X1900XT -> 4850... Worth it?

[vj8usa]

I built my current system from scratch in April of '06 with a 512MB X1900XT. Since then, I've upgraded my CPU/mobo/RAM (E2160 @3GHz+6GB RAM), but I'm still using the good ol' X1900XT. Would it be worth it to ebay this thing and get a 4850 for $140-150, or will the difference in performance not be worth the price (my monitor's native res is 1680x1050, for what it's worth)? Also, will my 450W (32A on dual 12V rails) Antec PSU be enough to power a 4850? And will I be held back by my CPU, or by the fact that I have PCIe 1.1 and not 2.0?
Oh, and one last question... I'm currently using a Sonata II case with a single 120mm fan. This wasn't an issue with the X1900, since it exhausts most of its heat out the back. The 4850s I'm looking at pump the heat into the case, though. Do these cards run hot enough that I'd risk overheating something?

P.S. - the main reason I'm thinking about this now is that my housemate just built his new rig, with a GTX280. That thing's so much faster than mine at everything, it's downright depressing.

 

[coolpurplefan]

I went from Athlon 2.4GHz single core + X1650XT to Athlon dual core 2.8GHz + HD4670 and with UT2004, BF2, and even the demo of UT3 (I just ordered the retail version), it just knocked my socks off.

I got the extra boost I needed to see in a reasonable way how UT3 can really be played. BTW, the difference in 3DMark06 scores is 3018 for the slower machine and 7841 for the faster machine.

 

[catscratcher]

I had a x1950xt, almost identical to yours. I say 4850 will smoke your card on any game at 1680x1050. I had 5900 on 3dmark2006 with 1950xt and i now get 10100. That's almost twice performance and i had no other hardware changes.

If you get the reference version of 4850, you'll need to use the fanfix to get decent temps. And comparing to x19xx series, the noise at %40 is absolutely nothing to your ears and it's enough to keep your card cool at load. If you get a version with an aftermarket cooling solution, you won't have to worry about card temps. As for the case, you may need an additional 12cm fan in front, feeding the case with fresh air.

The pcie 1.1 wouldn't be a problem with single card systems. The difference is so tiny. Thou your PSU might not up to the task. Some antec psus are actually 1 rail instead of 2 on the label. If you are lucky, you should be ok, however you won't have a room for future upgrades, amps-wise.

Remember, single rail labeled psus are always safer to use with high-end cards.

 

[octopus41092]

Yes, very very very worth it. I had an X1950Pro 512MB and went up to an HD4850. I'm guessing the performance of the E2160 @ 3.0GHz is comparable to my X2 6000+ and it was a huuuge difference. I run my stuff at 1680x1050 as well and before everything I could run at... medium settings if I wanted 1680x1050. However, with the HD4850 it runs everything flawlessly at 1680x1050 with the exception of Crysis with AA on in almost all of the games. Some games I turn off AA because they have issues where AA makes it run really really bad. As for temperature, I have a pretty crowded case and when I put it in right away it would crash in 3DMark06 but would be fine with all the games. I upped the fan speed to 40% and then everything was fine. After that I upgraded to an Accelero S1 and strapped a 120mm fan on it and now I'm able to overclock it all the way in CCC and still keep it under 50C at load.

 

[Ike0069]

I agree with the others. I upgraded from an x1900xt to my 4850 and it made a very big difference. I can now run all my games at 1680x1050 w/AA. The 4850 draws just about the same amount of power as the 1900xt, so you're current PSU should work fine.

As for the heat of this card, that has the posiblility to be an issue with you case. I had the original Sonata and the airflow was terrible. I ended up adding a 120mm fan to the door and that made it much better, but of course you lose the "silence". You may have to mod your case or card, or both, to keep temps low.

 

[myocardia]

For what it's worth, a 4850 is close to twice as fast as an X1900XT.

 

[vj8usa]

Sounds good, thanks for all the input. I guess I'll make the jump, assuming I can ebay the old card for a decent price.

 

[GaiaHunter]

I would go with a POWERCOLOR HD4850 PCS+. That thing is silence

 

[vj8usa]

Originally posted by: GaiaHunter
I would go with a POWERCOLOR HD4850 PCS+. That thing is silence

That looks nice, but it's a bit pricier than what I had in mind. I was looking at this Palit card, since it has aftermarket cooling and is a bit less than $150 shipped after rebate.

 

[error8]

Buy the Palit card man, there is nothing wrong with it. It also has a better cooler then the stock 4850.

 

[tvdang7]

i would say it should be double the performance. if benched me i just play games and i dont really look at the frames much but yea there is an increase.

 

[Foxery]

Originally posted by: vj8usa
Also, will my 450W (32A on dual 12V rails) Antec PSU be enough to power a 4850?

It's enough wattage, but the key is whether your PSU has a 6-pin PCIE power connector.

And will I be held back by my CPU, or by the fact that I have PCIe 1.1 and not 2.0?

Nope and nope. You'll be fine.

Oh, and one last question... I'm currently using a Sonata II case with a single 120mm fan. This wasn't an issue with the X1900, since it exhausts most of its heat out the back. The 4850s I'm looking at pump the heat into the case, though. Do these cards run hot enough that I'd risk overheating something?.

HIS makes one that exhausts out the rear if you prefer, but it costs a bit extra. (Link)

 

[laptoplt]

thank's for tips

 

[vj8usa]

Thanks for all the information. I decided to pull the trigger on the Palit card, and it should be arriving in a few days. Will it work properly if I swap the cards without changing drivers, or should I bother cleaning out the driver I have installed?

 

[GaiaHunter]

Originally posted by: vj8usa
Thanks for all the information. I decided to pull the trigger on the Palit card, and it should be arriving in a few days. Will it work properly if I swap the cards without changing drivers, or should I bother cleaning out the driver I have installed?

Use the utility Driversweeper from Guru3d.com. Should be enough.

Have fun with your new card

 

[firewolfsm]

I'm running a 4850 and a Q6600 on a 430W Seasonic. Both overclocked.