New GPU to replace HD4870

[Deleted member 94233]

Hi guys,

Looking at getting my younger brother a new GPU for his birthday in the next couple of weeks.
At the moment he’s running a Core 2 Quad Q6600@stock, 4GB RAM with a 512MB 4870. He games at 1680x1050 so not too demanding.

I was thinking of getting him either a 6870 or 6950 1GB version though also considering a 560ti so budget of around £170. The 6950 1GB is probably my choice at the moment at it tends to beat the 560ti at most things although I seem to remember the nVidia cards seem to do very slightly better with the Frostbite engine and BF3 is probably going to be one of the main games he will be playing although I appreciate nothing is definite yet until proper benchmarks are out.

What are your thoughts? Are these cards a suitable match for the rest of his system or do you have any other suggestions?

Cheers

 

[Nymins]

Tbh, if you are going for the 6950, I'd go for the 2Gb version even though its a bit more. If not, then the 6870 would do the job as the frame rate difference isn't really that much between the two cards.

EDIT: Also, definitely agree with Moothead2, get the Q6600 overclocked. Should improve fps a good bit on its own.

 

[Moothead2]

Get the Q6600 overclocked! A brand spanking new GPU will probably be bottlenecked by a stock Q6600. I'd say go for a 6950 or a 6870 personally.

 

[varkanoid]

560ti might be a bit overkill for that res but it would futureproof the system.
560ti's overclock like mad though.

not considering a 460 ?

 

[Deleted member 94233]

Thanks for the quick replies.

Yeah was looking at having a tinker with his CPU, think I put a Freezer 7 on it when I built it for him and he has a good airflow case. From memory the Q6600 tended to do 3-3.2GHz reasonably regularly I think?

Probably looking at the 6950 then. I did look at the 460 but it seems to be beaten (if only slightly) by the 6870 which is in the same price range.

Thanks

 

[bindip1]

Ive just come from a 4870, Went for the MSI 6950 2gb. Great card