5850 or 5770 for my gaming style

[cbb77]

Looking to upgrade my system to a better video card. I primarily play strategy games such as DOW II, Company of Heroes, Command & Conquer 3, etc. I'm currently have an XFX 8800GT Alpha Dog and while it's pretty good, it does stutter a little bit when the battles get large and intense. I think my existing video card is definitely the culprit as my system config is as follows:

Intel Dual Core E6850 3.00 GHz (P775 Socket)
4 GB Crucial Ram
Asus Striker Extreme motherboard
Corsair TX750W Power Supply.
Windows 7

I was leaning toward the 5770 due to price and lower power consumption but not sure if I will see as big a difference in performance. I am currently running resolution at 1680x1050 which is max my display supports. My desire is to be able to crank up the settings and really enjoy the beauty these games can provide while also having smooth performance. Looking to see which would give me say another 2yrs before even thinking need to upgrade again. I know that's tough to anticipate, but don't think the games I play have increased their performance requirements as fast as first person shooters. Any advise would be welcomed. Hoping to pick something up for the holidays.

Thanks

 

[shadow187]

The 5770 will be great for your needs, even for a couple years. However, if you can easily afford it, I'd recommend jumping for the 5850.

 

[jennyh]

You get what you pay for tbh. The 5850 is an incredibly powerful card, a real 'step up' from the last series of cards. The 5770 isn't...although it will still be a pretty noticable upgrade on a 8800gt, especially if that is the 256mb version you have.

If you really want 2 years worth out of it, you probably should go for the 5850. Good luck getting hold of one though.