HD4870 to GTX 560 2GB

Kistel · Sep 17, 2011, 09:23 AM

Hey all,

I am looking to upgrade my current video card (Sapphire HD 4870 1GB) to something smaller and capable of running newer game titles at higher settings.

I have been offered an EVGA SuperClocked GTX-560 2GB (non-Ti version) for ~ $150. My dilemma is this: I am afraid if I purchase this card the GTX 560 Ti and/or HD6950 2GB will drop in price to $199 and under, or AMD/Nvidia will release their next-generation cards at this price point within the next few months.

Aside from the performance boost, I am interested in the GTX 560 because it is considerably smaller than my current card and consumes less power at load. My 4870 is a -little- bit long for my case (Antec Sonata III), a shorter card will allow me to install a secondary 120mm case fan to help with case airflow.

Is a GTX 560 non-Ti a worthwhile upgrade from an HD 4870, or is it better to wait for the next generation / when the price drops on the GTX 560 Ti?

Dent1 · Sep 17, 2011, 10:12 AM

Considering the 4870 is about the same speed as the 5770 you'd get about 30-33% performance increase jumping to a GTX 560 2GB.

LordJummy · Sep 17, 2011, 05:20 PM

Honestly I wouldn't do that upgrade. You'd be better off getting a 560Ti or 6870. Even a gtx470 or 480 would be fantastic, and can be had used/new really cheap now. Those are my 2 cents.

BrooksyX · Sep 17, 2011, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LordJummy

Honestly I wouldn't do that upgrade. You'd be better off getting a 560Ti or 6870. Even a gtx470 or 480 would be fantastic, and can be had used/new really cheap now. Those are my 2 cents.

Agreed. yes the gtx 560 is an upgrade to the 4870 I dont think it will be that huge of an upgrade. Get a 6870/560 ti or better.

Kistel · Sep 18, 2011, 01:25 AM

Thanks for the advice.

I have read articles suggesting that AMD and Nvidia are going to release their next-generation cards by the end of Q4 2011.

Is a significant price drop on the 2GB HD6950 and GTX 560 Ti likely? Right now they retail for about $280, is a price drop to about $180-199 likely within a few months?

LordJummy · Sep 18, 2011, 03:19 AM

Not likely. The cards probably won't drop until next year, so I would go for the 6950 now

No point in waiting when you can get it now and enjoy your games for years to come.

entropy13 · Sep 18, 2011, 03:34 AM

The GTX 560 is a good card.

I've made an even bigger leap though, went from HD 4870 512MB to GTX 570 1280MB last April. Then to what I have right now this September. lol

Outback Bronze · Sep 18, 2011, 06:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LordJummy

Not likely. The cards probably won't drop until next year, so I would go for the 6950 now

No point in waiting when you can get it now and enjoy your games for years to come.

Good point. There will always be times of upgrades!

Jeffredo · Sep 18, 2011, 04:39 PM

Going from an HD 4870 to a GTX 560 would be a nice enough boost, but it won't knock your socks off. You'll probably see some added smoothness in games that are stressing your current card. You don't need the 2GB version though. You can get the 1GB for around $185 now (before any rebates are figured in).

Kistel · Sep 20, 2011, 07:15 AM

I have decided to wait for the next-generation offerings from Nvidia and ATI. Performance-wise the 4870 is holding up well in most games, noise issues and high operating temperatures aside.

Thanks to everyone who responded to my inquiry.

entropy13 · Sep 20, 2011, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kistel

I have decided to wait for the next-generation offerings from Nvidia and ATI. Performance-wise the 4870 is holding up well in most games, noise issues and high operating temperatures aside.

Thanks to everyone who responded to my inquiry.

How noisy and how hot?

Flow · Sep 21, 2011, 09:29 PM

No doubt mw3 will run fine on the 4870, bf3 is another story but should do oke.
With all the console ports and console wannabees you can easily wait for the next gen of cards. Still, I'm looking forward to a 6950 tfIII, maybe I get one after the release of bf3.
I don't see prices drop however, currently it's already difficult for amd to supply enough cards to retailers, by the time they launch new cards chances are high there wont be any 69xx card to sell.
Not new anyways.

timma · Sep 22, 2011, 08:41 AM

yes,it's upgrade~
i still have 4870 1GB,and another use GTX 560 Ti SOC

arroyo · Sep 22, 2011, 08:48 AM

Do not wait for price drops, because you will never buy something new. There is always new generation of cards just waiting to be released and price drops waiting to come. I have bought my HD6950 just after Xmas and this is my favorite card yet. I replaced HD4850 and performance upgrade was huuugeee.

de.das.dude · Sep 22, 2011, 10:15 AM

imo its not worth the upgrade.
30% increase is not worth it. You can cfx with another 4870 for cheap.

FreedomEclipse · Sep 22, 2011, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by de.das.dude

imo its not worth the upgrade.
30% increase is not worth it. You can cfx with another 4870 for cheap.

IMO its not worth upgrading to 4870 crossfire.

4870s are old, they can only really be obtained secondhand, they use up a lot of power, they make a lot of heat unless you got an aftermarket cooler on. and they only support DX10.1,

I had 2 crossfired 4870 Toxic Editions that were both clocked to something like 800|1000 running with a Q9550 I totally lagged like a bitch when it came to the end of round fmv sequence in BC2 with the fast jets and explosions in them while running at 1920x1080.

The extra 4870 in crossfire isnt worth the electricity you need to power it.

My current recommendations would be an unlockable HD6950, GTX560Ti or a GTX570.

the 560 is good for midrange at smaller resolutions. or less demanding games. for example if youre running a 20" monitor or smaller then the 560 would be just fine. extra power from the 570 always comes in handy though and it performs really well.

LifeOnMars · Sep 22, 2011, 02:08 PM

I have an HD 5770 and I'm currently running only 1680x1050 resolution. It runs everything smoothly with small or no amounts of AA.

I have considered another HD 5770 for some crossfire benefits but I would like a solid card to fall back on in the games where crossfire doesn't work so great.

I think Freedom has recommended some good cards above, I may go for a solid single Nvidia card and then when I make the move to bulldozer at least I know Sli will be an available option.

At this point, my recommendation to the OP would be to get the strongest single card you can afford.

Sep 17, 2011, 09:23 AM	#1
Kistel Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: California Posts: 57 (0.07/day) Thanks: 3 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post System Specs	HD4870 to GTX 560 2GB Hey all, I am looking to upgrade my current video card (Sapphire HD 4870 1GB) to something smaller and capable of running newer game titles at higher settings. I have been offered an EVGA SuperClocked GTX-560 2GB (non-Ti version) for ~ $150. My dilemma is this: I am afraid if I purchase this card the GTX 560 Ti and/or HD6950 2GB will drop in price to $199 and under, or AMD/Nvidia will release their next-generation cards at this price point within the next few months. Aside from the performance boost, I am interested in the GTX 560 because it is considerably smaller than my current card and consumes less power at load. My 4870 is a -little- bit long for my case (Antec Sonata III), a shorter card will allow me to install a secondary 120mm case fan to help with case airflow. Is a GTX 560 non-Ti a worthwhile upgrade from an HD 4870, or is it better to wait for the next generation / when the price drops on the GTX 560 Ti?

System Name:	The Vanguard
Processor:	Phenom X6 1090t@3.5Ghz
Motherboard:	ASUS M4A88T-M
Cooling:	Xigmatek Loki 92mm HSF
Memory:	8.0GB Crucial DDR3
Video Card:	MSI GTX 670 PE
Hard Disk:	2x 1TB Samsung Spinpoint F3
Optical Drive:	Samsung WriteMaster SH-S203B
CRT/LCD Model:	Samsung SyncMaster 24" LED
Case:	Corsair Obsidian 550D
Sound Card:	Gamecom 777 USB 7.1
PSU:	Antec High Current Gamer 750w
Software:	Windows 7 x64 Pro

System Name:	My baby
Processor:	Athlon II X4 620 @ 3.5GHz, 1.45v, NB @ 2700Mhz, HT @ 2700Mhz - 24hr prime95 stable
Motherboard:	Asus M4A785TD-V EVO
Cooling:	Sonic Tower Rev 2 with 120mm Akasa attached, Akasa @ Front, Xilence Red Wing 120mm @ Rear
Memory:	16 GB G.Skills 1600Mhz
Video Card:	ATI ASUS Crossfire 5850
Hard Disk:	Samsung 1Tb EcoGreen hard drive
Optical Drive:	Sony DVD/DVDRW Drive
CRT/LCD Model:	Hanngs-G 19"
Case:	Antec VSK 2000 Black Tower Case
Sound Card:	Onkyo TX-SR309 Receiver, 2x Kef Cresta 1, 1x Kef Center 20c
PSU:	OCZ StealthXstream II 600w, 4x12v/18A, 80% efficiency.
Software:	Windows Vista X64

Sep 17, 2011, 05:20 PM	#3
LordJummy Join Date: May 2011 Location: US of A Posts: 1,346 (1.75/day) Thanks: 352 Thanked 250 Times in 220 Posts System Specs	Honestly I wouldn't do that upgrade. You'd be better off getting a 560Ti or 6870. Even a gtx470 or 480 would be fantastic, and can be had used/new really cheap now. Those are my 2 cents. __________________ if you build it, they will hate

System Name:	Workstation1 \| Asus G55VW-DS71
Processor:	i7 970 3.8GHz \| i7 3610QM
Motherboard:	RIII Formula
Cooling:	EK 360 Supreme HF \| Asus G55VW
Memory:	24GB Dominator \| 12GB DDR3
Video Card:	2x Diamond HD 6970 \| GTX 660M
Hard Disk:	2x Vertex4 256GB \| 256GB Vertex4 & 750GB HDD
Optical Drive:	Samsung DVDRW + Asus BDRW
CRT/LCD Model:	3x Crossover 27" LED S-IPS + 30" DELL IPS
Case:	Corsair Obsidian 800D
Sound Card:	X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Pro + Gigaworks G550W
PSU:	HX1000 + NZXT Black Sleeved Extensions
Software:	Win7Ult64Bit
Benchmarks:	ballz

Sep 17, 2011, 10:12 AM	#2
Dent1 Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 2,382 (2.11/day) Thanks: 757 Thanked 689 Times in 588 Posts System Specs	Considering the 4870 is about the same speed as the 5770 you'd get about 30-33% performance increase jumping to a GTX 560 2GB.

System Name:	Main / Home Media Serever
Processor:	Intel i5 2500k @ 4.75ghz / AMD AM3 5200+ x2
Motherboard:	ASRock Fatal1ty P67 Performance / Biostar 790GX
Cooling:	Xigmatek Dark Knight / XIGMATEK Apache
Memory:	16gb of G.Skill Value Series DDR3 / 4x 1gb DDR2
Video Card:	XFX Radeon 6870 1gb / Asus Radeon 5450 512mb
Hard Disk:	2x Samsung 830 64gb SSD Raid 0 & 750gb WD Blue HDD / OCZ Vertex 30GB & 8TB of HDD Space
Optical Drive:	Blu-ray Rom & DVD-RW / DVD-RW
CRT/LCD Model:	2x Acer 20" LED 1600x900 / Samsung 40" LED
Case:	Xigmatek Asgard II / APEX PC-389-C
PSU:	OCZ Stealth Power 500w / Antec EArthwatts 380w
Software:	Windows 7 Professional x64 SP1 / XBMCBuntu 11.10

Sep 18, 2011, 01:25 AM	#5
Kistel Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: California Posts: 57 (0.07/day) Thanks: 3 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post System Specs	Thanks for the advice. I have read articles suggesting that AMD and Nvidia are going to release their next-generation cards by the end of Q4 2011. Is a significant price drop on the 2GB HD6950 and GTX 560 Ti likely? Right now they retail for about $280, is a price drop to about $180-199 likely within a few months?

Sep 18, 2011, 03:19 AM	#6
LordJummy Join Date: May 2011 Location: US of A Posts: 1,346 (1.75/day) Thanks: 352 Thanked 250 Times in 220 Posts System Specs	Not likely. The cards probably won't drop until next year, so I would go for the 6950 now No point in waiting when you can get it now and enjoy your games for years to come. __________________ if you build it, they will hate

Sep 18, 2011, 03:34 AM	#7
entropy13 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Philippines Posts: 3,442 (2.19/day) Thanks: 42 Thanked 1,136 Times in 717 Posts System Specs	The GTX 560 is a good card. I've made an even bigger leap though, went from HD 4870 512MB to GTX 570 1280MB last April. Then to what I have right now this September. lol __________________ MSI P67A-GD65 (B3), Intel Core i5 2500K, Corsair H60, 2x MSI GTX 570 Twin Frozr II/OC, G.Skill RipjawsX (2x4GB) DDR3-1600 RAM, OCZ Agility 3 120GB + 2TB, Corsair AX1200, Corsair Carbide 400R MSI Z68MA-ED55, i5 2500K, Noctua NH-U9B SE2, Inno3D GTX 570, Corsair Vengeance LP 8GB, OCZ Agility 3 120GB + 1TB, Seasonic X660, Lian Li PC-V600FB The Big Useful List of Free Useful Programs To Use Usually For Free

Processor:	Intel Core i7 3930K\|Intel Core i7 2600K
Motherboard:	Asus Rampage IV Extreme\|Asus Z68 Maximus IV Extreme-Z
Cooling:	Corsair H100\|Corsair H80
Memory:	G.Skill RipjawsZ 32GB (8x4GB) DDR3-1866 RAM\|G.Skill RipjawsX (4x4GB) DDR3-1600 RAM
Video Card:	3x MSI GTX 580 Lightning Xtreme Edition\|2x Palit GTX 580 + Inno3D GTX 580
Hard Disk:	OCZ Vertex 3 240GB, 4x 2TB\|Corsair Force GT 120GB, 2x 1TB, 500GB
Optical Drive:	LG 24x DVD-RW+/- with Lightscribe\|Lite-on 24x DVD-RW+/-
CRT/LCD Model:	3x 23" Chimei CMV-23LH LED\|LG 27" E2750V, LG 23" E2360V
Case:	Corsair Obsidian Series 800D\|Thermaltake Chaser MK-I
Sound Card:	onboard
PSU:	Thermaltake Toughpower 1350W 80PLUS SILVER\|Corsair AX1200 1200W 80PLUS GOLD
Software:	Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit w/ Service Pack 1

System Name:	Hex58
Processor:	i7 990x
Motherboard:	Gigabyte X58A-OC
Cooling:	H80
Memory:	3x4g g.skill 2133
Video Card:	7950 Trifire
Hard Disk:	300gb veloci raptor
Optical Drive:	None
CRT/LCD Model:	LG LCD 27''
Case:	650D
Sound Card:	Onboard
PSU:	cm 800w pro
Software:	Win 7 x64

Sep 18, 2011, 04:39 PM	#9
Jeffredo Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Northern California Posts: 635 (0.27/day) Thanks: 157 Thanked 82 Times in 68 Posts System Specs	Going from an HD 4870 to a GTX 560 would be a nice enough boost, but it won't knock your socks off. You'll probably see some added smoothness in games that are stressing your current card. You don't need the 2GB version though. You can get the 1GB for around $185 now (before any rebates are figured in).

System Name:	Modest Box
Processor:	Phenom II X4 980 BE @ 4.0 Ghz
Motherboard:	ASUS M4A79T Deluxe
Cooling:	XIGMATEK HDT-S1283
Memory:	DDR3 PC3-10666 8GB
Video Card:	ASUS GTX 670 DirectCU II
Hard Disk:	640GB WD Caviar Black
Optical Drive:	Sony CDRW/DVD ROM
CRT/LCD Model:	Dell U2412M
Case:	Lian Li PC-A05NB
Sound Card:	Onboard Realtek HD
PSU:	Seasonic X560
Software:	Windows 7 64 Bit

Sep 20, 2011, 07:15 AM	#10
Kistel Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: California Posts: 57 (0.07/day) Thanks: 3 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post System Specs	I have decided to wait for the next-generation offerings from Nvidia and ATI. Performance-wise the 4870 is holding up well in most games, noise issues and high operating temperatures aside. Thanks to everyone who responded to my inquiry.

Sep 21, 2011, 09:29 PM	#12
Flow Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 19 (0.01/day) Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts System Specs	No doubt mw3 will run fine on the 4870, bf3 is another story but should do oke. With all the console ports and console wannabees you can easily wait for the next gen of cards. Still, I'm looking forward to a 6950 tfIII, maybe I get one after the release of bf3. I don't see prices drop however, currently it's already difficult for amd to supply enough cards to retailers, by the time they launch new cards chances are high there wont be any 69xx card to sell. Not new anyways.

Processor:	Intel i7 2600k@4.5Ghz
Motherboard:	Asus P8z68 V Gen3
Cooling:	Coolermaster Hyper 212+
Memory:	Corsair Dominator 4x2GB 1600Mhz C7-8-7-20
Video Card:	Gigabyte 7970 Ghz. 1100/1500
Hard Disk:	3x Seagate barracuda 500GB sataII 32MB cache
Optical Drive:	LG 22x DVD-RW
CRT/LCD Model:	LG W2442PA
Case:	Antec sixhundred
Sound Card:	X-fi xtreme audio
PSU:	Coolermaster modular 700watt
Software:	Windows7 Ultimate x64

Sep 22, 2011, 08:41 AM	#13
timma Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 85 (0.04/day) Thanks: 0 Thanked 8 Times in 8 Posts	yes,it's upgrade~ i still have 4870 1GB,and another use GTX 560 Ti SOC

Sep 22, 2011, 08:48 AM	#14
arroyo Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Bydgoszcz, Poland Posts: 383 (0.22/day) Thanks: 19 Thanked 88 Times in 69 Posts System Specs	Do not wait for price drops, because you will never buy something new. There is always new generation of cards just waiting to be released and price drops waiting to come. I have bought my HD6950 just after Xmas and this is my favorite card yet. I replaced HD4850 and performance upgrade was huuugeee. __________________ AMD 1055T @ 3600MHz cooled by Thermalright 120 Xtreme (lapped) / Asrock 880G@890GX / A-Data + 1600 DDR3 / Seasonic M12D 850W / Asus HD6950 unlocked / 2 button ball mouse / Benchmark: 2.3 promile of alcohol in my blood and still standing

System Name:	"Złotko"
Processor:	AMD 1055T @ 3600 MHz
Motherboard:	Asrock 880G@890GX
Cooling:	Thermalright 120 Xtreme (lapped)
Memory:	A-Data 1600 Plus
Video Card:	Asus HD6950 unlocked - WOW
Hard Disk:	many more than you can imagine
CRT/LCD Model:	Acer AL1923 and Philips 40PFL5605H
Case:	Fractal Define R3
Sound Card:	X-Fi Music / onboard
PSU:	Seasonic M12D 850W
Software:	viruses, worms, trojan horses, spyware, adware, rootkits
Benchmarks:	2.3 promile of alcohol in my blood and still standing

Sep 22, 2011, 10:15 AM	#15
de.das.dude Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Wild Wild East Posts: 4,833 (4.39/day) Thanks: 2,429 Thanked 1,401 Times in 969 Posts System Specs	imo its not worth the upgrade. 30% increase is not worth it. You can cfx with another 4870 for cheap. __________________ Join the TPU GRID 2 ClUB T0D4Y!

System Name:	SuperDuperUberComputer
Processor:	AMD Phenom II 945 X4 3.0Ghz
Motherboard:	ASRock 990FX Extreme 4
Cooling:	CM Hyper 212 EVO push:pull+ 1 panaflow 113CFM + 2 x 120mm NZXTs
Memory:	2x4GB DDR3 Corsair Vengeance 1600MHz CL9
Video Card:	GIGABYTE GTS450 OC2
Hard Disk:	SATA II 80GB Hitachi 7200RPM,W.D 500GB Green \|\| 4GB int + random SD cards
Optical Drive:	ASUS DVD drive
CRT/LCD Model:	Samsung Sync Master 793s CRT\|
Case:	NZXT Guardian 921RB
Sound Card:	Realtek ALC892 with THX True Studio
PSU:	Corsair GS600
Software:	Windows 7 64bit
Benchmarks:	real men dont need to bench :p

System Name:	Codename: Rapture X {MoonPig Edition}
Processor:	Intel 3930k@4.6Ghz
Motherboard:	Asus P9X79 PRO
Cooling:	Corsair H80i {2xScythe G.T AP-15}
Memory:	16GB DDR3 Kingston Hyper X 2133Mhz {4x4GB}
Video Card:	2xMSI GTX680 Twin Frozr OC {SLi}
Hard Disk:	256GB Plextor M5 Pro Xtreme (Boot) \|WD: 2x1.5TB FAEX\|1x2TB EARS\|1x1.5TB Samsung F4EG
Optical Drive:	N/A
CRT/LCD Model:	NEC MultiSync EA231WMi 23" {Black}
Case:	Fractal Define XL {3x140mm,1x180mm Silverstone A.P'}
Sound Card:	Creative SB Z {Speakers: Logitech Z-5500 }
PSU:	Corsair HX1050 Bro'fessional
Software:	Windows 7 7600 x64
Benchmarks:	(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻

Sep 22, 2011, 02:08 PM	#17
LifeOnMars Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Kettering,Northants. UK Posts: 2,242 (1.23/day) Thanks: 1,718 Thanked 401 Times in 337 Posts System Specs	I have an HD 5770 and I'm currently running only 1680x1050 resolution. It runs everything smoothly with small or no amounts of AA. I have considered another HD 5770 for some crossfire benefits but I would like a solid card to fall back on in the games where crossfire doesn't work so great. I think Freedom has recommended some good cards above, I may go for a solid single Nvidia card and then when I make the move to bulldozer at least I know Sli will be an available option. At this point, my recommendation to the OP would be to get the strongest single card you can afford.

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
MSI Readies GTX 580 Lightning Xtreme Edition and Faster GTX 560	btarunr	News	7	May 18, 2011 05:55 PM
Point of View and TGT Release GTX 560 Ti 2GB Series Graphics Card	btarunr	News	7	May 15, 2011 10:51 PM
GTX 560 v GTX 460 - how much faster at the same clocks?	qubit	NVIDIA	28	Feb 5, 2011 09:42 PM
GeForce GTX 560 called GTX 560 Ti and releases Jan 25th	btarunr	News	52	Jan 15, 2011 09:58 PM
HD4870 Vapor-X 2GB / HD4870 Toxic 1GB / HD4890 1GB / HD4770 .... Advice please	aquax	AMD / ATI	6	Jul 17, 2009 02:01 AM