a 5870 is far from overkill if the rest of the system is up to par and you want to crank the settings. it just comes down to what framerates someone would be happy with and what settings they dont mind sacrificing.i think the 5870 is overkill, from the graphs i've seen a 5770 is enough to game @ 1080.
Heat and temperature aren't the same thing though. A GPU can run at 95C and put out less heat than another running at 75C.
What?
I'm running a 4890 @ 1Ghz core and I can play pretty much everything at 1920 x 1080 (there are obvious exceptions). Stands to reason that the next-gen cards should be able to as well.
I am still in need of help. Considering GTX 470 by zotac for $360 shipped or a 5870 for $400. Not sure I want to pay the extra $40. I only have a single gpu solution. 5850 is $300, but I am wondering if it can keep up all settings maxed. I don't plan on OCing it.
This is the same dilemna I currently have. I can't decide between the gtx470 and the hd5870 at 1920x1080.
The gtx470 has about the same or better minimum framerates as the hd5870 at 1920x1080 when AA and other image quality settings are increased. It's also $50 cheaper (last time I checked).
On the ATi side of the coin you get more overclocking headroom, and a less power hungry and quiet card.
That price war I was waiting for hasn't happened yet which is quite upsetting.
add measurably to the electric bill? lol. the 470 uses 10-15 more watts than a stock 5850 at idle and 75-80 more under load. sorry but there is no way in hell you would ever notice that on your electric bill. plus he asking about the 5870 so the power difference is even smaller.I'd factor in the increase in power consumption when deciding which card to buy. In that estimate, the 5850, even OCd, wins by a mile. The Nvidia card will add measurably to your electric bill, month after month, especially if you run your machine 24/7 (which I don't). It's not just the one-time cost, but the marginal cost of running it that should be considered. AMD is the better value proposition.
add measurably to the electric bill? lol. the 470 uses 10-15 more watts than a stock 5850 at idle and 75-80 more under load. sorry but there is no way in hell you would ever notice that on your electric bill. plus he asking about the 5870 so the power difference is even smaller.