1366x768, sapphire 7850 too much?

[Bman123]

ill chime in on this one. I game at the same res with a i3 2100 and a hd4870 1gb card. I dont play the games you listed but i play these all maxxed out with no issues.
Cod Mw3, La Noire, nba 2k12 and fallout new vegas.

I bought a gtx 460 768mb card the same time I got the hd4870 1gb because people said it was so much better of a card. I did not see a big enough difference to justify keeping the gtx 460 at this res with the games I play.

You have the witcher 2 and BF3 on your list and those games are really gpu dependent. I say go for it, get the card you are looking at and sit back and enjoy it. Your cpu is more then enough to push that card and you should be happy for at least a whole nother year

 

[toyota]

overkill NOW. with new consoles close to fruition, the 7850 may start struggling this time next year.

again no its not if he wants to get 60fps in demanding games with settings cranked.

 

[TurtleCrusher]

overkill NOW. with new consoles close to fruition, the 7850 may start struggling this time next year.

With these new consoles having a video cards with performance around a 6670, I wouldn't be worried about it.

 

[toyota]

the console argument never makes sense anyway as most games do get more demanding on the pc. over 3.5 years ago many people said that a gtx280 or even gtx260 was not needed because games were console ports.

 

[Rambusted]

I game at 768 (A 32in tv in a living room setting) with a core I5 2310 and a xfx 6870. Even with my slower CPU and gpu it is overkill. If you plan on keeping your screen I have to think the 7850 is kind of a waste you could get something in the 150$ range that would do the same thing. I upgraded from a 4870 and see only a slight difference at that res, I actually underclock mine to 775 to keep it cooler.

 

[toyota]

I game at 768 (A 32in tv in a living room setting) with a core I5 2310 and a xfx 6870. Even with my slower CPU and gpu it is overkill. If you plan on keeping your screen I have to think the 7850 is kind of a waste you could get something in the 150$ range that would do the same thing. I upgraded from a 4870 and see only a slight difference at that res, I actually underclock mine to 775 to keep it cooler.

sorry but that is not true for some games. if you see no difference between a 4870 and 6870 then you must not be playing demanding games.

my gtx570 is quite a bit faster than a 6870 and I can crank the setting in some games where I only get right around 60 fps at just 1366x768. heck if I crank all the settings in a game Metro 2033 or Clear Sky then I still cant even average that even at that low res.

 

[Termie]

sorry but that is not true for some games. if you see no difference between a 4870 and 6870 then you must not be playing demanding games.

my gtx570 is quite a bit faster than a 6870 and I can crank the setting in some games where I only get right around 60 fps at just 1366x768. heck if I crank all the settings in a game Metro 2033 or Clear Sky then I still cant even average that even at that low res.

Toyota - you are contantly referring to the very few games that actually challenge any video card at 768p. Unless the OP is very interested in playing Metro 2033 at high detail levels, a game he did not list, the 7850 is overkill, plain and simple.

There's a reason CPU gaming tests are routinely run at 1680x1050 in Anandtech's reviews - this is the point where CPUs become limiting in most games: http://www.anandtech.com/bench/CPU/341

If you had one of these $80 768p monitors (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...SpeTabStoreType=&AdvancedSearch=1&srchInDesc=), would you really spend $250 on a video card? I seriously hope not.

 

[watek]

Whatever you do, don't get a 550 Ti.

 

[toyota]

Toyota - you are contantly referring to the very few games that actually challenge any video card at 768p. Unless the OP is very interested in playing Metro 2033 at high detail levels, a game he did not list, the 7850 is overkill, plain and simple.

There's a reason CPU gaming tests are routinely run at 1680x1050 in Anandtech's reviews - this is the point where CPUs become limiting in most games: http://www.anandtech.com/bench/CPU/341

If you had one of these $80 768p monitors (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...=1&srchInDesc=), would you really spend $250 on a video card? I seriously hope not.

I already mentioned earlier that an 18.5 inch monitor would be pretty tiny for gaming.

if the OP has a TV that he uses as a monitor though and is happy with it then there is nothing wrong with getting a 7850 if he wants to crank the settings in ALL of his games. some people like to get 60 fps and use vsync so a 7850 is most certainly not overkill if that is the case. he has a 2500k so cpu limitation will not be a problem especially if he overclocks it.

 

[Ankh16]

Hey wow lots of responses I really do appreciate all the feedback, so few things:

Yes it is a t.v. its a 26" lcd insignia

I suppose settings don't have to be "CRANKED" on all games, max is what would be ideal but as long as the card could last me above medium settings for the next 3 years I'd be pretty happy.

Termie now you have me speculating about a 1080p monitor with a 6870, would having lower settings but running at 1080p on a monitor be better then higher settings at 720p on a tv?

Seems to be a lot of back and forth(which I suppose should be expected ) so I'm still kind of unsure on what direction I should go, I thought I might be able to get the best of both as there was a new 6950 on ebay for 150 but the bidding wars have already spiked it to 195 + 14 shipping

 

[toyota]

well if money is an issue than the 6870 or 6850 is just fine for 1366x768. as for as resolution then yeah I would take a few reduced settings at 1080 over cranked at 720 any day. still at 1920x1080, the 7850 would be the lowest I would want to go with. I also would not go any smaller than a 23 inch screen though as even that will seem quite physically small after being on a 26 inch.

 

[Joseph F]

OP - I've got a solution for you.

HD6870 for $145AR: http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=62756&vpn=HD687AZHFC&manufacture=XFX&promoid=1263

PLUS

BenQ 20" 900p LCD for $115: http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=57497&vpn=GL2030&manufacture=BenQ

OR

LG 21.5" 1080p LCD for $135: http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=37492&vpn=W2243T-PF&manufacture=LG Electronics

Now, for $260 you have a great 900p setup, or for $280 you have a great 1080p setup.

Seriously, do not spend $250 on a graphics card if you have a 768p monitor. That's simply a waste of your hard-earned cash. If you're on a budget, use what you have wisely - I'd say the 6870 and the 20" monitor is actually a great use of what you have at $260, although I'd step up to 1080p if you can stretch just a bit more.

If you honestly have no interest in a new monitor, then just buy a 6850 for $130: http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=63985&vpn=HD685XZCFC&manufacture=XFX&promoid=1263. It's a much better value for your resolution than a 7850.

I concur.

 

[toyota]

I concur.

did you read through the thread though? he has a 26inch tv so either of those monitors will look like a little toy. 23 or preferably 24 inch would be the smallest he should go with if getting a new screen.

 

[Joseph F]

did you read through the thread though? he has a 26inch tv so either of those monitors will look like a little toy. 23 or preferably 24 inch would be the smallest he should go with if getting a new screen.

No, I had posted my reply before reading through the whole thread. :whiste:

 

[Termie]

did you read through the thread though? he has a 26inch tv so either of those monitors will look like a little toy. 23 or preferably 24 inch would be the smallest he should go with if getting a new screen.

You have to admit though, that using a 26" 720p TV as your monitor is not ideal for games or anything else. Unless he's using this from a couch, I'd take a 21" 1080p any day over a 26" TV on my desk.

And I still think that if someone has a limited budget, a 6870 is a great value. There are plenty of people using a single 6870 to run Skyrim and BF3 all day long, not at ultra settings, but at good enough settings to enjoy the games.

As for the "it should last 3 years" thing, there simply isn't enough separation between a 6870 and a 7850 to make a difference. Three years ago you could buy a GTX260-216 for $250 or a GTX280 for $350. (Source: http://www.anandtech.com/show/2711)

The performance delta was about the same as the 6870/7850 (25%). Who got the better deal in that scenario??? I think you know, because you ran that 260-192 of yours into the ground (i.e. got a ton of use out of it).

OP - I'm glad this has been helpful to you. It seems you're on a budget, so rather than try to crank your settings for the next three years (which would take at least a GTX680), I think you should invest in a nice monitor to improve your overall computing experience, and go with whatever video card you can afford once you pick up the monitor.

 

[toyota]

it was a general comment that just because we have many console ports does not mean games dont get more demanding.

 

[RaistlinZ]

I'd rather lick oatmeal off Rosie O'Donnell's butt crack than be forced to game at 1366x768.

Upgrade that monitor, seriously.

 

[jibberegg]

I'd rather lick oatmeal off Rosie O'Donnell's butt crack

Jesus RaistlinZ, put a NSFW warning or something. I just google images who Rosie O'Donnell was.

*cannot be unseen*