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need a new gpu(s) but what to get
- Thread starter Pohly
- Start date
Two 6870s in Crossfire is hardly an upgrade IMO mate. Infact, the 6870 sat between the 5850 and 5870 and isn't even as fast as a 5870.
They do scale well, but IMO the upgrade would give you little if anything to see.
You're far better off going with a single card with 2gb vram IMO. Again, for the most part you won't see much, apart from games working first time every time.
Which is far more of an upgrade if you ask me.
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-038-HS&groupid=701&catid=56&subcat=1752
Are apparently very good cards, and come recommended by Custom PC.
They do scale well, but IMO the upgrade would give you little if anything to see.
You're far better off going with a single card with 2gb vram IMO. Again, for the most part you won't see much, apart from games working first time every time.
Which is far more of an upgrade if you ask me.
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-038-HS&groupid=701&catid=56&subcat=1752
Are apparently very good cards, and come recommended by Custom PC.
Soldato
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- 25 Sep 2009
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- Billericay, UK
How old is your 5850? It might be on the line but you might be able to send back for a replacement.
Soldato
- Joined
- 29 Sep 2010
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- 6,346
6970 / 570 would be a better option.
Sorry but two 6870's are on par with a 7970
Sorry but they're not.
They're not even in the same class, let alone the same league.
They're totally crippled by 1gb of vram for a start.
Wow. That's me convinced !
One whole FPS.
What you seem to have completely forgotten is that Crossfire X is driver dependent. But, seeing as you seem incapable of understanding that here, here is your 6870 CF when put against a GTX 580 in Crysis Warhead.
Now any one with a brain capable of understanding it would know that Crossfire X is obviously not working there. And, if that can happen once (and it will) during the entire ownership of a multiple GPU set up it automatically totally fails the multi GPU set up.
Only very silly people go out and buy a crude setup like that so they can say it's faster than a real, top end GPU.
Caporegime
- Joined
- 18 Sep 2009
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- 30,505
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- Dormanstown.
Wow. That's me convinced !
One whole FPS.
What you seem to have completely forgotten is that Crossfire X is driver dependent. But, seeing as you seem incapable of understanding that here, here is your 6870 CF when put against a GTX 580 in Crysis Warhead.
Now any one with a brain capable of understanding it would know that Crossfire X is obviously not working there. And, if that can happen once (and it will) during the entire ownership of a multiple GPU set up it automatically totally fails the multi GPU set up.
Only very silly people go out and buy a crude setup like that so they can say it's faster than a real, top end GPU.
Minimum frame rate, could be a one second stutter, use this "brain" you're talking about.
6870 Crossfire is faster than a stock 7970 when in none VRAM limited situations.
6870's were also from 2010, and cost you 360 for the crossfire in 2010.. We're in 2012 now and the 7970 is offering lower end performance at a higher price.
Crossfire isn't all that bad at all, sure, you get some issues (Skyrim) but generally it's very solid, it's a risk you take and many Crossfire users would say it's worth it.
Now, I've went from a 6870 Crossfire to a 7950. Originally I had WC'ed 6870's running at 1GHZ, but each died (Lol), so I was on VaporX 6870's.
My personal experience is that with my 7950 3GB OC'ed to the clocks its at, it's around the same end performance in some cases, but better in others (DX11)
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The problem here is you are not talking to a gullible idiot who doesn't know first hand what a PITA Crossfire can be. Nor some one who isn't aware that a tiny handful of games are written to work with more than one GPU.
I fell for the crap people speak. "Dude ! a pair of 5770s for £260 are faster than a 5870 that costs over £300 !".
Man, where do I sign?
Well I signed, and it sucked. On paper they were indeed faster. However paper isn't of much use for gaming with as I found out.
Thank you, I know what problems there are, I have two 460's OC'ed to 950 core (They're basically OC'ed 560's). They cost me £200 and beats my dads 570 by miles which cost loads more
What OP wants is gfx for less than £275, the best imo you can get is two 6870's
Caporegime
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- Dormanstown.
5770's are half the spec of a 5870, at best (And yes, in some occasions they offered on better than but that wasn't the norm) are on par with the 5870, not sure why you'd get two expecting 5870 besting performance.
I've had a few multi gpu set ups, they've been fine.
I've had a few multi gpu set ups, they've been fine.
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Because on paper they were considerably faster than a 5870. On paper that is. Paper being benchmarks, which as you grow up and wisen up you realise don't depict the real world scenario.
Just as the 4770 in Crossfire was the poor man's way to get 4890 performance for bugger all money.
http://www.guru3d.com/article/radeon-hd-5770-review-test/1
So as I say, I fell for it. I spent all of my available GPU upgrade money on those cards. It took me a year before I had enough to save up and be rid of them once and for all. They were nothing but a serious pain in the arse.
So you'll have to excuse me for not getting on the "but a pair of 6870s are faster than a 7970" flow.
I've a friend who had a 480 BHP Ford Fiesta with a Cosworth engine crammed into it. It was faster than a Ferrari on the quarter mile. However, it was the shrewd way of having a fast car.
That's how I see Crossfire. Give me the Ferrari any day, and I really don't mind paying for it because it involves no crap, compared to lots and lots of crap (IE my mate used to have to rebuild the engine every 2000 miles, couldn't drive it on the street, ETC ETC).
Caporegime
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- Dormanstown.
But the 5770 was exactly half the spec the 5870's were...
800 shaders, 128 bit bus.
5870 was 1600 shaders 256 bit bus.
Your experience of crossfire was a bad one because you expected something unrealistic.
800 shaders, 128 bit bus.
5870 was 1600 shaders 256 bit bus.
Your experience of crossfire was a bad one because you expected something unrealistic.
YUP ! damn right I expected something unrealistic.
I expected it to work. How totally, terribly bloody stupid of me !
Caporegime
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- Dormanstown.
But Crossfire does work......
In every single game? all of the time?
Come on man, don't be silly.
See, I play my games. I'm what you could consider odd. You know? I don't run FRAPS and I don't work myself into a stupor over a FPS count that means squat.
Going back to you saying "But that's the minimum FPS". Yes, yes you're right about that. And it's the minimum FPS that's important.
Not stupid 900 FPS, but what happens at the other end. And all I ever got were micro stutters and terrible minimum FPS. Even in games that worked seemingly well.
And each and every single last one of those stutters were off putting, annoying and distracting.
So, in summation I concluded that if you were stupid (IE like me) and you actually wanted to play your games and not post benchmark scores to your friends who would then think you were stupid, Crossfire and SLI set ups were best avoided. No matter how fast they supposedly are.