4890->6970

[SirGCal]

I've seen more than a few people wounder how 'worth it' it was for this upgrade... The best single GPU of two generations ago vs the lead single card (for AMD) right now. But you rarely see 4xxx benches with more modern cards;

So, here's a real basic primer which just shows the difference in a few games as a sample.

4890->6970 Differences Review

The interesting thing to note here is that the improvement % gets significantly higher, the harder you push the card compared to the 4890. Even more interesting is that it's a mature driver vs a very immature driver... So the improvement will just keep getting better. Here's a sample:

So for those of us (you) who still have the 48xx series and were wondering if the upgrade is for you... Well, only you can decide that. But maybe I helped in any small way to shed more light on the direct comparison.

 

[Vdubchaos]

Need depends on user.

it really depends on what you play and at what res.

For Example, I play Bad Company 2, Supreme Commander and MW2 and my 4870 does VERY well at all these games.

I decided to go with 460 because I wanted DX11 AND a video card for my LAN/2nd PC.

I'm glad I went with 460 and nothing better for # of reasons:
- 460 plays ALL of the games I play MAXED out
- difference between 460/4870 is VERY VERY slight in terms of graphic quality
- Spending $300-450 on a GPU would've gained me NOTHING

Personally I would never spend 150-250 on a video card, but that's just me. It simply doesn't make sense.

Game graphics have to improve. I don't care if you have 580s in SLI, it WILL NOT improve graphics quality in the games above. You will only gain better frame rates at a VERY VERY VERY high cost.

 

[Castiel]

What resolution were those tests ran at?

 

[Daedalus685]

Only checked "high" but it was 1080p. They link to screen caps of the settings.

 

[WhoBeDaPlaya]

I'm just about to make the jump as well. Bought a regular HiS 4890 back in Apr 09 before the prices went obscene (~$140 AR) and haven't bothered to OC it one bit.
Was on the fence regarding the 6950 but the upcoming new rev that's not unlockable tipped the balance - have a Sapphire 6950 on the way from the 'egg

The 4890 will be replacing my trusty G80 8800GTS 320MB in the office box.

 

[Daedalus685]

I actually went from two 4890's to a single (at the moment) 6970 and was pleased with what I got. Roughly identical in the best of the 4890 cases and obviously way better where crossfire doesn't function or dx11 is required. I would never recommend someone to upgrade in that way though unless you get a good offer for the 4890s like i did .

 

[Face2Face]

The Radeon 4890 was a card to look back on and admire.

 

[Red Storm]

The Radeon 4890 was a card to look back at and admire.

Most definitely. I just recently sold mine, that was a great card.

 

[SirGCal]

Need depends on user.

it really depends on what you play and at what res.

Yes, but that's not the point of the review... And that's covered in my summary anyhow. Everything always comes down to the user and what the cost means to them... Always.

What resolution were those tests ran at?

These are the mainstream tests, 1080/1200 vertical pixels. For someone who wants max 2560x1600, those benchmarks are all over the place. This is a simple comparison for mainstream users who like to push the edge or must-have all eye-candy or themselves have a hard min-FPS setting like myself they must be concerned over.

Myself, I must have 60FPS at a minimum or I get the weirdest headaches extremely fast. Enough so that until the HD fully progressive TV came out, I didn't watch a lot of broadcast TV. So while many cards are fine ~ 30FPS, and many people consider that playable, I can't. But they never review games this way; they turn them to max everything and see how slow they can go. So while everyone knows roughly the benchmarks of modern cards on the two games I tested, now they have an apples-to-apples before/after from just the GPU. With all of this information together, it's easier for those like myself to make informed decisions on what they're looking for.

The other reason for mainstream resolutions in the test were simple; that's the monitor I had on hand at the time and most importantly, that helped take VRAM issues out of the issue as much which can be a problem at high res with strong AA modes.

The Radeon 4890 was a card to look back on and admire.

Absolutely, that's why I only-just replaced it. And not out of necessity... Now if I can find someone to take this wonderful 4890 off my hands for a respectable price, I can actually be ahead of the game... Anyone? I'm open to offers! (but take it to PMs... )

 

[Spikesoldier]

still rocking my 4890's. i picked up the second one for $75 right before the hd68xx series launch when everyone was dumping their cards.

with the vapor-x cooler, even with both cards on full blast, the fan noise is not that bad and is nothing like twin hairdryers.

im going to wait and see what nv and ati have to offer on their next generation boards. going from 4890 CF to 1x 6970 probably wouldnt be my ideal upgrade.

 

[Face2Face]

still rocking my 4890's. i picked up the second one for $75 right before the hd68xx series launch when everyone was dumping their cards.

with the vapor-x cooler, even with both cards on full blast, the fan noise is not that bad and is nothing like twin hairdryers.

im going to wait and see what nv and ati have to offer on their next generation boards. going from 4890 CF to 1x 6970 probably wouldnt be my ideal upgrade.

I am sure those suckers scream! What would they be comparable to ? GTX 580 or faster?