6850 vs 6870

[BigOleNate]

There are 2 cards that I'm currently looking at. Both are HIS IceQ X Turbo cards but one is a 6850 while the other is a 6870. The 6850 is $158 while the 6870 is $188. Is the 6870 worth the extra $30? If so, are there any references or benchmarks that I could look at to compare the 2? I have a i5-2500k, 16GB DDR3 RAM, and a 850W PSU. My monitor runs at 1600x900 and I don't plan on buying a 1080p one until it burns out or something along those lines.

6850:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161363

6870:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161396

 

[esrever]

the 7770s are probably better than either of those. Its cheaper than the 6850 and offers compatible performance.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161402

between the 6870 and the 6850, the 6850 is probably the better deal. The 6870 is only about 10% faster than the 6850.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/HIS/Radeon_HD_6870/29.html

 

[Tmant123]

http://www.hwcompare.com/11924/radeon-hd-6870-vs-radeon-hd-7770/ 7770 vs. 6870

http://www.hwcompare.com/5999/radeon-hd-6850-vs-radeon-hd-6870/
A little bit more than 10% difference between 6850 and 6870.

I have the 6870 and it is a great card. But the 7770 uses half the power.

 

[rwayne]

I would recommend the HIS HD7770 GHz edition. The overclock should help a good amount.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161402

$129 with FREE Shipping

 

[BigOleNate]

I would recommend the HIS HD7770 GHz edition. The overclock should help a good amount.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161402

$129 with FREE Shipping

Is there that much of a difference if I already have a 6770? I was told that the 2 cards were identical.

 

[esrever]

no the 7770 is completely different than the 6770. the 6770 is a 5770.

the 7770 should be about 30% faster than the 6770.

 

[s3anister]

I would recommend the HIS HD7770 GHz edition. The overclock should help a good amount.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161402

$129 with FREE Shipping

You do know that all Radeon HD7770s are factory clocked at 1GHz, right? That's why its name is the "7770 GHz Edition" - it's an AMD thing.

On the topic of overclocking, there are a few 7770s that are very overclocked.
Sapphire 7770 - Clocked at 1150MHz: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102968

 

[purple stain]

I would suggest saving an extra $50 and go for a 7850.It's well worth it and you won't have to upgrade for years.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150608

$240=$220 after MIR + Free Shipping

I remember paying $240 for my 6870.

 

[rwayne]

I totally agree with purple. If you make an marginal increase in performance now you will be doing it again in the near future costing more money with less results.

The 7850 is a huge performance increase over a 6850, 7770, or a 6870 plus is considered one of the best bang for you buck cards on the market today. I think it would be worth saving up to get it.

If it takes an extra month or two it will be worth it as the GTX 660s will be out at that time. Even if you are not interested in a 660 it may force the prices of everything else down a little.

 

[purple stain]

^+1 on the price drop.Though I think the GTX660 will cost more at the start(they always do).