4850 512mb and looking to upgrade

[PUN]

I currently have the HD4850 512mb and looking to upgrade as I like to play high res game with 24"LCD.
Should I sell the 4850 512mb and get the 260 216core / 4870 1Gig? or just grab another 4850 512mb and run a CF?

I mostly play L4D, Fallout3 (lags alittle), COD 4/5, etc
Thanks in advance

 

[ExcaliburMM]

Seeing as how HD 4850s are already at a very reasonable price and might drop a bit soon, I'd say CF if you can find a deal, or maybe sell and go with an HD 4870x2.

 

[OCGuy]

Id say grab another cheapo 4850 and hold out until the next gen.

 

[rarebear]

You dont need two 4850s you can get a 4870 for $30 more and it will run at 4850 speed sync...

Can can then sell them or upgrade some other way..

 

[TurtleCrusher]

If you have some money to burn, how about slapping in a 4850X2? An overclocked quad and Tri-Fire would rip though every game imaginable. I don't see it being outdated for a long time either.

 

[nyker96]

4870x2 i say.

 

[PUN]

I could grab another 4850 for $85-90 off f/s, which will yield 4850 x 2. If that is good enough to run high res games, I rather save the money toward something else.

If 4870 1G ($180?) performs the same, I'd rather go 4850 x2 CF route if they are equal in performance.

Thanks for your input

 

[Denithor]

The CF 4850 is a great idea, the only thing to consider is in some games at 1920x1200 you may exceed the frame buffer (512MB - doesn't double) resulting in crappy performance.

Just look at what happens to the minimum fps on a 512MB 4870 when you crank up the AA and/or resolution in Fallout 3 (compare to the 1GB card). You should also look at the 4850X2 2GB as another reference point.

 

[PUN]

thx for your input denithor,
I had thought the 512mb doubled, helping in max resolution.
If that is the case, I am better off selling my 4850 512mb and grabbing a 4870 1GB and cf later if needed.
Thanks again!

 

[PUN]

now i m thinking, should i go with 4870 1GB or GTX260 216? they are roughly the same price at $170

 

[ExcaliburMM]

Definitely the HD 4870 1GB. You can grab one open box pretty cheap if you don't need any accessories.