranty) in like may but I tried putting up with the problem but it got to the point where I had to change. then I couldn't resist the graphics card upgrade, initial plan was to hold out for the new cards(was using a 5850) but my upgrade itch got the best of me.
 
I went for 2x sapphire 6950 toxic for £460(£420 after selling the deus ex codes as I'd already bought the augmented edition for £25), I upgraded to a dell u2711 back in august after the Hyundai w240d 'caught' the well documented screen flicker problem(was outside the 3yr warranty) in like may but I tried putting up with the problem but it got to the point where I had to change. then I couldn't resist the graphics card upgrade, initial plan was to hold out for the new cards(was using a 5850) but my upgrade itch got the best of me.

I would personally have got another 5850 and used the spare cash for a good night out :D:p (you know what i'm talking about ;))

But nonetheless, the 6950 toxics are excellent cards - enjoy!
 
I would personally have got another 5850 and used the spare cash for a good night out :D:p (you know what i'm talking about ;))

But nonetheless, the 6950 toxics are excellent cards - enjoy!

initial plan was to get a 2nd 5850 but lack of new 5850s that weren't artifically inflatted prices stopped me. plus I couldn't resist the toxics :)

will enjoy the xfire once I finally get the i2500k system built, been meaning to for ages now :)
 
initial plan was to get a 2nd 5850 but lack of new 5850s that weren't artifically inflatted prices stopped me. plus I couldn't resist the toxics :)

will enjoy the xfire once I finally get the i2500k system built, been meaning to for ages now :)

om nom nom... Sandybridge :D:p
 
LOL... thanks for all the comments lads.

Originally Posted by fowler002
I couldn't resist the graphics card upgrade, initial plan was to hold out for the new cards(was using a 5850) but my upgrade itch got the best of me.

Yeah that upgrade itch is hard to fight!!

Originally Posted by Cleeecooo
I would personally have got another 5850 and used the spare cash for a good night out (you know what i'm talking about )

But nonetheless, the 6950 toxics are excellent cards - enjoy!

LOL... Now that is a tempting alternative, but I think the 6950s would win (/me smiles knowingly at missus, who just bought me a cuppa!!)

Appreciate the thoughts, tempted by the toxics...will sleep on it.
 
Back
Top Bottom