Graphics card - XFX HD5850 Black Edition or Saphire HD5850...

Technology and Gaming Help and Support
#1

My current graphics card (an ASUS HD4850) is dying, so I need to replace it. I am hopeful that I might gain some useful input from people who know more about this sort of thing than I do on these forums.

The XFX HD5850 Black Edition:

First there’s this cheaper one for £149.99:

https://www.ebuyer.com/product/251995

Then there’s this one, which seems to be the same card, just some some sort of box-like container around the card, yet it’s £40 more expensive:

https://www.ebuyer.com/product/241527

The Saphire HD5850:

https://www.pixmania.co.uk/uk/uk/5122252/art/sapphire-technology/radeon-hd-5850-1-gb-gddr5.html?srcid=7226&Partenaire=pricerunner&CodePromo=oui#pix-review

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sapphire-HD5850-1GB-Graphics-Card/dp/B0036Z2F4U/ref=sr_1_2?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1297480107&sr=1-2

What I don’t get is, apart from the Saphire one, why is the XFX Black Edition HD5850 seemingly cheaper than normal non-overclocked 5850s on sites like Ebuyer? They’re all around £200 or more, it seems a bit odd. I’m wondering what I’m missing.

Thanks in advance for any useful input. :slight_smile:

#2

XFX

#3

Sapphire

#4

Could you both please post why you would choose those two? I would appreciate your reasoning.

#5

I suppose it’s just from personal awesome experience. I have been using sapphire cards for years and in combination with a decent case, you can have really good performance with not a lot of heat on the card or cash taken from your pocket. Sapphire cards do have a history of running a bit warmer but as I said, with a decent case, the temps are fine. I know from a few people that have had issues with XFX cards. I have a belief that they are just trying to push performance too much rather than build a stable card and that is why they can get away with selling overclocked devices with huge heatsinks. If you do your research, there is no reason to ever overclock. By the time your technology gets to the point where you probably can, your hardware is going to hit a limitation such as shader models that makes it so even if you can OC to the speed you need, the card doesn’t have the shader models to play the games you want to be able to. I’m not saying that you overclock because you didn’t mention it, but its just a little piece of advice to anyone out there.

#6

I would pass on the 5850 altogether… Its definitely not worth the $240 you’d pay for it. I’m not sure where you live, but check out pricing on the Radeon HD 6850, 6870, or 6950. All of those perform either almost as good as or better than the 5850, and contain other improvements that come with the new generation of GFX cards.

#7

I currently run a Sapphire Radeon HD6850 with three 24-inch displays. Performs All games maxed on one display and most games Medium-high with eyefinity across all three. I have not had a chance to see the other two in action but I can surely vouch for the performance of the 6850.

#8

XFX

better cooling

#9

This one

#10

Wow, not sure if that’ll fit in my case. >-<

To show what space I have, this image shows my graphics card, with my soundcard underneath it:

And this shows the end of the card with the mass of cables, and the hard drives just in front of it. I’ve highlighted where the end of the card is:

Sorry for the terrible image quality, I can try to take more pictures if needed.

To answer some questions, my case is a cheap £10 one, I live in England, and I don’t overclock graphics cards, I prefer them to last longer. :stuck_out_tongue:

#11

I can’t see shit with that clusterfuck of cables… so heres a smaller card.

#12

I don’t see why you couldn’t plug that soundcard 1 or 2 slots farther from the graphics card if it’s too fat. Also, no one says the HDDs need to be in those dedicated slots.
What I’m saying is, don’t dismiss a deal just on the basis it wouldn’t be a 2 minute install.

#13

No no, of course not, quite right. Small bits of the back of the case were removed so my soundcard could attach properly. :stuck_out_tongue:

I’ve realised as this is a new motherboard from the old one that I might be able to move the soundcard up above the graphics card rather than below it, which may well free up more space if it’s needed. The hard drives can be moved as well, as you say. However I don’t want stuff hanging lose inside the case (ie the hard drives), as this PC is sometimes transported between home and University. A bigger issue for the hard drives is cable length, as due to all the components the cables have to weave around, I may not be able to move them.

Anyway, this is all neither here nor there, as I might not need to move them at all, provided that the card I get is around the same size. :stuck_out_tongue:

#14

I’ve had a Sapphire ATI HD 5770 in my comp for 3 months (I know that isn’t too long but still) and running games with graphics from Crysis to games from the 90’s and haven’t had issues with heating. In fact its been great considering I have a shitty mid-sized OEM case. Although this particular card is the one with Sapphire’s designed cooler.

I haven’t dealt with XFX though so I can’t say anything about them.

#15

I eventually decided to go with this card:

https://www.ebuyer.com/product/244431

Hopefully everything will go smoothly. Thanks for the advice everyone.

#16

ATI Radeon HD 5970, the fastest graphics card in the world: https://www.amd.com/us/products/desktop/graphics/ati-radeon-hd-5000/hd-5970/Pages/ati-radeon-hd-5970-overview.aspx

PS: ATI FOREVER!!!

#17

That card was a little over my budget. :fffuuu:

#18

XFX over Sapphire any day, Also, sort out your fucking cable management dude.

(Tip : I’d also say wait a few months, because there looking at releasing the 6990 and GTX 590, so prices may change again, IT DEPENDS.)

For size worry, I had my GTX 480 in my Antec 300.

[COLOR=‘Red’]SORT OUT THOSE FUCKING CABLES!!
:fffuuu::fffuuu::fffuuu::fffuuu::fffuuu::fffuuu:

EDIT : Also what case do you have? you can always move your hdd’s down.

#19

O I have an idea OP

get a new case

#20

I’ve got the cables tied up as best I can. The poor quality image makes it look worse than it is. For reference, I’ve got three hard drives plugged in to there.

This is my case, it’s no longer available, I’ll try to find some more images:

https://www.ebuyer.com/product/128413

At some point, probably. I’ll definitely be spending more on the case for the next PC I eventually build. :stuck_out_tongue:

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