Best PCIe Card: $175 To $300
Best PCIe Card For ~$195: Tie
Exceptional 1920x1200 performance in most games, 2560x1600 in most titles (some with lowered detail)
Radeon HD 4890 (Check Prices)
| Radeon HD 4890 | |
|---|---|
| Codename: | RV770 |
| Process: | 55 nm |
| Universal Shaders: | 800 |
| Texture Units: | 80 |
| ROPs: | 32 |
| Memory Bus: | 256-bit |
| Core Speed MHz: | 850 |
| Memory Speed MHz: | 975 (3,900 effective) |
| DirectX/Shader Model: | DX 10.1/SM 4.1 |
The Radeon HD 4890 is essentially an overclocked Radeon HD 4870 on a tweaked die that allows for much greater overclocking headroom. However, it's probably not worth the $45 price premium over the Radeon HD 4870 unless you plan to overclock it.
GeForce GTX 275 (Check Prices)
| GeForce GTX 275 | |
|---|---|
| Codename: | GT200b |
| Process: | 55 nm |
| Universal Shaders: | 240 |
| Texture Units: | 80 |
| ROPs: | 28 |
| Memory Bus: | 448-bit |
| Core Speed MHz: | 633 |
| Memory Speed MHz: | 1,134 (2,268 effective) |
| DirectX/Shader Model: | DX 10/SM 4.0 |
The GeForce GTX 275 performs neck-and-neck with the Radeon HD 4890, although it doesn't have the same overclocking headroom. It's still a powerful card though, and while most GeForce GTX 275s tend to be more expensive, we did manage to find one at Newegg for under $200.
Best PCIe Card For ~$220:
Radeon HD 4850 X2 2 GB (Check Prices)
Good 1920x1200 performance, 2560x1600 in most games with some lowered detail
| Radeon HD 4850 X2 2 GB | |
|---|---|
| Codename: | 2 x RV770 |
| Process: | 55 nm |
| Universal Shaders: | 1,600 (2 x 800) |
| Texture Units: | 80 (2 x 40) |
| ROPs: | 32 (2 x 16) |
| Memory Bus: | 256-bit |
| Core Speed MHz: | 625 |
| Memory Speed MHz: | 993 (1,986 effective) |
| DirectX/Shader Model: | DX 10.1/SM 4.1 |
The Radeon HD 4850 X2 is essentially two Radeon HD 4850s in CrossFire mode on a single card, and it will beat the more expensive GeForce GTX 280. It will even put the hurt on the new, more expensive GeForce GTX 285.
The Radeon HD 4850 X2 2 GB card remains cheaper than a pair of 1 GB Radeon HD 4850s in CrossFire, which is a little surprising. The single Radeon HD 4850 X2 card can be used with any PCIe motherboard, as well.
Best PCIe Card For ~$260-$310: Tie
Exceptional 1920x1200 performance in most games, 2560x1600 in most titles (some with lowered detail)
Two Radeon HD 4870 cards in CrossFire configuration (Check Prices)
| Two Radeon HD 4870 in CrossFire Configuration | |
|---|---|
| Codename: | 2 x RV770 |
| Process: | 55 nm |
| Universal Shaders: | 1,600 (2 x 800) |
| Texture Units: | 80 (2 x 40) |
| ROPs: | 32 (2 x 16) |
| Memory Bus: | 256-bit |
| Core Speed MHz: | 750 |
| Memory Speed MHz: | 900 (3,600 effective) |
| DirectX/Shader Model: | DX 10.1/SM 4.1 |
Two Radeon HD 4870 cards are a powerful combination, especially when equipped with gobs of memory. However, with the price of a Radeon HD 4870 X2 at $370, we now recommend two Radeon HD 4870 cards in CrossFire mode to save the cash. You can spend as little as $260 on two 512 MB cards, or spend $300 and go all out with the 1 GB cards. Just make sure you have a CrossFire-compatible motherboard and a good power supply in order to use them.
Two GeForce GTX 260 (Core 216) cards in SLI configuration (Check Prices)
| Two GeForce GTX 260 (Core 216) cards in SLI Configuration | |
|---|---|
| Codename: | 2 x GT200 |
| Process: | 55/65 nm |
| Universal Shaders: | 432 (2 x 216) |
| Texture Units: | 144 (2 x 72) |
| ROPs: | 56 (2 x 28) |
| Memory Bus: | 448-bit |
| Core Speed MHz: | 576 |
| Memory Speed MHz: | 999 (1,998 effective) |
| DirectX/Shader Model: | DX 10/SM 4.0 |
If you have an SLI-only motherboard your options are limited - you will be spending the full $310 because there is no $130 GeForce GTX 260 available. For that price you will get a pair of very powerful graphics cards, however. As we noted with the single-card recommendations, two GeForce GTX 260 cards in SLI offer advantages in titles that run better with the GeForce GT200 architecture. As with the single cards, we recommend the newer Core 216 versions, thanks to the similar price and enhanced performance.
hooray!
the return of the 4850X2!
methinks it put the hurt on nvidia, that's why it's been kept quiet?!
great card, that one
cheers,
bill
p.s. stuff and nonsense: http://www.eupeople.net/forum
It might be second nature to anyone with modern hardware, but for anyone upgrading older systems make sure your PSU has 24 pins rather than 20. The extra four pins are needed to maintain stability when you plug in a PCI-E card, whilst 20 should be OK for onboard video. So you have 24 pins + the 4 pins for the CPU.
If you plug a 20-pin PSU into a 24-pin socket on the motherboard, then add even a cheap PCI-E card (eg a Geforce 7300), you'll be overloading the system and it could result in damage. PCI-E boards that sport an external power source may rectify this, I'm not sure (e.g. using a PCI-E to molex converter). I learned the hard ware, to use the proper
..24-pin connectors, rather than outdated 20-pin one's. The 20-pin one's are OK for AGP boards and 24-pin boards that can accept both 20 and 24-pin PSU's.
I upgraded a 20/24-pin board (onboard Geforce 6100 with A64 3200+), by adding a Geforce 7300. The 20-pin PSU was 400W. I realised that 20 pins weren't enough even though this card is really slow.
Hmmm, you must be shopping some secret place you obviously don't want to share with others. You claim a HD 4870 512MB is $130.00 while the cheapest showing up when following your (Check Prices) link is $151.10. Am I missing something?
i think the radeon 4850 is the best buy currently for around €90 you will have one. afther that the radeon 4870 is great too. it will cost you €115-125 if you have the right shops. then 4890 comes around the corner for €165. I'havent decided yet what to get. evergreen is very close now and im hard underway to reach my goal buget for a new system. it sure takes a while but then again i now live on my own and im 20 years old so i dont have much money at hand you know. everything costs alot and saving is hard because your rent aswell as insurrence and food and maintanance cost almost as much as you have each month, But i work hard for my goals and i will achieve them. one of my goals is to have a decent computer by the end of this year, the computer i have right now is neary dead. i might even consider phenom triple core and radeon 4870 because those are well affordable right now.
But lynnfield and the evergreen series should bring the long expacted DX11
Guess I'll be grabbin' a 4890 os a crossfire solution...