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Upgrade a 4850HD, for the Witcher 2. at any cost

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Well, after a good long run with my 4850 (that came in my dell xps 435mt) i've decided to swap it out...here is my current set up.
basically the stock 435 xps with some minor upgrades

ati 4850hd (stock)(528mb)
12gb ddr3(this memory http://www.crucial.com/store/mpartspecs.aspx?mtbpoid=4F... )(not yet installed)
core i7 920 (stock)
TX650 psu
changed out the micro ATX case for a "thermal take black widow v9" (a cheap $70 from best buy)
very basic 20" lcd dell monitor



i haven't even played witcher 2 yet, as i have read its incredibly demanding, and considering my 4850 sometimes struggles and has a lot of frame drops on starcraft 2 (on ultra), i doubt it would make witcher look(or run)pretty decent...


the MOBO in this is of course, a micro(and stock dell). i did notice it only has ONE slot to fit a graphics card.

the 4850 seems to be roughly 10" long, and only 1 slot thick, with the new case, i have almost unlimited amount of room, i'd say i can go up to another 3"long, and as thick as the card needs to be, as i have a lot of room above and below it, at least 2" per face.

SO, i dont care what it cost really, i mean, i'd like to spend under 400 if possible, but my goal is to run witcher 2 on pretty hi settings, with a decent frame rate, so if i have to spend more, i will. also, i have no preference for ATI or NviDia

so, any suggestions?

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Graphics card Master

If you haven't already, I'd purchase a good aftermarket CPU cooler and overclock that i7 920. An OC of 3.3ghz is childs-play. I barely know what I'm doing and am at 4.0Ghz just following a guide.

As far as cards go, I'm unsure exactly what it'll take to play it on Ultra settings. And assume I mean UberSampling is off any time anyone says they play with Ultra settings. UberSampling is just not possible with good frames in all areas as far as I know.

Anyways, I can tell you that 2 6950's at a resolution of 1920x1200, with an i7 920 @ 4.0Ghz is capped at 60 FPS (v-sync on). With UberSampling on, it'll drop in the teens occasionally and often in the 20's.
Graphics card Master

fastcarfastbike said:
o sorry,

its a Dell S2009W, 20" 1600x900


at that resolution the game kills my GTX460 with high setting (default high setting) :D  . its fine while in doors (i still can get 40-50+ FPS) but once i got out it really eats my frame rates down to the twenties and sometimes even more but to me its still playable.

ok thanks for the input, i think ill try the gtx 570 since its only 1 slot....too bad i cant ever crossfire/sli or w/e with this cheap MOBO...


one question, it says "super clocked', i have not the slightest clue how to overclock stuff, or even turn it down if it is too hot or dangerous or w/e...will i have too worry about that if i just plug n play this card?
Graphics card Authority

"Super Clocked" just means it is a factory overclocked card (they set it up so it is plug and play). It runs faster than the reference (basic) card speeds. Don't sweat that. I also second the suggestion that you get a new monitor- I'd shoot for something that is 1920x1200 (I greatly prefer this to the 1920x1080 aspect ratio).

If you are really looking to continue down an improving performance path, consider a new mobo as a future next project. I liked Dell a lot until I started learning about all the glorious things you can do... unless you have a Dell mobo. Not sure if it's worth the investment at this point (about $200 for a decent x58 mobo, then $30-40 for a cooler- all to get about a 15-30% performance increase on your $300 processor).

ok, so, of the 570 cards listed under 400 bucks, is the one listed the one i'd wanna go with? im ready to buy it right now, just gotta make sure thats the one i should get as opposed to Gman just linking it for referance.


edit: also, if i get a new monitor, say one a little bigger, and in the res. you all mentioned, would this card still work, or should i stick with the 20"?

570 is the best but its kind of expensive, I am using a 5770 overclock to 950/1330 and I can handle it @ 1080p, at up to 37FPS. So, am guessing a 6870 or a 560 ti would be enough with the new patches. It is a great game! I personally recommend a 6870 in the lower end or a 560 ti/ 6950 2gb either one.

Another option would be to purchase a used GTX295 from a reliable eBay seller. I've seen them go for as low as $150 and these cards are roughly as powerful as the GTX 570 and GTX 480. Just make sure it is the single PCB variant with the fan in the middle, not the dual PCB variant with the fan on the end. They lack DX11, but that is still not being utilized much.

GTX 295 vs GTX 480
http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/2010-gaming-graphics...[4517]=on&prod[4504]=on

GTX 480 vs GTX 570
http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/2011-gaming-graphics...[4834]=on&prod[4832]=on

As you can see, the performance is very close.

It is powerful, but its old tech, it'll probably last because everything now is console ports. GTX 295 is old technology, I would say a 560 ti is much better long term wise than a gtx 295.
Graphics card Master

Another very good option is the 6950. Not only are they just as fast or faster than a 560ti, they can unlock the shaders and over clock to 6970 levels and beyond about 97% of the time.
Graphics card Expert

I would not recommend a GTX570 with your present monitor. It is a great card, but expensive and your monitor resolution doesnt require it. You have other places you could spend the money to level out your system better in my opinion.

A 6870 or gtx 560 ti.
OC your CPU, you will need it.
A new mobo would be a good ugrade as well, then you could pair your gpu.

Yes, a GTX 570 is kind of an overkill, but if you change MOBO/CPU will last you longer. The best Option for the money I believe is the HD6870. Then you can CF, it is a lot of performance.
Graphics card Master

cronos177 said:
Yes I agree, But make sure you do the research, So you'll know if the HD6950 2gb is unlockable or not.


They are all unlockable, or at least, all models can be unlocked at about a 97% success rate. Not all have a bios switch as extra protection.

i have no idea what an OF, and unlockable bios? what? anyways, lol moving on a little


i plan to attmpet to run the game on my TV, its a 55" 1080p, idk if the 570 could even handle that...

either way, i'm going to upgrade my monitor within a year, so i'd hate to buy a card that, in a year or less, won't be good enough for w/e monitor i buy.


can anyone gimme a link on how to OC my i7?


wait, did CF mean crossfire? i cant yet, but i think you mean get a 6870, upgrade the MOBO, then do crossfire? right?


i will prob do that eventually as well, idk about the crossfire part, but i will do a new mobo, i almost did that about 6 months ago, but couldn't risk it, since dell MOBO's have windows locked to them or something (or so i was told), so i'd also have to buy a new windows, and wasn't ready for that. also something about the HDD not necessarily being compatible with a new MOBO?\\



edit: ok so the 570 is overkill, BUT if i got a new monior soon, and did the MOBO as well at the same time (say 3-12months time period), would it be better to buy the 570 now, as it would last me longer later?
Graphics card Master

There is no difference between a 22" 1080p monitor and a 55" 1080p TV in terms of system requirements. They both have the same number of pixels for the graphics card to render.

CF = crossfire.

I'd recommend going to a more powerful single card over two lesser cards. Especially since you can't even use two cards in your current motherboard.

This is a guide I've used for overclocking my i7 920 to 4.0ghz. http://www.overclock.net/intel-cpus/538439-guide-overcl...

Yes, it's better to go with more power now if you know you'll be upgrading your monitor in a few months.

bystander said:
There is no difference between a 22" 1080p monitor and a 55" 1080p TV in terms of system requirements. They both have the same number of pixels for the graphics card to render.

CF = crossfire.

I'd recommend going to a more powerful single card over two lesser cards. Especially since you can't even use two cards in your current motherboard.




ahhh ok....i thought the bigger the monitor, the more resolution it takes, i was mistaken.

ok so, idk if it matters also, but when i do get a new monitor i plan on doing 3d if possible, i was under the impression that u can only do that with Nvidia?
Graphics card Master

fastcarfastbike said:
ahhh ok....i thought the bigger the monitor, the more resolution it takes, i was mistaken.

ok so, idk if it matters also, but when i do get a new monitor i plan on doing 3d if possible, i was under the impression that u can only do that with Nvidia?


3D isn't only available for Nvidia, but they have the most polished product for 3D currently. If you do want to go 3D, you will definitely want the most powerful setup you can, as your card has to render twice as many frames. Make sure you get a monitor that will support 3D. (btw, have you ever tried it out to make sure you like it?)

cronos177 said:
It is powerful, but its old tech, it'll probably last because everything now is console ports. GTX 295 is old technology, I would say a 560 ti is much better long term wise than a gtx 295.


Companies that sell video cards love consumers like you.

The GTX295 is faster than the GTX560 Ti because it has greater bandwidth and more stream processors, not because most games are console ports. Though slower, the GTX 560 Ti uses less power and does support DX11.

http://www.gpureview.com/show_cards.php?card1=641&card2...

In many ways the GTX560 Ti is the better product, but not if you have a limited budget. I was suggesting an alternative for someone who wanted high-range performance on a limited budget. The GTX 295 can provide that.

i was tooling around, reading some reviews for cards, and on the 570 for example, it said something about no casing or back plate and you have to buy one separate from the EVGA website (if i go with that card) anyone explain?

fastcarfastbike said:
i was tooling around, reading some reviews for cards, and on the 570 for example, it said something about no casing or back plate and you have to buy one separate from the EVGA website (if i go with that card) anyone explain?


There is no reason to purchase a back plate when you can use Riva Tuner or EVGA precision to turn your fan speeds up to as much as 100 percent. There is also a back plate available for the GTX580 that is in my main system. Though my card is overclocked modestly, with the fans boosted to 70 percent it only idles on 34 C.

In fact, I found that completely removing metal shell of my dual PCB GTX 295 reduced the temperatures more than adding a back plate. In my experience the GTX 295 dual PCB is the hottest running card of all of them. When I used a backplate it made a difference of about .5 to 1 degree Celsius.

About the only real reason to get a back plate for one of those cards is if you are afraid you are going to accidentally scratch off a resistor or capacitor when installing it. Fat fingers are a curse for some people.

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