Posts by Thomas Jones82

wiredotter14 said:Your CPU might not fully unlock what that card can do—it’ll likely bottleneck it—but you're still going to see a massive difference.
It is very probable that you could run modern titles even with the 4400.

That said, I’d suggest either grabbing something cheaper or picking up a card you actually plan on migrating to a new build down the road.

Yeah, that's exactly where my head was at—maybe grab something more powerful now just so I can eventually transplant it into a new rig.

darkowl72 said:Yeah, except neither brightrider8 nor Thomas Jones82 really have much of a clue when it comes to CPUs... I mean, brightrider8 might be okay, but even a 5200+ isn't going to feed a high-end GPU properly—and Thomas Jones82 with that 4400+? He doesn't stand a chance...

So, you're telling me it's not worth picking up a new graphics card for a setup like that??

wiredotter14 said:To be perfectly blunt, if you're looking at $17 more, the 4870 is a significantly better pick.
The only catch is they won't be hanging around forever—so if you were planning on running Crossfire down the road, finding a matching pair might become a headache.
But strictly comparing the 4870 to the 5770? It's definitely the 4870.

Otherwise, a brand new 4850 with 512MB DDR3 is going for $250
(And let me save you the trouble: the 1GB version isn't actually any better.)
In my opinion, for that price point, it’s an absolute steal.

Plus, once you throw two of them into Crossfire, you get performance levels comparable to a 5850—which, by the way, doesn't cost less than two grand.
If you're willing to shell out $100 more than your initial $1,200 budget, this is my top recommendation.

EDIT: If you're shopping the used market, go hunt for a 4890.

Thanks for the help.

Bryan Evans77 said:my recommendation for his rig...
grab a 4850—you might even find a used one with some remaining warranty for under $233...

And if you can snag a 5770 for up to $1000, go for it (otherwise, they're sitting at $1200 brand new)...

But what about the 4870?? Is it not worth picking up??

So, I'm looking to pick up a new graphics card
Here’s what my current setup looks like:
MB: MSI K8N SLI Platinum
CPU: AMD Athlon X2 4400
RAM: 4 GB DDR
HDD: 160 GB
PSU: 400 W Chiftec
Right now, I'm running dual GeForce 6600 GTs, which I'd like to swap out.
I'm planning to set aside about $333—and while I've been an NVIDIA guy until now, I'm thinking it might be time to make the jump over to an ATI card.