Radeon HD 5770 x 2 vs 5850

[MajestyMephisto]

Looking to upgrade from geforce 8800 gt to one of these set-ups. I have a ASUS Maximus Formula x38 crossfire mobo sitting in a Antec 900 Gaming Tower. Have 4 gigs of RAM, Q9300 ( I know I know), powered by overkilll OCZ 750W.

So my main concern is space as I all ready have to slide a few of the drive bays forward to make room for my 8800 GT. I believe the 5770 are shorter so should be ok?

Another question I have is should I even bother slipping in two new GPU's in this system for ~ 300 or should I just build a whole new system?

Cheers

MM

Edit: Should add I play TF2, BFBC2 (DX 11 right?), MW2, Dragon Age at the moment..much more BC2 lately at resolution of 1680 x 1050.

 

[reignsupreme11]

for that resolution, a single 5770 would be able to meet all your performance needs, as it's a big sizeable upgrade from an 8800gt. if you don't feel it's practical to spend 300$ right now, you don't have too.

Buying a single 5770 now will also let you plan for the future. if you feel it necessary to upgrade the entire system, you won't have much of a budget restraint, and you can always spend 160$ down the line and crossfire in a 2nd 5770 (it will easily outperform a single 5850).

my final verdict is: buy a single 5770. it leaves many doors open down the line for further upgrades and is more than capable of handling your current needs

 

[jyjjy]

Yeah, for that resolution 1 HD5770 will be pretty great. Get another when it's necessary.
The rest of your system is still fine although OCing the Q9300 would be a good idea.

 

[MajestyMephisto]

Yeah thanks for replies guys. I do OC the Q9300 from time to time using ASUS suite ( basically up to 3 ) depending on what I am doing ( makes a big difference with TF2 as that engine seems very reliant on CPU more than GPU - get much better FPS when OC'ed ). Also for some vidoe stuff

Yeah getting one 5770 probably not a bad idea at this point....might wait for Nvidia new GPU's which I believe should be out soon to see what does to prices. I am not against saving even a few bucks if I can has not in a HUGE hurry.

Thanks for reply guys.

 

[jyjjy]

The initial Nvidia cards will be competing with the HD5850 and HD5870. If they have any effect on the lower end cards pricings it will likely be minimal.

 

[raza715]

5770 is fine however i will suggest you 4890 as there is hardly any noticeable difference b/w dx10 and 11, and performance goes with 4890 by good margin

 

[cybot_x1024]

+1 for the 4890. it outperfoms the 5770. And with that PSU you could throw in another 4890 later for CF that will outperfom all but the 5970.
We are not going to see games taking full advantage of DX11 soon therefore the 4890 CF would be a very valid upgrade.

 

[jyjjy]

The HD4890 is just 15-20% faster and cost $50 more, uses MUCH more power and it is DX10 while most new games coming out are already DX11. It's a poor choice imo.

 

[raza715]

4890 is best for that price range, it outperforms 5770 by good margin (15-20%) and dx11 is of no use quite frankly. Not that difference which is noticeable. Not like difference b/w dx9 and 10

 

[jyjjy]

You are right, it's a larger difference than between dx9 and dx10. It also seems to have a much higher adoption rate by developers. There is no reason to dismiss it when already more than half of the major games over the last few months have been DX11 titles. Even ignoring that is 15-20% performance worth a 30-35% increase in price, especially when it comes with higher power bills that compound the issue? The heat/power difference is doubly important if you'd like to crossfire someday. You need a very hefty PSU and a very well ventilated case to consider using 2 HD4890s. By the time you would want to the need for DX11 will be even more apparent anyway. Honestly even for the same price I'd take the HD5770 over the HD4890.

 

[raza715]

5770=4870
4890 is ahead sure, he has enough psu to deal with it

 

[jyjjy]

Yes, the HD4890 is a more powerful card but not nearly to the degree that it is worth an extra $50 and sacrificing the more advanced features and power efficiency of the HD5770.

 

[beltzy]

Make sure to think about what direction you want to go in the future. A 5850 is a beast of a card and will allow you plenty of upgrade potential in the future by crossfiring it if you upgrade your rig.

I recently replaced a terrible old X2600XT in my Q6600 rig with a 5850. It is ridiculously overpowered for my current system, but I plan to build a i7 930 machine soon with 5850's crossfired so I will transfer the 5850 I already have. If I would have gotten something less powerful for just a short-term solution I'd have been down the $100-150 I spent on the lesser card when it comes time for the new build. Hope that helps a bit.

 

[raza715]

you can get 5830 too, if u feel that 5850 worths too much. Benchmarks of 5830 are also awesome

 

[jyjjy]

Awesome isn't the word I would use for the HD5830s benchmarks... It the worst value for the money of the HD5xxx series.

 

[raza715]

Awesome isn't the word I would use for the HD5830s benchmarks... It the worst value for the money of the HD5xxx series.

Hmm, it means you are blind , just check it then decide http://www.guru3d.com/article/radeon-5830-review/19

 

[jyjjy]

I'm thoroughly aware of the performance of the HD5830. It's quite unimpressive for the price IMO. Not worth anything near $90 more than the HD5770. It should be $190-200 like the HD4890 was.

 

[raza715]

it will come down in price, it is new right now. price should be 200 to 210$ and it will be best value.