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5870 CF or new card (68xx or 69xx)?

2K views 47 replies 24 participants last post by  jrockut83 
#1 ·
I'm in the process of sorting out an 890FX board so that I can make the leap to crossfire. I have a 5870 of the variety in my sig rig. Would it be worthwhile to score a 5870 and CF them since the prices are already falling or should I just pick up a new 6xxx radeon and then CF those once tax return money comes in? Just looking for opinions but hard numbers would be nice too
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Reps for great responses!! Thanks for the attention!
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I've posted the options below but if I may consider nvidia (e.g. gtx 570 or something comparable) as well if a strong case is made. Thanks again for the attention!

5870 @ $240: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150476&cm_re=radeon_5870-_-14-150-476-_-Product

6850 @ $165
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161348&cm_re=radeon_6850-_-14-161-348-_-Product

6870 @ $220
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150506&cm_re=radeon_6870-_-14-150-506-_-Product

6950 @ $290
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150518&cm_re=radeon_6950-_-14-150-518-_-Product

6970 @ $370
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131385&cm_re=radeon_6970-_-14-131-385-_-Product
 
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#2 ·
I would highly recommend the 6950 because you can make it perform just like a 6970 by unclocking the unused cores which are used on the 6970. They have a guide linked in a thread here that has a link to a TechPowerUp.com guide. I would also recommend that you get another 5870 and go Cross-Fire. It should give you better performance.
 
#3 ·
I would get the 5870 CF since you already have one.
The 68xx series really would be more of side-grading. If you really want the 3-D however, then by all means, the 6870 crossfire would be plenty.

IMHO, I would pick up a used 5850 here on OCN and crossfire it with the 5870.
Saves you a decent amount of dough with near the same performance as 5870 crossfire.
 
#6 ·
If you don't mind having 2 cards, 5870 CF is the way to go. You should pick up a non-reference Sapphire or XFX if you can't find reference one, because Sapphire Trixx will let you adjust voltages with those cards.

If you want a single card,being a 6950, and 6970 (flashed) and a GTX 570 owner (currently), i'll say go for the 6950. It's performance is pretty good for the money and most overclock pretty well (no official voltage support yet) and most unlock into 6970s (including mine).
 
#9 ·
So it seems CF 5870 is a pretty good scenario but a 6950 unlocked to a 6970 is good too. Any idea what kind of performance I could expect on newer games on ultra settings? In particular, considering starcraft 2. I have SC2 on ultra with the 5870 now and on some maps with many units around, I see stuttering a little bit. I will measure FPS sometime but I'm guessing that it probably dips into the low to mid 20s. Would CF 5870 be able to handle in no problem or would I just be wasting my time? Thanks for all the useful responses so far btw!
 
#11 ·
Ahh good ol blizzard and their CPU controlled games! *cough WoW cough* I have my 1055t at 3.4GHz but only that high so far because I didn't yet tweak with voltage (yes, 3.4GHz on stock voltage - yay lol) So I guess I should take that baby up to 3.6 or 3.8?
 
#12 ·
A 5870 CF is the better choice, assuming the games you play support it. I'm always in favor of using a more powerful single card, but getting a 5850 or 5870 would be cheaper, and if the game supports CF, it will smoke a single 6970. There will be more power used, but I'm doubting that is much of a concern if you're going CF anyway.
 
#14 ·
I got a 6950 recently an if it wasnt for crappy power supply i would be using it now, from what i did see of the 6950's performance show its an incredible card plus the ability to flash the bios to a 6970 makes it a no brainer XD
 
#17 ·
I was in exactly the same position when the HD 69xx and GTX 5xx series came out. Figured that CF was the most bang-for-buck option. I'm happy with my decision, and have no regrets.
 
#18 ·
I concur with the majority here: go for a 2nd HD5870.

Performance wise, any pairs of the 5 cards will do the job well.
So, this is more like a money question rather than a performance question.
If money is not a concern, it is just obvious to get the most expensive (ie 6970 CF).
However, if finance is considered, getting a 2nd 5870 just makes the most $ sense.

And, as pointed above, that $199 Sapphire is just an excellent choice.
 
#19 ·
100 on SC2 on ultra? Yowza. Ok I guess I will try to get the CPU goin a little quicker. I see you have the 930 at 1.25 to get 4.1 That's pretty impressive. I will give it a try though.

About the 6950 unlock... been reading about it and there are some rumors going around that 6970 may put a clamp on it. Any truth to that?!
 
#20 ·
If you are looking for a 5870 I may be willing to part with mine soon when I get the money to upgrade.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jrockut83;11994697
100 on SC2 on ultra? Yowza. Ok I guess I will try to get the CPU goin a little quicker. I see you have the 930 at 1.25 to get 4.1 That's pretty impressive. I will give it a try though.

About the 6950 unlock... been reading about it and there are some rumors going around that 6970 may put a clamp on it. Any truth to that?!
Yup I was able to run SC II with a 9600 on medium and high settings @ 1920x1080.
 
#21 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by jrockut83;11994546
(yes, 3.4GHz on stock voltage - yay lol)
You should be able to do 3.4GHz not only in stock volts, but even at 1.26 and under
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Stock volts leave room for around 3.75GHz. AMD FTW LOL.

But yes, moneywise get a second 5870. As long as your res's don't go into the sky, you'll be fine with 1GB. Over 2650x1(something) you'll start to be screwed with 1GB.
 
#22 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by sgilmore62;11994615
The Sapphire 5870 is $229 with $60 code and $199 after $30 MIR. Whats wrong with the Sapphire 5870?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102883
I saw this deal too but the mail in rebate expires on the 15th and that's just too soon for me to purchase
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Looking to buy at the end of the month or maybe 1st/2nd week in feb
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#23 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Artikbot;11994926
You should be able to do 3.4GHz not only in stock volts, but even at 1.26 and under
smile.gif


Stock volts leave room for around 3.75GHz. AMD FTW LOL.

But yes, moneywise get a second 5870. As long as your res's don't go into the sky, you'll be fine with 1GB. Over 2650x1(something) you'll start to be screwed with 1GB.
Yeah that is encouraging
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I will try to boost this 1055t up to maybe even 4.0 then if it only requires a LITTLE bit more voltage. That will be very nice
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Oh and btw I run at 1920x1080 so hopefully I won't have trouble with just 1GB
 
#26 ·
I'm in the same dilemma as the OP I have a 5870 and would like to CF. I asked the same question he did about a month ago and all I got was "OMG get a gtx 580" or "single GPU is always better" lol now here everyone is saying get another 5870.
 
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