Dual GPU 5970 vs Single GPU 5870 -- Help Me Out!

[electroh0lic]

Okay so i had ordered a 5870 from BUY but turns out they didnt have any in stock and didnt tell me crap on the site. So i just cancelled. I was doing some research on the 5970 and yes its pretty darn expensive. I do have the money to buy it. But the question is. Is it worth it? Ive already bumped into a few threads that say the only thing that card has pretty much is another double gig GPU. For gaming they said 2 5870's would work out better because of single GPU and for overclocking. a dual GPU card overclocked will create too much heat and wont be as effective. Correct me if im wrong. Is it worth geting the 5970? Make believe for example i wouldnt get a 2nd 5970 for awhile because its like havin two 5870's i guess. and i wasnt even going to get a 2nd 5870 right now. What do u fellas think i should do? is there any advantage in investing in 5870's considering they r much cheaper at the moment. I also heard that those new 5970's might be defective as they r the first ones to come out (probably rushed) lol. Please reply. i need to order a gfx card today!

 

[electroh0lic]

i also remember i had a 9800 gx2 radeon which is dual GPU and it was always like at 75-80 degrees sometimes in games more. and thats what i can imagine a 5970 being at. So if i overclock it you're probably going to be able to fry an egg on it, literally. Ive been reading people saying that theres a bunch of problems as well. Please fill me in.

 

[zach538467]

What resolution do you game at? 1920x1080 or below you will not see a noticeable difference in the majority of games. The 5970's are sure to run hot, but so will xfire'd 5870's. I personally prefer a card with a single gpu as drivers always seem to be more stable. As far as problems with the 5970 itself, I haven't heard of any. I'd imagine heat wise you'd be better off with the 5870 vs the 5970, for the fact that the xfired cards sit so close to one another.

The 5870's xfired stock actually run a little faster if memory serves than the 5970, so once you overclock them, as far as clock speeds go, they would be faster.

Also it depends what processor/socket type you have. An x58 has 2 16x lanes, which makes a (very small) difference.

The 5970 actually draws a bit less power than two 5870's so that's another thing to consider.

A good read if you haven't already checked it out:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-5970,2474.html

 

[electroh0lic]

What resolution do you game at? 1920x1080 or below you will not see a noticeable difference in the majority of games. The 5970's are sure to run hot, but so will xfire'd 5870's. I personally prefer a card with a single gpu as drivers always seem to be more stable. As far as problems with the 5970 itself, I haven't heard of any. I'd imagine heat wise you'd be better off with the 5870 vs the 5970, for the fact that the xfired cards sit so close to one another.

The 5870's xfired stock actually run a little faster if memory serves than the 5970, so once you overclock them, as far as clock speeds go, they would be faster.

Also it depends what processor/socket type you have. An x58 has 2 16x lanes, which makes a (very small) difference.

The 5970 actually draws a bit less power than two 5870's so that's another thing to consider.

A good read if you haven't already checked it out:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-5970,2474.html

Well..with the new video card im getting i did want to play at full HD 1080 res. IM also not planning on doing benchmarks im just mainly doing it for gaming. So i guess if i get a 5970 ill pretty much only stick with one for many years. Buttt if i get a 5870 maybe in a year or 2 ill get a second one. Im still confused. lol. Someone else also said by the time you get all the juice needed in majority of games on the 5970 there will be other better more afordable cards by then. Suggesting 5870 and eventually XFIRE 5870's would be a better deal today.

 

[zach538467]

Yes indeed, I agree. Save the money until you need another 5870, and by then hopefully they'll be cheaper. At 1080 a 5970 is way overkill. *edit (right now its overkill)

 

[bystander]

Well..with the new video card im getting i did want to play at full HD 1080 res. IM also not planning on doing benchmarks im just mainly doing it for gaming. So i guess if i get a 5970 ill pretty much only stick with one for many years. Buttt if i get a 5870 maybe in a year or 2 ill get a second one. Im still confused. lol. Someone else also said by the time you get all the juice needed in majority of games on the 5970 there will be other better more afordable cards by then. Suggesting 5870 and eventually XFIRE 5870's would be a better deal today.

Logically speaking, this makes some sense. If you plan to double up the 5870's in a year or 2, if you get them now, you will probably end up spending the same money, as the 5970 is only about 50% more expensive than a single 5870. So you'd have more time spent with high end graphics as if you went 5870 now, and added one later.

On the other hand, you could use that money toward something else or to make more in the mean time.

One other possible benefit of getting the 5970, is you could add a 5970 later down the road for even more boost.

It is true that a single 5970 will be overkill most the time. Games like Crysis will enjoy it, and probably the soon to be released DX11 games with tessellation, but not much else.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

I'd suggest reading a few published reviews. There's hundreds to be found out there but when choosing between two cards, best to look at ones on the same site....her's two picked randomly from my bookmarks. Read those and try a few others.

http://www.hardwareheaven.com/reviews.php?reviewid=885&pageid=17
http://www.hardwareheaven.com/reviews.php?reviewid=842&pageid=21

 

[electroh0lic]

GOsh i dont know what to do lol. FML

 

[electroh0lic]

Come on guys. Give me more suggestions lol. Im basically looking for a downside on the 5970 if you're just going to game and play at 1080 lol. and downsides of dual gpu with overheating if u overclock it. lol.

 

[andy5174]

Do you mean 2xHD5870 vs HD5970? If so, get whichever is cheaper as both setups should serve you pretty well for a long time.

 

[bystander]

The good news is that you get the performance of two 5870's on a single card for 50% more cost than one 5870.

Another positive of the 5970 is that you won't have a card below it preventing air from getting into the 1st card.

The downside is you will barely find a game that will push it now, but if you intend to get one in a year anyways, the cost will likely be the same between both perchases of a 5870 as one 5970 is now, and you get the added benefit of having an overly powerful card until then.

 

[warmon6]

Come on guys. Give me more suggestions lol. Im basically looking for a downside on the 5970 if you're just going to game and play at 1080 lol. and downsides of dual gpu with overheating if u overclock it. lol.

basically, where saying save you money and get 5870 and CF it later.

Although if you really want the 5970 and have that extra power for later, then go right ahead. There nothing stopping you from getting it. We just think it a waste of money on resolution 1920 x 1200 and lower.

 

[electroh0lic]

u guys are evenly pulling me from each side towards one card and the other, lol. I wonder if the 5970 in the longrun will be worth it when other newer cards come out. Maybe with like better technology.

 

[andy5174]

u guys are evenly pulling me from each side towards one card and the other, lol. I wonder if the 5970 in the longrun will be worth it when other newer cards come out. Maybe with like better technology.

Both configurations should serve you very well for at least four years, so go for whichever is cheaper.

 

[andy5174]

BTW, even one HD5870 is sufficient for any resolution under 1920x1200.

 

[electroh0lic]

I guess maybe ill just go with a 5870 i guess and order some ddr3 pc16000 triple channel ram instead of getting the 5970

 

[andy5174]

How about i7-980X with the money saved from 1 HD5870?

 

[electroh0lic]

How about i7-980X with the money saved from 1 HD5870?

LOL..im pretty sure its going to be more than the price of a single 5870 LOL.

 

[sayantan]

go for 2 5870 if you really want to overclock those beasts and if you have enough cash to buy 2 5870 and a good cf mobo....but the config will cost you much more than a single 5970 though it will perform a bit lower than 2 5870