Gaming @ 1920x1200

[chizow]

Originally posted by: apoppin

Originally posted by: chizow
Personally I would've gotten the monitor first, see how your games ran, then looked at an upgrade if it wasn't enough. Many of us were gaming on a GTS 512 or similar only a few months ago and somehow we survived. For single cards, GTX 260, 4870, GTX 280 are all great at 1920, so you can't really go wrong, except with your wife.

most of my friends with 19x12 were running GTX SLi - or DX9
- yes, "survived" is the word i would choose also

IF you want *max details* with AA/AF - on the very latest games, a single GPU - other than the 280/x2 - is a bit weak imo

that is why i waited to go to 19x12 over 16x10
- but that is just me

Well there wasn't many options to upgrade as it was basically SLI or nothing. And even SLI didn't offer improvements sometimes so the choice for single GPU was to lower settings or lower resolution. AA was pretty much out of the question for modern games but if given the choice, I'd take higher resolution with no AA anyday.

Still if the OP doesn't need everything maxed a 640MB GTS, especially overclocked, would've still been a solid performer. A GTX 280, 4870 or 260 will be worlds better though.

 

[dmw16]

Well the 8800 is sold (didnt lose too much money) and it seems like it is down to the 260 or the 4870. Unfortunatly, the Tom's Hardware article didn't reach any solid conclusion, saying that the 260 and 4870 are neck and neck w/ the 4870 giving up a little bit of performance for price and noise level where the 260 is a tad bit faster but louder and more expensive. It seems like the difference is about 5fps in general.

I've never owned an ATI card before, but I am not opposed to it. The $30 difference is $30 that could go towards a game

 

[angry hampster]

Are you opposed to buying online? This EVGA GTX260 is $239 AR:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814130370

and an MSI for $235 AR:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814127361

..and here's a Visiontek 4870 for $250 with a free racing game:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814129113

I'm not sure how those compare to BB prices, but the 260s seem like pretty slick deals.

 

[dmw16]

not buying online because I don't want to wait anymore

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: dmw16
Well the 8800 is sold (didnt lose too much money) and it seems like it is down to the 260 or the 4870. Unfortunatly, the Tom's Hardware article didn't reach any solid conclusion, saying that the 260 and 4870 are neck and neck w/ the 4870 giving up a little bit of performance for price and noise level where the 260 is a tad bit faster but louder and more expensive. It seems like the difference is about 5fps in general.

I've never owned an ATI card before, but I am not opposed to it. The $30 difference is $30 that could go towards a game

Are you having buyer's remorse? This is you, right?

Anyway, I sucked it up and bought the 4870.

HD4870 is a FINE card .. damn equal to the 260, more-or-less
- i own a Sapphire 4870/512MB

btw . . . i think i will sell my 4870 now

it is only the 512MB version and i think i need the 1GB version to pair with my 4870x2 in CrossfireX3 [first i need to test it after upgrading my MB to x40 and my CPU to e8400 =P; 3.33Ghz is waaaay too slow of a CPU to pair with X3 4870]
.. it's great planning on my part .. i paid $285 for it on launch day - a bare Sapphire 4870; i can get *maybe* $225 for it now .. and i paid $469 for my 4870X2/2GB that i am keeping


now i got to get the MB and CPU

no wife
:laugh:

not anymore

 

[dmw16]

Not buyers remorse because I havent picked up the card yet. If I dont go get it from the store then they just cancel my order after 8 days.

I don't want to have buyers remorse so I am just trying to make the best decision I can. I'd love to have an x2, but I dont think I can justify the cost.

 

[RussianSensation]

Check out a couple more reviews with resolutions beyond 1920x1200 and minimum frames:

Xbitlabs
TechReport
Bit-Tech

If Physics is important to you, you want to overclock, and you want bulletproof partner support (i.e. EVGA step-up, lifetime warranty) I'd go for the GTX260. Otherwise I'd pick HD4870 due to superior 8AA performance. ATi's card is also faster at 1920x1200 in some games you might want to play including Assassin's Creed, Grid, Bioshock and Call of Duty 4. On the same token NV is faster in Mass Effect, STALKER and COH just to name a few. So depending on the games you like this might be worth considering.

 

[dmw16]

I bought the 4870, but had my hands on the 260GTX. I am still undecided and not opening it until tomorrow morning. I am wondering if the larger memory on the 260GTX will future proof it a little bit. I want to play COH, but it isnt as if the 4870 is going to be unplayable.

 

[Sylvanas]

Originally posted by: dmw16
I bought the 4870, but had my hands on the 260GTX. I am still undecided and not opening it until tomorrow morning. I am wondering if the larger memory on the 260GTX will future proof it a little bit. I want to play COH, but it isnt as if the 4870 is going to be unplayable.

The larger memory does nothing for the GTX260. The 4800 series make much more efficient use of the memory than their Nvidia counterparts, and when the AA is turned up- generally the 4870 actually produces better results even though it has less memory.

 

[deerhunter716]

My new 4870 512 MB runs just fine with CoD4 maxed out all the way. You will have no issues period for now. Maybe in a year or so; but by then you may want a new video card yet again, hehe