nofudgeplz

Distinguished
Jun 21, 2010
13
0
18,510
Hi there

I'm thinking about upgrading my card to something like a 5850 or 5870. And I just have a couple questions

1) right now I've got a 450W PSU, do I need an upgrade for those cards or am i fine?

2) I dont know how to word this without sounding stupid but should I go with a GTX 480 instead if money isnt an issue (just would have to wait longer, oh the woes of being a 16 year old)

thanks

specs:
i5 750 (4.0)
ASUS EAH5670 1 GB
 
Solution
They have similar performance in today's games and the GTX 480 is better in DX11 and tessellation. However the 480 uses more power, runs a bit hotter and slightly nosier so if you get it you have to consider a good 650W+ quality PSU and well-ventilated case. Despite the fact that GTX480 has a advantage in DX11, most DX11 games won't be as demanding as say Heaven Benchmark w/ Extreme Tess on otherwise everyone would need a 5970/480 to play so 5870 should run DX11 fine at 1920x1080.

I'd get the 5870, it's cheaper and runs cooler and consumes less power. It's overkill for today's games. I'm playing at 1440 x 900 atm since I haven't got a new monitor and basically every game is getting 80fps+ with AA bar Crysis. Just some average...
For that level of card you really should upgrade to a good 500-550W unit with about 40A between its 12V rails.

What resolution is the monitor you are using? If you are using a large screen(2560x1600) or intend to play Metro 2033 with AA on then the GTX 480 is a better choice, but if you arent a 5870 or 5850 should more than cover your needs.
 

nofudgeplz

Distinguished
Jun 21, 2010
13
0
18,510


Right sorry yea I'm playing on a 1920 x 1080 resolution and yes, fallout 3 with max, bfbc2 on max etc.

You wouldnt happen to know the cheapest brand of 480 would you?
 

CrystalKing

Distinguished
Jun 23, 2010
24
0
18,520
HD5850 is okay, if choose HD5870, perhaps you should pay for another PSU

GTX480, you should care about more things such as fan, case, power and so on, certainly its performance is more excellent, so the final choice which one is more valuable is in your hands.
 

nofudgeplz

Distinguished
Jun 21, 2010
13
0
18,510


Hmm your being a little vague, its hard to tell which of the three your recommending for my needs. I guess if I rephrase my question it'll be a little bit easier to answer

GTX480 or 5870 whereas money is not an issue?

sorry for being a hassle =)
 

nofudgeplz

Distinguished
Jun 21, 2010
13
0
18,510


just outta curiosity crystal, what games do u play on ur rig? im just asking cuz im wondering if the 5870s performance is good enough for me
 


Dude, you do realize that the PSU power the entire PC, right?

Cheap PSUs tend to use cheap parts and have over-hyped specs. A failed PSU can potentially damage at least one PC component and a complete and utter loss of all components is not unheard of.
 

nofudgeplz

Distinguished
Jun 21, 2010
13
0
18,510


lol i am mooore than aware but again getting a new one is a problem, im just wondering if i should go with a GTX480 or a 5870

lol do u realize that when i said 480 i meant a video card, not a PSU LOL
 

CrystalKing

Distinguished
Jun 23, 2010
24
0
18,520


In fact I hardly play games:)

Usually I spend a short time on games because I do it for relaxing.

Only a few games I'm able to cost a long time for playing such as The Witcher, Anno 1404, Dragon Age, King's Bounty, Majesty 2.

P.S. Your words make me tired :p
 

SevenSacredSins

Distinguished
Mar 29, 2010
40
0
18,540
They have similar performance in today's games and the GTX 480 is better in DX11 and tessellation. However the 480 uses more power, runs a bit hotter and slightly nosier so if you get it you have to consider a good 650W+ quality PSU and well-ventilated case. Despite the fact that GTX480 has a advantage in DX11, most DX11 games won't be as demanding as say Heaven Benchmark w/ Extreme Tess on otherwise everyone would need a 5970/480 to play so 5870 should run DX11 fine at 1920x1080.

I'd get the 5870, it's cheaper and runs cooler and consumes less power. It's overkill for today's games. I'm playing at 1440 x 900 atm since I haven't got a new monitor and basically every game is getting 80fps+ with AA bar Crysis. Just some average frame-rates.

BFBC2 16 x AF, 8 x AA - 82.23 FPS
Need for Speed Shift 8 x AA - 76 FPS
CoD 4 - 193.12 FPS

At 1920 x 1080 numbers will be lower but they'll definitely be more then playable and you can disable AA to get much better performance. 5870 is perfect for your resolution. It's up to you, both cards are overkill atm IMO
 
Solution

nofudgeplz

Distinguished
Jun 21, 2010
13
0
18,510



Ah ok thank you for that

would I need an upgrade in PSU for a 5870 as well?