4 series midrange vs 6 series midrange

daRkKon

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Dec 12, 2005
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okay you all new this thread was going to pop up..

i dont know about all of you, but i have been watching the graphics market since 2004 and it seems way back in the day, each generation provided much more than the last, lately, it just seems like small performance boosts here and there.

4850 vs 6850
performance boost enough?
ive looked at reviews lately that showed the 4870 vs the 6850 but not both midranges. the performance boost is about 10fps in some resolutions.

should i wait until the high end cards come out for a price drop in the 6850?
 

DaveSimmons

Elite Member
Aug 12, 2001
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At $180 the 6850 is noticeably faster than the $300 4870 I bought in mid-2008.

> 4850 vs 6850 - performance boost enough?

Heat and noise are much better than my 4870. It's up to you whether the speed bump is worth $180.

> should i wait until the high end cards come out for a price drop in the 6850?

Waiting is almost always a good idea if your current card is performing well enough for the games that you're playing now.
 

RussianSensation

Elite Member
Sep 5, 2003
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ive looked at reviews lately that showed the 4870 vs the 6850 but not both midranges. the performance boost is about 10fps in some resolutions.

HD6850 is around 70-75% faster than an HD4850. Just wait until GTX570 and HD6950/70 are released. Pricing on discontinued models should drop. Already now you can get an HD5870 for $250. I have a feeling it might dip to $200 once retailers start clearing inventory.
 

daRkKon

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Dec 12, 2005
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my current setup:
gigabyte mobo with phenom x4 3.2ghz
4850 single slot (runs ultra hot at like 70c)
4gb gskill ddr3
500gb hdd
500w EPOWER power supply with 28 amps on the 12v rail.

nvidias 460 seems almost identical to the performance of the 6850. and for the same if not cheaper price. ive had nvidia, they are good cards but i would prefer ati

i play at 1400x900 resolution currently. and crysis is the main game i play
 

toyota

Lifer
Apr 15, 2001
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at 1440x900 even the 4850 is plenty fast. you could get a gtx460 or 6850 but there certainly is no need in waiting for something faster than those at your low res. I have never heard of that psu though so that might be a problem if it is super cheap.
 
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happy medium

Lifer
Jun 8, 2003
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i play at 1400x900 resolution currently. and crysis is the main game i play

A 4850 is not "plenty fast" for Crysis @1400x900. If you want to upgrade now, grab a gtx460 1gb overclock it, and crank up the settings in Crysis to ultra. :)
 

daRkKon

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Dec 12, 2005
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in multiplayer for it to run smooth i play all medium settings with 4x aa

but in single player i can play all high settings 2x aa
 
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happy medium

Lifer
Jun 8, 2003
14,387
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in multiplayer for it to run smooth i play all medium settings with 4x aa

but in single player i can play all high settings 2x aa

Thats wierd , my overclocked 5750 cannot play at highest settings with AA @ 1280x1024 in single player? hmmm.
 

cusideabelincoln

Diamond Member
Aug 3, 2008
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A 6850 would provide a pretty good boost. You should be able to use Very High settings instead of just High, or you can just have faster framerates.
 

toyota

Lifer
Apr 15, 2001
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in multiplayer for it to run smooth i play all medium settings with 4x aa

but in single player i can play all high settings 2x aa
AA in single player I can understand but why the heck would run 4x AA in multiplayer? do you actually stop to look at jaggies while playing multiplayer?
 

daRkKon

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Dec 12, 2005
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AA in single player I can understand but why the heck would run 4x AA in multiplayer? do you actually stop to look at jaggies while playing multiplayer?

it helps a lot when you snipe from very far distances with gauss rifle :D

im also interested in getting a monitor, nothing too big possibly a 32-40 inch, i only have one slot for pcie so i need a single card that can handle that resolution would the 6850 take care of that?

also, whats crazy is that i could swear it was just last christmas i was buying this 4850..no it definately had to be two years ago right?
 

toyota

Lifer
Apr 15, 2001
12,957
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it helps a lot when you snipe from very far distances with gauss rifle :D

im also interested in getting a monitor, nothing too big possibly a 32-40 inch, i only have one slot for pcie so i need a single card that can handle that resolution would the 6850 take care of that?

also, whats crazy is that i could swear it was just last christmas i was buying this 4850..no it definately had to be two years ago right?
"32-40 inch" and "nothing too big" does not compute, lol. and really thats a tv and not a monitor. a 6850 is still fine for 1920x1080 especially if overclocked.