ATI HD 4850 vs ATI HD 5770

[blanketyblank]

maybe you should just get a new psu? A decent 500 watt is like $50 and will give you a lot more options. Installing a new psu is a pain though since you have to disconnect practically everything and sometimes even remove the motherboard depending how the cables are done.

 

[RavenSEAL]

maybe you should just get a new psu? A decent 500 watt is like $50 and will give you a lot more options. Installing a new psu is a pain though since you have to disconnect practically everything and sometimes even remove the motherboard depending how the cables are done.

I second this. Same thing i did before i purchased my HD 6850.

 

[Termie]

He's running a Dell, guys. It really doesn't make a lot of sense to go mucking around in there upgrading the PSU, changing cards out, etc. He can't overclock, he's heavily CPU-limited, and I doubt he'll be able to upgrade the CPU, or at least he probably shouldn't try because the Dell bios likely doesn't support it.

 

[Hav0k99]

Ok.... I am budget limited by throught my works e-waste program. I held on to an Optiplex 755 w/ a Q9550. I have it up to 6gbs of DDR2 ram. I transfered the rest of my stuff over. Everything runs much better. But I still want to upgrade my HD4850 is the 6850 still a good option and does it use the same amount of power?

Thanks all!

 

[Termie]

Ok.... I am budget limited by throught my works e-waste program. I held on to an Optiplex 755 w/ a Q9550. I have it up to 6gbs of DDR2 ram. I transfered the rest of my stuff over. Everything runs much better. But I still want to upgrade my HD4850 is the 6850 still a good option and does it use the same amount of power?

Thanks all!

That's more like it. You can't overclock that corporate Dell, but the processor is pretty good at stock. It can definitely take a better GPU than a 4850. The 6850 is at least 50% faster, and uses almost exactly the same amount of power. Assuming you have a Dell 375w power supply, you should be fine. I wouldn't go any higher than a 6850, but it will give you a nice, balanced system.

 

[Rhezuss]

I made this move when I had a 4850. Bought a 5770 and don't regret it at all. Can't tell about max framerate but my minimum went up noticeably in games.

If it's cheap, get it and sell your 4850...or better, try to get a 5850 on the cheap.

Your CPU is ok for a 5770.

 

[Rhezuss]

Ok.... I am budget limited by throught my works e-waste program. I held on to an Optiplex 755 w/ a Q9550. I have it up to 6gbs of DDR2 ram. I transfered the rest of my stuff over. Everything runs much better. But I still want to upgrade my HD4850 is the 6850 still a good option and does it use the same amount of power?

Thanks all!

6850 is a nice card!
If you can afford it, go for it!

 

[Hav0k99]

Hey fellas, I'm back. So I was looking at 6850's when I realised a dual slot card will not work in my Dell. I think this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814131330

is my only option. Or it would mean new case, mobo and heatsink and fan for cpu to get a 6850 to work. That all adds up. If going to a 5770 for $110 is not worth it to improve gaming at 1600x1050 then I'll just wait until I can afford a major overhaul.

I want to be able to run BFBC2 better.

 

[cusideabelincoln]

If this upgrade is for BFBC2 then you are CPU-constrained first. See if your Dell accepts quad cores. A quad core would boost your BC2 performance more than a GPU upgrade.

 

[Termie]

Hey fellas, I'm back. So I was looking at 6850's when I realised a dual slot card will not work in my Dell. I think this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814131330

is my only option. Or it would mean new case, mobo and heatsink and fan for cpu to get a 6850 to work. That all adds up. If going to a 5770 for $110 is not worth it to improve gaming at 1600x1050 then I'll just wait until I can afford a major overhaul.

I want to be able to run BFBC2 better.

Actually, that card is not a "single-slot" card. The fan still takes up the slot next to it. Not sure how you determined it would fit, but if it fits, likely others would fit as well. The bracket on other 5770 models would simply extend to the case opening below the graphics card slot.

If you're truly limited to single-slot cards due to an obstruction below the graphics card slot, then you need to select an XFX HD5770 single-slot card. Here's the most reasonably-priced one I could find: http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php...GB-DDR5-2DVI-Mini-HDMI-PCI-Express-Video-Card. They also make another one that looks like this: http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php...R5-5x-Mini-DisplayPort-PCI-Express-Video-Card, but this card is a display-port only model. These must be selling out, because most stores don't stock the single-slot models anymore. Better jump on it if that's what you need.

Another theoretical option would be the single-slot HD6850: http://www.techpowerup.com/144424/P...y-CrossFireX-Ready-HD-6850-Graphics-Card.html. But this card is more of a myth at this point, since you can't actually buy it.

A final option, though one that may push your power supply to its limits, is this GTX460: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814162072. It's quite expensive for the performance, but it's the most powerful card you can currently get in a single-slot form.

If this upgrade is for BFBC2 then you are CPU-constrained first. See if your Dell accepts quad cores. A quad core would boost your BC2 performance more than a GPU upgrade.

He's got a q9550 now. Found a new system since he started the thread.

 

[RussianSensation]

So I was looking at 6850's when I realised a dual slot card will not work in my Dell. I think this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814131330

5770 isn't worth the upgrade from the 4850 imo.

PowerColor has a single slot HD6850 card. Call them and see if they know of any online store which sells it.

 

[Hav0k99]

I'm hoping I can get a HSF for this and able to modify the rear of the case to fit the slot with exaust.

Inside Case with Dell shroud.



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Inside the Case with Dell shroud and HS off. Can I get a hsf to fit this?



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

I also read a thread were the Powercolor AX5770 1GBD5-H has been confirmed to fit with no modification.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-330-_-Product

 

[Necc]

I'm hoping I can get a HSF for this and able to modify the rear of the case to fit the slot with exaust.

Inside Case with Dell shroud.



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Inside the Case with Dell shroud and HS off. Can I get a hsf to fit this?



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

I also read a thread were the Powercolor AX5770 1GBD5-H has been confirmed to fit with no modification.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-330-_-Product

That IDE cable will be in they way of anycard you insert.

 

[Necc]

That IDE cable will be in they way of anycard you insert.

EDIT: Although ur using an 4850 that is a long card so Ishould be wrong. nevermind my post

 

[betasub]

I hate those propriatory motherboard designs that flip the orientation to a mirror image.

A tall cooler doesn't appear to be a problem, but a single-slot back-plate & very short cooler on the card are required because of that damned Dell shroud.

 

[Termie]

OP - you're working in a Dell, which is totally different from anything most of us have built with. The video card is oriented in a reverse fashion, and indeed, you need a single-slot bracket, even though you can use a double-wide heatsink. Very odd configuration. The IDE cable will not be in the way, since the heatsink is pointing up, not down. All that being said, I think you should avoid doing any upgrades on the CPU cooler. The CPU is oriented completely differently from any standard board, and an aftermarket CPU cooler may not fit.

I think you should go ahead with the HD5770 that you identified as having a single-slot mounting bracket and double-wide cooler. It's a relatively unique configuration, so you won't have many choices.

And to those who say it's not much of an upgrade, the 512MB ram on your HD4850 will be a major bottleneck in many games, so that alone is probably worth it, in addition to the 36% increase in clock speed. Here's an example of what happens when you hit the memory bottleneck: http://www.anandtech.com/show/2856/6

The truth is you're very limited in what you can do with this computer. Dell does not design systems to be easily upgraded. If you want to spend the money on the card, you'll get a nice increase in performance, but nothing extraordinary.

Your other option is to wait on the single-slot Powercolor HD6850, which may come out in the next month or so.

 

[Necc]

Iwould just buy a used ATX case + any 2nd hand p35 board, a new PSU for 50$ and a 5770. I always hated barebone pc's.

 

[Termie]

Iwould just buy a used ATX case + any 2nd hand p35 board, a new PSU for 50$ and a 5770. I always hated barebone pc's.

That doesn't make much sense if he's just going to use an HD5770. He can use one now.

OP - just stick with what you have, buy the HD5770 if you want to, and save up for a big upgrade to a custom-built machine down the line.

 

[Hav0k99]

That doesn't make much sense if he's just going to use an HD5770. He can use one now.

OP - just stick with what you have, buy the HD5770 if you want to, and save up for a big upgrade to a custom-built machine down the line.

I like this idea the best. The HD5770 is $110 on newegg. I figure if I can get by until I can afford a major overhaul.

 

[hdfxst]

It's 90 here after rebate and code LOVEMOM10 http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php...-2DVI-HDMI-DisplayPort-PCI-Express-Video-Card

 

[Termie]

It's 90 here after rebate and code LOVEMOM10 http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php...-2DVI-HDMI-DisplayPort-PCI-Express-Video-Card

Unfortunately, he needs a very specific model, which uses a single-slot bracket. This particular model is cheaper at Newegg.

 

[hdfxst]

Unfortunately, he needs a very specific model, which uses a single-slot bracket. This particular model is cheaper at Newegg.

My mistake,i got twisted around looking at the pictures

 

[HumblePie]

The picture shows he's using a B style case with the motherboard basically upside down and backwards from a normal ATX case. Dell did this for a bunch of Optiflexes so they could control the power supply used which is stuck to the bottom and proprietary. Which is why I would never buy a Dell desktop.

So while he has ROOM for a double slot card, he can't fit it because the case lacks a bracket.

But that can be overcome by the OP if he has a dremel :ninja:

Just take out everything and cut your own bracket and voila! you can now fit a 6850 in there. Did it for someone else that had the same computer as the OP.

 

[Hav0k99]

Ok so I get a 3dmark Vantage test and with the HD4850 I got P7945 3DMarks and with the HD5770 I got P10071 3DMarks. It has improved the framerate quite a bit in Battlefield: Bad Company 2. This will keep me happy for a while. I'll keep my eye on the For Sale forums for a case, psu and mobo and go 5850 in the fall.

Thank you all for your help. I <3 Anandtech forums!!!

 

[Termie]

Ok so I get a 3dmark Vantage test and with the HD4850 I got P7945 3DMarks and with the HD5770 I got P10071 3DMarks. It has improved the framerate quite a bit in Battlefield: Bad Company 2. This will keep me happy for a while. I'll keep my eye on the For Sale forums for a case, psu and mobo and go 5850 in the fall.

Thank you all for your help. I <3 Anandtech forums!!!

Very nice...your 3dMark score picks up a 25% improvement, close to the 36% theoretical improvement based on the clock speed, but 3dMark isn't memory-limited. You'll probably see more than 25% in many new games. It's plenty for BC2 at moderate detail levels.

Glad it worked out for you.