- Sep 1, 2009
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Sorry I didn't answer since I made the thread, I had this huge mountain of text back when this thread was half as long, but Anand went down for maintenance earlier than I remember reading it would, and it was lost.
Let's see, common concerns and questions:
- I don't want a holdover card. If it can't keep up and I have to suffer shitty performance as I wait months upon months, then I'll kill myself (read: break down into tears in the closet with the door closed). From what I see, the 4890 is perfect in that regard, it's going for a good price and it's only trailing behind the newest/overpriced set of cards. For all we know, it could be a third of a year before prices are decent on the 5800 series and/or nvidia even releases their stuff, and I don't want to wait any longer, I want great performance now, but I don't want to throw money away.
- I don't want an nvidia card. Higher price, less performance. The only argument I can think for them is physx, and if I'm going to get less performance out of the 4890 just having the card do normal shit, adding the load of physx onto it and turning my games into a slide show in everything that uses it as I barely notice the difference with the physic doesn't sound great to me. I mean, having a decent card doing the main job and a card separate for physx is one thing, but the way I see it now, I don't think it's worth it.
- I'm not looking to break the bank here. There are two reasons I don't want a 5800 series card, one being inflated prices, and the other being the struggle to get one. Like I said before, I don't want to throw away money, especially if it's not worth it (I don't care for eyefinity, don't see anything all that interesting using DX11 yet, apart from a game or two). If the 5870 was getting twice the frames the 4890 did at twice the price, that would be a different story; hell even 1.5 the frames, but it doesn't, and same goes for the 5850. I'd rather wait for nvidias side, and for prices to drop and stock to increase, than jump into this and be stuck with even just a tinge of buyer's regret.
Anyway, so forget single cards, seems the 4890 has won my heart. Even if the lower models performed at the same price : performance, or even a bit more, I'd still go for it because price : performance doesn't scale well as you go higher on the price side, but with the 4890 it seems damn close.
So what about dual cards? Is there a set up that goes under $400 that matches the price : performance of the 4890, or is close? I've always thought of crossfire/sli as an option for people who already have one old card and want to save money instead of getting a new one and replacing the old one, but not as a great option for someone with nothing unless they're aiming higher than a single gpu can offer them. Is that about right, or do you guys have some crazy deals?
And I'm not looking to save money on used stuff, I'd be saving maybe 20% on average, and for what? With newegg I'd get customer support, easy returns, warranties and all that without problems, and tech that's been untouched and has had no chance to be damaged or changed. (Plus, the one you linked to happy medium look like they aren't the right gtx260, they weren't the core 216 one, and either way, they're gone now).
I mean, if you know a good deal that is sure and secure and I save 40% or more, then hit me, but otherwise I don't see it being a good option. I'll buy a mouse or a keyboard second-hand, but the guts of the computer I want to be fresh.
And sorry for another mountain of text.
Let's see, common concerns and questions:
- I don't want a holdover card. If it can't keep up and I have to suffer shitty performance as I wait months upon months, then I'll kill myself (read: break down into tears in the closet with the door closed). From what I see, the 4890 is perfect in that regard, it's going for a good price and it's only trailing behind the newest/overpriced set of cards. For all we know, it could be a third of a year before prices are decent on the 5800 series and/or nvidia even releases their stuff, and I don't want to wait any longer, I want great performance now, but I don't want to throw money away.
- I don't want an nvidia card. Higher price, less performance. The only argument I can think for them is physx, and if I'm going to get less performance out of the 4890 just having the card do normal shit, adding the load of physx onto it and turning my games into a slide show in everything that uses it as I barely notice the difference with the physic doesn't sound great to me. I mean, having a decent card doing the main job and a card separate for physx is one thing, but the way I see it now, I don't think it's worth it.
- I'm not looking to break the bank here. There are two reasons I don't want a 5800 series card, one being inflated prices, and the other being the struggle to get one. Like I said before, I don't want to throw away money, especially if it's not worth it (I don't care for eyefinity, don't see anything all that interesting using DX11 yet, apart from a game or two). If the 5870 was getting twice the frames the 4890 did at twice the price, that would be a different story; hell even 1.5 the frames, but it doesn't, and same goes for the 5850. I'd rather wait for nvidias side, and for prices to drop and stock to increase, than jump into this and be stuck with even just a tinge of buyer's regret.
Anyway, so forget single cards, seems the 4890 has won my heart. Even if the lower models performed at the same price : performance, or even a bit more, I'd still go for it because price : performance doesn't scale well as you go higher on the price side, but with the 4890 it seems damn close.
So what about dual cards? Is there a set up that goes under $400 that matches the price : performance of the 4890, or is close? I've always thought of crossfire/sli as an option for people who already have one old card and want to save money instead of getting a new one and replacing the old one, but not as a great option for someone with nothing unless they're aiming higher than a single gpu can offer them. Is that about right, or do you guys have some crazy deals?
And I'm not looking to save money on used stuff, I'd be saving maybe 20% on average, and for what? With newegg I'd get customer support, easy returns, warranties and all that without problems, and tech that's been untouched and has had no chance to be damaged or changed. (Plus, the one you linked to happy medium look like they aren't the right gtx260, they weren't the core 216 one, and either way, they're gone now).
I mean, if you know a good deal that is sure and secure and I save 40% or more, then hit me, but otherwise I don't see it being a good option. I'll buy a mouse or a keyboard second-hand, but the guts of the computer I want to be fresh.
And sorry for another mountain of text.
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