GPU Decision

[Mikepsyche]

I've been wondering about the GPU setup for the build I'm planning to purchase around Christmas. I've pretty well decided on the HD 4870 1GB, although there are still a few other options I have in mind. Which of these would offer the best performance?

ASUS EAH4870 DK/HTDI/1GD5 Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 or
SAPPHIRE 100259-1GL Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16

XFX GX260NADBF GeForce GTX 260 Black Edition Core 216 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP (this is the fastest GTX 260 right?)

2x Radeon HD 4850s in Crossfire - Many of the 4850 models I was planning on went out of stock (512 mb and 1GB)(will running 2 2GB 4850s in crossfire be possible? if so, will it crush the other GPU setups I've listed here?). Was this probably because of Black Friday or what? Can I expect them to be back in a few weeks?

There's a chance I'll be gaming on a 15 inch monitor whose max res. is 1024 x 768, in which case any of these setups should be way more than enough. But, I very well may be getting a Hanns·G HW-191DPB Black 19" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 700:1. Will these GPU setups be able to run Crysis full settings at this monitor's resolution (1400 x 900)?

Another noob question: Isn't screen resolution as a measure of image quality relative? I mean 640 x 480 would look about right on a 13 inch screen, but balls to the walls horrible on a 30 inch widescreen. Is it fair to say that running games 1024 x 768 on a 15 inch screen should look similar, or the same, as 1920 x 1200 on a 24 inch widescreen? If that's on cue at all, then I'll probably just stick with the 15" LCD I have now, because I really don't care how big my screen is.

 

[Michowski]

4870 FTW. Im running a 512mb 4870 and a 24" widescreen and 1900x1200 resolution and most games 100% maxed out. On farcry 2 I have to turn AA off but everything else is 100%. Crysis is another that I cant max out but then again, who can? If you get the 1gig model, you will be in awesome shape.

 

[Mikepsyche]

Sweet. I felt pretty good about the 4870 1GB, hope I can get the same results as you with my build (planning on an E8500 though, and I only might OC it - If I don't get the i7 920). Hey, get another 512 for crossfire, and you'll have a sick build.

 

[veg1992]

You can't play Very High very well on some monitors..

But the HD 4870 1gb is powerful as heck, you might be able to play at 1440x900 Crapsis at Very High.. (I'm not sure though)

 

[Mikepsyche]

You can't play Very High very well on some monitors..

But the HD 4870 1gb is powerful as heck, you might be able to play at 1440x900 Crapsis at Very High.. (I'm not sure though)

Nice, I hope it can. Not even sure if I'll play it all that much, but it's a good test of performance. Guess you don't like the game very much Vernong, haha.

But if my "1024 x 768 vs. 1920 x 1200" thing I said in the first post is right, hopefully, then it won't matter, because I'll just play 1024 x 768 on the 15 incher. Which should be easy to max out with 8x AA and 8x AF.

 

[SuxoR]

Even at 19" the 512 version of the 4870 should be sufficient

good luck getting it man I hope to be getting one or a 4850 soon :]

Think a 4850 can handle most games maxed out on a 22" ?

 

[Hussein19891]

Even at 19" the 512 version of the 4870 should be sufficient

good luck getting it man I hope to be getting one or a 4850 soon :]

Think a 4850 can handle most games maxed out on a 22" ?

4830 does a some what decent job maxing out games on a 22" screen. So I don't see how a 4850 is unable to.

If your going to be using a 19" monitor. Save your self some money and go with either the 9800 GT or the 4830. Those should max out all games on a 19" monitor. The only games you shouldn't be able to max out is Crysis.

 

[Tenenbaum]

I know a few that run a 4850 on 24" monitors and can run the large majority at max settings.
Definitely not a let down of a card.
The 4870 1GB is just a slayer when it comes to games. (1GB for bigger monitors).
ATI did a great job, and they are definitely suggested.

 

[Hussein19891]

If you plan to run a dual GPU solution eventually, I would go with the GTX 260 (216 Core) instead.

 

[Mikepsyche]

Yeah, from what I've read before, a 4850 can power a 24" screen at 1920 x 1200, maybe not Crysis maxed out, but sufficiently, and probably most other games maxed out. So, for a 19" screen (1440 x 900), a 1GB 4870 should slay everything, including Crysis, right? Maybe not with all the anti-aliasing and anistropic filtering, but pretty dang high settings.

Does anybody know if my thing about lower resolutions like 1024 x 768 looking the same on smaller screens as higher resolutions like 1920 x 1200 on bigger screens? Because, if 1024 x 768 on my 15" screen looks the same as, or similar to 1920 x 1200 on a 24" screen, then I won't even get a new monitor with my build. I'll just stick with my 15" LCD, cause I don't care about having a big screen.