560ti 448+bf3 / 7850 / 7870?? help!!!

[ludovico88]

hi everyone! i m going to buy a new pc and here are the new components:

RAM DDR3 G.Skill Ripjaws-X F3-12800CL8D-8GBXM 1600MHz 8GB (2x4GB) CL8 8-8-8-24 1.5V
SSD Crucial RealSSD M4 128GB 2.5" read 415MB/s write 175MB/s Sata3 CT128M4SSD2
Hard Disk Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM 2TB 3.5" 64MB Sata3
motherboard MSI Z77MA-G45 Socket 1155 DDR3 SATA3 USB3 MicroATX
power supply: coolermaster silent pro M series 700W
processor: core i5 2500k

the last thing i have to choose is the graphic card and i m wondering wich is better....here are the ones i found interesting:

1) VGA Palit NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti-448 BF3 Bundle Core 732MHz Memory GDDR5 1280MB DVI HDMI DP 165 euros (i need the game so i already remover 35 euros from the real price---203euros)
2) VGA PowerColor Ati AMD Radeon HD7850 Core 860MHz Memory GDDR5 4.8Gbps 2GB DVI HDMI MiniDP 210 euros (1 fan)
3) VGA Asus Ati Amd Radeon HD 7850 DC2 Core 870Mhz Memory GDDR5 4840Mhz 2GB DVI HDMI MiniDP 230 euros (2 fans------------>more overclock? worth the 20 more euros?)
4) VGA SAPPHIRE Radeon HD7870 GHz Edition Core 1000 MHz Memory GDDR5 4.8Gb/s 2GB DVI HDMI Mini-DP (2 fans) 290euro

i m aiming to play with 1900x1200 resolution and high details (maybe without full AA or too "heavy" effects) with games like bf3, skyrim, diablo 3, and hopefully the new games that will come out.
i'd like to keep this video card for something like 2 years or a lil more, so it should have enough power to let me survive untill then.

-the 560ti 448cores has the best price-performance but it has 1.2gb of memory and has a performance between 560ti and 570 and i don t know how much it will last!
-the 7850 has a nice price but compared to the 560ti448 it isn t much better....the only thing it has more than the 560ti448 is -the 2g ram...but for a difference in price of 45-65 euros
-the 7870 has a very good performance and is much better than the 7850 or 560ti448...but i think it s price-performance is quite low...what u think? is it worth it?

ofcourse i m gonna keep both the video card and the i5 2500k overclocked if i need more performance so i have to take that parameter into account (i know the new amd cards can overclock well)

sorry for the long post and thx for help

 

[chaosgs]

Personally the 78xx cards are way to over priced. When Nvidia launches more competition on that segment prices will be fair.

The 6850's are around $110-$150 and only about 20% slower, which is a much better buy in my opinion, as a crossfire. So Id go with the 560 TI, for potential sli if they still exist when that time comes.

 

[ludovico88]

ok... if possible i would avoid crossfire or sli due to heavy power draw so, for the moment, i m planning to go for a single card! (forgot to add that in my question)

 

[manu 11]

can you wait for building this machine. The ivy bridge is launching on 23rd.

 

[kctech]

Go with the 560 Ti 448 core. It is the best bang for buck on your list by a significant margin. Also, I strongly agree with the advice above saying to possibly go with a 6850. I would extend that recommendation to a 550 Ti as well. Both a 6850 and a 550 Ti will play bf3 just fine on ultra. I work at a PC store and the 550 Ti is by FAR the most common card I sell above $100. (And it's only $125 with a $20 MIR to make it $105.) I could understand wanting a more powerful card, but know if you are trying to save money a 550 Ti or 6850 would do beautifully.

 

[kctech]

Also, Ivy Bridge is going to be very expensive when released. It might be worth waiting for it though because sandy bridge cpus will hopefully drop in price when Ivy comes out.

 

[MKBL]

If you cannot wait until further price drop of 7850/7870, go for GTX 560 Ti 448. I'm playing Skyrim everyday on Ultra/1920x1080 with EVGA Classified, and its max memory usage is 1.1GB, while producing 50-60fps. Maybe on 1920x1200, it will use a little bit more, but I think 1.2GB can handle that as well.

Also, I highly recommend EVGA version, as it has the most review on Newegg, with virtually perfect score. Mine is Classified, which is EOL already, but the current Classified Ultra looks even better. It is overclocked very well, but recently I rolled it back to the factory default since even the default clock can handle Skyrim without issue. Actually EVGA's default is already overclocked significantly compared to other brand.

 

[sharpiedpanda]

I recently got a 7870 (from a GTX460 1GB) mainly for multiple monitor gaming. But if you are only going to game with a single 1900x1200 I think you should go with the 560 ti since it has better performance than the 460 1GB which I ran BF3 with HIGH settings for a steadier frame rate. If you like the Radeon cards, I would say the 6870 is a nice card for ~150 and can support >2 monitors for stuff (maybe not gaming) which can still produce decent single monitor gaming performance

Good luck

 

[ludovico88]

thanks for all these advices ^^ you are helping me alot!
the only problem with the 560ti 448 is the memory amount won t it be a problem with games like bf3 and maybe the games that are going to come out in the future? if it had 2gb memory i would instantly buy it! ^^ i heard that bf3 on multiplayer uses alot of memory on 1900x1200 high detail, is it a thing that happens only with these games or i have to expect a heavy memory use by the games coming in the future?
as i said i would like to make the video card last possibly 2 years!

and about the processor i already bought the i5 2500k for 157 euros (special price from a friend^^)

my fear with sli and crossfire of old graphic cards like 6850 is micro shuttering (read a few threads about this issue) and i don t like very much the heavy power draw of these options!

 

[Sonny73N]

I could have given you a whole lot of different advices but as of right now, you should WAIT, just for a few weeks.

If you're buying for a new rig now, you'll feel outdated and regret very soon. So hold your horse, soldier.

 

[pacioli]

the only problem with the 560ti 448 is the memory amount won t it be a problem with games like bf3 and maybe the games that are going to come out in the future? if it had 2gb memory i would instantly buy it!

No the memory would only make a difference if you were playing at higher resolutions than 1920x1200 or if you had more than one monitor.

 

[ludovico88]

aarrrgh i just read in a topic that the
VGA Palit NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti-448 BF3 Bundle Core 732MHz Memory GDDR5 1280MB DVI HDMI DP
doesn t really contain bf 3! it s specified in a corner of the box! (in the shop image couldn t read anything -.-) it s just a marketing trick damn!
well.... now i m really into getting a 7870. for 90 more euros i could get a better video card with a new technology and lower power draw and under stress temperature! and it would for sure last 2 years right?

 

[ludovico88]

my 8800gt lasted 4 years and i m looking for something similar ^^

 

[truegenius]

what about a hd6950 for 250$

 

[freddy1765]

I'd really consider the 7850. It's easy to over clock, and when you do, nothing comes close to its performance/price ratio. There's a long thread over on overclockers.co.uk about OCing it and people's experience with it:
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18389760

 

[jeromeley]

Personally the 78xx cards are way to over priced. When Nvidia launches more competition on that segment prices will be fair.

The 6850's are around $110-$150 and only about 20% slower, which is a much better buy in my opinion, as a crossfire. So Id go with the 560 TI, for potential sli if they still exist when that time comes.

7850 is faster than 560ti for the same price

 

[Sonny73N]

@jeromeley
7850 is faster than 560ti, really? Like 2%? Look at the core clock on the 7850, AMD had clocked the life out of it. If you raise core clock on the 560ti to 1Ghz, I'll bet you the 560ti will beat the hell out of the 7850. Don't you notice that ALL the high end cards have low core clocks? Lower clock means better stability. I've seen a lot of people online looking for solutions for their 78xx, google it.

I used to like Radeon cards but every time AMD makes a trick to fool consumers like they did with their 78xx, they've made me like them less. You're entitled to your own opinion but here are mine about the 78xx: Overclocked, overpriced! Period.

 

[Sonny73N]

7850 = $260
560ti = $220

Well, if they're same price, I may reconsider the 7850.

 

[nyhcbri]

just wanna poke my nose in a bit as i have been reading alot for my own purchase(which i have not made yet, lol)
this is a quote from the april 10, 2012 Best Graphics Cards For The Money: April 2012

"With the Radeon HD 6950 missing in action, Nvidia's GeForce GTX 560 Ti takes our lone recommendation at the $220 price point. This card offers respectable value in light of the hole in AMD's portfolio.
Buyers may want to consider paying an extra $40 for AMD's Radeon HD 7850 though. The small step up in budget yields significant better performance.
The new Radeon HD 7850 offers performance similar to the Radeon HD 6970 and GeForce GTX 570, but at a much lower $260 price point.
Moreover, the Radeon HD 7850 does its job using about half of the power as both of those older boards based on 40 nm manufacturing. As such, the more expensive GeForce GTX 560 Ti 448-core loses its recommendation entirely.
The Radeon HD 7870 sets a new standard for what we expect from a sub-$400 GPU. With performance comparable to the GeForce GTX 580 and kissing the heels of the $450 Radeon HD 7950, this card represents one of the best high-end values we've seen in recent memory. "

prices i have found in US dollars
560ti $180-260 depending on 1 or 2 gb ram, yes it comes in 2gb now
6950 $230-270
7850 $240-270, i have read that this card has lots of headroom for overclocking, uses lowest power
560ti 448 cores $245-300
7870 $330-390 ouch but best performance of the bunch
GTX480 $210 really powerful card but requires some tlc to use it, side by side with the 7850in the hierarchy and cheapest bang for your buck, just sayin
prices seem to vary depending on brand, dual vs single fan, factory oc'd, and availability. and id like to add that the 480 and the 7850 are the only 2 of the cards listed at the 4th tier of the hierarchy and everything in the first 3 tiers (7870 3rd tier) is way more expensive. the 6950 and 560ti's fall in the 5th tier

 

[tuffluck]

@jeromeley
7850 is faster than 560ti, really? Like 2%? Look at the core clock on the 7850, AMD had clocked the life out of it. If you raise core clock on the 560ti to 1Ghz, I'll bet you the 560ti will beat the hell out of the 7850. Don't you notice that ALL the high end cards have low core clocks? Lower clock means better stability. I've seen a lot of people online looking for solutions for their 78xx, google it.

I used to like Radeon cards but every time AMD makes a trick to fool consumers like they did with their 78xx, they've made me like them less. You're entitled to your own opinion but here are mine about the 78xx: Overclocked, overpriced! Period.

well that guy is WAY wrong, and i have the benches to prove it. see below.

I'd really consider the 7850. It's easy to over clock, and when you do, nothing comes close to its performance/price ratio. There's a long thread over on overclockers.co.uk about OCing it and people's experience with it:
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18389760

yup. i'm running my sapphire oc edition 7850 at 1200/1450 @ 1.176v reaching only a 71c maximum temperature, as are many others on that thread. it seems that this particular 7850's default setup was closer to this...maybe AMD just down clocked it.

anyway, that's a 40% increase in clocks. it actually matches the 7950 in most benchmarks i run, and even beats the 580. as long as you are comfortable overclocking, it's the best buy on your list by far.

FWIW, in BF3 multiplayer i have done several benchmarks but generally i average 60fps with a low in the mid 40s and a high in the upper 80s.