Upgrading GFX Card, desire input

[Vinto]

Currently have the 2GB version of the vapor-x 4870, thinking about upgrading to either a 5870 or a 5970. These are the 2 cards I'm looking at.

Sapphire 5870 using the Cypress XT GPU

Sapphire 5970 using the Hemlock GPU

The Hemlock GPU core speeds are slower than the Cypress I believe, but would I get a decent performance boost from the 2 GPUs in the 5970? I'm using an Antec 900 case that's already fairly packed so a true xfire is probably out of the question but I'm fairly certain I can fit a single card dual GPU into my case. At a price point difference of only about 200 dollars I could swing it but would it be worth my while? My 4870 is getting it's butt kicked pretty bad right now by the FFXIV beta, I can run 1080 on high texture resolution but barely any AA at all, and even then it's still fairly choppy.

[Evanos]

I have a 5970 myself and am very happy with it. I got an aftermarket air cooler and was able to safely push it from the stock speeds of 725 gpu and 950 RAM to 1000 GPU and 1200 RAM and never go over 80c (even on extreme burn Furmark). Overclocking it that much definitely increases the power draw, but more than manageable on any 850+ PSU.

Here is a link to the cooler that I got: http://www.arctic-cooling.com/catalo...ath=2_&mID=545

Installation was very easy and I would recommend it to anyone that has a 5970, but I know that some companies will void the warranty if you switch coolers (and I believe Sapphire is one of those). If you do decide to get it Asus, XFX, or EVGA are the most forgiving on the aftermarket cooler end.

If you decide that is too much for you and want to go stock keep in mind that a 5970 is essentially 2 5870s smashed on to one card, and then underclocked to manage the inefficiency of the stock cooler. You may see occasional micro-slutter (I've only seen it in Metro personally) but it should be able to handle most of the games that are out now at highest settings without any problems.