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New graphics card?


tiggerdyret

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Hi, I'm thinking of upgrading my graphics card to be able to run an extreme step. I've been pretty happy with it so far, but it simply can't handle the hardcore textures for skyrim. Here are my specs:
- AMD Quadcore FX 4100 (3.6 GHZ)
- 8 GB Kington Ram
- Radeon HD 7850 1gb
- ASUS M5A78
- In a miditower (so I can't run crossfire

Would a gain enough by upgrading from a 7850 1gb to 7850 2gb card?

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Anytime you have more gpu memory it a good thing. With 2gb you should be able to handle those high end texture a lot better. You still might not be able to handle tons of uber-high-res textures but that extra gig of memory will help a great deal.

 

 

Oh btw, about crossfire. It's been my personal horrible experience that crossfire and Skyrim don't always get along. There are also some ENB's with DOF that misbehave due to crossfire. IMO go with a more powerful single GPU set-up if you can.

Edited by EvilDeadAsh34
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That's a double edge problem, on one side could be better getting a 7870 1GB VRAM due to sheer power processing, on the other side the extra VRAM may help running many high texture resolution mods.

 

Having it, my personal choice would be the more powerful card instead just more VRAM. Besides is important to know that Skyrim is strongly CPU bound and most probably eventual slowdowns you may get is due to the CPU and not the video card. I tell you this because I have an FX 8150 (and had a 6100 before) and Bulldozer is not good at games or any light threaded application. Don't get me wrong, it will work, just not so nicely as it could.

 

The Piledriver architecture (as in the Vishera 8350 or equivalent) improved on the Bulldozer main flaw but the IPS issue is yet felt.

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I've been pretty successful with cpu clocking. Clocked the it from 3.6 to 4.6 without any heat or stability problems!

 

These are the cards I'm looking at instead of the 7850 1gb then. I am really going after bang for the buck and these cards seem to be a pretty sweet deals here in Denmark.

 

My card: XFX, 7850 1gb. Costs - 1,175 kr. (203,78 USD)

 

Sapphire, 7850 dual fan 2gb. Costs - 1,260 kr. (218,53 USD)

Sapphire, 7870 xt with hd boost 2gb. Costs - 1,663 kr. (288,42 USD)

Asus, 7870 DC22GD5V2 2gb. Costs - 1,785 kr. (309,58 USD)

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I don't think I would bother choosing a 7870 over a 7850. The 7850 can be over clocked to nearly as much as the 7870 and I doubt the missing cores/shaders would really be noticeable in-game. If anything, I would save a bit longer and look at a 7900 series instead, it'll cost more but give better performance over the 7800 series and have better support/performance for future games rather than find yourself wanting to upgrade again in six months time.

 

Chris

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I agree with @hangarspace 100%.

 

Although, I think the real question is whether you have the time and patience to save up for a more powerful card. Do you? If you do i would save up and buy a 7900 series card . Trust me, i wasted 1000 dollars a little over a year ago buying 3 different cards like you are wanting to do. That was a mistake. I should have just saved a bought one nice, powerful card. It would have saved me tons of grief as well dealing with crossfire.

 

If you don't want to wait you could buy the new 2gb card and sell your old 1gb model and start saving up again. Just a thought.

 

 

Good luck and i hope whatever you get works well for you. :thumbsup:

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