$200 budget for a GPU

[JRakan]

Hello guys, I use a Samsung 26inch as my moniter so what would be a nice GPU.
I think i read around here that you can OC a Radeon HD 6850 1 GB to make it into a
6870 or is a GTX 460 better.
I mainly play WoW but would like a good card to play other demanding games.
Thanks.

[DeltrusDisc]

Tomorrow NVidia is releasing the GTX 560 non-Ti GPUs, which are supposed to be in the middle of the price-range of 550 Tis and 560 Tis, better than the 550 Ti, slightly weaker than 560 Ti. Might be an option. Still not 100% sure on price, hope it's decent.

[Fuzzykins]

Wouldn't count on it. 460 is your best bet. It's quickly getting outdated, but it's still powerful, and the 560 ti is out of your price range.

[Cantii]

6870 > GTX 460, hands down. 6870 is more powerful and performs better in DX11, also runs cooler and quieter.

[OmegaV]

well I was going to say basically what Cantii Said, and there are indeed 6870s up on newegg for under 200$

And its not the 6850 into a 6870 its a 6950 into a 6970 though a videocard bios change

[Wries]

6870 > GTX 460, hands down. 6870 is more powerful and performs better in DX11, also runs cooler and quieter.

No "hands down" considering 460 without voltage tweaks can overclock waay more than 6870 (which is basically at its limit at reference). Get it up to the speed I have (which is still a modest OC, almost matching 560 speeds) and will smoke match 6870 any day.

[Kulthor]

GTX 460 easily.

[haxartus]

No "hands down" considering 460 without voltage tweaks can overclock waay higher than 6870. Get it up to the speed I have (which is still a modest OC, almost matching 560 speeds) and will smoke match 6870 any day.

OCed 460 barely matches 6870 on default. But 6870 can be overclocked too...
There is no place for comparison here. The 6870 is the better card.

[Cantii]

No "hands down" considering 460 without voltage tweaks can overclock waay more than 6870 (which is basically at its limit at reference). Get it up to the speed I have (which is still a modest OC, almost matching 560 speeds) and will smoke match 6870 any day.

Even just a slight voltage tweak on the 6870 and you can take the clock speeds well over 1100MHz and memory speeds well over 1300MHz. If you have a non-reference cooler (such as the Twin Frozr/Hawk or DirectCU), it'll be able to take that OC like a champ and completely obliterate the competition.

Even at stock speeds, the 6870 is a superior card to an OC'd 460, it just does everything better.

[BicycleMafioso]

6870 > GTX 460, hands down. 6870 is more powerful and performs better in DX11, also runs cooler and quieter.

http://www.sweclockers.com/image/dia...845e1f221ebc13
You be trippin', mon.
Yea, I'd most likely buy a HD6870 over a GTX460 if I hadn't already had a GTX460. (Rather two GTX460 than a HD6870.)
But you're mistaken about how easy of a choice it is. Both cards clocked to the max, there's virtually no difference. Because GTX460 overclocks like litterally no other card out there. I set mine to a modest 880/1760/4400, which still is a 30%+ overclock. And it can be taken 1GHz+.
However, if you want an out-of-the-box-card, it's down to multi-monitor and 3D again. Otherwise, I suppose HD6870 if you get a good deal.

edit, Oh, I see, you have a HD6870. I won't bother arguing then; you've already decided what you think.

[Cantii]

http://www.sweclockers.com/image/dia...845e1f221ebc13
You be trippin', mon.
Yea, I'd most likely buy a HD6870 over a GTX460 if I hadn't already had a GTX460. (Rather two GTX460 than a HD6870.)
But you're mistaken about how easy of a choice it is. Both cards clocked to the max, there's virtually no difference. Because GTX460 overclocks like litterally no other card out there. I set mine to a modest 880/1760/4400, which still is a 30%+ overclock. And it can be taken 1GHz+.
However, if you want an out-of-the-box-card, it's down to multi-monitor and 3D again. Otherwise, I suppose HD6870 if you get a good deal.

edit, Oh, I see, you have a HD6870. I won't bother arguing then; you've already decided what you think.

I'm willing to bet the EVGA GTX 460 FTW isn't a reference cooler and the 6870 is. Reference cooled 6870 vs Reference cooled GTX 460, 6870 is cooler and quieter and the gap is even wider once you get both of them into something like a Twin Frozr II cooler. The 6870 can be taken over 1GHz as well with a minor voltage tweak... so that's not even moot.

[BicycleMafioso]

Are there referenceversions of GTX 460 though? I've also seen no other image suggesting that HD6870 is cooler than GTX460. The HD6870 is less power-consuming though.

The 6870 can be taken over 1GHz as well with a minor voltage tweak... so that's not even moot.

No. Your argument is, though. Clockspeeds aren't comparable across GPUs in the way you're doing it.

Take both cards in Twinfrozr II, and I'm confident the GTX460 would obliterate the HD6870, if pushed.

[haxartus]

Since we're linking benchmarks.

[Deleted]

Are there referenceversions of GTX 460 though? I've also seen no other image suggesting that HD6870 is cooler than GTX460. The HD6870 is less power-consuming though.No. Your argument is, though. Clockspeeds aren't comparable across GPUs in the way you're doing it.

Take both cards in Twinfrozr II, and I'm confident the GTX460 would obliterate the HD6870, if pushed.

As an owner of a 5850 who has been running steady @ 1ghz (725 org) for 1.5 years now i can say that the drivers are UTTERLY CRAP while the card itself is really really good.

[Darkan]

As an owner of a 5850 who has been running steady @ 1ghz (725 org) for 1.5 years now i can say that the drivers are UTTERLY CRAP while the card itself is really really good.

what exactly does that mean i have the same card and have never once had a single problem with drivers. I always here about these mystical bad amd drivers. Ive used amd/ati for the last 2yrs never a single problem.

[Cantii]

Are there referenceversions of GTX 460 though? I've also seen no other image suggesting that HD6870 is cooler than GTX460. The HD6870 is less power-consuming though.No. Your argument is, though. Clockspeeds aren't comparable across GPUs in the way you're doing it.

Take both cards in Twinfrozr II, and I'm confident the GTX460 would obliterate the HD6870, if pushed.

I don't believe you know the meaning of moot =V The point I'm making is that when pushed, i.e. voltage tweaked to allow for higher speeds, the 6870 will continue to beat out the GTX 460 in just about every category. 6870 > GTX 460 hands down, period. You really can't even compare the 6870 to the GTX 460, it's flat-out better.

A much closer comparison to the GTX 460 would be the 6850, as they're on the same level together.

As an owner of a 5850 who has been running steady @ 1ghz (725 org) for 1.5 years now i can say that the drivers are UTTERLY CRAP while the card itself is really really good.

I'm with Darkan... these driver issues seem like a myth to me. People with my same video card (6870) keep reporting things like pink screens, mouse lag, etc and they have nearly the same setup as I do... are these people just morons or something?

[Drunkenvalley]

I'm with Darkan... these driver issues seem like a myth to me. People with my same video card (6870) keep reporting things like pink screens, mouse lag, etc and they have nearly the same setup as I do... are these people just morons or something?

...So the world revolves around you? People have various issues. And some have none. Me and a friend had identical laptops. Mine only recently started overheating -- and that's under heavy load. His did so from day 1 so to speak. While idling.

I'm probably coming across as harsh here, but you're seemingly bashing at complete strangers and calling them morons because they can't do fucking magic. o_O

[Gahgoots]

I'd go with a HD6850 if I were you. I just picked up this https://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php...ess-Video-Card
for $175, minus a $5 coupon I found online, plus there's a $15 rebate this month. In the end, I spent $155 on the fastest 6850 you can buy right now. And, it outperforms stock 6870's and, even more so, 460's.

[Cantii]

...So the world revolves around you? People have various issues. And some have none. Me and a friend had identical laptops. Mine only recently started overheating -- and that's under heavy load. His did so from day 1 so to speak. While idling.

I'm probably coming across as harsh here, but you're seemingly bashing at complete strangers and calling them morons because they can't do fucking magic. o_O

I can totally do magic, because I obviously know how to magically install drivers perfectly from what it looks like. Shit ain't rocket science. If you have a video card for a year or so, and every driver version for that year has not fixed certain problems, get a goddamned replacement video card for crying out loud. Most companies will happily let you trade in your obviously faulty video card for a new one.

Your friend should have returned and exchanged his laptop if the thing was overheating from day 1, while idling. It all comes down to people being lazy and not doing what they need to do to fix their own damn problem. Laptop overheating while idling from the day you got it? Return that thing. Video card showing pink artifacts or getting mouse lag or some other various issue that seems to not be corrected? Return the video card.

Granted, I know there are some issues that are purely driver related, but seriously... there's no way you could be having an issue for a year straight through various driver iterations and claim your video card is fine.

I'd go with a HD6850 if I were you. I just picked up this https://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php...ess-Video-Card
for $175, minus a $5 coupon I found online, plus there's a $15 rebate this month. In the end, I spent $155 on the fastest 6850 you can buy right now. And, it outperforms stock 6870's and, even more so, 460's.

How... does that out perform a 6870? Slower clock speed and most of all - less shaders. I think you're smokin crack or something. Yeah, outperform the GTX 460, but not the 6870, even at stock.

[Drunkenvalley]

Your friend should have returned and exchanged his laptop if the thing was overheating from day 1, while idling. It all comes down to people being lazy and not doing what they need to do to fix their own damn problem. Laptop overheating while idling from the day you got it? Return that thing. [...]

My friend did return the laptop. They claimed it was a faulty powersupply. After swapping it everything was sunshine and flowers. Till he turned it on. Before he was able to return the laptop the business had gone down. This wasn't some small store either mind you.

The store-chain is still going, but just the shipping to and from means it would be cheaper to have a local store fix it. But no one would frigging touch it because of the store-chain's protection plan. Whatever the hell that meant.

Beyond that, I somehow doubt people who still have their guarantees and all intact would just sit on their ass when they have serious issues with their product. However, I've discovered over my years that many businesses will pull many bullshit claims and make it nigh-fucking-impossible to get things fixed.

Hell, some businesses seem to profit only because they are perfectly able to make life hell for its customers when they have issues.

EDIT: Sorry for the attitude, but I really don't appreciate casual insults at my best friend, yo. :|