Get ATI 58XX or Wait for nVidia?

[vegettoxp]

Hello there Guys, I am pretty sure that this question ask been asked so many time, but I just wanted to get your thoughts on this topic. Yes I am a nvidia FanBoy, but lately they are doing alot of crazy stuff. I current have nvidia 8800GT Graphic Card and I wanted to replace that before Call of Duty comes out (Nov). I have been reading around and it looks like nvidia has no plans to release anything good untill next year and I can't wait that long. I am updating some hardware in my current Rig and I wanted to get it done before the year comes to an end.

So if I were to get the ATI 58XX series, what would you guys recommend me getting. This graphic card will be used for Gaming of course and other stuff. I want to get the 5870 card, but the price is pretty high.

But the I was also thinking that if I get Two Sub $250 or Lower ATI 5XXX cards and do a Crossfire for the First Time. Also the Power Supply currently I have Corsair HX620, Updated Needed?

Your Thoughts Guys?

[Earzz]

Yes I am a nvidia FanBoy, but lately they are doing alot of crazy stuff.

You mean the past three years?

[SoulsCollective]

The 5870 and 5850 are truly fantastic cards. Approx double the performance of the 4-series. nVidia keeps pushing their new cards back and back, and are really focusing on Compute and GPGPU more than gaming performance, it seems, so I wouldn't feel bad at all about grabbing a 5-series card now.

The 5850 is probably the better value card - all you lose is two SMDs and some clock speed compared to the 70 - but the 5770s are also good value. I believe Hexus did a 5770 Crossfire test, which you may be interested to have a look at, but the two cards really weren't that much cheaper than a single 5870 and Crossfire does not scale linearly.

[Piotrsama]

In your case, I would give the 5850 a try.

[jaredpace]

I would get a 5850 or a 5870. Enjoy having the single GPU stable framerates & performance. They overclock very well too. The 5850 is the better deal, price/performance wise.

They should both be able to play MW2 at maximum quality with AA/AF

[Earzz]

BTW if you want to go crossfire you have to either mod your power cables for a 5850 setup because you dont have enough of them (or buy a HX650) or just go for a 5770 setup.

[iandh]

I'm actually an Nvidia fanboy to some degree as well, but the combination of Jen-Hsun antics and the fact that I'm also an AMD fanboy, have pushed me to ATI for the last couple buys.

Anyways, the 58xx series are freaking awesome, regardless of how fast they will be compared to GT300, I'd say just do it... the worst that can happen is that you sell your 58xx for a moderate loss when GT300 comes out.

Another big thing for me; I'm not sure what Nvidia is doing for idle power management on GT300, but ATI has done an absolutely outstanding job on 58xx. This is very important to me because I live in a desert climate and my computer exhausts onto my feet. I also have to pay to air condition out whatever heat I bring into my computer room, which is already hot and stuffy as it is.

[LightSpeed]

5850 FTW

Fermi appears to be late, honestly with the 5850's around $250 theres no reason to wait for them

[terrybogard]

5850 FTW

Fermi appears to be late, honestly with the 5850's around $250 theres no reason to wait for them

Waiting allows more waiting, buy the 5850 & enjoy MOW2, that was my main reason for getting my 5870. Can't wait to bring the noise

[LightSpeed]

Yeah, i wouldnt want a fermtastically long waiting period for you know what to show up

[R_1]

I would recommend you buying a HD5850, slapping Accelero S1 rev.2 cooler over the top alu cover and overclocking it to the max. No need to wait for anything. This baby (HD5850) will go only up in price, because Fermi will be expensive and not suitable for DX11 gaming, but for transcoding, folding etc.

[zalbard]

No point to wait unless you're a fan of trying to get some programs to run on your GPU that already run on your CPU just fine.

[rwurdig]

Well if u have the 3d kit from nvidia then maybe u should wait.

[vegettoxp]

Well when it comes to Graphic Card, I guess I am really not a FanBoy, But Microsoft and Intel, FanBoy to the BONES. I might as well get the 5850 instead of doing crossfire of two 5770. Has anyone OC the 5850 and see what the Max setting are? But Thank you for the input. Either I will go Single 5850 or Dual 5850 On Fire (Yaaaaa)!

[punkrockpolak]

I just moved from an 8800GT to a 5870. The difference is, of course, night and day. Very satisfied with the card and will be playing some CoD on it later as well The 5800s still don't have perfect drivers, but the ones that are out are still pretty good.

[Jakethesnake011]

I agree I would get a 5870 for now, and you can always sell it when Nvidia comes out with a new card and then get the better one and take a smaller lose. But the card is great I am very happy with it.

[LagunaX]

Save some tax+shipping and look in the for sale section for the $350 5870.

[kadozer]

5850 crossfire is an excellent plan. Selling them if you decide to would not be hard if you decide to go Fermi. Biggest bonus is: you get to enjoy them now

[Dezmen]

I say wait for GT300. First need wait for card tests... There is no good DX11 games, so new cards useless..

[rogueagent6]

I say wait for GT300. First need wait for card tests... There is no good DX11 games, so new cards useless..

So, lower idle power consumption coupled with being the most powerful single card you can buy right now, along with being faster than the 295 in games that matter, is useless?

[wiak]

get the 5870, unless you dont have that much then get the 5850 instead
nothing beats them, and you get DIRT 2 and Battlestations Pacific with some of the cards!

[billdavis]

or wait for 6870s or wait for core i12 or wait for nvidias GT400 series or wait.......this is how it will always be

Think of hard ware like a woman, have some now and then get the next new one that turns the corner and you will always be having a good time...just dont keep the old ones with the new ones. unfortunatly there both expensive

[wiak]

atm most game developers use ATI Radeon 5700 series for DirectX 11 development, so the 5800 series will be high performace :P

[Levesque]

You should definitely wait for the GT300 Fermi, since NVidia are working on a new ground-breaking technology for gamers. That's the real reason for the delay for the new NVidia cards:



Just kidding.

Why wait? ATI 58xx cards are here and working well. if you need a card now, then those are the best there is. Personnally, I'm waiting for the 5870X2 to come out to build a Tri-Crossfire set-up with a 5870. I don't really care for NVidia anymore, particularly with their shady practices in the last months. It's like gamers are not important for them anymore. Disabling PhysX when there is an ATI card in the system, disabling AA in Batman for ATI cards... and Fermi sounds more like a CPU competitor then a true gaming card...

[Xoulz]

8800GT > HD5850 is a huge leap..

You can always add another next spring to have HD5850 in Xfire, which i highly doubt Fermi will usurp. It is a win/win bro.