5970 or 5870...
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Martin 71
April 27, 2010 1:00:50 AM
I'm building a new rig and I want to have a card that will last a LONG time... (last time i bought the 7900 and kept it for 3-4 years... now, i'm looking to do the same with another card... I'm looking at the 5970 and the 5870... the 5970 is HOT, and I'm really wanting to get that, and I can see myself xfiring the 5870 which would cost me $800 instead of one $600 5970... (I'm assuming the 5970 has the equivalent power of 2 5870's?) anyway... I want to know your opinions...
More about : 5970 5870
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Haserath
April 27, 2010 1:06:24 AM
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Martin 71
April 27, 2010 1:10:24 AM
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Haserath
April 27, 2010 1:16:34 AM
I think due to the 5970 being downclocked it's closer to the 5850s in crossfire. 5870=850mhz core/5970=750mhz core/5850=750mhz core.
It actually depends on the game I think. Here's the review on the cards, just go through the benchmarks.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-5970,2474...
It actually depends on the game I think. Here's the review on the cards, just go through the benchmarks.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-5970,2474...
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shadow187
April 27, 2010 1:23:44 AM
The HD5970 is 2x HD5870s with the core and memory downclocked to HD5850 levels. It is very easy to simply overclock it back, though you will want to make sure you have a sufficient PSU (A Good 650Watt will work, though 750W recommended).
You can also XFire another HD5870 to the 5970 in 2-3 years for a boost in performance as well.
You can also XFire another HD5870 to the 5970 in 2-3 years for a boost in performance as well.
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Martin 71
April 27, 2010 1:23:53 AM
Haserath
April 27, 2010 1:25:21 AM
Martin 71 said:
hmm... so you're saying one 5870 now and another when they're cheaper? that seems like a possibility, but yet, i could get another 5970 and xfire that too... but not at a decent price. Oh... by the way, i play at 1280x1024... so the 5870 is a better bet?At 1280X1024 the 5870 would be overkill
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Martin 71
April 27, 2010 1:25:51 AM
leon2006
April 27, 2010 1:27:46 AM
Haserath
April 27, 2010 1:29:03 AM
Martin 71
April 27, 2010 1:31:16 AM
Martin 71
April 27, 2010 1:31:44 AM
shadow187
April 27, 2010 1:32:19 AM
Martin 71
April 27, 2010 1:33:10 AM
Haserath
April 27, 2010 1:40:15 AM
Martin 71 said:
so.. the lower the reso is, the more work the cpu does?Actually, the lower the res the less work the GPU has to do. This makes it able to pump out more fps then at a higher res. So the processor has to be able to keep up with the higher fps or it will bottleneck the GPU.
You should look into a Phenom X6 that just came out, maybe wait for benches. If they're better clock for clock compared to the old Phenom II X4s then you could get the lower end one for $200 and overclock it
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Martin 71
April 27, 2010 1:45:55 AM
spentshells
April 27, 2010 1:52:15 AM
reaper23
April 27, 2010 12:44:15 PM
Martin 71
April 27, 2010 3:41:29 PM
shadow187
April 27, 2010 4:37:11 PM
That's still quite small. Seeing as you seem to have a ~$1000 budget for the future..
Grab a Phenom II x4 for $150, a cpu cooler for $50, OC it to 3.8ghz/4ghz.
Grab a decent 23/24'' monitor (1920x1080) for $200.
~$400
Get new RAM, new hard drive, and mobo ($100/$60/$140)
~$700
Grab an HD5870.
~$1100
~~Months later~~
Grab an HD5970
Grab a Phenom II x4 for $150, a cpu cooler for $50, OC it to 3.8ghz/4ghz.
Grab a decent 23/24'' monitor (1920x1080) for $200.
~$400
Get new RAM, new hard drive, and mobo ($100/$60/$140)
~$700
Grab an HD5870.
~$1100
~~Months later~~
Grab an HD5970
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Martin 71
April 27, 2010 7:33:09 PM
I know... but I don't really care about resolution... It's not one of my big factors... besides i have 3 screens that i will use for eyefinity... I have a 500gb hdd at 7200rpm, and my ram will be upgraded soon enough... I'm running 4gb @ 667mhz. as far as i know... ram only affects loading time, so that is not at the top of my list. I'm getting the Phenom II x6 and a 5870... and the mobo is arriving today!
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reaper23
April 27, 2010 7:44:51 PM
jonpaul37
April 27, 2010 7:55:34 PM
Martin, the best bet here is to go with a Phenom II x4 955, it should work no problem with your current motherboard. Also get a 5870. (I prefer ASUS/Sapphire/MSI) And, if you have anough $$$, get a 23/24-inch monitor for 1920x1080 resolution. Should run you about $700.00 total with monitor, maybe a little more...
Later down the road, get another 5870 and x-fire it. if you do this, you will need a decent power supply of about 650-watts or better with a high amperage value on the 12v rail
Later down the road, get another 5870 and x-fire it. if you do this, you will need a decent power supply of about 650-watts or better with a high amperage value on the 12v rail
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Martin 71
April 27, 2010 8:13:04 PM
jonnyboyC
April 27, 2010 8:23:07 PM
Martin 71 said:
I know... but I don't really care about resolution... It's not one of my big factors... besides i have 3 screens that i will use for eyefinity... I have a 500gb hdd at 7200rpm, and my ram will be upgraded soon enough... I'm running 4gb @ 667mhz. as far as i know... ram only affects loading time, so that is not at the top of my list. I'm getting the Phenom II x6 and a 5870... and the mobo is arriving today!No ram won't significantly affect performance in any way, unless of course it was something like 266mhz ram then you might be running into a problem. If you plan on upgrading your mobo to an AM3 then you'll pretty much be forced into ddr3, even with chipsets supporting it manufactures aren't putting the slots in. If your going to use 3 monitors for eyefinity then the new graphics card makes sense
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reaper23
April 27, 2010 8:48:22 PM
Martin 71 said:
wait... the ram speed will affect my fps? is is bottlenecking my cpu and gpu?Your current ram is fine but if you compare your ram to let's say a g skill 800 MHz u might be loosing a couple of frame rate but not enough to screw up your gaming system or bottleneck it . Just keep in keep in mind that speed and memory of ram can affect gaming.
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eylee86
April 27, 2010 9:42:21 PM
reaper23
April 27, 2010 9:51:56 PM
I agree with eylee86. I use to run a 15 inch lcd for about 4 years and i looked down on the people that had 22, 24 inch monitors because i thought it was over kill and a waste on money. Once i got a 24 inch monitor by ASUS it took my gaming level to another experience, graphics where better and clearer, better picture quality. Also i think i shed a tear or two in the process of hooking my hdmi cable as well into my monitor hahahaha.
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shadow187
April 27, 2010 9:56:31 PM
Martin 71
April 27, 2010 11:35:25 PM
ok... you guys sold me on that... hey, i just got a the new mobo, and on the underside, where there are the "lines" ( i know they're connections, but that's the best way i could describe it...) anyway, there's a bit of the plastic coating that's scratched off of one of the "lines" and i was wondering if this would affect the motherboard... when i booted into win 7, and ran crysis, there were graphic anomalies all over the place! should i rma the motherboard.
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reaper23
April 27, 2010 11:53:06 PM
hmmk do you see like spikes and stuff popping out of the map and screen tearing ? if you it's your video card. Also the lines you're talking about on the belly of the motherboard are the because if it was your mobo your computer would not post and give you an error.
BUT before assuming it's the motherboard, try the video card in another computer or motherboard and see how it runs. If it works fine then it's your mobo , if you still get the same problem then it's your video card but usually visual artifacting is due to a damaged video card.
BUT before assuming it's the motherboard, try the video card in another computer or motherboard and see how it runs. If it works fine then it's your mobo , if you still get the same problem then it's your video card but usually visual artifacting is due to a damaged video card.
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Martin 71
April 27, 2010 11:57:21 PM
reaper23
April 28, 2010 1:21:53 AM
Martin 71 said:
so... if there's anything wrong with the motherboard, it will not run at all? also, when i put in the gpu it really creaked and "crackled"...Ok what you're describing to me is called the expansion slot. Some itmes when the motherboards is brand new you will hear a small crackle. So now that you have explained to me in a way i can understand basically our video card is bad , but i still tell you to test it on another computer.
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Martin 71
April 28, 2010 1:27:43 AM
reaper23
April 28, 2010 2:23:52 AM
shadow187 said:
The HD5970 is 2x HD5870s with the core and memory downclocked to HD5850 levels. It is very easy to simply overclock it back, though you will want to make sure you have a sufficient PSU (A Good 650Watt will work, though 750W recommended). You can also XFire another HD5870 to the 5970 in 2-3 years for a boost in performance as well.
Or he can just go ALL OUT and buy this

5870 x2 Asus Ares 23% faster than the 5970
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Lyq5JKGGI4&feature=fvw
MEGA OVERKILL, LoL
, @ OP get a bigger screen before you purchase the GPU.. Score
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shadow187
April 28, 2010 9:40:24 AM
Martin 71
April 28, 2010 2:35:56 PM
Its not out yet but you can read more about it by clicking on one of these links :
http://www.overclock3d.net/articles/gpu_displays/asus_a...
http://www.bing.com/search?q=Asus+Ares+Benchmarks&src=I...
![]()
http://www.overclock3d.net/articles/gpu_displays/asus_a...
http://www.bing.com/search?q=Asus+Ares+Benchmarks&src=I...

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shadow187
April 28, 2010 4:32:11 PM
Martin 71
April 28, 2010 5:26:25 PM
jonpaul37
April 28, 2010 6:25:07 PM
I wouldnt be surprised if the Ares will be categorized as a 5870 x2 since it is actually 2 true 5870's. Most websites are saying that the Sapphire Edition is a souped up 5970 and will be categorized as a 5970. The Ares is not the same card as the Sapphire 4Gb so we will have to wait n see.
Here is the Toxic 4Gb up close..
http://www.sapphiretech.com/presentation/product/?psn=0...
Here is the Toxic 4Gb up close..
http://www.sapphiretech.com/presentation/product/?psn=0...
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reaper23
April 28, 2010 6:56:07 PM
Martin 71
April 28, 2010 7:07:16 PM
shadow187
April 28, 2010 8:07:36 PM
Martin 71
April 29, 2010 12:05:31 AM
Haserath
April 29, 2010 12:25:17 AM
Active displayport changes the signal from displayport to DVI/HDMI.
Passive displayport will allow the DVI/HDMI connection to work as the graphics card will detect that it is a DVI/hdmi connection and change the display clocks to make it work(mostly because DP and dvi/hdmi signals are almost the same).
The only problem with passive is that only two can be connected to one card at a time, so you will have to get at least one active displayport adapter for an eyefinity setup. You also need to plug in(USB or other source) the active power adapters since they need power to change the signals.
Passive displayport will allow the DVI/HDMI connection to work as the graphics card will detect that it is a DVI/hdmi connection and change the display clocks to make it work(mostly because DP and dvi/hdmi signals are almost the same).
The only problem with passive is that only two can be connected to one card at a time, so you will have to get at least one active displayport adapter for an eyefinity setup. You also need to plug in(USB or other source) the active power adapters since they need power to change the signals.
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Martin 71
June 13, 2010 3:17:24 PM
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. This would cost either the same or lower then a 5970(after the prices on the 5870s drop)and give better performance since the 5970=5850X2.
