Buy video card now or wait?...

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epphllps

Member
Jun 21, 2008
50
0
0
Hey everyone,
I am currently without a video card in my system. I have a laptop that I have been using, but preferably enjoy my desktop. I am a college student who tries to maintain a budget for times when a computer upgrade is needed, but would like to be very reasonable with the money I spend. I would be willing to spend the most on upgrading my gpu, but I still want to spend smartly. So should I buy now or wait for the upcoming release of the 4870x2 or gtx 55nm cards and take a look at those. I know they are expensive, but if they are worth it I will take a look(birthday in early sept anyways). My specs are listed so feel free to give all the help you can.
 
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epphllps

Member
Jun 21, 2008
50
0
0
I am definitely into gaming. I play a lot of the popular titles out now(crysis, grid, cod4, utIII, wic, etc) and love to crank the eye candy up as far as I can. I prefer to run games at 19x12 when possible, also.
 
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Blain

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
23,643
3
81
Buy Now...

No Wait...

On second thought, Buy Now...

Forget that, Wait...

No, go ahead and Buy Now...

But then again, Wait...

Buying Now is best...

But holding off a bit may be better, Wait...

Buy Now...

No Wait...

On second thought, Buy Now...

Forget that, Wait...

No, go ahead and Buy Now...

But then again, Wait...

Buying Now is best...

But holding off a bit may be better, Wait...

Buy Now...

No Wait...

On second thought, Buy Now...

Forget that, Wait...

No, go ahead and Buy Now...

But then again, Wait...

Buying Now is best...

But holding off a bit may be better, Wait...

Buy Now...

No Wait...

On second thought, Buy Now...

Forget that, Wait...

No, go ahead and Buy Now...

But then again, Wait...

Buying Now is best...

But holding off a bit may be better, Wait...

Buy Now...

No Wait...

On second thought, Buy Now...

Forget that, Wait...

No, go ahead and Buy Now...

But then again, Wait...

Buying Now is best...

But holding off a bit may be better, Wait...
 
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DaveSimmons

Elite Member
Aug 12, 2001
40,730
670
126
A single 4870 is a good card for 19x12, but if you insist on every setting maximized then the 4870x2 might be the card for you. So:



Buy Now...

No Wait...

On second thought, Buy Now...

Forget that, Wait...

No, go ahead and Buy Now...

But then again, Wait...

Buying Now is best...

But holding off a bit may be better, Wait...

Buy Now...

....
 
Sylvanas

Sylvanas

Diamond Member
Jan 20, 2004
3,752
0
0
Originally posted by: epphllps
Hey everyone,
I am currently without a video card in my system. I have a laptop that I have been using, but preferably enjoy my desktop. I am a college student who tries to maintain a budget for times when a computer upgrade is needed, but would like to be very reasonable with the money I spend. I would be willing to spend the most on upgrading my gpu, but I still want to spend smartly. So should I buy now or wait for the upcoming release of the 4870x2 or gtx 55nm cards and take a look at those. I know they are expensive, but if they are worth it I will take a look(birthday in early sept anyways). My specs are listed so feel free to give all the help you can.
Click to expand...

In reviews that compared them, a single 4870X2 card are already faster than GTX280 SLI so it is not even a consideration between those two. A single 4870 will be enough but if you want to play 8XAA+ on everything then might aswell get the X2. We will know the full story in a few days when the complete reviews are out. Buy now, don't wait because you will be in an endless cycle...there is always something 'around the corner'.
 
idiotekniQues

idiotekniQues

Platinum Member
Jan 4, 2007
2,572
0
76
id prolly wait to get the 4870x2 if u can actually wait, its not that far off - otherwise playing the waiting game never ends. but this is right around the corner i think.

a single 4870 is nice but in games like WiC you cant use 8xaa with everything turned up high so to be more future-proofed u need better (at 19x12 rez)

since 4870x2 should be a solid notch above a 280, it seems to be the best choice. with drivers and crossfire scaling just getting better and better, these multi-gpu solutions are getting easier to recommend.

 
idiotekniQues

idiotekniQues

Platinum Member
Jan 4, 2007
2,572
0
76
u hev a 900 so fit should be ok, but make sure of fit.

i was going to wait for the x2 but realized it would not fit. as it is a 4870 JUUUUST fits in my 180 with hard drives in the middle cage.
 
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imaheadcase

Diamond Member
May 9, 2005
3,850
7
76
Actually wait till end of month, the new GTX cards will come out with die shrink. They will be faster than originals, but the plus side is the "old" GTX prices are going to drop like rocks.
 
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EnzoLT

Golden Member
Jul 18, 2005
1,843
4
91
yeah, wait for a bit more. itll be rewarded in the end (with lower prices all around).
 
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RanDum72

Diamond Member
Feb 11, 2001
4,330
0
76
Buy a single 4870. When prices fall and when you feel a single 4870 isn't "hard-core" enough, buy another 4870 then CF them.
 
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EnzoLT

Golden Member
Jul 18, 2005
1,843
4
91
Originally posted by: RanDum72
Buy a single 4870. When prices fall and when you feel a single 4870 isn't "hard-core" enough, buy another 4870 then CF them.
Click to expand...

this is actually bad advice since 4870x2 is around the corner (2gb memory ftw??) and its prob cheaper/around the same price as having two crossfire 4870's not to mention his motherboard has only one 16x pci-x lane
 
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RanDum72

Diamond Member
Feb 11, 2001
4,330
0
76
Everything is always around the corner. So 4870x2 is how much compared to 4870 NOW? Another 4870 down the road, based on how fast video card prices are falling on a weekly basis, will be cheaper than buying it now. It all depends on how much he wants to spend right now that will statisfy his gaming needs. If he doesn't mind the price, then yeah I guess a 4870x2 is fine. But then he has to wait again since 4870x4 is around the corner after the 4870x2 shows up so..
And unless you have a monster monitor and play above 1080p resolutions, then maybe 1gig video memory is good enough..

But lets get into the upgrade spirit....

Only 1 16x PCI-e slot?(note: PCI-X is the souped up version of old PCI, running 32/64 bit and 66/133mhz). Then he needs to upgrade his mobo then. While he's at it, he can also upgrade his CPU 'cause he's going to be CPU limited. Then his memory will now be limited also since 64-bit Vista LOVES memory so 4bg and above will make everything run nice and smooth..
But then again, his system comes to a halt 'cause his 650w PSU seems to be a problem and causes 'instability'. Time for 1+ megawatt PSU's.
Oh, wait! CPU temps are WAY too high. GPU temps aren't as cool as well. This affects a serious gamer psychologically since ANYTIME his system may melt..
Here comes 50-100 buck HS/F, plus the aftermarket GPU cooler that runs as cool UNDER LOAD than stock coolers run AT IDLE. Or he can get the ultimate water-cooling setup...

Anybody else wants to add from here?
 
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EnzoLT

Golden Member
Jul 18, 2005
1,843
4
91
no need for sarcasm... maybe look at his specs? maybe that will help you out a lot about where he is at with his current system
 
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epphllps

Member
Jun 21, 2008
50
0
0
yeah, the fact that something is always around the corner is very true. I have finally come to terms with the fact that whatever we buy now will only be outdone by another card in around 6 months or so. Right now I think I am leaning to just waiting until the end of August and seeing how the prices are when the new GTX cards and see if the 4870x2 might drop in price slightly. Either way, if you don't have a card or want to upgrade, I think waiting until the end of august/early sept will definitely pay off.
 
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RanDum72

Diamond Member
Feb 11, 2001
4,330
0
76
Well, right now 4870 prices are around $250-60 (after rebate). The x2 is expected to debut at more than $500 so price-wise, there is no advantage for the 4870x2. Regular 4870 prices maybe even less by then. As far as functionality, performance between a CF 4870 and a 4870x2 are virtually the same, except for Race Driver GRID at 2560 x 1600 4x AA and the 4870x2 wipes out everything (including GTX 280 SLI).I suspect this is more of a driver issue. Power consumption-wise, the 4870x2 consumes about 15 watts less under load than a CF 4870, which is hardly significant.

Now, looking at AT's preview of the 4870x2, I hope the board partners come out with a smaller (shorter) card cause that card they reviewed is one long-a**ed card and won't fit in a lot of set-ups. I was thinking that a convenience of the 4870x2 is because its only one card and I don't have to install another video card... well its should be more convenient if it fits.

As far as the OP's set-up, how much does a PCI-e 4x slot hampers a CF set-up remains to be seen, maybe somebody has tried it and they can post their observations.
 
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EnzoLT

Golden Member
Jul 18, 2005
1,843
4
91
its been tested that x4 hinders performance. i dont have the source in hand but a simple google search would yield results
 
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bharatwaja

Senior member
Dec 20, 2007
431
0
0
If you wanna buy a new card, just go ahead and buy it...
Ask here, what to buy... not when (price moves not counted).... cause you are the best judge of that....
And in this industry, something always seems to be just around to the corner....
 
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