ATI 4850 or 4850x2 or 4850?

[Howie]

The prices seem so good right now that I'm anxious to start my new build. I'm thinking of either getting a 4850 now, getting two 4850 and be done with it, or getting a 4870 and adding another one later. I'm thinking that a 4870x2 would be out of my price range, although the upgrade possibilities might make it worth the wait? Thoughts? I'm thinking of buildig a decent value rig (Asus P5Q, E8500) that will last me 2-3 years.

 

[avatardfuse]

I am in exactly the same boat Howie. I'm pretty tight on funds, need a new gaming rig, and i want a Rig that will last as long as it can (i.e. one that is a relative monster right now so that it will take a while to become obsolete).
My projected specs right now are something along the lines of AMD Phenom quad 2.2, Asus hybrid crossfire M3A-H, etc. I'm trying hard not to spend over 1k dollars and am only building a tower. So, regarding your question about the video card conundrum, I hear ya all the way. The prices are so sweet right now and I've been stalling as long as possible to see if prices drop further. Here's my 2 cents after wasting many days researching the cards:
In terms of investing long term, I'm thinking the HD4870 is probably best. I was very close to just ordering a 4850 to save the cash but in the long term, you're probably saving more by the 4870 investment, especially considering the 4870 X2 should be available by mid to late August (only about a month).
With that said, however, I'm probably going to wait a bit longer because I wouldn't be surprised if the price on both the 4870 and 4850 continues to drop in anticipation / realization of the 4870 X2 release. I can see a month from now regretting having made that purchase when looking at the lower prices.
I am rather inexperienced with the hardware market though, I've only built 1 Rig in the past, so it would be really helpful for others to comment on this please!
All that said: I would go with HD4870.

 

[iBPJohn]

I agree with the HD4870 for now I wouldn't go straight to a 4850 setup in crossfire.

 

[OCGuy]

Spend the money on the 4870. It leaves you an open upgrade path. 2X4850 and you are done.

 

[GundamF91]

You always get just 1 GPU card first. Chances are, even 4850 will suffice on the modern games you play. Then in 6-12mo when new games actually show up to take advantage of Dx10, you can pick up a 2nd card for less price. It never makes sense to go straight to Crossfire on newly introduced products unless you play games on 1900+ resolution and crank everything up.

 

[DCGMoo]

Originally posted by: GundamF91
You always get just 1 GPU card first. Chances are, even 4850 will suffice on the modern games you play. Then in 6-12mo when new games actually show up to take advantage of Dx10, you can pick up a 2nd card for less price. It never makes sense to go straight to Crossfire on newly introduced products unless you play games on 1900+ resolution and crank everything up.

+1

Phrased almost exactly how I would have put it.

The price of a second 4870 will be a lot cheaper in 4-6 months, if you decide you actually want/need it. There's no need to put two lesser cards in Crossfire right now... especially on a P45 board.

Besides... you sound like you're an antsy upgrader. Are you REALLY sure that you're not going to want to upgrade the 2x4850 setup down the road? As iBPJohn said... leave yourself some room for upgrade in another 4-6 months. You know you're going to want to play more anyway. It'll save you having to find a buyer for the 4850s you don't want anymore.

Moo.

 

[Howie]

Thanks for the advice guys. I use to upgrade often, but I haven't upgraded my last build in many years so if I do go with dual 4850s, I really won't be upgrading until at least a year or two later.

You guys are really making me think twice about going with the 4850. I'm still tempted to go with the two 4850 or at least add the second one soon after my first one, because two 4850s right now is not that much more expensive than one 4870 now. Also, with the 4850 being so cheap right now, I just don't see the price of the 4850 dropping all that much (maybe $30-50?) It'll probably be an over $100 card for a long time.

As for the 4870, the question I have is whether a single 4870x2 (R700) will be a better performer than two 4870s. If it is, I'm probably better off just waiting for the R700 and getting that or perhaps pick up the 4870 then since it will drop in price?

I am anxious to build a new comp now because I forsee myself getting really busy when grad school starts up again for me in a month's time.