View Full Version : Radeon HD6850 VS. Nvidia GTX460
Zulthus
2011-09-01, 12:08 AM
Alright. So with BF3, Planetside 2, Skyrim, and many more coming out soon, I think it's time for an upgrade from my old HD5670.
This is NOT necessarily for Planetside 2. Thing is, I'm not a "hardcore" gamer, so I don't really want to spend more than $200 on a new video card.
So to all the tech pros, which card is better OVERALL to run the newer games on a 1680x1050 resolution?
Thanks in advance.
Mutant
2011-09-01, 04:00 AM
Alright. So with BF3, Planetside 2, Skyrim, and many more coming out soon, I think it's time for an upgrade from my old HD5670.
This is NOT necessarily for Planetside 2. Thing is, I'm not a "hardcore" gamer, so I don't really want to spend more than $200 on a new video card.
So to all the tech pros, which card is better OVERALL to run the newer games on a 1680x1050 resolution?
Thanks in advance.
HD 6950 > GTX 560 Ti > GTX 560 = HD 6870 > GTX 460 = HD 6850
Normal people would not really see any difference between each step. But from 560Ti to 6850 is a reasonable jump.
you will strugle to get a 6950 or 560 Ti under $200.
The 560 is said to overclock nicely but cost more than the 6870 and gives about the same performance at stock clocks.
If you can hold out for a few months we are quite likeley to see some new offerings from AMD around this segment. The drop from 40nm to 28nm should realy give some nice price/performace improvements.
What Mutant said. Wait a couple months for the newer cards. You are best off waiting till at least BF3 comes out for a new card as we will know then what will run good on it. Buying now for multiple games we have no idea about isn't a good idea. It is safe to say BF3 will probably be the most demanding of all them unless we have red alert interlinks in PS2.
Zulthus
2011-09-01, 04:01 PM
Newer cards seem to be around $600-700 at release, depending on the brand. I won't be getting one since I don't play that much. I'm looking for a good $200 card, so was looking to compare these two.
AMD is releasing newer cards at that price bracket actually first. Not $700.
Zulthus
2011-09-21, 04:40 PM
So I found the two cards I've narrowed it down to - I'll leave it to the experts to decide which one is better.
Radeon HD 6950
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125385
AFAIK Radeon makes much more powerful single cards than Nvidia, and this card has about twice the raw power of the next card, GTX 570.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130613
This I'd only really want for PhysX, but it's only an eye candy thing. So it's a bit of a tough choice between the two. I've heard that both can max out pretty much all current games on a 1680x1050 monitor.
Which one is better, or is it down to personal preference?
Actually neither of those cards are twice as strong to one another. The 570 wins in most games, but costs quite a bit more. Performance gap is about then 10%-20% depending on the game. PhysX is more of a gimmick, so do not worry about that. The only big game coming this year that has it is the new Batman one I think.
I wouldn't go with either of those two and instead do this XFX 6950 2GB for $240 and $210 after a $30 MIR. Comes with Deus Ex: Human Revolution for free as well. Pretty damn good deal if I do not say so myself. I never have seen a 6950 2GB that low I think.
Zulthus
2011-09-21, 05:06 PM
It seems cheap because it probably is. XFX tends to make their cards very cheaply, and I've had two of them die within 6-7 months. Not really a fan of Deus Ex either... so I guess what I'd go for is the Gigabyte on Newegg. They got alot of good reviews on there. But the XFX failures are just from my experience.
Bad luck? I have had XFX cards since the 7900 GT (2005) and never once did one die. Which cards did you have and did you even ram?
anyway I would be looking at the 6950 2gb as it is not that much more expensive and is worthwhile.
Zulthus
2011-09-21, 05:51 PM
Bad luck? I have had XFX cards since the 7900 GT (2005) and never once did one die. Which cards did you have and did you even ram?
anyway I would be looking at the 6950 2gb as it is not that much more expensive and is worthwhile.
The ones I had that died were the
5670
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150467
GT520
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150555
Both pretty bad cards, two of my first, but I still have never had another video card die aside from those two. I've looked up some people's experiences with the card, and it indeed does seem like it was bad luck. It might be worth a try, although I really prefer ordering from Newegg. I'll think on it.
Hmm. I will say XFX has made shitty cards prone to dying too. I have not seen any issues with that one either. If you want it I suggest jumping on it now, who knows if it will sell out or the price may go back up. You can also sell that game code on ebay for like $25 if you do not want the game or even a friend that may.
Zulthus
2011-09-21, 07:20 PM
Well, I've placed an order on the Amazon 6950... hopefully it does not disappoint!
Malorn
2011-09-21, 08:19 PM
I had a similar dilemma recently, but given the current hardware ecosystem and the fact that we are about 6 months off from the next cycle of new video cards I went with best bang-for-buck as an interim solution and picked up 2x 6850 in crossfire. It had one of the best results for BFBC2 and with v-sync the frames never drop below 60 in any situation at 1920x1200 with everything maxed out and 8x AA. Cost about $400 and should be more than sufficient for BF3. My plan is to upgrade the entire PC when a real CPU upgrade is released and after a new set of graphics cards comes out either this spring or the following spring.
Zulthus
2011-09-21, 08:28 PM
I had a similar dilemma recently, but given the current hardware ecosystem and the fact that we are about 6 months off from the next cycle of new video cards I went with best bang-for-buck as an interim solution and picked up 2x 6850 in crossfire. It had one of the best results for BFBC2 and with v-sync the frames never drop below 60 in any situation at 1920x1200 with everything maxed out and 8x AA. Cost about $400 and should be more than sufficient for BF3. My plan is to upgrade the entire PC when a real CPU upgrade is released and after a new set of graphics cards comes out either this spring or the following spring.
I might have considered crossfiring as an option if my mobo supported it. I'd have to buy a new one AND a new power supply to support two of those cards. :(
Zulthus what PSU do you have atm?
Zulthus
2011-09-21, 08:57 PM
Antec 650w
Ok cool. That is indeed perfect for most single card configs.
Zulthus
2011-09-22, 11:15 PM
Oh great... I just realized the card has the bulk of it facing downward... now it won't fit. My motherboard RAM slots are in the way. Perfect. I'm pretty sure I can't mod that, can I?
Oh yeah, my HDD cage is most likely in the way too considering the card is a foot long.
I'll just wait until I physically have the card... measuring with a ruler can't be that accurate.
Missundaztood
2011-09-23, 12:07 AM
Wounder that!
Tigersmith
2011-09-23, 11:52 AM
I got 2xGTX460s in sli really amazing cards for the money. Runs Crysis 2 with DX11 on extreme settings perfectly fine :) jawdropping... Thats all I gotta say
But I will be replacing these soon :( i would recommend it to anyone on a budget of under 150. I got them for about 250 when they were released
Oh great... I just realized the card has the bulk of it facing downward... now it won't fit. My motherboard RAM slots are in the way. Perfect. I'm pretty sure I can't mod that, can I?
Oh yeah, my HDD cage is most likely in the way too considering the card is a foot long.
I'll just wait until I physically have the card... measuring with a ruler can't be that accurate.
I am not sure what you mean by blocking your ram slots. I do not know of any kind of motherboard layout that would do that. The PCI-e connector should be below enough to not interfere with that. Is it possible for you to move your HDD to another area? Maybe time for a new case :D.
Traak
2011-10-12, 05:48 AM
Cases are among the cheapest things to change on a system.
Zulthus
2011-10-15, 12:46 AM
So... I replaced the 6950 order with a GTX 460, it's cheaper and everywhere I look people say it can run BF3 on ultra.. soo, might as well give it a try for $100 less. Will see how it performs.
GTX 460 on ultra with BF3? Depending on the resolution maybe. Not on 1920x1080 by the reviews I have seen.
I thought ultra wasn't unlocked?
Zulthus
2011-10-15, 01:20 AM
I use a 1680x1050 Acer, so I should be fine. I don't need a television for a monitor.
Traak
2011-10-15, 01:52 AM
And, with that hundred bucks you saved, you are that much closer to being able to buy another 460 and putting it in SLI.
I thought ultra wasn't unlocked?
Some features where, but not everything from what I understand.
I use a 1680x1050 Acer, so I should be fine. I don't need a television for a monitor.
You will likely mix high and ultra if you are lucky. If thats all you need then you saved yourself $100.
Vancha
2011-10-15, 03:30 AM
Oh great... I just realized the card has the bulk of it facing downward... now it won't fit. My motherboard RAM slots are in the way. Perfect.
What the hell kind of motherboard are you using?
Traak
2011-10-15, 05:06 AM
Made in Soviet Russia.
LOLz:lol:
Zulthus
2011-10-15, 12:46 PM
Prolly. Or I just measured wrong. Guessing the latter. It just looks like a tight squeeze.
Vancha
2011-10-15, 01:57 PM
Prolly. Or I just measured wrong. Guessing the latter. It just looks like a tight squeeze.
You basically said the equivalent of "I need smaller rear tires or they won't fit because the steering wheel's in the way".
Either you have rear tires so huge, that they fill the space where the seats would be, or you're trying to drive your car with the exhaust. In other words, I don't think the RAM goes where you think it goes.
Zulthus
2011-10-15, 02:06 PM
No, I know where RAM goes. The bottom of the RAM slots are almost right at the top of the end of the PCI-e slot. Most cards have the fan facing up, that's why I thought it wouldn't fit almost a month ago.
Vancha
2011-10-15, 02:29 PM
Ahhh okay, so you were calling the bit that points up, the bottom, and the bit that points down, the top.
But wait...that would imply the XFX 6950 had fans facing towards the RAM slots...I'm confused.
Edit: None of this matters, by the way. I'm just curious.
Zulthus
2011-10-15, 02:33 PM
Not sure what you mean on the first part.
No, not the fans themselves, just normally when the fans face up so does the 'card' itself. I don't know how to explain that better. The RAM slots are on the right of the mobo and my case is pretty damn small, so it looked like the card wouldn't fit lengthwise because of the RAM and HDD chassis. I dunno. I just went with the 460 because I know it fits for sure.
Vancha
2011-10-15, 02:56 PM
When you say "face up", you mean towards the CPU slot? I'm not aware of any GPU with fans that face up that way.
Zulthus
2011-10-15, 02:57 PM
Yes. My HD5670 does, as did most cards I had before it. I guess the newer generations of cards changed all that. Makes sense though, since hot air rises. Not sure why fans were ever face up.
Vancha
2011-10-15, 04:30 PM
Pics?
Indeed. Even one pulled from google would do.
Zulthus
2011-10-15, 05:23 PM
Alright, I'm an idiot for not knowing what my own mobo looks like. Forget the fan facing down thing. I thought it did because I referenced off of pics from the webs. Anyway, here's the pic:
http://s1113.photobucket.com/albums/k517/ZulthusPS/?action=view¤t=003.jpg
I still think the card wouldn't fit unless it's COMPLETELY flat at the bottom. See how close the end of the RAM slot is to my card? The 6950 is about twice as long. The HDD chassis is also probably in the way.
Rbstr
2011-10-15, 05:59 PM
Barely fitting below the ram has been a thing for a long time...Asus boards (and probably others) no longer use a lever-thing for the bottom now to save that space. It's just a spring-loaded thing so you can get RAM in/out w/o having to take the vid card out.
You're kinda fucked if it doesn't fit, because most/all mid/high ends cards are certainly too long for you, then. Gonna need a new case, bro.
Is that BTX, by the way?
Zulthus
2011-10-15, 06:14 PM
I was told on purchase at Best Buy it is an ATX Foxconn 2A92.
The I/O switch is on the left when looking at it from the back, so I'm pretty sure it's ATX.
Traak
2011-10-15, 10:06 PM
New case and MoBo, really good ones, are less than 300 buxx. If you work at McDonald's you can make more than that in a week, can't you?
Zulthus
2011-10-15, 10:11 PM
New case and MoBo, really good ones, are less than 300 buxx. If you work at McDonald's you can make more than that in a week, can't you?
You most certainly can. I want to see if the card fits before worrying about a new mobo/case though.
Rbstr
2011-10-16, 12:12 AM
I was told on purchase at Best Buy it is an ATX Foxconn 2A92.
The I/O switch is on the left when looking at it from the back, so I'm pretty sure it's ATX.
Ok...so if you're looking at the computer from the front, where a CD drive would stick out.
Is the MB mounted on the left or right side panel?
Most computers would have it on the right. Yours looks like it's on the left....I think BTX does that...or I guess the motherboard could be upside down (which is why I asked...BTX never caught on so you'd be an oddity either way :p ).
Zulthus
2011-10-16, 01:25 PM
Ok...so if you're looking at the computer from the front, where a CD drive would stick out.
Is the MB mounted on the left or right side panel?
Most computers would have it on the right. Yours looks like it's on the left....I think BTX does that...or I guess the motherboard could be upside down (which is why I asked...BTX never caught on so you'd be an oddity either way :p ).
Yeah, it's on the left. I got the PC prebuilt 3 years ago and have just been adding parts to it as I go. I haven't really even heard of BTX, so I don't know if it's just upside down or whatever.
Zulthus
2011-10-20, 01:16 AM
Finally got that 460 and it's in my case. Damn, it was a close fit. The thing eats any game I throw at it and spits it out great. It does tend to get a bit on the louder side, though. Nothing my headphones don't fix.
What's the rest of your specs?
Zulthus
2011-10-20, 09:19 AM
http://speccy.piriform.com/results/WFRIOoTdnROzq8cPrAgjwC1
Zulthus
2011-10-23, 03:53 PM
Wow, this card is trash. Worked great for the first week, though. It lags all of my games and they crash within the first ten minutes. I have all of the latest drivers, good cooling, and a good power supply. Waste of money.
The card is likely defective. Setup a RMA with whoever you order the card from to receive a new one.
Is the card fine in general desktop usage?
Zulthus
2011-10-23, 04:19 PM
Oh yeah, works like a charm on the desktop.
Zulthus
2011-10-23, 04:43 PM
Good for you, Bags.
I'm just saying that you got a dud man.
Zulthus
2011-10-23, 06:34 PM
I just don't want to RMA it until I know for sure that it's the GPU. I'm using the GeForce 280.26 driver. Every game I play crashes within about 5 minutes, excluding planetside. It only crashes after going through three warpgates. Wouldn't the desktop have problems/artifacts too if it was defective?
/I'll add that Crysis, for whatever reason, doesn't crash. I've played GTA IV, Freelancer, FEAR, Gothic 3, Just Cause 2, and they have. Not Crysis though.
Vancha
2011-10-24, 01:33 PM
Just a thought...how well did you clear your old 5670 drivers from your system?
Edit: Never mind, it wouldn't have worked well the first week if that were an issue.
Have you checked the fans are all working while the system's on?
The reason desktop usage is not a issue is due to the graphics card not being stressed and down clocked for lower power draw. What card did you specifically get (manufacture product number and such)? Trying get MSI after burner and downclocking the card by about 50 MHz and see if that is causing the crashing. If this is a overclock model it may actually just not be able to handle the clocks.
Zulthus
2011-10-24, 07:06 PM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130570
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130570
Hmm. That one isn't overclocked I don't think. If it is its not that much. Have you tried downclocking anyway?
Zulthus
2011-10-24, 08:14 PM
Hmm. That one isn't overclocked I don't think. If it is its not that much. Have you tried downclocking anyway?
Not yet, but it's pretty much as low as it can go right now.
Not yet, but it's pretty much as low as it can go right now.
I'm not exactly sure what you mean by that.
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