Crossing over to Red camp! (New 4850)

[Error 404]

Well, I've finally got funds for a gcard upgrade!
My dad wanted to buy it, and I am getting an Asus 4850 from a friend for AU$160 (which is a good price over here), which I'll be getting tomorow.
I've heard that ATI is good for Source games, which I'm mostly playing, and a 4850 should be a good upgrade from my GT.
Is there anything I should know before switching from nVidia to ATI? What program can I use to fully remove the drivers, and what program should I use for overclocking?
I'll keep this thread updated once I buy the 4850, and if anyone has any pointers then I'll happily listen!

 

[JATownes]

Driver sweeper to clean before install...Catalyst Control Center will overclock your card...ATI 4850 is a great card...I have 2 in crossfire...

Welcome to the Red Team...and Congrats

Edit: 250th Post...Love that 5th star

 

[Error 404]

I've heard that CCC doesn't let anything above 700 MHz, is that true? I don't want to be limited to just that.

 

[theorw]

Well chances are that u ll be limited from the volts first(it wont be enough to be stable after 700) so dont worry about ccc!
Now if u vmod, thats a different story!

 

[newtekie1]

While ATi cards are better at Source games, does it really matter when even the 9600GT should give well over 100FPS? Where you are going to notice the difference is more demanding games, and it should make a great difference over your 9600GT.

Use Driver Sweeper to get rid of your nVidia drivers.

And I use Rivatuner to overclock ATi and nVidia cards, so I recommend that.

 

[Frogger]

http://www.techpowerup.com/articles/overclocking/voltmods/151 & alittle reading mabe
http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=95187

 

[Frogger]

Signature distribution thread OF rbe
http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=70980

 

[a_ump]

While ATi cards are better at Source games, does it really matter when even the 9600GT should give well over 100FPS? Where you are going to notice the difference is more demanding games, and it should make a great difference over your 9600GT.

Use Driver Sweeper to get rid of your nVidia drivers.

And I use Rivatuner to overclock ATi and nVidia cards, so I recommend that.

eh, i thk u undercut the demand source games can put on hardware. When i had my 8800GT, i could run CSS maxed at 1680x1050(16xcsaa, 16xaf) but in zombie mods with like 30+ players i saw lag. Seeing as how TF2 is more demanding than CSS, it can certainly lag the 9600GT as it would lag my 8800GT(shame it died before i purchased TF2 or i could prove it)Same thing with L4D, course when i say max i mean max , 4xaa probly wouldn't lag it, though i'm sure it wouldn't be 100FPS.

@OP
Try out GPUTool for overclocking, it's W1z's work-in-progress, successor to ATItool

 

[Error 404]

I'm mostly playing L4D, TF2, and hopefully HL2 Ep3 when it comes out, and Portal occasionally.
L4D and Portal are probably the most demanding games I play regularly, and I do notice a drop in performance in certain situations.
I'm also going to get Bioshock 2 when it comes out (hopefully), and I want this PC to last for about 2 years.
So I'll be happy when I get this 4850!

 

[Frogger]

you will LIKE it hav 1 in the p45 rig plays HAWKS real smoooth @ see pic..... have had it up to 725/1100.... but im waiting on a better cooler from the egg

 

[Error 404]

The 4850 I'm getting comes with a Glaciator cooler, not sure how good that is, but I know GDDR3 doesn't get too hot so it should all be good.

 

[Frogger]

the best read for info from day 1 on this card === http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=190990 === long but all threads on X are

 

[Xaser04]

Nice choice on the card (slightly bias lol) - I have a thing for the little HD4850.

Just a quick word of warning for anyone that owns one still on stock cooling, every now and again check the fan is still spinning. I found out the other day after my pc crashed that mine had stopped working (completely at random), when the computer rebooted I was at 96 degrees idle and climbing.

Luckily I managed to bodge fit an old accelero cooler with an added Intel HSF fan to cool it. Now it sits at 35 degrees idle at 48 full load

 

[Error 404]

Okay, I've got it installed and run 3DMark Vantage, Core was 700 MHz and RAM was 1020 MHz, CPU @ 3.4 GHz.

Is this a good score for it? And should I get some heatsinks for the VRMs, they seem a bit hot. Also, I'm wondering if my CPU could be bottlenecking it, since 3DMark was jumping when I had it at 2.5 GHz and that stopped at 3.4 GHz.

 

[sapetto]

I have the same ASUS HD4850 with glaciator heatsink and it goes to 700 core / 1120 memory stable!
With Core 690 MHz and RAM 1100 MHz i get P6926

 

[Error 404]

I have the same ASUS HD4850 with glaciator heatsink and it goes to 700 core / 1120 memory stable!
With Core 690 MHz and RAM 1100 MHz i get P6926

I'll try those clocks tomorow night, and see if I can get the core higher. ATI is nice for overclocking, no worrying about shaders and core speed, just core.
Also, the stock speed for the RAM seems to be 1004 MHz, not 993 MHz, and the CCC lets core speed go up to 800 MHz! So I'll have some experimenting to do...

 

[Error 404]

I've clocked it up to core 700 MHz and RAM 1120 MHz, and when running furmark it seems fine, but it jumps a lot, like every 2 or 3 seconds. I'm pretty sure this isn't meant to happen, and there were no artifacts, so what could be causing the jumping?