Upgrading GPU for 30" Monitor

[fire2havoc]

I recently got a 30" so it's finally time to say thanks to my GTX 285 and move onto something more powerful and capable of handling the latest games at 2560x1600.

I've pretty much narrowed it down to the 2GB Radeon 6950, which I might flash to the 6970 bios. Is this the best choice in terms of price/performance? Will I lose much by foregoing PhysX?

Based on everything I have seen, the 6950 is on par with the GTX 570, which costs ~$80 more.

If a 6950 is the best choice, I think the one from Sapphire for $257 AR is currently the best price.

Thanks for the suggestions!

 

[mnewsham]

physx is only supported in about 16 games... so i dont think you will notice anything. and for 2560x1600 i think that the 6950 2gb is your best bet for good performance at that resolution.

 

[fire2havoc]

physx is only supported in about 16 games... so i dont think you will notice anything. and for 2560x1600 i think that the 6950 2gb is your best bet for good performance at that resolution.

Thanks. That's exactly what I was thinking.

PhysX is nice when it works...I might keep my GTX 285 for that.

 

[-Slacker-]

Even with 16 games. you probably won't be able to run any of them with phisx on at 25x16. Using the gtx 285 for phisx seems like an interesting idea though.

I see your motherboard supports crossfire, so, in the future, you should consider adding another 6950. At your resolution, you'll probably need it, depending on what games you play (if it's crysis, crysis2, metro 2033, you'll definitely need it)

 

[fire2havoc]

Even with 16 games. you probably won't be able to run any of them with phisx on at 25x16. Using the gtx 285 for phisx seems like an interesting idea though.

I see your motherboard supports crossfire, so, in the future, you should consider adding another 6950. At your resolution, you'll probably need it, depending on what games you play (if it's crysis, crysis2, metro 2033, you'll definitely need it)

I don't know if I will need crossfire. According to the benches, the 6950 provides solid fps (>40) at 2560x1600 in most recent games.

 

[Jovec]

I don't know if I will need crossfire. According to the benches, the 6950 provides solid fps (>40) at 2560x1600 in most recent games.

Depends on the game and settings. Of course, opinions vary, but I'm of the opinion that if can tell the difference between "high" settings and "very high" settings when you are actually playing the game, then the game must not be that fun.

PhysX is nice when it works...I might keep my GTX 285 for that.

Regarding PhysX - Nvidia doesn't officially support using a Nvidia card for PhysX with an ATI GPU. There are work-arounds but I can't vouch for their success. It might be easier to look for a 560 2gb (though it falls behind at 25x16) or better yet a 570 with a good rebate to save you from that headache.

 

[fire2havoc]

Regarding PhysX - Nvidia doesn't officially support using a Nvidia card for PhysX with an ATI GPU. There are work-arounds but I can't vouch for their success. It might be easier to look for a 560 2gb (though it falls behind at 25x16) or better yet a 570 with a good rebate to save you from that headache.

I figure I won't be missing much even if I do not get the option of PhysX.

On a related note, I'm trying to decide between HIS and Sapphire. Haven't had experience with those two. Is one better than the other? Warranty/support?

 

[Skurge]

I figure I won't be missing much even if I do not get the option of PhysX.

On a related note, I'm trying to decide between HIS and Sapphire. Haven't had experience with those two. Is one better than the other? Warranty/support?

Sapphire is AMDs premier partner so I would go with that, plus you get a free HDMI cable 😀

 

[bryanW1995]

I've owned them both, they're both great. I would probably lean towards sapphire however just b/c they're bigger and less likely to get "BFG'd".

Keep checking prices on 6950, I saw one on hot deals for $229 AR the other day. Don't remember the brand, but for that price who cares!

btw, it is quite easy to hack physx, I'd keep the 285 around for a while and try it out.

 

[fire2havoc]

Sapphire is AMDs premier partner so I would go with that, plus you get a free HDMI cable 😀

I've owned them both, they're both great. I would probably lean towards sapphire however just b/c they're bigger and less likely to get "BFG'd".

Keep checking prices on 6950, I saw one on hot deals for $229 AR the other day. Don't remember the brand, but for that price who cares!

btw, it is quite easy to hack physx, I'd keep the 285 around for a while and try it out.

Thanks! Looks like Sapphire it is. I've never had any experience with either, but I did hear much more about Sapphire than HIS over the years.

I did do a brief Google search and came across customer support horror stories with Sapphire. Both companies have their warranty/RMA services fulfilled through 3rd party companies in the U.S. I guess there will always be horror stories from customers dealing with a company's support.

XFX does have lifetime warranty (and typically a higher resale value), but it's also about $30 more.

 

[palladium]

oh, so we have come to the point where single GPU is sufficient for 25x16..? I always have the opinion that a CF/SLI setup is usually needed at that res.

 

[fire2havoc]

oh, so we have come to the point where single GPU is sufficient for 25x16..? I always have the opinion that a CF/SLI setup is usually needed at that res.

I honestly think that a GPU such as the 6950 is enough for most purposes at 2560x1600. There may be one or two games that you cannot run at that resolution with 16xAA and 16xAF. However, having looked at most benchmarks, you can expect about 40-70fps in most games.