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Newegg has the MSI R7850 Twin Frozr 2GD5/OC Radeon HD 7850 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card for $200 - $20 rebate [Exp 12/13] = $180 with free shipping. Includes Two Worlds II and Sleeping Dogs PC game coupons. Features 900MHz core clock, 1x HDMI, 2x mini-DisplayPort, 1x DVI. 
$180
Would upgrading from a Radeon 4870 be worth it? I've been eyeing this card as my GPU upgrade and hope I'd be able to offload the 4870 for $30-40 to offset the $180 for this card. My ideal budget is around $150 but if this thing gives me a nice improvement in BF3 and can handle two monitors (1 more in the near future, not in eyefinity) nicely, plus in the future I could pick up another to run in Crossfire in the future I'd bite on this card.
TL;DR - I need a new video card - budget $140-160, I play BF3 and run dual monitors.
While a worthy upgrade from the 4870, the real part is a 7870 and not because the number match. But for the pricing structure that the 48XX series released in. When released in June 2008 it was a $300 card while a 4850 was a $200 unit. Now sure by the end of a very bitter war 4870 could be had for well under $150; that was a great time to get very powerful (dare say enthusiast level) graphics cards from either side really cheap.
Ok, enough history $150-180 budget, BF3, two panels soon...
First resolution and connections, are you talking 1920x or 1080p, will one have HDMI or DisplayPort because this has just one DVI? Most cheap or old monitors won't give you either so consider that. 7850 2Gb will run BF3 @1920x, but might need lower AA and medium settings depending on your CPU. And, hate to bring it up agian but a 7870 will permit 4xAA most time in high to get the most from the Frostbite 2 game engine Dx11 features have to offer while keeping Fps in the +50’s. While I'd like to keep you in that $150 realm, I think I’d want a minimum of 2Gb, although there's debate as to help in BF3... games like Skyrim do. While I deem a 7850 1Gb almost always a as good a as a 2Gb, the kicker you don't find many with dual fans units (I’d want to OC it) with two DVI connectors on the cheap. I like this Sapphire 100355-1GOCL 7850 1GB (900Mhz 5%) $170 –AR$20 $7.56 shipping, but it not a deal against this MSI.
Ok that said, I'd say you're money ahead to get a card with two DVI connectors so this MSI hasn’t the right stuff. If you're not one to OC your card, for a few buck more there's a 1000Mhz (15% OC) and 2Gb, while single fan (though no talk of it being noisy) check this PowerColor PCS+ AX7850 2GB its' $185 -AR$10 $7.56 shipping.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131472
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Powercolor/HD_7850_PCS_Plus/
Hope that Helps, Cc
A 7850 would be a HUGE upgrade from a 4870. Price wise, this is a decent deal for a excellent MSI card. Overclocked, this card will meet or exceed a stock 7870 in most games. The best price on a 7870 atm is about $220 after rebate. My 7850 clocks to 1175/5800 and plays most games at or near max settings at 1080p in my HTPC. A GTX660 or 7850 2GB is about the minimum I would recommend for BF3 if you enjoy upped details.
While I'm sure #3 was writing while mine posted, I'd say the biggest transformation is getting to run Dx11. The difference in raw power is something like 4870 = 7770, so it's not all that massive. What it does permit is respectable 1920x; something neither a 7770 (Dx11) or 4870 (Dx10) is going to offer for BF3, without cannibalizing the eye candy.
As to why go to a 7870... it’s 23% faster running BF3 (apples to apples); so paying $220 (right at 23% more) a 7870 isn’t any loss in BfB, and for OC’n you can still bump a 7870. But clock to clock a 7850 OC will offer good raw performance increase, the extra Sp's and texture units from a 7870 does add that slight level of smoothness, though hard to tell by the eyes.
Let me conclude it this way a 7850 1Gb for about $150-160 for an average PC gamer @1920x and can work with high/med settings it's a great place overall. Although, as you add caveats like wanting two monitors, an aggressive title, better seetings, etc. things start to meander a bit.
And totally agree with the last sentence, and a another good consideration is this GTX 660 2Gb
http://bensbargains.net/deal/zotac-geforce-gtx-660-gddr5-2gb-video-card-180-at-newegg-286404/
Thanks for the info.
Let me clear up some things, first this is my system:
AMD 635 (Quad - 2.9)
- Hyper 212+
Asus 785 Mobo
4 GB DDR3
90 GB Vertex 3
AMD Radeon 4870
Antec 300 Case
Now, I'm currently using (2) 23" Gateway monitors running 1920x1080, through two DVI. My monitors have HDMI as well.
I don't need to game at ultra but just want a GPU that will give me a good noticeable increase, will last me a while and allow me to run (3) monitors in the near future.
Is getting a 7850 2 GB GPU now and then grabbing another one in a year or so a bad idea? I'm not able to shell out $200+ for a GPU now.
Fannatick - With those monitors you're set and can work with whatever.
And yes starting with a 7850 2Gb now while C-F and even Eyefinity down the road is a good plan. The only thing might be the 645 Quad might not be up to the task CPU-wise IMO for BF3 for a 3 panel. Though maybe others can provide a better opinion.
Yeah, thats what I thought about my CPU, if I get anything much stronger than a 7850 I would want to upgrade my CPU (then my mobo) which I don't really want to do now. Plus I can build a new rig in the future and use the 7850.
I'll just keep an eye out for a 7850 on sale, hopefully with AC3. Does card make matter a lot?
I doubt AC3 bundled with AMD cards it an Nvidia sponsored game.
As to a 7850 AIB's to steer away from? Most everything Egg listing are good, but sometimes a card can have its own personal glitches. Like that Gigabyte GV-R785OC-2GD even as bad as it seems, it good to see Gigabyte Rep correspondence there and Egg seems to be helping giving it their EggShield policy. Given if the price was right I wouldn’t necessarily shy away from it today. In the past HIS had been the low man, and had problems (and worse crappy Cust. Sev), but I’ve heard good things and such on their products. So you can usually get a feel from the Eggviews. PowerColor has been good for me, while lot of folks seem to have shunned XFX, and while they have their not so… they then have good. Like that Double D FX-785A-CDFC; from 99 Eggview 5*-4* =90% is excellent; while look at the 6 dissenters and how many voted them down. Reading those there’s normal rebate bitch, a couple of DOA/RMA’s… sure, and then the guy who hated their quality, but bought one again (he’s there twice).
There was a specific problem with a 7870 from Sapphire a while back and reviews at Egg brought it up. But it was a known issue those who got them probably going thru Egg or Sapphire could get it resolved, but for a while it was touch and go.
http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/showthread.php?t=174858