What would be better? X-fire or CPU upgrade?

[imported_rjammm]

I just built a new system with an Asus P5QPro mainboard and an E8400 OC'd to 4100MHZ with an ATI 4870 512 video card. My mainborad will accept up to a QX9770 processor. Will I be better off adding an additional video card using xfire, replacing the 4870 with the next greatest video card or upgrading the CPU? If I do add another videocard in xfire what kind of frame rate increases should I expect?

Thanks in advance!

 

[zenguy]

What Games do you play?
What Resolution?

What Performance issues are you seeing you want to fix?

 

[imported_rjammm]

I have been playing around with crysis and farcry 2. I have a 24" Samsung I run at 1920X 1200. I want to run as much aa and af as possible at a bagillion fps

 

[Idontcare]

Originally posted by: rjammm
I just built a new system with an Asus P5QPro mainboard and an E8400 OC'd to 4100MHZ with an ATI 4870 512 video card.

Originally posted by: rjammm
I have been playing around with crysis and farcry 2. I have a 24" Samsung I run at 1920X 1200. I want to run as much aa and af as possible at a bagillion fps

At 4+ GHz your CPU is not holding you back at 1920x1200 resolution. Your 512MB of vram is though.

IMO you want/need a GPU upgrade with more gpu ram.

I defer to those with experience as to whether that means stepping up to 1GB single-card being better or worse than adding another 512MB card in xfire config for your situation.

 

[SunnyD]

GPU upgrade.

 

[conlan]

Originally posted by: Idontcare

Originally posted by: rjammm
I just built a new system with an Asus P5QPro mainboard and an E8400 OC'd to 4100MHZ with an ATI 4870 512 video card.

Originally posted by: rjammm
I have been playing around with crysis and farcry 2. I have a 24" Samsung I run at 1920X 1200. I want to run as much aa and af as possible at a bagillion fps

At 4+ GHz your CPU is not holding you back at 1920x1200 resolution. Your 512MB of vram is though.

IMO you want/need a GPU upgrade with more gpu ram.

+1

HD 4870 1GB or GTX 280/285.

IMHO...the HD 4870 1GB will give you the best bang for your buck with your system.

Of course if you've got the $.....the HD 4870x2 or GTX 295 will run even faster.

 

[cusideabelincoln]

I don't think his 512MB card is holding him back right now. Sure he may gather a few more frames in games like Crysis, which loves VRAM, but adding a second card should still substantially increase his performance such that it two 4870s with an effective 512MB of VRAM should outperform a single 1GB HD4870 in the majority of games.

So yeh, I think adding a second card for Crossfire would be the best deal. And he could buy either the 512MB or 1GB version for Crossfire use, although the 1GB would be a waste if he doesn't plan to upgrade his current 512MB card.

Our fellow board member apoppin ran some benchmarks and published them. When comparing the 512MB and the 1GB HD4870, in every single one of his game benchmarks they performed identically even at 1920x1200. The games he tested were Crysis, UT3, Stalker, Lost Planet, HL2: LC, Fear, Quake Wars, and Call of Jurez. Really the only test he did where the 512MB showed a major disadvantage was in the PT Boats demo. You can PM him, or google search, for his results.

 

[TurtleCrusher]

I'd vote for the 4850X2 in this case. High resolution paired with a 1920x monitor, you better have the oomph to get it up to par with your CPU.

I'd have to spill out for that if i went higher then 1680x1050.