Which is the better graphics card?

[TheSneakySpy 1]

I have a more cheap Video card here (GTX 550 TI)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130625

And then this one (Raedon 6850)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131374&nm_mc=OTC-pr1c3grabb3r&cm_mmc=OTC-pr1c3grabb3r-_-Video+Cards-_-PowerColor-_-14131374

Which is the better card?

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I plan on playing dayZ with either of these cards, btw.

EDIT

Solved, second link is better

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103996 Worse

Or

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103727 Better

[Hze 3]

depends on what other components you have too, not much difference between the two cards. but id say the 550ti, unless you can fork out another £/$20-30 to get the 560ti.

[Officious (DayZ) 4]

Imo the 6850 is the better card.

I was/am able to play Dayz and many other games on maximum settings with my single 6850. Plus I think it's cheaper than the 550TI

I now have two in crossfire and they're a burly combo.

My current set up is:

CPU: AMD Phenom II x6 1065t @ 4.1 ghz/1.51250v

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master V6 GT

Mobo: Asus M5A99x EVO

Ram: 4 Gigs @ 1900mhz

PSU: Cooler Master Silent ProM 850

GPU:2xCrossfireX Asus 6850

Case: HAF 912

[TheSneakySpy 1]

Im getting a phantom 2 quad core @ 3.4 Ghz, and also to officious, what frames did you get, and at what settings? I will also just have a measly 3gb of RAM, but 2GB (The max amount) will be dedicated to the game, making no difference in gameplay whatsoever.

[Officious (DayZ) 4]

Im getting a phantom 2 quad core @ 3.4 Ghz' date=' and also to officious, what frames did you get, and at what settings? I will also just have a measly 3gb of RAM, but 2GB (The max amount) will be dedicated to the game, making no difference in gameplay whatsoever.

[/quote']

Make sure you buy a motherboard that allows overclocking, the stock core speed on my cpu (Phenom II x6 1065t) is 2.9ghz. I got it to 4.102 ghz on air cooling and 1.5125v (max is around 1.55v). This is only increasing the core speed and leaving the multiplier at 14.5 (cause it's locked lol)

With my cooler I see temps around 17-20*C idle (if it's cool in the house) and a max of 38*C while gaming.

In Dayz I get good frames but it really depends on the server.

MOST servers (75% of the time): 40 fps nothing I do will get it to run faster than this.

other times (25%): 60+ fps

Also there is no need for more than 4 gigs of RAM for most users, so in my case i bought some slick 2000mhz Adata brand "gaming" RAM and it has actually helped my FPS by a few frames in most games. (I run it at 1886 mhz)

My in game settings are as follows:

resolution" 1920x1080p

3d res: 100% sometimes 114%

textures: very high

memory: default

AA: high

object detail: very high

terrain detail: very high(sometimes very low as some servers chug with this is on)

HRD: Very high

Post processing: disabled

Vsync: on

As for the cpus of the two you listed:

AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition Deneb 3.4GHz this is the obvious choice.

Black Edition Phenoms are awesome! Specially compared to the FX series.

[guidez 180]

I have the 550 Ti, and it's just dandy. I have my settings all around normal, but that's mostly because I play in Window mode. I play BF3 with a bit higher then normal settings with the card as well.

From what I've read, ARMA 2 is more CPU dependent compared to other games. I have an i7 with 16GB of RAM ( I edit HD videos, after effects, premiere ), and still notice stuttering once in a while, especially with some patches of DayZ and servers that don't restart often enough.

[TheSneakySpy 1]

Alright, thanks for the feedback!

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All i need to do now is check my powersupply. Will be opening my computer up to see if i need an upgrade.

[guidez 180]

http://images10.newegg.com/BizIntell/tool/psucalc/index.html

Power Supply Calculator. I use it with every computer I build.

[TheSneakySpy 1]

It seems to work, thanks!

[Officious (DayZ) 4]

FWIW; my buddy is running a 6850 on a stock HP computer (300watt PSU) with zero problems.

I ran two 6850s on a 600 watt with zero issues.

[TheSneakySpy 1]

It all looks like it will work fine. Thanks guys! :D

[shooter_456@hotmail.com 3]

FWIW; my buddy is running a 6850 on a stock HP computer (300watt PSU) with zero problems.

I ran two 6850s on a 600 watt with zero issues.

I run two 6970s on a 650 watt :p

Most of the time those calculators aren't accurate. 400-500 Watt is enough and safe.

[TheSneakySpy 1]

I have a 450 Watt so i should be good

[Bungles 1]

Keep in mind that Arma2 is more CPU intensive than GPU intensive. So what that means is if you can do even a small overclock on your CPU it will net you larger gains than some video card swaps. I overclocked my i5 from 3.3 to 4.0 and it's been a massive gain in how smooth and good the game looks & feels.

[TheSneakySpy 1]

Alright, i will find out how to overclock my processor, as i dont see an overlay for it on screen. I only know that you can do it from the BIOS.

[clodan 0]

man, my system is on mi signature below...

to use that system i had to replace a generic power supply (vendor claims that the power supply was 600w) to a nicer power supply, also specified below..

You will realize if the power supply isnt powerfull enought as the PC will shutdown (only some motherboards have this functionality which shuts down the system as the power supply cant provide enough energy to keep the PC working) or some part of your PC will break down (which is more likely to happen).

The system specified in my signature looks pretty much like the system you are willing to buy, believe me, you will need a 600w power supply (NOT A GENERIC ONE!)

[TheSneakySpy 1]

Would a 500 W one do, if it could, a link to one thats around the price of 60$ would be great!

[guidez 180]

Sure, you can run some cards on a cheap ol' PSU, but as soon as you start pulling power through your computer, overclocking your CPU, using the DVD drive, playing a game/graphics card, your PSU will begin to stress out. Eventually, it will ca'put.

Save a PSU's life. Get extra Watts.

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One sec Sneaky, I'll pull one up for you.

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Here you go. Note the rebate:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341017

[Bungles 1]

Alright' date=' i will find out how to overclock my processor, as i dont see an overlay for it on screen. I only know that you can do it from the BIOS.

[/quote']

Yes you can look up how on youtube. There are a ton of walkthough videos online to guide you.

[7-75 callaghan 43]

I built my system 2 years ago specifically for ArmA 2 (there are quite a few of us out there actually lol) and get great results. I find ATI to be more efficient with ArmA.

Btw, when most people say 'max settings', they mean 'very high', which isn't max settings. In fact, because of the view distance limit in the mod, it isn't possible to have 'max settings'. It also isn't necessarily a good idea to have true max settings (i.e. 3D resolution 200%) because unless you have a very large screen, it will be less pixels per target. This is a discussion that can go on forever so i'll just post my specs and the settings I use, that look excellent, and are competitive in terms of easy target spotting and acquisition. This is based on years of experience with their games.

Phenom 2 X4 965 BE Overclocked to 3.8GHz

4GB DDR @1600 (GSkill something)

1TB WD Caviar Black (system drive + storage)

120GB Corsair GT SSD (ArmA drive) - this is important!

1Gb ATI Radeon 5870 Overclocked to 900MHz/1250mem Fan set @60%

Viewsonic 21" Screen at 1980x1080 res.

X-Fi Xtreme Gamer

850W modular power supply (for future proofing)

With this screen size at this resolution, you get a very sharp image.

Everything is set to very high, apart from HDR which is the next setting down, view distance doesn't matter in this mod, and is overridden by server settings, as is terrain detail.

3D resolution is at 100%, for the perfect balance between target size on screen, and graphics fidelity. AA is on normal, as on 1920x1080 you don't need 8x AA.

Post processing is on low - because on very high it only looks good on 200% 3D resolution - this setting was designed for the beautiful screenshots of the game you see everywhere, and for future PCs, any other setting and PP on anything other than low will be a combat disadvantage, but it is a matter of taste too. Took me years to find this perfect balance.

Important - the modern equivalent of this system would include a newer series graphics card, so if you really must have that 8x AA and full HDR (which honestly is a distraction). With ATI, you really want to be going for the --70 or better. Arma doesn't like multiple GPUs, so really a 6870/7870 is perfect for this game. The Phenom II also has better versions than the 965 now, not sure of names though. There isn't much benefit in going for a x6, as the engine cannot utilise it efficiently. Wait for arma 3 to see the benefit of one of those maybe.

[TheSneakySpy 1]

TYVM Kreaol, will be buying that shortly!

[Psyl3nt 125]

Make sure you buy a motherboard that allows overclocking' date=' the stock core speed on my cpu (Phenom II x6 1065t) is 2.9ghz. I got it to 4.102 ghz on air cooling and 1.5125v (max is around 1.55v). This is only increasing the core speed and leaving the multiplier at 14.5 (cause it's locked lol)

With my cooler I see temps around 17-20*C idle (if it's cool in the house) and a max of 38*C while gaming.

In Dayz I get good frames but it really depends on the server.

MOST servers (75% of the time): 40 fps nothing I do will get it to run faster than this.

other times (25%): 60+ fps

Also there is no need for more than 4 gigs of RAM for most users, so in my case i bought some slick 2000mhz Adata brand "gaming" RAM and it has actually helped my FPS by a few frames in most games. (I run it at 1886 mhz)

My in game settings are as follows:

resolution" 1920x1080p

3d res: 100% sometimes 114%

textures: very high

memory: default

AA: high

object detail: very high

terrain detail: very high(sometimes very low as some servers chug with this is on)

HRD: Very high

Post processing: disabled

Vsync: on

As for the cpus of the two you listed:

AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition Deneb 3.4GHz this is the obvious choice.

Black Edition Phenoms are awesome! Specially compared to the FX series.

[/quote']

An AMD chip running a 1+Ghz overclock on Air cooling getting 38 degree's max ?

Do you live in Antarctica ?

Last check AMD chips run a little hotter than Intels, usually around the 42 degree marker at stock clocks on stock cooler.

I would love to see some screenshots of your temp / clock speeds / load.

Mainly because I am watercooled, with an Intel (i72600K) and my temps at that clock (4.1Ghz) are over 40 degrees under load. Currently at 4.8Ghz idle at 30 - 40 and full load approaching 50 - 60 degrees.

It seems you have an "amazing" system there . . . . .unbelievably so. . . .

If you want gaming performance you cannot beat an Intel, they cost more, but you get what you pay for. As far as graphics cards go, Nvidia are my card of choice, but that does not make then "better" than the ATI range as far as performance goes, one thing to keep in mind though is that ATI have a history of bad drivers, this can cause some problems in games sometimes, especially in crossfire. (this has been improving).

If you are on a "budget" then by all means go for the AMD / ATI combo, but please do not expect to get results like the above poster, (line removed - unwarrented - rude - etc) , unless their ambient temperature is about 10 degrees or something lower.

I've never seen a system on air cooling achieve those clocks with those temps, and I've been "into" the whole overclocking thing for about 15 years now.

Take everything (including my post), that you read on the internet with a grain of salt.

Make sure people giving you "advice" are not just stroking their e-peen, and are actually giving sound information.

[TheSneakySpy 1]

Well, i figured out that it would be best to build an entirely new PC, and am already planning to, as the processor is not on par with my motherboard. Neither is my power supply, i will post a list of possible specs later. This thread can be closed, if i cant close it myself

[Officious (DayZ) 4]

An AMD chip running a 1+Ghz overclock on Air cooling getting 38 degree's max ?

Do you live in Antarctica ?

Last check AMD chips run a little hotter than Intels' date=' usually around the 42 degree marker at stock clocks on stock cooler.

I would love to see some screenshots of your temp / clock speeds / load.

Mainly because I am watercooled, with an Intel (i72600K) and my temps at that clock (4.1Ghz) are over 40 degrees under load. Currently at 4.8Ghz idle at 30 - 40 and full load approaching 50 - 60 degrees.

It seems you have an "amazing" system there . . . . .unbelievably so. . . .

[/quote']

I'll post screen caps in a few.

The only times that the cpu runs hot are when i'm bench marking and it's at 100% usage. (Ie Prime 95)

[Toybox 36]

I'm not sure if this will help but from what I've read you can loosely compare a gtx 560 to a gtx285. Yes there are differences and yes the 560 does run dx11 BUT as far as pound for pound grunt goes they are about the same. I run 2 gtx 285 FTW's in SLI but when I had one I benched my machine which performed very similar to my mates machine who's I built to the same spec as mine except with the 560ti. IMO I wouldn't buy a 550 when a 560 is already fairly cheap (around the $350 mark) I wife's PC which I put a 580 into craps on my 285's, but all of this is just what I've seen, nothing on paper, hope it helps.

Cheers