Just bought a 6850, now having doubts I made the right decision

[mike208]

Core i5 2500k
Asus P8Z68V-LX
8GB Corsair Vengeance 1600


Above is the main parts of the rig I am about to assemble. I also bought an XFX 6850 1GB for $169.99 which also has a $20 MIR. I had done some research on video cards before I went to buy and the 6850 was on my list of possible cards to get. But I was hoping I could get some more insight from one of the employees at microcenter. And the guy was very helpful and did point me int he direction of some of the nvidia cards as well as some other Radeon cards. But I stuck with the 6850 because it was a pretty good deal. But now I am wondering if I made the right choice.

Would a 560ti be worth $70 bucks more? Or a 6950 for $130 bucks more? I'm so confused on these things, lol

I don't game a lot on my pc. More of a console gamer. But when a game comes out for pc only, I'd like to be able to play it. Gearing up for star wars at the moment. My monitor has a weird resolution of 2048 x 1152, I don't have to have the best settings, as long as it looks good enough, I'm usually okay with it. so should I stick with my 6850 or take a step up?

 

[thilanliyan]

With that resolution maybe a step up would be warranted.

 

[Ravynmagi]

6850 is pretty decent and should be acceptable, even at that resolution. Naturally spending more money will yield more performance. Hard to say if it'll be worth it for someone that doesn't game often though.

 

[fourdegrees11]

I got my 6850 for $135 before the $15 rebate. You could have got a 6870 for less then price you paid, so no it's not a good deal. Take it back.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161389

http://www.amazon.com/SAPPHIRE-Radeo...4076760&sr=8-1

 

[chimaxi83]

For someone who doesn't game a lot, a step up to a 6870 would be better. It's not overboard like a 6950 or 560ti would be for a casual gamer.

Along with what the other poster said, you can get a 6870 cheaper than what you paid for the 6850. I say return it too.

Your monitors resolution is not much bigger than 1080p, and you've said you don't need to play on the highest settings, so a 6870 fits well.

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

What do benchmark reviews say? Have you looked at the front page recently for an included review of that card?

 

[dakU7]

If you don't game a lot, and all you're going to play is the coming star wars, then stay with the 6850, you'll be fine, even at that res. 6850 is no slouch.

 

[superccs]

You can always add a 2nd if you get disgruntled about how many FPS you are getting playing with Jar-Jar's ears.

2 6850 will own a 6950.
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/302?vs=293

 

[mike208]

I got my 6850 for $135 before the $15 rebate. You could have got a 6870 for less then price you paid, so no it's not a good deal. Take it back.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814161389

http://www.amazon.com/SAPPHIRE-Radeo...4076760&sr=8-1

I'd like to get my card at microcenter.

 

[fourdegrees11]

I'd like to get my card at microcenter.

It's free 2 day shipping at newegg... Better card/less money...

 

[mike208]

It's free 2 day shipping at newegg... Better card/less money...

Yeah but I got my early access to star wars, and would like to play this weekend, lol.

Microcenter sells this one, I could price match it to newegg. But it is still 10 bucks more then the one you posted. Although it also has a $30 MIR, so in theory I could get it for $139.99

 

[Pacman4]

6970 is a better match with that system, but a 6850 is quite powerful.

 

[mike208]

6970 is a better match with that system, but a 6850 is quite powerful.

Do you mean 6870?

 

[aphelion02]

Do you mean 6870?

No, He means 6970 considering your resolution and the CPU.

 

[Pacman4]

Do you mean 6870?

Generally, a 6970 is 30 or so % faster than a 6870, and you have a fast CPU and BIG RAM to do it justice, however, the 7xxx are just days away from reviews but could be hexy on price.

 

[mike208]

Generally, a 6970 is 30 or so % faster than a 6870, and you have a fast CPU and BIG RAM to do it justice, however, the 7xxx are just days away from reviews but could be hexy on price.

Oh, I didn't even know they made a 6970, had never seen one before, but I guess it makes sense since they make a 70 version of all the other ones, lol.

I guess my question is, is it best to spend 300 on a card now that I would hope would last me 3-4 years, or 150 on a card now and upgrade to another 150 dollar card in say 2 years?

 

[Zargon]

I def dont think anything with 1gb of vram is going to last you that long at that res

you can get a 6950 2gb for 230 or so if you shop around

You can always add a 2nd if you get disgruntled about how many FPS you are getting playing with Jar-Jar's ears.

2 6850 will own a 6950.
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/302?vs=293

anything with 1gb of ram starts to choke out at 1080p, let alone his odd higher resolution

not sure about SWTORs needs though as I dont have time to play it