Windows 7: To Crossfire, or not to Crossfire

I've been thinking about buying a second Radeon HD 4890 for my PC. Since I already have an ATI, going SLI would be expensive as I'd have to buy 2 graphics cards instead of one plus what would I do with my Radeon? So if I'm going multi-GPU, Crossfire is where I'm going. However, is it really worth it? Will installing a second graphics card make my desktop be able to run games like Garrys Mod any better? I'd like to be able to cause massive effects everywhere and not lag (explosions, crazy SWEPs, etc.)

Definitely.

CrossFire performance/compatibility is always a priority in new driver releases. So it should only be improving with every Driver/CrossFire Application Profile release.

(2x) Radeon HD 4890s would translate to NVIDIA GeForce GTX 470/480 performance levels.

Like I said, definitely worth it.

You and I are using same MoBo, CPU, Memory amount, Monitor Resolution/Size and OS. Basic difference is in the graphic card area. I use two(2) XFX 5770.

Ever since I cross fired them, I have been able to play all my games with graphics settings either on "Very High" or "High."

If you are using the EPU-6 cooling engine control application, set it to Turbo mode (if not set) before you start any graphics intensive game. This will increase the air flow inside your rig when the cards will be dissipating more heat.

Games played: Crysis, Amnesia, Ghost Sniper, Batman's Asylum, Singularity and others.

+1 - Be sure to download the applicable crossfire profiles from the AMD (ATI) Driver download site. Regards

..go for it - it's brilliant!!

I run all my games at max/ultra settings - no probs..

Just so you know, running dual cards like this can be unstable. ATI drivers work on some computers, not on others. Just so you are aware.

You will see a performance increase though.

~Lordbob

If my PC becomes unstable, will I be able to return the graphics card for a refund? I really do not want to spend money only to see it go to complete waste. Also, I'd probably buy it from Newegg.

I don't see why they would not allow you to return it.

~Lordbob