7970 GHz stock or another brand

andre7red · Sep 11, 2013

I was wondering. Since I'm going to liquid cool. Would it be better to get http://www.amd.com/US/PRODUCTS/DESKTOP/GRAPHICS/7000/7970GHZ/Pages/radeon-7970GHz.aspx#3

or get a different brand 7970 Ghz edition such as gigabyte or saphire.

Isn't the only difference the fan? Which has to be removed anyway for liquid cooling.

JJ1217 · Sep 11, 2013

There are more differences than the fan. If you are watercooling, GET A REFERENCE PCB. I can't stress that enough. Otherwise the waterblock will most likely not fit. The Gigabyte card and the Sapphire card both have non- Reference PCB's (The board in which the cooler is on, in which the waterblock will go on).

If you are planning to watercool, you won't be able to find a reference 7970 Ghz. Just pick up a Diamond 7970 non ghz and you can watercool it. Reference based PCB's for AMD also tend to overclock better and have better power phases.

andre7red · Sep 11, 2013

Will this fit the Diamond 7970? I checked EKWB and they said it does.

EDIT: sorry.... http://www.coolingconfigurator.com/step1_complist?gpu_gpus=982
EDIT: this one EK-FC7970 - Nickel CSQ

JJ1217 · Sep 11, 2013