Graphics Decision

[Grymdawg]

Hello guys,

i am looking to buy a new graphics card, the recent review of the 4770 HD has made me think that ATi cards are looking pretty good. But my experience with ATi cards hasnt been a good one so i am a bit sceptical.

So anyway the choice is between 2x ATi cards or one geforce GTX beast.

What you reckon?

I will be running:

i7 920
ASUS rampage extreme II
corsair 6 gig 1600 OC
74gig WD raptor system drive
1tb WD for storage

This is going to be my gaming rig so i need it to pretty much handle everything the earth and its mother-in-law can throw at it. Also i am pretty tempted to look at SSD, is it worth the extra cash?

Cheers

[Phage]

I'm facing the same decision. It seems that the double 4770 is a great deal, but loses out at 1920 x 1200 or greater due the lower memory available for the frame buffer.
It comes down to what resolution are you playing at, and what is the best deal available at the time. f'rinstance the Inno3D 260X2 looks interesting as well.

[Grymdawg]

yeah i have been looking around at the different cards.

Theres alot of pro's and cons, and yeah it is down to what res you're playing at. I know alot of people want a future proof card, i am one of them!

So i am still at loggerheads with myself, either bite the bullet and "risk" ATi or go for the beast of a card geforce.

Yeah i have been reading all the card reviews on hexus, and speaking to a few mates who have high end geforce cards. They say buy a geforce 295 and i wont regret it, but for 500 quid i want the card to last.

Cheers for the reply, i am a bit new to these forums

[Phage]

£500 ? Jeepers...I'm not sure that you'd get your money's worth.
At 1920x1200 I'm leaning towards a 275 or 4870x2 have you seen how cheap these are now ?

[scaryjim]

tbh on an i7 system 2x4770 is going to be a little underpowered. I'd get yourself down to Scan and pick up an XFX 4870X2 for £240 while they're still available. Scan must have some special deal with XFX I think - dunno how they could sell these cards at such a ridiculously low price otherwise!!

[Phage]

tbh on an i7 system 2x4770 is going to be a little underpowered. I'd get yourself down to Scan and pick up an XFX 4870X2 for £240 while they're still available. Scan must have some special deal with XFX I think - dunno how they could sell these cards at such a ridiculously low price otherwise!!

What he said.
In fact I may be looking at that myself.

[DeludedGuy]

There is no such thing as futureproof, in 3 years you will most certainly consider an upgrade. 2x 4770 will last you 3 years.

[shaithis]

+1 for the 4870x2

At the prices they are at now, they are a bargain.

Anything less wouldn't do your i7 justice

[Grymdawg]

I dont mean future proof forever

So you would agree that the ATi cards are better at the moment? Are the drivers still terribad?

Yeah i buy alot of my parts from scan

[Grymdawg]

Oh forgot to add, thatnks for the feedback guys its much appreciated.

Before i posted this i nearly bought the Geforce 295 !

[shaithis]

So you would agree that the ATi cards are better at the moment? Are the drivers still terribad?

I've been using a 4870x2 since launch day and the drivers have been fine.

Don't know why you think they are/were terrible. They are as stable (or unstable depending on your POV) as nVidias.

Always have been, always will be. Both companies are not perfect and both want decent drivers out there for their customers.

[Grymdawg]

Dont know really, i havent had an ATi card for ages

I think i will be taking your advice and go for 4870x2.

Thanks again

[jim]

Scan must have some special deal with XFX I think - dunno how they could sell these cards at such a ridiculously low price otherwise!!

They're only £249 at OcUK, so it must be at XFX's end that the price is dropping.

[kfckfc]

Personally if I had £370 I would go for the GTX 295.

Unfortunately I did not so I went for the 2nd best; the 4870X2 for £263 which is only £240 now. Very happy with the performance of the 4870X2 though it is quite noisy.

Good luck with your choice, sounds like it will be a nice rig.

PS - Not sure what PSU you are going for but recommend at least 620W to give you some headroom as my system draws 485W peak at the wall.

[Golden Dragoon]

I've been using a 4870x2 since launch day and the drivers have been fine.

Don't know why you think they are/were terrible. They are as stable (or unstable depending on your POV) as nVidias.

Always have been, always will be. Both companies are not perfect and both want decent drivers out there for their customers.

Back in the original Radeon days right up til the R8500 the ATi drivers could be a bit sketchy, now however they are a completely different beast so to speak, fast stable and provide great image quality.