Is a Radeon HD 4670 good for Sims 3, or should I get better?

[NariaBlack]

I've been doing some research, and I'm torn between the ATI Radeon 4670 HD card I just bought, and returning it for a Radeon 6670. My concern, though, is all I do on my computer gaming wise is play Sims 3. (I have all EP's and SP's, as well.) I don't want to buy a different, more expensive card, if it's way too overpowered and the 4670 will do a perfectly fine job running Sims 3.

I usually run on resolution 1152 x 864 because I prefer it not taking up my entire screen, but my resolution is actually 1600 x 900. So, I don't need the card to give me a max resolution.

I also bought a new power supply, a Corsair GS600. Yes, it's overpowered than the 400W needed, but I got it for the price of a 400 (So I figured why not!)

I have a 1TB hard drive, 6GB RAM, and a newer Gateway desktop.

So, any advice? Is the 4670 HD going to run Sims perfectly fine, or should I really go for the better one even though I'm not going to hardcore game on this PC?

(Also if I left out any important PC specs, let me know!)

[KhaineGB]

Hmmmm...

Looking at the benchmarks for that particular card, apparently it struggled with Mass Effect at low resolutions (1280x1024). Considering that game is older than The Sims 3, it gives me a little cause for concern. Personally I'd go for the Radeon 6670, even though you only play The Sims 3. At least that way the card should last you for quite a while, especially as the system requirements of the game seem to keep going up with every new EP released.

Just my 2 pence though. :)

[ellacharmed]

Buying older cards - my main concern would be continued support availability.
Once AMD termed older cards as legacy, support for them ie driver updates are harder to come by. You can still update but you have to use "hacked" versions that has the checks for that model series removed. And anything "hacked" is a potential danger to the average user, ie how do you know if the hacked driver version you downloaded is from a reputable modder, who is not out to harm your system with viruses or spyware/malware?

And chances that the 4xxx series is going to the "Legacy" bin than the newer 6xxx series is, of course, higher. :) Especially since they have pretty much run down the numbers they can use for 6xxx series, rumors are abound that the first models of 7xxx series is around the corner for Christmas. (sources: pcper (http://www.pcper.com/news/Graphics-Cards/AMD-May-Release-28nm-7000-HD-Series-GPU-December), tomshardware (http://www.tomshardware.com/news/amd-southern-islands-28nm-gpu-ati,13715.html))

[NariaBlack]

Thanks guys for the advice. I'll return the 4670 and see if I can find the 6670 in a store, otherwise I'll still pick something higher up on the Radeon chain! :)