Really, how good is a Radeon 5770?

[Trueno07]

I'm building a computer this summer, and as I start to build up my cash reserves, I'm stuck between the 5770 or 5850. Obviously, i would LOVE to pop a 5850 in my theoretical system and call it a day, but it's not that easy.

The build i'm planning is as follows:
Cooler master Storm Scout
Corsair 650w
G.Skill Ripjaw DDR 1333 RAM
Gigabyte GA-790XTA-UD4
AMD Athlon X4 635
XFX Radeon 5770 or XFX Radeon 5850
etc.

I've read review after review on the performance of these cards, but they always pair it up with some i7 and let it go. Now, I understand why they do this, but i just wanted to see if i could get some good feedback from people who have some of the more affordable processors like the one I want to put in my system.

So, at 1920x1680, how good is a 5770? The way some people talk about the card, i won't be able to run a thing at that resolution, but my poor little gaming laptop with a Centrino @ 2.4ghz, and the laptop equivalent of a 9600M (I have a 9800M GS) holds up at medium/high at max res on all of my games.

(I play Tropico 3, SupCom, Planning on BFBC2, FO3, Bioshock 2, Star Craft 2, Dirt 2, Grid, etc, etc.)

I know the 5850 is a better choice, but not so much for my wallet. So help me out. Really, how good is a 5770? Because the way that i've heard the card talked about i'll be struggling at my resolution to play anything.

 

[Trueno07]

That's a slick deal on the 470, but I plan to crossfire which is why i picked the Corsair 650w, 709XTA-UD4 and the 5850 or 5770. So, From what i've read the 5850 would suit me better. But, i'm not partial to either Nvidia or ATI, so I can still float either way.

Also, i have to pay tax on newegg, and i can't take advantage of that deal since I'm buying later next month.

And, if i do SLI the 470's, i'll have to upgrade my PSU to a 750w, i'll be paying more for a GPU, and i'll have to pick another AMD Mobo that supports SLI. So yes it's better, but i have to ask myself "Is it worth it?".

I might have to get 2 more case fans if i SLI the 470

 

[JDFan]

For that resolution I'd go with the 5850 - I have a 5770 and it does fine at my 1650x1080 resolution but turning up the AA etc. even at that res. can make it start to struggle and with the 5850 available for as low as $269 it makes more sense than the 5770 (though SLId 5770's are still very good the 128 bit memory bus does limit it when it comes to higher resolutions and AA etc.)

 

[Trueno07]

The Ferrmi is great and all, but Is there anyone out there who has a 5770 and a similar processor? What kind of results are you getting?

And Hacked drivers, i'm not sure about that... I'm sure it's easy for you to do but this is my first build and i would rather not mess with that kinda stuff.

That 260 looks good, but the 5770 and 5850 are such tried and tested cards...

EDIT: Thanks for the response JDFan that's some very helpful info.

 

[jerreece]

For 1920x1080 I'd go for the ATI 5850. The ATI 5770 won't be enough at that resolution.

The ATI 5770 is much like the GTX 260 performance wise. I play @ 1920x1080 with an SLI GTX 260 setup because a single card wasn't enough.

The ATI 5850 or GTX 470 would be my choice if the budget fits.

 

[Trueno07]

Ok, those are some numbers that matter.

But you have to understand, it's my first build and i don't really want to mess with Hacked Drives. I feel like relying on modified drives is like relying on unlocking a core. Sure it's do-able, but is it worth it?

Also, does the 470 really deserve all the bad press it's been getting? How hot does yours run Psyco? And if you're running dual what kind of case do you have? Would a Storm Scout do the trick?

And my budget is really really tight, 900 is the absolute ceiling with shipping and any tax due to newegg, so i have to really pick wisely.

 

[jerreece]

IMO going with a 5850 is a huge mistake as the 470's are usually cheaper now and perform 10-20% better. Just look at the Dirt 2 graph. A 470 pulls better frame's then a damn 5870. Thats all thanks to Nvidia and there awesome driver updates.

I'm all about nVidia, but last I checked (yesterday) the GTX 470 was still $20-$30 more than the ATI 5850 price wise. Unless there are some rebates or something that I haven't seen.

Generally speaking though, yes the GTX 470 is faster than the ATI 5850. And yes the latest drivers have apparently pushed it to perform close to the ATI 5870. Even still, performance is still dependent on the game. ATI does better with some titles, and nVidia better with others. Now, with DX11 benchmark engines, GTX 470/480 will definitely win because they are coded for tessellation more so than the ATI cards.

 

[jerreece]

Actually, now that I Look there is a new rebate

MSI GTX 470 $349 - $50 Instant = $299 - $25 MIR = $274. US (NewEgg.com)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127501&cm_re=GTX_470-_-14-127-501-_-Product

XFX ATI 5850 $289.99 + Free Shipping
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150494&cm_re=ati_5850-_-14-150-494-_-Product

I stand corrected (Surprised too!)

 

[Trueno07]

What about my Poor little Athlon X4 635? I plan on overclocking to about... Let's say 3.4 - 3.5, will that be enough?

If it's not, then there's no point in going SLI anyways, so i can save some money on the motherboard, get a 470 and be good until i build my next computer in about 2 years.

 

[Trueno07]

No i mean in SLI, would the Athlon 635 hold anything back?