For video card, should I get two Radeon 57xx or one 5850?

[jeanpave]

Hello there.

I'm trying to build a very nice PC (for the money I have to spend), and I'm in a bit of a conundrum.
Should I get a regular PC configuration, with one video card, the Radeon HD 5850 (which, supposedly, is better than even the nVidia GTX 465 (?), even though the 465 is listed higher at videocardbenchmark.net), or get a Crossfire type of configuration, with two Radeon HD 5770s (that would cost a bit more) or maybe with two 5750s (that would cost exactly as much as the 5850)? (Money is a bit of a factor, too.)
I understand that:
5850 - has core clock of 725 MHz, 1 GB of memory, and 256-bit memory interface
5770 - has core clock of 850 MHz, 1 GB of memory, and 128-bit memory interface
5750 - has core clock of 700 MHz, 1 GB of memory, and 128-bit memory interface, but also 2-DVI, unlike the 5770.
It would be very nice to have 2 GB of video memory, and two GPUs working in tandem, but I'm still not sure whether it's an upgrade over just the one, better video card. It is, right? (Or maybe two 5770s can beat a 5850, but two 5750 cannot?!...)

I also am not 100% sure what kind of motherboard I should get for the Crossfire option, if I decide to go with that. (But I know I wouldn't like to pay more than 150 dollars for just the mobo. Oh, and it has to be able of full HDMI, of course, otherwise what's the point, right?)
How's the Asus AMD785G M4A785TD-V EVO? Is it good for Crossfire?

Oh, and having two GPUs... would that need some extra cooling fans in the computer case, too?

Sorry for asking so many details.
Thank you very, very much.

[jagabo]

Are you a big gamer? Or are you using some video application that has GPU acceleration? Otherwise there's no point.

[jeanpave]

There's a point, my inquisitive board colleague, otherwise I wouldn't have been racking my brain (- 'cause I wouldn't say I'm a computer afficionado -) with so many fine details, like the core clock of every individual video card.
I'd like the most powerful computer I can get for 1200-1300. (No OS.)

If you really must know, though, I hope not to buy another computer for about 10 years, hopefully, so...
I don't know if I will play all the latest video games (- probably not -), but I'll play some.
I will be editing video, and that includes HD video, too, of course.
Maybe I'll even emulate Mac OS in VMWare.
But these are all insignificant details, really. Why can't you answer the question, based on the details I gave you in the first place, please? (Why do people always want to know what I want to do with the PC?...) I asked really specific questions.

[zing269]

This site just did a comparison along the lines you are considering http://techreport.com/articles.x/19404

[Constant Gardener]

I have a Sapphire 5750 (the Vapor-X variant) which is fast and quiet - recently I bought a second which I will crossfire. According to Tom's Hardware the performance of a pair of 5750s is similar to one 5850. The advantage to me is that the shorter 5750 cards fit nicely into my computer case, where the longer 5850 would blow hot air straight at the hard drives. The disadvantage is heat buildup around and between the two video cards; I suspect I will be cutting more ventilation holes in the side cover, and perhaps adding an extra fan.

I find one 5750 adequate with a 1920 x 1280 monitor and every game I've tried on it. If I don't notice a difference with the second card, I'll use it somewhere else.

[Noahtuck]

Why can't you answer the question, based on the details I gave you in the first place, please? (Why do people always want to know what I want to do with the PC?...) I asked really specific questions.

Because without specific details you can not expect a specific answer...

I will be editing video, and that includes HD video, too, of course.

See, now as for editing and encoding video, most of the time it does not matter if you have a 1000 video cards because most encoding, ect. programs do NOT use video card's or the GPU, they are CPU intensive.

Why do people always act like saying what they are specifically doing is some kind of national secret

It would be like me asking, "what is the best way to encode video ?"

Well, that would depend on what kind of video i wanted to convert to what kind of video.
See the point ?

[jeanpave]

This site just did a comparison along the lines you are considering http://techreport.com/articles.x/19404

Zing269, you rule, man! Thank you so much! A more perfect reply I could not have asked for. I really appreciate that source you provided.

I have a Sapphire 5750 (the Vapor-X variant) which is fast and quiet - recently I bought a second which I will crossfire. According to Tom's Hardware the performance of a pair of 5750s is similar to one 5850. The advantage to me is that the shorter 5750 cards fit nicely into my computer case, where the longer 5850 would blow hot air straight at the hard drives. The disadvantage is heat buildup around and between the two video cards; I suspect I will be cutting more ventilation holes in the side cover, and perhaps adding an extra fan.

I find one 5750 adequate with a 1920 x 1280 monitor and every game I've tried on it. If I don't notice a difference with the second card, I'll use it somewhere else.

Thanks a million, Constant Gardener!

Why can't you answer the question, based on the details I gave you in the first place, please? (Why do people always want to know what I want to do with the PC?...) I asked really specific questions.

Because without specific details you can not expect a specific answer...

I did give specific details. I thought I asked some pretty specific questions, and gave all the pertinent details. You don't need to know, for example, if I hold a controller in my left or my right hand...

Why do people always act like saying what they are specifically doing is some kind of national secret

You're just trying to find things wrong with me. Why? How about giving a reply about the mobo, please? That would really be helpful to me.

It would be like me asking, "what is the best way to encode video ?"

Well, that would depend on what kind of video i wanted to convert to what kind of video.
See the point ?

Again, come on! You're criticizing me. I guess we know now that you're one of them...

I will be editing video, and that includes HD video, too, of course.

See, now as for editing and encoding video, most of the time it does not matter if you have a 1000 video cards because most encoding, ect. programs do NOT use video card's or the GPU, they are CPU intensive.
...
See the point ?

See, that's a helpful response, I think. A little condescending, but it teaches me something I did not know or expect. Thank you.

[Noahtuck]

WOW!!!

Seriously.... your first post, you did NOT give specific details of what you wanted to do or say what you wanted your machine to be able to do, or for what purpose, so NO, you did not give specific details, you just asked what you should get or do....
For what or why ?

And no, i was not "criticizing you", i was just stating the facts and trying to explain to you that how can you expect to get any kind of a specific answer when you don't give any specific details of what you want to do.....
And " A little condescending" ?

WOW!!!

jagabo was making a legit inquiry, as i tried to explain, but you seem to want to make it, for a second time, more than it is.......

Man.... i may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer.... but damn!!!!!!

(SIC)

Be careful.... because everyone is out to get you, including the boogeyman living in your closet and the wild things under your bed!!!
LOL!!

*sarcasm

[jeanpave]

"Damn!!!!!!"... WHAT, guy?

It seems you come over here just to bitch, so please SCRAM! I don't come to the threads you create, you keep out of the ones I create, okay?

Let the people who actually take the time to read, and answer properly and insightfully, like Zing269 and Constant Gardener, respond! (How come they could reply and help me, if I had no details, huh?)
And mind your own business, why don't you? You entered the discussion just to applaud the process of answering a question with a question. What, are you Jagabo's lawyer?

P.S. I seriously doubt even your advice was well-intended...

[Noahtuck]

Ummm... yeah....
ERR!!!!!!!

[jeanpave]

Yeah.

Ta-ta ...tuck!

[jagabo]

In case you haven't figured it out yet, there is no tangible difference in performance between a $50 graphics card and a $500 graphics card unless you're doing one of the things I mentioned in my first post (and a few other less common things like CAD, GPU based HPC, etc.). Spending $500 now because you might use the power 10 years from now is a waste of money. Graphics cards are easily upgraded and that $500 card will be a $50 card in a few years.

[jeanpave]

Thanks, Jagabo.

Like I said, though, I'm going to play some games, too, so hopefully I'll see a difference.

But I didn't say "10 years from now", you know; I said it would be nice if I could still use it in 10 years, as well. I may be less knowledgeable than you, but I'm not that dumb. I know video cards get cheaper with time.

Thank you, again, anyway.