Update from 5870 Eyefinity

VirtualVikingX · 05-09-11, 08:08 AM

Specs:

i5@4.2G

4 Gb ram

5870 1Gb

650W PSU

Windows 7 64 bit

5760x1080 Eyefinity Landscape

First of all; thanks for looking. I recently upgraded my computer, and sold off the old parts. I kept my 5870 as it was giving me very good performance. Move 3 months ahead in time: “Cool, I can finally afford and have space for a Eyefinty setup”

Guess you see where I am headed. The once so-good 5870 is now struggling due to having “only” 1 Gb of vram.

I play mostly ArmA 2, FSX, and lately Cliffs of Dover (Il-2).--> What is the best update for my GPU?

I’m open to suggestions and considerations. I also very happy for links to pages with personal experiences in these matters.

Arclight · 05-09-11, 11:03 AM

I don't think any single-GPU card can push 3 displays for gaming. In that regard, it's really false advertising on ATI's part (ie. Eyefinity is useless for gaming unless you have a Crossfire setup).

What you can do is add another 5870. You'll have to hook up all 3 monitors to the "lead" card. Pretty sure the 1GB VRAM would continue to hold it back though, so cards with 1.5-2GB would be preferable, 3-4GB for dual-GPU cards.

Arclight · 05-09-11, 12:42 PM

As for options: 4GB 5970 or 4GB 6990 seem like the most straight-forward solutions.

(sorry for the double. Board keeps logging me out when I try to edit)

Jan Kyster · 05-09-11, 01:08 PM

One vote for adding a 5970 and run Tri-Fire.

It's the most efficient combination and you should be able to pick up a 5970 at a reasonable price...

But don't use Arctic cooler for the 5970 - it'll prevent the use of second PCI-E slot! Like these of mine won't do...

Of course there'll be no problems if you opt for watercooling...

Arclight · 05-09-11, 01:34 PM

Or that, though a third GPU gives absolutely abysmal returns... Say going from 1 to 2 gives you some 85% gain, going from 2 to 3 only yields another 25% or so. But since he already has a 5870 it's an option; no money lost there.

Again though, that 1GB VRAM can't cope with 5760x1080, so I think it would only hold it back.

*and that PSU will fall short

VirtualVikingX · 05-09-11, 02:08 PM

My initial upgrade plan was another 5870. That was something I wasn't too eager on because I also would need a new PSU. Anyway, I soon found out that on such large resolutions its mainly vram holding back performance. Any AA on Arma 2 is proof!

FOr now its off.

So I would like a new card with lots of vram. Enter GTX 580 with 3 Gb. Excellent. The Google tells me Nvidia only supports "Surround" screens with SLI.

Back to scratch.

So for now its looking like the monster 6990 is my main contender. I'm also considering a 2 GB 6970 so I don't have to deal with Xfire troubles.

Thanks for the input guys!

EDIT: Yes, I think you are correct, Arc. And very nice cards, Jan!

VirtualVikingX · 05-10-11, 12:48 PM

A 6990 is on its way to me, along with a 1000W Corsair PSU.

1000W...? Its crazy!

Arclight · 05-10-11, 02:23 PM

Think that will do nicely. 750W would have been enough me thinks, but apart from a few extra bucks it makes no difference.

Which brands did you go with?

VirtualVikingX · 05-10-11, 02:34 PM

Sapphire Radeon HD 6990 4GB GDDR5:

http://www.komplett.no/k/ki.aspx?sku=627429

Corsair HX 1000W PSU:

http://www.komplett.no/k/ki.aspx?sku=348996

+

3 x 461445 Noctua NF-S12B ULN 120mm Fan

NZXT SENTRY LX Fan Control Dual Bay

Corsair SSD Performance 3 Series™ 128GB

Arclight · 05-10-11, 02:41 PM

Nice. Had an older Corsair 520W, recently replaced by Antec 650W. Solid PSU, build by Sea Sonic. Always top notch. And can't go wrong with Sapphire when it comes to Radeon.

Was thinking of picking up an Intel SSD in the near future, 80GB 320-series. Should be interesting.

Good stuff.

VirtualVikingX · 05-12-11, 03:24 PM

Great news everybody! Managed to FRY my SSD, HD, and DVD-drive. Used the wrong cable. (Yes, it looked nice and was from my old PSU... but sadly was wired wrong)

Especially the fried SSD is really bugging me!

Well. Live and learn. Ill go shopping for a DVD drive tomorro, so that I at least can install windows and get going.

Jan Kyster · 05-12-11, 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VirtualVikingX

... Used the wrong cable...

That doesn't make any sense?

How's that possible??

Arclight · 05-12-11, 07:12 PM

Wondering the same... I'm guessing this was a modular cable from another unit?

VirtualVikingX · 05-13-11, 05:51 AM

You are correct, Arc. The modular cable were identical, except for one little thing; the internal wiring.

I found a local shop that had what I needed to get going. Just been there this morning, doing the Windows update dance now.

Ill report back on the 6990 and the rest when I get up to speed.

VirtualVikingX · 05-25-11, 04:13 PM

Ok, time to post about the update.

This is my case. There is many like it, but this is mine. Its a Cosmos S.

The inside before the "surgery". Thats a the 5870 and the Chieftec thats coming out.

Ah. Postman knocking. Our feline technicians are swift to inspect the goods. (Thats Bella and Goofy - Im sure Ill post more about those guys later)

Stuff unpacked. Besides the much need 6990 I got a new heavy duty PSU, some fans and a controller and a SSD dedicated to Steam.

I remember thinking that the 5870 was a large card...

Time for inspection!

"Inspection in boring... Arnt ther spoused to be any yarnballs in this PC...?"

The top fans installed. Didnt have anyone there before. Should help keep my case colder. One can also see the wires from the fan-controller.

What a mess! >:

Fan related accident

"U dont say...?"

The fan controller.

Needed to make space for the 3 top fans.

The current setup. The cloth is a experiment - next step is to make it look better. The reason is to block light and cold air from the window behind. And my monitors will work as a "tunnel" so the cold air gets to my PC. Also note the nerd-o-chair.

I planning to paint the wood black.

05-09-11, 08:08 AM	#1
VirtualVikingX Captain Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Bergen, Norway Posts: 262 Downloads: 40 Uploads: 0	Update from 5870 Eyefinity Specs: i5@4.2G 4 Gb ram 5870 1Gb 650W PSU Windows 7 64 bit 5760x1080 Eyefinity Landscape First of all; thanks for looking. I recently upgraded my computer, and sold off the old parts. I kept my 5870 as it was giving me very good performance. Move 3 months ahead in time: “Cool, I can finally afford and have space for a Eyefinty setup” Guess you see where I am headed. The once so-good 5870 is now struggling due to having “only” 1 Gb of vram. I play mostly ArmA 2, FSX, and lately Cliffs of Dover (Il-2).--> What is the best update for my GPU? I’m open to suggestions and considerations. I also very happy for links to pages with personal experiences in these matters.

05-09-11, 11:03 AM	#2
Arclight Navy Seal Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Land of windmills, tulips, wooden shoes and cheese. Lots of cheese. Posts: 8,467 Downloads: 53 Uploads: 10	I don't think any single-GPU card can push 3 displays for gaming. In that regard, it's really false advertising on ATI's part (ie. Eyefinity is useless for gaming unless you have a Crossfire setup). What you can do is add another 5870. You'll have to hook up all 3 monitors to the "lead" card. Pretty sure the 1GB VRAM would continue to hold it back though, so cards with 1.5-2GB would be preferable, 3-4GB for dual-GPU cards. __________________ Contritium praecedit superbia.

05-09-11, 12:42 PM	#3
Arclight Navy Seal Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Land of windmills, tulips, wooden shoes and cheese. Lots of cheese. Posts: 8,467 Downloads: 53 Uploads: 10	As for options: 4GB 5970 or 4GB 6990 seem like the most straight-forward solutions. (sorry for the double. Board keeps logging me out when I try to edit) __________________ Contritium praecedit superbia.

05-09-11, 01:34 PM	#5
Arclight Navy Seal Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Land of windmills, tulips, wooden shoes and cheese. Lots of cheese. Posts: 8,467 Downloads: 53 Uploads: 10	Or that, though a third GPU gives absolutely abysmal returns... Say going from 1 to 2 gives you some 85% gain, going from 2 to 3 only yields another 25% or so. But since he already has a 5870 it's an option; no money lost there. Again though, that 1GB VRAM can't cope with 5760x1080, so I think it would only hold it back. and that PSU will fall short __________________ Contritium praecedit superbia.*

05-09-11, 02:08 PM	#6
VirtualVikingX Captain Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Bergen, Norway Posts: 262 Downloads: 40 Uploads: 0	My initial upgrade plan was another 5870. That was something I wasn't too eager on because I also would need a new PSU. Anyway, I soon found out that on such large resolutions its mainly vram holding back performance. Any AA on Arma 2 is proof! FOr now its off. So I would like a new card with lots of vram. Enter GTX 580 with 3 Gb. Excellent. The Google tells me Nvidia only supports "Surround" screens with SLI. Back to scratch. So for now its looking like the monster 6990 is my main contender. I'm also considering a 2 GB 6970 so I don't have to deal with Xfire troubles. Thanks for the input guys! EDIT: Yes, I think you are correct, Arc. And very nice cards, Jan! Last edited by VirtualVikingX; 05-09-11 at 02:21 PM.

05-09-11, 01:08 PM	#4
Jan Kyster Ace of the Deep Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 1,151 Downloads: 152 Uploads: 0	One vote for adding a 5970 and run Tri-Fire. It's the most efficient combination and you should be able to pick up a 5970 at a reasonable price... But don't use Arctic cooler for the 5970 - it'll prevent the use of second PCI-E slot! Like these of mine won't do... Of course there'll be no problems if you opt for watercooling...

05-10-11, 12:48 PM	#7
VirtualVikingX Captain Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Bergen, Norway Posts: 262 Downloads: 40 Uploads: 0	A 6990 is on its way to me, along with a 1000W Corsair PSU. 1000W...? Its crazy!

05-10-11, 02:23 PM	#8
Arclight Navy Seal Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Land of windmills, tulips, wooden shoes and cheese. Lots of cheese. Posts: 8,467 Downloads: 53 Uploads: 10	Think that will do nicely. 750W would have been enough me thinks, but apart from a few extra bucks it makes no difference. Which brands did you go with? __________________ Contritium praecedit superbia.

05-10-11, 02:34 PM	#9
VirtualVikingX Captain Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Bergen, Norway Posts: 262 Downloads: 40 Uploads: 0	Sapphire Radeon HD 6990 4GB GDDR5: http://www.komplett.no/k/ki.aspx?sku=627429 Corsair HX 1000W PSU: http://www.komplett.no/k/ki.aspx?sku=348996 + 3 x 461445 Noctua NF-S12B ULN 120mm Fan NZXT SENTRY LX Fan Control Dual Bay Corsair SSD Performance 3 Series™ 128GB

05-10-11, 02:41 PM	#10
Arclight Navy Seal Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Land of windmills, tulips, wooden shoes and cheese. Lots of cheese. Posts: 8,467 Downloads: 53 Uploads: 10	Nice. Had an older Corsair 520W, recently replaced by Antec 650W. Solid PSU, build by Sea Sonic. Always top notch. And can't go wrong with Sapphire when it comes to Radeon. Was thinking of picking up an Intel SSD in the near future, 80GB 320-series. Should be interesting. Good stuff. __________________ Contritium praecedit superbia.

05-12-11, 03:24 PM	#11
VirtualVikingX Captain Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Bergen, Norway Posts: 262 Downloads: 40 Uploads: 0	Great news everybody! Managed to FRY my SSD, HD, and DVD-drive. Used the wrong cable. (Yes, it looked nice and was from my old PSU... but sadly was wired wrong) Especially the fried SSD is really bugging me! Well. Live and learn. Ill go shopping for a DVD drive tomorro, so that I at least can install windows and get going.

05-12-11, 07:12 PM	#13
Arclight Navy Seal Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Land of windmills, tulips, wooden shoes and cheese. Lots of cheese. Posts: 8,467 Downloads: 53 Uploads: 10	Wondering the same... I'm guessing this was a modular cable from another unit? __________________ Contritium praecedit superbia.

05-13-11, 05:51 AM	#14
VirtualVikingX Captain Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Bergen, Norway Posts: 262 Downloads: 40 Uploads: 0	You are correct, Arc. The modular cable were identical, except for one little thing; the internal wiring. I found a local shop that had what I needed to get going. Just been there this morning, doing the Windows update dance now. Ill report back on the 6990 and the rest when I get up to speed. Last edited by VirtualVikingX; 05-13-11 at 06:03 AM.

05-25-11, 04:13 PM	#15
VirtualVikingX Captain Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Bergen, Norway Posts: 262 Downloads: 40 Uploads: 0	Ok, time to post about the update. This is my case. There is many like it, but this is mine. Its a Cosmos S. The inside before the "surgery". Thats a the 5870 and the Chieftec thats coming out. Ah. Postman knocking. Our feline technicians are swift to inspect the goods. (Thats Bella and Goofy - Im sure Ill post more about those guys later) Stuff unpacked. Besides the much need 6990 I got a new heavy duty PSU, some fans and a controller and a SSD dedicated to Steam. I remember thinking that the 5870 was a large card... Time for inspection! "Inspection in boring... Arnt ther spoused to be any yarnballs in this PC...?" The top fans installed. Didnt have anyone there before. Should help keep my case colder. One can also see the wires from the fan-controller. What a mess! >: Fan related accident "U dont say...?" The fan controller. Needed to make space for the 3 top fans. The current setup. The cloth is a experiment - next step is to make it look better. The reason is to block light and cold air from the window behind. And my monitors will work as a "tunnel" so the cold air gets to my PC. Also note the nerd-o-chair. I planning to paint the wood black.