Help with a card purchase

spyguy001

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Apr 14, 2013
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I am going to get a Radeon 7970 ghz edition for my new future proof gaming build - http://pcpartpicker.com/user/spyguy001/saved/

I have chosen the xfx card as it is the cheapest between them but i am looking for the best performance, least problems, and lowest cost. Which one of the cards ( Sapphire, Gigabyte, Xfx, HIS) do you think i should get? Please explain why or why not. My budget for the build is $1500 and i plan to game max at the 1080p monitor. The biggest thing i am looking for in my build is being set for the next 3-5 years on max gaming without upgrading.
 
Solution
Double D tends to run hotter than other cards, but XFX warranty is hard to beat.
Gigabyte tends to cool better and OC better than XFX, though it suffers from QC issues and puts out more DOA or defective cards.
Sapphire tends to cool even better and has better QC, but can suffer from voltage locking for OC purposes and coil whine.

In general, sapphire cards have the best reviews and customer satisfaction over other brands, and while specific cards may pose different problems or have different strengths, overall Sapphire tends to lead the pack.

HIS does ok, their fans tend to be on the loud side but aside from that their cards are solid.


That build will not support max settings for 3-5 years without upgrades. Hell, almost no build will. The 7970 Ghz. Edition is an amazing card, but you can't expect any graphics card to last you that long.
As to your question, I tend to trust Sapphire. They have a long history of quality, and a very good cooler on their Ghz. Edition card.
 

Spaniard United

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Lol ... future proof

The XFX Double D cards tend not to cool very well. I might go for the Gigabyte at the same price, though no rebate.

I can tell you right now that you can't future proof a PC for max settings for 3-5 years and you certainly aren't future proofed with your current setup. While I like the PC you are putting together and it has some very strong components, it certainly isn't future proof nor will it allow you to play games at max settings 3-5 years down the line, at least given how far technology has come in the past 3-5 years. Just look at Crysis .... when Crysis came out, it was THE benchmark for a system. You could play Crysis or you couldn't, that was it. These days modern rigs can handle Crysis without breaking much of a sweat ... but back then they were struggling. Granted that was 6 years ago versus the 3-5 you are proposing, but the overall concept remains the same.

Build a strong PC, but don't think that it is future proof and you'll be golden for 3-5 years ... that's just unrealistic.
 

spyguy001

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Even i know that i cant expect to max games for 3 years if something like another frostbite engine comes around. But even without the max part, i do expect my build to last me 3-5 years at the very least. On the graphics front, i had chosen sapphire girst, but then got recommended towards gigabyte and finally chose xfx for the cost and speed. I dont think tht noise is an issue with the fractal r4 case but i dont want to make stupid assumptions. I do want the best of the bunch and the ard that will last me the most without any lag, disregarding quality. Which edition would suit me then?
 

Spaniard United

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I would go with Sapphire. They tend to have the best ratings and highest satisfaction from customers.

Your setup will last you 3-5 years easily, so long as you understand that it won't still be cream of the crop and allow for max settings at that point.
 

spyguy001

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I am grateful for facts but i would like more strength to the arguement. Sapphire is the one i am leaning on right now, and with more backing up on that, it will be the brand that i choose.
 

davschall

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Lol had to post cause it is a little sad how quickly computer parts depreciate in value and performance. I mean in 3 years ill have about the same regard for my 7950's (that I love) as I do for my 4 year old laptop....now that is a sad picture.
 

Spaniard United

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Double D tends to run hotter than other cards, but XFX warranty is hard to beat.
Gigabyte tends to cool better and OC better than XFX, though it suffers from QC issues and puts out more DOA or defective cards.
Sapphire tends to cool even better and has better QC, but can suffer from voltage locking for OC purposes and coil whine.

In general, sapphire cards have the best reviews and customer satisfaction over other brands, and while specific cards may pose different problems or have different strengths, overall Sapphire tends to lead the pack.

HIS does ok, their fans tend to be on the loud side but aside from that their cards are solid.
 
Solution