Two 4850s/Save a little for 4890/Save a lot for 5870?

[Sentrosi2121]

Right now I'm at a crossroads with my PC. First, my specs.

Mobo: Gigabyte EP35C-DS3R
Proc: E8400 @ 3.0Ghz (no overclocking at this time)
Cooler: Tuniq Tower 120
Video Card: Asus EAH 4850 512Mb
Power Supply: Thermaltake TR2 RX 550W

Now, understanding that I'll have to get another motherboard IF I want to go Crossfire(underlined for people with no reading comprehension), should I save some money and get the 4890, save a lot to get the 5870, or should I save up enough to cover another 4850 and good Crossfire motherboard?

 

[OVerLoRDI]

Or maybe a 5850? Much cheaper than the 5870 and much better than either of the 4xxx series options. They are not widely available right now, but give it a week or 2 and you should be able to grab one with free shipping from out of state (so no sales tax).

 

[alyarb]

your system specs don't tell us anything about what you use the computer for, so it's impossible for us to tell you if a second 4850, or 4890 or anything else would be better than what you have now. Generally if you play modern games above 1680x1050, you should just get a 4890 and sell the 4850. You should only consider the 5870 if crysis/stalker are musts for you. Do not go $100+ out of your way for a new motherboard when you can simply get a 5870 with that money.

 

[Tempered81]

5850

 

[s44]

5850 or 5770 (if as rumored).

 

[nyker96]

Originally posted by: s44
5850 or 5770 (if as rumored).

second this. save up for either card is better for future proofing.

 

[faxon]

save your cash and get a 5850. if you can muster enough for a 5870 though, do it but spend the extra on a quad core CPU instead (possibly selling your e8400 to make up for the cost).