graphic card usage life

Just wondering if I buy a AMD HD 6990 today. How long will this last me with new games that come out? Obviously I know it won't be able to play the top FP game 3 years from today on Ultra/High Setting. But what If I stuck to games that were like Diablo 3 or GW 2. Could I milk the laptop for the next 3-5 years?

 

It'll still go a long ways. It'll be a while when DX12 comes out, as some games are starting to go towards DX11 as standard. If you are going to overclock, be very careful as you might short out your GPU's lifespan.

Those games will run with the GPU with no problems.

 

Considering that most upcoming games are probably just going to be console ports that fail to raise any kind of bar graphically the 6990 may last a lot longer than you think.

 

Diablo 3 and GW2 will be very easy to run.

 

Nvidia's top mobile card from five years ago, the 8800M GTX, is just now starting to become outdated, but it's still faster than today's GT 540M. Let that sink in for a minute.

The 6990M will last a good 4 years.

 

^^ this

10char

 

Not necessarily since the new consoles will be out in 2013. The 8800m was out after the consoles were out a few years and that is why it lasted so long. Even my 580m SLI could be outdated sadly shortly after next gen console ports come out. So it really depends on when they finally get released IMO...

 

I also would wait for high end tech until the consoles come out. Wait for the *next* graphics release from that point.

Of course, I heard rumors they might be using modern midrange tech rather than anything new, but I think it's best to wait and see.

 

^^kevin is spot on

 

are consols like some type of benchmark for video cards? also when you say consol you mean xbox 720 and ps4 right?

But I do like Kevin's answer. if that's the case I don't think i'll wait. I really don't plan on playing anything that will require a dual V card or anything.

The most graphic intense game i've played is Crysis 1 and warhead.

 

Because game designers are making games with console limitations in mind.

They design for the console and port to PC.
(instead of designing for the PC and duly nerfing the console port for the console's limitations)

Next-gen consoles are not likely to come out for a year or two and are unlikely to have high-end hardware in them anyway. Expect mid-range GPUs at best.

The console market isn't picky and as long as it has the name of their favorite console and a higher number on it, they will buy it anyway.

Frankly, buying a 6990m now may very well result in an overall better gpu than what is put in the new consoles.

 

The Console market is also at a bit of a crossroads though. Unless they plan to support 4K TVs in the future, they are really only shooting for performance on 1080p screens.

The current crop of consoles are able to handle that already for the most part, using 7 year old GPU tech. Thats why console Ports to PC are so easy on modern GPU hardware.

That is great for notebook users, who typically use 1080p or less for the most part.

Now.. Future consoles, its up in the air. I figure they will probably use mid-to-high end 28nm parts in the next generation of consoles so they can have a 6-10 year shelf life. So we might be seeing a huge bump in console power, and even better console ports, after the next gen hits.. obviously.

But even still. today's best hardware should still run those next gen console ports just fine.

 

I wouldn't worry, current GPUs should last 4 years easy. We know for sure there is no new consoles this year (or "real" new consoles, I kinda scoff at the Wii). It is possible they will come next year but it will certainly be late in the year. Even after the new consoles come it will be a year or two before games really start to use that extra power.

I would say 4 years from right now is a good time to upgrade, and a good expected lifespan for a current top end card. By then the new cards will have DX12 and be optimized the for the new types of games and engines. You could buy a card in 4 years and probably expect it to last until the end of the next console generation.

 

Current console game are mostly 720p and internally "upscale" to 1080p, so current console tech does not / can not natively render at those resolutions. Next generation should or better be able to render at 1080p > 60fps. That should be their goal, heck > 120FPS for potential 3D gaming. If consoles aren't going to be released this year, then I bet they will have whatever tech is near top end for PC at time of release. All speculation though.

 

The current consoles shot for 720p/30fps, which is why even modest mobile hardware has lasted so long.

The next Sony and MS consoles will be shooting for 1080p/30fps, which is a large leap in performance. Today's high-end GPUs (580M and 6990M) will not survive more than a couple years into the generation, which is like late 2015 to early 2016.

 

I'd just get the 6990 and not worry about it. Think of it this way - there comes a limit to what people can perceive, and what console makers (an buyers) are willing to pay to achieve performance. My 6950 (granted, it's a desktop card, but it's probably on par with the OP's 6990m) can run BF3 on a mix of Ultra/High at 2048x1152 with 60fps. This is probably around the level of performance we can expect from next-gen consoles, and if I can run games at visual settings equivalent to BF3 on high for the next 3-4 years, I will be completely satisfied. The OP should be as well.

 

Nah the 6990M isn't doing that. Maybe two of them.

 

The 6950 (desktop) is a different beast. A much more powerful beast.

The 6990m is more like a 6870 (desktop) at best.