Jason Matthews Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 In my last post / question I was asking about the i7 vs the xeon system. After discussing it with the powers that here at the office they decided long ago to go with Dell workstations/desktops vs having Frankenstein machines built. I can agree to a point but that is beside the point. That being said, I am now at the stage of video cards. Because we are going through Dell for these the video card choices are limited and because we are going with desktop systems instead of workstations we don't have access to the pro cards. So here are my choices: 1. HD5970 2GB = $715 2. HD5870 1GB = $259-$380 3. HD5770 1GB = $120-$220 We need the machine to be a kickass CAD / Revit / Max /Vray / Photoshop / Sketchup machine! The big issue is Dell warranty so I really don't have much choice with the video cards. But the good news is that my company is willing to spend the money on the HD5970. Thanks, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJLynn Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 The 5970 is a two-GPU card, it's a bit nuts. Is the 2GB 5870 an option? Or getting the cheapest option then buying your own FirePro V7800? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Matthews Posted January 4, 2011 Author Share Posted January 4, 2011 No the 2GB 5870 is not an option. I have proposed that we do just that but they are concerned with the warranty issue. Apparently they were in contact with our Dell rep and he said that Dell will void the warranty if we swapped video cards in any of the machines. The only way we could keep the warranty is if we bought the cards from an authorized Dell reseller and had them install the cards, Seems a bit of a pain in the ass if you ask me. If it is not much of cost difference buying the card and getting it installed through the reseller, would the 5970 be an equivalent card to the v7800? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJLynn Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Really? I don't claim to know more than a Dell rep, but to void a warranty just because a video card is changed seems a bit, well, absurd. In fact, I find it difficult to believe that this is true. A 5970 isn't something I normally recommend, because at those prices pro cards are a better value, but what the heck, go for it. It's certainly powerful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elliot Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 I would get rid of the rep...... Regards Elliot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Matthews Posted January 5, 2011 Author Share Posted January 5, 2011 I don't believe it either but I also wasn't the one who talked to him. I can only go by what I was told. Personally, I would rather just order the damn parts and have a local company put it together and warranty the install. That way if anything goes out we can simply replace the part instead of having a service tech come to the office or worse have to send the computer in. I don't know the rep but I do know how bad the economy is right now and you would think the guy would be bending over backwards for us. Thanks for your responses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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