Upgrade an 8800GT to 4850/4870?

[MrToilet]

Okay, so I have an 8800GT clocked at 680/1950 in my system currently. I'm wondering if it would be worth it for me to get a 4850 or 4870 video card- would it make a noticeable difference?

I just bought a Gateway FHD2400, so I'd like to run as much as possible at 1920x1200. On my old LCD (20" 1680x1050), the 8800GT ran everything pretty well, but I'm wondering if it would be worth it to get a video card now (for example, the 4870 @ Best Buy for $260-270), and sell my 8800GT, or should I wait? I've been playing a lot of COD4, ET-QW, GRID, etc. I haven't noticed any major slowdowns or anything running at 1920x1200, but more performance can't be bad, obviously...LOL.

I don't have an SLI board, so I'd obviously like to stay with a single card...

My specs:
Q6600 @ 3.6
4 GB RAM
Gigabyte EP35-DSR3C
Enermax Liberty 500W

I have a gut feeling that it would be worth it to upgrade, especially if it's only $150 or less to do it.

Thanks!

 

[lopri]

Just keep the GT. If you're happy with what you have, it's not likely you'll see much difference from a 4850. A 4870 is a different matter (free 8xAA at that res) but then again you're going to have to deal with drivers. I've seen quite a few here having issues swaping NV to AMD or vice versa, and I would do it only with fresh OS installation.

 

[idiotekniQues]

the way i look at it, i have a similar card to you, the 3870 toxic.

i figure this is about the time to cash in on the value of my card before it dips below 100 resale value. luckily i have the toxic version which has a really nice advanced single slot cooler - so it adds somethin to it.

i dont think the 4850 is worth the upgrade from our range, but a 4870 i think it is. it gives enough boost in some top of the line games like WIC to make it worthwhile, ESPECIALLY since we can add another 4870 down the road when crossfire is even more mature and stable and scaling as best as it can.

so how do u get the 4870 at best buy for 260 and which brand is it?

 

[MrToilet]

Yeah, I was thinking about that in Best Buy today (as I was holding the 4870 in my grubby hands, LOL).

The only other alternative would be to get an SLI motherboard and another 8800GT, but that would be around $270 or more, not really worth it I guess...

Damn upgrade bug! Why do companies keep releasing newer and faster products!?!

Originally posted by: idiotekniQues
the way i look at it, i have a similar card to you, the 3870 toxic.

i figure this is about the time to cash in on the value of my card before it dips below 100 resale value. luckily i have the toxic version which has a really nice advanced single slot cooler - so it adds somethin to it.

i dont think the 4850 is worth the upgrade from our range, but a 4870 i think it is. it gives enough boost in some top of the line games like WIC to make it worthwhile, ESPECIALLY since we can add another 4870 down the road when crossfire is even more mature and stable and scaling as best as it can.

so how do u get the 4870 at best buy for 260 and which brand is it?

Yeah, but I only have 1 PCIx16 slot, no SLI or XFire... so I'd be getting a 4870 by itself. It is a pretty significant jump in performance, though... so tempting.

BB has the Visiontek 4870 right now for $300, minus the 10 or 12% off. The BB guy told me I could take 12% off if I wanted it, so ~$264.

 

[bryanW1995]

grab one of those hot deal 4850's for ~ $150, then sell your 8800gt for $100-$110. $40-$50 to get a 4850 is DEFINITELY worth it, especially at your resolution. you probably won't find many games that really challenge your gpu, but just in case you could get an accelero and oc to 700+. there are several 4850 oc threads lying around here.

 

[SSChevy2001]

Just wait for the till the 4870x2 comes out, that way all the cards are on the table and you can make the best choice. If your in a rush I would go the 4870. I'm waiting for the 1GB 4870, which hopefully it will be out soon.

 

[idiotekniQues]

how do u get into the rewards program to use that coupon

 

[AlgaeEater]

Originally posted by: lopri
Just keep the GT. If you're happy with what you have, it's not likely you'll see much difference from a 4850. A 4870 is a different matter (free 8xAA at that res) but then again you're going to have to deal with drivers. I've seen quite a few here having issues swaping NV to AMD or vice versa, and I would do it only with fresh OS installation.

Seriously, what he said.

And to be quite honest with you, I took my money that I saved from upgrading my video card to the next gen and used it toward a quality 24" inch monitor from my old Dell 20 inch. It's made more of a "WHOA!" factor than more FPS.

 

[nib95]

I'd definitely upgrade to a 4850/4870 myself. Especially before your card value plummets even more and it's worth peanuts. You'll see decent gains at your res, and you'll be able to pump up the IQ and breeze along with 8xMSAA which makes a fantastic difference to visual fidelity. Just look at how these cards perform with 8xAA on. ANd you know with proper drivers, things are only going to get better.

http://www.firingsquad.com/har...performance/page15.asp

 

[Elcs]

Originally posted by: AlgaeEater

Originally posted by: lopri
Just keep the GT. If you're happy with what you have, it's not likely you'll see much difference from a 4850. A 4870 is a different matter (free 8xAA at that res) but then again you're going to have to deal with drivers. I've seen quite a few here having issues swaping NV to AMD or vice versa, and I would do it only with fresh OS installation.

Seriously, what he said.

And to be quite honest with you, I took my money that I saved from upgrading my video card to the next gen and used it toward a quality 24" inch monitor from my old Dell 20 inch. It's made more of a "WHOA!" factor than more FPS.

I would agree with Lopri.

I upgraded from an 8800GT to an HD4870 and I wouldnt say Im regretting my purchase but it is frustrating. Some people install their new card, any one of 3 driver packages and have no issues. Some like me end up having minor issues like poor performance in Age of Conan (which I blame on the game).

The "fan speed bug" which was present in the 8800GT launch (I know, I got hit with the early adopter bug then too) has an easy workaround.

Personally, if you read around about all of the bugs/problems and feel happy that they are minor or can be resolved then Id print out all of the bug info then buy one. Once you have the card and if you encounter a problem, you have the solution generally speaking.

If the bugs arent worth it for you, then stick with the 8800GT because its a fine card and the HD4870 problems can always be ironed out in a month or two.

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

Try out your new monitor with your 8800GT and if you're still itchin get the 4870

 

[idiotekniQues]

hey OP, that best buy coupon seems to have expired on 07/07

do you know of a newer one?

 

[SneakyStuff]

OP, you should be able to push your GT to 700/2000 very easily, that's what mine runs sans any fancy cooling and i'm fairly certain I could go for more. Just use RivaTuner to set up fan profiles. ( link to that)

As for upgrading, honestly I'd wait after reading the games you play. None of them are particularly demanding and by waiting you can see what new products are released and benefit from price cuts.

I haven't noticed any major slowdowns or anything running at 1920x1200, but more performance can't be bad, obviously...LOL.

That's a bad reason to upgrade!

 

[idiotekniQues]

i found a 10% coupon valid through end of july

http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?t=868335

im gonna email newegg tomorrow and cancel my order unless they price match the 10% off.

 

[MrToilet]

Yeah, until I really get the itch to play Crysis (I have it, just haven't started, LOL) then maybe I'll upgrade. Just played some ET-QW online and a little COD4, and the only thing I really had to turn off was AA to keep things running really smooth- and honestly at 1920x1200 I don't notice unless I'm really looking for the jaggies.

 

[MichaelD]

It's time for me to buy my "Birthday present from me, to me" and this is exactly the question I'm pondering.

I have an EVGA 8800GT SC, which is like a 5% overclock from stock; i.e. the 5% OC doesn't make any difference. I don't manually overclock videocards anymore since I fried one years ago. So tweaking this 8800GT for more performance is out.

I game at 19x12 with eye candy (when possible) so a beefy card is mandatory for me.

All the reviews I've seen clearly show the HD4870 stomping all over the 8800GT, and that the HD4870 compares very favorably to the GTX260 and even the GTX280 in some games. Impressive, considering the $100+ price difference.

The fact that the HD4870 runs hot is completely offset by the fact that it's a dual-slot solution and dumps the heat OUTSIDE the case. Unlike my 8800GT which dumps the heat right back inside the case. I think any enthusiast card should be dual-slot but that's MHO.

Going to do some more research and then decide...but with the HD4870 at the $300 price point right now, it may be a short research session. I'm playing The Witcher right now and the thought of getting another 20FPS and going from "acceptable" to "smooth" is very appealing.

ps
I read the review on the HD4870X2 and while impressive, you know it's going to be $$$$$ when released ("when" being the catch here) plus the power requirements would force me to buy a new PS too. And that's not happening.

 

[idiotekniQues]

fyi i pinged Newegg today and told them i could get the exact same brand 4870 from Best Buy at $300 minus 10% with coupon.

Newegg's price was 292.99 and they added a $20 refund to my order so i would not have to refuse delivery. was good enough for me.

the 4870 simply destroys games i play at 1920 rez with AA & AF so it was a no-brainer for me. i can now enjoy WIC without dips in fps during nukes and the such, at higher quality as well. even 2142 will not stutter when i am in an artie strike which is annoying.

 

[MichaelD]

Originally posted by: idiotekniQues
fyi i pinged Newegg today and told them i could get the exact same brand 4870 from Best Buy at $300 minus 10% with coupon.

Newegg's price was 292.99 and they added a $20 refund to my order so i would not have to refuse delivery. was good enough for me.

the 4870 simply destroys games i play at 1920 rez with AA & AF so it was a no-brainer for me. i can now enjoy WIC without dips in fps during nukes and the such, at higher quality as well. even 2142 will not stutter when i am in an artie strike which is annoying.

That would put the card at $273. Great price! The cheapest SHIPPED price to me I could find was COMPUSA at $310; if I coud get your deal, that would be a considerable savings. But unlike you, I've not already placed an order w/NE. Of course, the fact that I've spent $9K with them over the past two years (yes, really. I still build a system or two for folks...) will have zero impact on my request. :rolleyes; How I wish etailers still did business the "old way."

 

[idiotekniQues]

Originally posted by: MichaelD

Originally posted by: idiotekniQues
fyi i pinged Newegg today and told them i could get the exact same brand 4870 from Best Buy at $300 minus 10% with coupon.

Newegg's price was 292.99 and they added a $20 refund to my order so i would not have to refuse delivery. was good enough for me.

the 4870 simply destroys games i play at 1920 rez with AA & AF so it was a no-brainer for me. i can now enjoy WIC without dips in fps during nukes and the such, at higher quality as well. even 2142 will not stutter when i am in an artie strike which is annoying.

That would put the card at $273. Great price! The cheapest SHIPPED price to me I could find was COMPUSA at $310; if I coud get your deal, that would be a considerable savings. But unlike you, I've not already placed an order w/NE. Of course, the fact that I've spent $9K with them over the past two years (yes, really. I still build a system or two for folks...) will have zero impact on my request. :rolleyes; How I wish etailers still did business the "old way."

when i was searching to see if newegg price-matched i did see some threads on their forums where people were posing specific pricematchign questions. i did see a newegg employee tell one guy to check his pm's because he had a solid customer history it seemed they would do something for him to get close to the price he said he could get it for.

i would give it a shot.