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4870 1GB VS 4870 512MB, Worth the price differences?

Forum Graphic & Displays : Graphics Cards - 4870 1GB VS 4870 512MB, Worth the price differences?

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shayx   08-18-2008 at 07:14:34 PM

So i'm building a new computer.
It will have QX9650, ASUS P5Q, OCZ DDR1066 4GB sticks and of course the all mighty HD 4870.
My problem is i can't decide if the 1GB version is so much better than the 512MB version.
In my country the price differences are about 85$

does the 1GB version worth it?

thanks :)

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omicron_15   08-18-2008 at 07:19:41 PM
- 1 +

Depends on what resoultion you game at, if you have a 23 inch or larger display then it might be worth it.

Reply to omicron_15
aevm   08-18-2008 at 07:20:58 PM
- 3 +

I think 85$ is too much for the difference.

 

I suggest you get a Q9550 instead of QX9650 and use the savings to get two HD 4870 512MB and to upgrade the MB to P5E Deluxe X48 to avoid Crossfire bottlenecks. Get a 750W or better PSU. This way you'll have a much better gaming machine for less money. The Q9550 is already way overkill for games, so the QX9650 won't really add any value for the price difference, even if you overclock it like crazy.


Message edited by aevm on 08-18-2008 at 07:22:27 PM
Reply to aevm
SuicideSilence   08-18-2008 at 07:22:13 PM
- 0 +

What resolution are you playing at?


About the build itself, I wouldnt waste my money on an extreme edition CPU unless you are trying to break a overclocking world record. Just buy the Q9650 instead. It will save you about $500!!!
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819115130

Spend the saved money on a better motherboard, a nicer screen maybe? Another 4870? :D

------------------------------ Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L*Intel E2180 OC 3.00Ghz Lapped*PowerColor ATI 3850 256MB*Patriot 2x1GB DDR2 800*Cooler Master CM690*Western Digital 250 GB*Silverstone Strider 600 Watt Modular PSU*Samsung Lightscribe Drive*CoolerMaster Geminni II Lapped Mirror Finish
Reply to SuicideSilence
SuicideSilence   08-18-2008 at 07:23:32 PM
- 0 +

Sorry to aevm, didn't mean to copy what you said, you posted while I was still typing lol.

------------------------------ Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L*Intel E2180 OC 3.00Ghz Lapped*PowerColor ATI 3850 256MB*Patriot 2x1GB DDR2 800*Cooler Master CM690*Western Digital 250 GB*Silverstone Strider 600 Watt Modular PSU*Samsung Lightscribe Drive*CoolerMaster Geminni II Lapped Mirror Finish
Reply to SuicideSilence
dwe_khal   08-18-2008 at 07:51:00 PM
- 0 +

Q9650, P45, 4870 X2, corsair HX620...

even if u play at 1920 you'll never have any problems.

Reply to dwe_khal
shayx   08-18-2008 at 07:59:12 PM
- 0 +

OK, Sorry for not mentioning it before.
but i get the QX9650 in the price of Q9300 :P
Don't ask me how.

My screen is HITACHI 32' LCD with resolution 1366X768 (NATIVE) but some games don't support it so i run them on 1920X1080.

Reply to shayx
SuicideSilence   08-18-2008 at 08:18:20 PM
- 0 +

^Wow thats a really good price ;D

Make sure you get at least a 750Watt Quality PSU so you can add another 4870 for some Xfire!
I recommend getting this PSU. Its really nice:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817703009

------------------------------ Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L*Intel E2180 OC 3.00Ghz Lapped*PowerColor ATI 3850 256MB*Patriot 2x1GB DDR2 800*Cooler Master CM690*Western Digital 250 GB*Silverstone Strider 600 Watt Modular PSU*Samsung Lightscribe Drive*CoolerMaster Geminni II Lapped Mirror Finish
Reply to SuicideSilence
aevm   08-18-2008 at 08:31:25 PM
- 2 +

Wow, can I have a QX9650 at that price too? :)

Excellent price for that PC Power & Cooling, only $110. I got one of those for almost $200 last year. There's also the Corsair 750TX, $100. The main difference is that the PC P&C blows the air to the back rather than vertically, which is smart IMO. Either would be excellent.

A P45 motherboard + HD 4870X2 would be faster than an X48 + two HD 4870 512MB cards at 1920x1080. It should be very similar to X48 + two HD 4870 1GB. You are playing at a high resolution and the additional RAM matters.

Reply to aevm
aevm   08-18-2008 at 08:33:35 PM
- 2 +

Oops, what do you mean "in my country"? If you're not in the USA forget all those nice sales at newegg. They won't even ship to me and I live just an hour away from the USA border. Are you in Canada by any chance?

Reply to aevm
SuicideSilence   08-18-2008 at 08:34:06 PM
- 0 +

^Agreed.

------------------------------ Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L*Intel E2180 OC 3.00Ghz Lapped*PowerColor ATI 3850 256MB*Patriot 2x1GB DDR2 800*Cooler Master CM690*Western Digital 250 GB*Silverstone Strider 600 Watt Modular PSU*Samsung Lightscribe Drive*CoolerMaster Geminni II Lapped Mirror Finish
Reply to SuicideSilence
shayx   08-18-2008 at 10:19:00 PM
- 1 +

No, I'm in Israel... :] lol
well the pcpower&cooling 750W is about 190$ here, so i thought about the Thermaltake Toughpower 650W which is Crossfire certified and costs 170$

 

I'm not really planing on crossfire anyway...


Message edited by shayx on 08-18-2008 at 10:34:01 PM
Reply to shayx
Nils   08-18-2008 at 11:06:59 PM
- 0 +

I don't understand. You get both the CPU and PSU for extremely low prices but the difference between 1G and 512M costs you 85$ !!! You can buy a good card with that.

Reply to Nils
shayx   08-18-2008 at 11:24:28 PM
- 0 +

colegade, again, I'm paying for the QX9650 75% discount from it's original price, so no, i don't prefer the Q9450 which actually costs more :D

 

Nils, i can afford the price, but i thought i would spent it on other components like 750GB HD instead of 500.
That's why I'm asking if the price difference is negligible to the performance i will get with more RAM.


Message edited by shayx on 08-18-2008 at 11:25:54 PM
Reply to shayx
aevm   08-18-2008 at 11:31:09 PM
- 0 +

If you're talking about WD HDDs, the 750GB is way faster than the 500GB. I know because I got both right now :)

I'd pay the extra $20 for the Silencer 750W. It's one of the best PSUs out there and you can reuse it for several builds.

Reply to aevm
pcgamer12   08-18-2008 at 11:40:02 PM
- 0 +

For a HDD, I recommend a WD6400AAKS, unless you need more than 640GB for data.


Message edited by pcgamer12 on 08-18-2008 at 11:40:37 PM
Reply to pcgamer12
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