Better Performance of these two options

[reubenl]

Hello, I am working on a new system build using some parts I have around the workshop and some new parts.

I have two options, not sure which is better; (Refurbished boards I got this year); I have an MSI X58 Platinum SLI, and an XFX 58I I can use either;

So far for this machine I have:
I7 930
6 Gigs (3x2)Corsair 1333 matched ram
2 x Adata 128gig SSD's
6 x 250gig 7200rpm Barracuda
1 x Haupauge PCI-X HDTV/DVR tuner
Corsair 850watt Power Supply
1 x Sony Bluray Burner
1 x Sony DVD Burner

Question is which MOBO of the two I have here already should I go with and which video card?(of which I must purchase still)
I'm thinking 2 5870's in crossfire maybe MSI for the MSI mobo, or 2 GTX 480 based in SLI XFX for the XFX mobo? Or SLI's on the MSI board... Not sure if there is any real advantage to staying named branded together, or not. I don't do a ton of OC, My last right was watercooled and I got my fill of oc'ing for a while.

Thanks for advice..

 

[fiberx]

GPUs:
Overall performance of a 2x configuration of either of these will be great. Keep in mind: Where there is heat, there are fans. Where there are fans, there is noise. More heat = more noise.

480. Has PhysX and CUDA. Charts also show that it scales much better than the 5870 when in a 2x, 3x, or 4x configuration. The reason this is important is because a major pro for 1x 5870 is price/performance ratio.
480 Runs hot... and while nVidia states it was 'designed to run hot,' extra heat in your case is never a good thing.

5870. Lower power consumption, especially at idle. Runs much cooler. Good price/performance ratio compared to the 480 in a single card configuration
Has a few less features then the 480, doesn't scale up as well as the 480.

I think you need to assess your priorities as far as power consumption, heat, performance, price, feature needs, etc, considering also what games you will play.

IE If you're doing a dual watercooling loop, ambient temps in your house are moderate to cool, and you're going to primarily play Crysis, go with the dual 480s IMO. This is due to heat dissipation through the watercooling, thus eliminating the primary con of the 480. 480 SLI scaling, plus their performance on Crysis = win.

If you're wanting to air cool your entire system and play games that perform the same/better on ATI, then I think you have your answer.