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Calindor · 08-16-2008, 02:40 PM

I was asking on anandtech aswell, but want to post here. What do you think the best mid-range setup is right now. I'm wondering what to get to optimize for Aion..I'm shooting for 30fps in mass pvp while using fraps.

I'll also be using a 22" LCD at 1680x1050 resolution, and will never be able to go higher.
I'm thinking 4850 CF because if you look at these, its pretty much on par with 4870CF and GTX280SLI, slightly off, but a lot more cost efficient.
If you look at these:

Eye Candy on:

^^^is the only one I can find with a discernible difference, yet 4850CF is on par with the GTX280 SLI.
Keep in mind I'm only interested in the 1680x1050 resolution...as I would assume most people are, because a monitor with a higher res comes at a ridiculous price....but it appears the other cards dont really pull any further away from 4850CF even in the higher resolutions.

You will see that theres hardly any difference in FPS between 4870 CF or 4850CF. Not to mention its beating GTX280SLI for only $200 a card. Its also probably the biggest % bonus in FPS from adding a second card. CFing a 4870 doesnt yield as big of a FPS increase...not to mention you could buy a third 4850 with the money you have leftover from 4870 CF.

Another important/amazing thing is the power consumption is almost the same as a single 4870 under load, and less than a GTX280...Another bargain feature...SLIing or CFing high end cards requires insane PSU's, but 4850CF is the same as a single card...This is important because the extra wattage you need for CF/SLI on those other cards will require a much more expensive PSU, and combine that with the price difference between the card for the small performance gains you see up above...Remember the price of 2x4850's is only $400, and look what you're getting out of it.

People say buy a 4870 now, and another one later if you want the upgrade. Well two 4870's arent that much better than 2 4850's which are 2/3 the price...I think a single 4850, and 4850 CF is the best bang for your buck out there, and an underrated setup...Of course heat is a problem, but that isnt a hard fix, especially with a good case.

On anandtech a few of them think a single 4850 or 4870 will do what I want no problem, but I'm not sold yet, unless I see some actual in game footage. They also think ram and CPU is more of a factor in things like mass PvP. It definitely is a huge factor, but I'm not sure if it is as much as GPU. They recommend a quad core, but I'm not sure how much would a quad core increase performance compared to say the $100 you would spend on 4850CF over a 4870 or GTX260?. I'll already be using 4gb, no reason to go higher, but I think the bare minimum you should play a newer MMO (Aion, WAR, AoC) on is 2 gigs, unless you are using low settings. Also, I dont know how much of a gain you would get from a 10krpm HD. (I wish someone would do tests and benchmarks for MMO's as they are so different compared to shooters).

I know all about the horrors of mass PvP(or PvE). Loading Orgrimmar in WoW was nothing like loading a siege in L2...the worst is the Tower of Insolence. A 14 floor tower that takes like a half hour to walk up, its so high that you cant see the ground from the top..you probably couldnt see the ground half way up. It probably causes memory leaks trying to load things around the tower, and probably loads every single floor underneath you..As I've been in PvP's with a total of like 60 people there getting 5-10 FPS...and in other areas can PvP with twice or 3 times that and get better FPS. Its also not so much the loading of the players aswell as their movements and skill animations, and Aion has fancy ones, and its all skill based. Also in TR i've heard mention of a 4870 dropping from 90 to 30 FPS in a Command Point (basically mass PvE against scripted mobs).

08-16-2008, 02:40 PM	#1 (permalink)
Calindor Daeva Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Canada Class: Templar Legion: Tempest Race: Elyos	Best GPU setup. (for me) I was asking on anandtech aswell, but want to post here. What do you think the best mid-range setup is right now. I'm wondering what to get to optimize for Aion..I'm shooting for 30fps in mass pvp while using fraps. I'll also be using a 22" LCD at 1680x1050 resolution, and will never be able to go higher. I'm thinking 4850 CF because if you look at these, its pretty much on par with 4870CF and GTX280SLI, slightly off, but a lot more cost efficient. If you look at these: Eye Candy on: ^^^is the only one I can find with a discernible difference, yet 4850CF is on par with the GTX280 SLI. Keep in mind I'm only interested in the 1680x1050 resolution...as I would assume most people are, because a monitor with a higher res comes at a ridiculous price....but it appears the other cards dont really pull any further away from 4850CF even in the higher resolutions. You will see that theres hardly any difference in FPS between 4870 CF or 4850CF. Not to mention its beating GTX280SLI for only $200 a card. Its also probably the biggest % bonus in FPS from adding a second card. CFing a 4870 doesnt yield as big of a FPS increase...not to mention you could buy a third 4850 with the money you have leftover from 4870 CF. Another important/amazing thing is the power consumption is almost the same as a single 4870 under load, and less than a GTX280...Another bargain feature...SLIing or CFing high end cards requires insane PSU's, but 4850CF is the same as a single card...This is important because the extra wattage you need for CF/SLI on those other cards will require a much more expensive PSU, and combine that with the price difference between the card for the small performance gains you see up above...Remember the price of 2x4850's is only $400, and look what you're getting out of it. People say buy a 4870 now, and another one later if you want the upgrade. Well two 4870's arent that much better than 2 4850's which are 2/3 the price...I think a single 4850, and 4850 CF is the best bang for your buck out there, and an underrated setup...Of course heat is a problem, but that isnt a hard fix, especially with a good case. On anandtech a few of them think a single 4850 or 4870 will do what I want no problem, but I'm not sold yet, unless I see some actual in game footage. They also think ram and CPU is more of a factor in things like mass PvP. It definitely is a huge factor, but I'm not sure if it is as much as GPU. They recommend a quad core, but I'm not sure how much would a quad core increase performance compared to say the $100 you would spend on 4850CF over a 4870 or GTX260?. I'll already be using 4gb, no reason to go higher, but I think the bare minimum you should play a newer MMO (Aion, WAR, AoC) on is 2 gigs, unless you are using low settings. Also, I dont know how much of a gain you would get from a 10krpm HD. (I wish someone would do tests and benchmarks for MMO's as they are so different compared to shooters). I know all about the horrors of mass PvP(or PvE). Loading Orgrimmar in WoW was nothing like loading a siege in L2...the worst is the Tower of Insolence. A 14 floor tower that takes like a half hour to walk up, its so high that you cant see the ground from the top..you probably couldnt see the ground half way up. It probably causes memory leaks trying to load things around the tower, and probably loads every single floor underneath you..As I've been in PvP's with a total of like 60 people there getting 5-10 FPS...and in other areas can PvP with twice or 3 times that and get better FPS. Its also not so much the loading of the players aswell as their movements and skill animations, and Aion has fancy ones, and its all skill based. Also in TR i've heard mention of a 4870 dropping from 90 to 30 FPS in a Command Point (basically mass PvE against scripted mobs). __________________ Last edited by Calindor; 08-16-2008 at 02:52 PM..