First build - 6000 or 7000 series AMD

[DaveDwildebeast]

Hi
I'm just about to start my first build in a few weeks when the new IvyBridge I5 3570K and Z77 boards come out. I've got most of the parts, the only thing I can't work out is the graphics card.

The PC will be mainly general use, some gaming (Want to get Skyrim, Starcraft 2, that kind of thing), with occasional video editing.

My original plan was to get a HD 6850, which I've just seen on offer for £88, but now that the 7000 series are out I'm wondering what to do. Everything below the new 7850 look weaker than the 6850, but the 7850 price seems a bit steep at £200. (My ideal budget is £150 max, but pref a bit lower if I can).

So I was considering maybe a HD6870? Or does anybody think the 7850 may drop in price in the near future?

I'm also wondering if the 2gb memory on the newer cards will be a benefit as I have two screens (Although will only be gaming on one... the other will just have a web browser etc on) or is 1gb enough?

Any thoughts or recomendations greatly appreciated!



Approximate Purchase Date: Late April (When IB comes out)

Budget Range: Up to £150 for the graphics card

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, general use, little bit of video editing

Parts Not Required: Already got most except CPU, MB, and GPU

Country: UK

Parts Preferences: Prefer AMD but am open to persuasion

Overclocking: Maybe

SLI or Crossfire: Maybe

Monitor Resolution: Dual screen 1280x1024 on each monitor

Additional Comments: PSU is an OCZ 600w (cert 80 plus bronze) that I already had knocking around.

 

[boiler1990]

Based on NVIDIA's GTX 680 performance, I think AMD cards will be dropping in price somewhat over the next month or two, it might be worth it to wait until then and see what happens.

If you're only looking at an i5, I'd suggest waiting until Ivy Bridge is run through it's paces - it may not necessarily be a better buy than an i5-2500K with a few extra MHz/GHz, and you could save money with that which in turn allows you to buy a better GPU.

In the end, you'll have to see what's out, what benefits your system more (CPU vs. GPU) and what you can afford at the time.