6870 vs 7770 for upgrade

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
Status
Not open for further replies.
T

theolah12

Distinguished
Dec 17, 2011
43
0
18,530
I currently have the SAPPHIRE 100338L Radeon HD 6770. I had just purchased it back in the end of December so it is almost 2 months old. I had just seen that the 7770's had come out. I was wondering I have been looking around online for comparisons between the two but couldn't find too much. I am selling my 6770 currently. But I have yet to decide between the two. I have found some reviews on the 7770's benchmarks that have against a 6870 and am confused because everyone's benchmarks are different some saying the 7770 having a greater performance than the 6870.

Here is the video i have found that i am confused about the benchmarks that compare the 6870 and the 7770:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UudXJEoijC8&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PLD64DB1E9E700BCD7

The only thing with the 6870 is that if i wanted to crossfire it later on they may not make them anymore? because i don't have the money to buy two cards now. The 7770 would guarantee that i could get another to crossfire because of just being released. I'm stuck between the two.

The benchmarks in this video makes me think the 7770 is better than the 6870?

 
D

de5_Roy

Splendid
Oct 14, 2011
7,159
0
26,960

7770 is generally slower than a 6870.
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/536?vs=540
tomshardware's review
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-7770-7750-benchmark,3135.html
excerpt:
"In absolute terms, AMD’s new Radeon HD 7770 matches or is just a little bit slower than the 256-bit GeForce GTX 460 1 GB."
"The more painful comparison is to AMD’s own Radeon HD 6850. Generally faster, much less expensive, and still very prolific in the channel, there’s just no contest between the 16 month-old Barts-based board and Radeon HD 7770."
if you want to crossfire 2 amd gfx cards, you'd be better off with 7800 or 7900 series.
 
T

theolah12

Distinguished
Dec 17, 2011
43
0
18,530


I would look into the 7800 or the 7900 cards but the only problem is that i dont have the money for that right not my budget is around 150. How long would you estimate based on previous cards how long they're in stock for until they are unavailable anymore?
 
D

de5_Roy

Splendid
Oct 14, 2011
7,159
0
26,960

imo the 6800 cards might be available for a little longer. the 6900 cards have been eol'ed by amd already. getting another 6800 card for cfx might be difficult in the future. 7800 cards haven't been released yet. all the 7000 cards will be priced higher than they should be, until nvidia readjusts their current cards' prices (they've already started) and release their own new kepler lineup. from a budget p.o.v., the 6870 seems like a better choice. alternatively, you could stick with your 6770 (it's a good entry level gaming card imo) until 7000 card prices drop.
but, the biggest factor would be your pc itself. you never gave your full pc config including psu specs.
if you use a single 1080p display, crossfire might not start to show it's strength until you put more load on your gfx cards (app dependent).
 
A

ajdavis

Distinguished
Dec 22, 2011
8
0
18,510


I would think that the difference will be on what you are putting it in. My Crossfired 6870s work great, but remember, they are only PCIE 2.1, so they are not next gen. 7770 is PCIE 3.0 and will be able to take advantage of a much wider bandwidth, assuming you have a supported MOBO. So, like someone else stated, supply us with your current system, so that we can determine where your best options lie. It may be that, with your current system, you would not be able to take much advantage of the improvements on the 7000 series gfx, and getting the 6870 now would be worth it. You should be able to get the 6870 later, but you may not be able to be picky on the brand. I would bet that NewEgg would hold the 6870s (considering they were offering a mail-in rebate for them just 2 months ago) for another 3 months, as this would allow for the FULL release of the 7000 series. Then, they would slowly start to stop carrying the 6000 series, starting at the entry-level cards. The 6870 is CLOSE to the top, but there are 3 cards in front of it, so its borderline that they would keep it available much past mid-2012.

ON THE NOTE OF YOUR ORIGINAL POST:

I have looked at this same issue myself. I have currently the system below:

Asus P8Z68 V-PRO w/ PCIE 3.0
Intel i5-2500K OC'ed to 4.82 GHz (will be upgrading to Ivy i7-3770 when available)
12 GB (2x2 and 2x4) Kingston HyperX RAM (@1600, OC'ed to 1866)
Thermaltake TR2 RX 750W Bronze (willing to upgrade if needed)
2x Sapphire Tech HD 6870 in Crossfire
2x Samsung 64GB SSD
2x Samsung Spinpoint F3 1GB
Samsung 12x Blu-Ray Burner
Asus 48x CD/DVD Burner
NZXT Phantom White Case (2x CoolerMaster 120mm Excalibur, 2x NZXT 200mm Blue LED, Gelid 92mm Silent)
2x Samsung 27-inch LED Monitors


I myself am looking to see if upgrading to 2x HD 7770s in Crossfire would be an actual upgrade. Or, rather, would I have to go to a 7800 or 7900 series to see an improvement? Obviously, the costs go up quite a bit to the 7900 series, and we don't know yet the costs of the 7800. I am just trying to see what 7000 series cards, in crossfire (or a single if applicable) it would take to see an improvement in performance over my current system. So I would love some input from some of the more technically-gifted members. Thanks!

(side note: if there is an updgrade possibility, I would be selling my crossfired 6870s. Maybe we could talk)
 
A

ajdavis

Distinguished
Dec 22, 2011
8
0
18,510
Correction note: the 7870 is available, in 2GB form, at $360 on NE when its back in stock. Does this change anything?
 
T

theolah12

Distinguished
Dec 17, 2011
43
0
18,530
Asus M5A97
AMD Phenom II X6 1090T Processor
Western Digital Caviar Black 500 GB SATA III
Liteon iHAS324 24X DVD-RW SATA Optical Disk Drive
SAPPHIRE 100338L Radeon HD 6770 1GB
Antec Three Hundred Gaming Case
Thermaltake TR2 W0388RU 600W Power Supply
2x-CORSAIR XMS 4GB DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333

I have just built my system back in December so I am not looking to change out other components. I am just looking to upgrade my graphics card because I am selling my current 6770 by replacing it with something around $150. As have stated before I am trying to decide between the 6870 and the 7770.
 
gary1

gary1

Honorable
Mar 21, 2012
1,237
0
11,460
Video doesn't work. However, use this as a reference. Take it with a grain of salt, but look at the specs.

http://www.hwcompare.com/11924/radeon-hd-6870-vs-radeon-hd-7770/

As you can see, even though the 7770 is newer with 28nm, the 6870 still beats it in specs across the board.

I would get a 6870. Or save up and get a 7850 or something.
 
T

theolah12

Distinguished
Dec 17, 2011
43
0
18,530


My bad here is the link that works: http://youtu.be/UudXJEoijC8

But yes that site is one also I have taken a look at and said the 6870 is better. Now this video makes me think different by the results.
 
SargeK155

SargeK155

Distinguished
Nov 11, 2010
43
0
18,530
Super OC Double B, doesnt really sound stock speed card like. But the 6870 in the test is just a normal card. I would say that states the reason the 7770 does better in the video :)
 
T

theolah12

Distinguished
Dec 17, 2011
43
0
18,530
So then in result if I were to get a 6870, would there be anything that would be a set back in the future as of release of new direct x and such?
 
T

theolah12

Distinguished
Dec 17, 2011
43
0
18,530
Well I am currently selling my 6770 now. I would rather sell it now before it loses more money. Going back to my other question, is there anything that would be incompatible as new software is released etc? Or I should be fine because I thought I heard somewhere that the new cards are compatible with the new directx or something along those terms.
 
A

ajdavis

Distinguished
Dec 22, 2011
8
0
18,510
I just changed from my 6870s in Crossfire to a 7970, and I had no software issues. CCC updated to the new driver, and that was it. You shouldnt have any issues

STill looking to sell my Sapphire 6870s in Crossfire. Only had them since December 25th!





---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Asus P8Z68 V-PRO w/ PCIE 3.0
Intel i5-2500K OC'ed to 4.82 GHz
12 GB (2x2 and 2x4) Kingston HyperX RAM (@1600, OC'ed to 1866)
Thermaltake TR2 RX 750W Bronze
Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 (OC'ed to 1.26GHz/6.9GHz)
2x Samsung 64GB SSD
2x Samsung Spinpoint F3 1GB
Samsung 12x Blu-Ray Burner
Asus 48x CD/DVD Burner
NZXT Phantom White Case (2x CoolerMaster 120mm Excalibur, 2x NZXT 200mm Blue LED, Gelid 92mm Silent)
2x Samsung 27-inch LED Monitors
 
M

Maximum90

Honorable
Apr 4, 2012
1
0
10,510
Would you not consider a Nvida card? Here's a great price on a GTX 560 at $135.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130770

And based on this benchmark, the reference cards look to overclock really well. Faster than a stock HD 6870 while also cheaper.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gtx-560-amp-edition-gtx-560-directcu-ii-top,2944-15.html

I bought a 6870 about a month ago. It's XFX and I registered it, so if I ever want to sell to someone else who has an HD6870 (for SLI), I can transfer the life time warranty to the new owner (so I don't have to worry about screwing someone over if the card goes bad). I really like the card, but if I were buying now, I'd possibly grab two GTX 560s while they are available, SLI them, and overclock them. It should result in really good performance for the price of $270.

Also, how much are you getting for your HD6770? Even though you may sell it for less later on, you'll also be able to buy better cards for less later on, so the trade-off may be worth the wait.

I'm not sure if you are familiar with this website, but it shows current price/performance ratios for GPU's. You might want to check it out when you finally get ready to upgrade your card.

http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu_value.html

Good Luck!
 
A

ajdavis

Distinguished
Dec 22, 2011
8
0
18,510
I would still advise to run with the dual 6870s in CF. I have used them for a year, and have yet to encounter a game that will push them too far. I only use a single 27", so if you are running multiple monitors it may start to tax it. PCI-E 3.0 is a great step forward, but we all know it will be a few years before there are any games that can actually USE the bandwidth that it provides. Until then, they just sucker people like me into buying the best new stuff, for no really good reason. And yes, I am going to upgrade to a i7 IB when it comes out (hopefully) later this month.

On a side note, does anyone know if anyone has been able to unlock the shaders on a 7950? It would be a cheaper way to swap a 7950 to a 7970 and save a few bucks. Or.....maybe.....a cheaper way to Crossfire 7970s? :)
 
A

ajdavis

Distinguished
Dec 22, 2011
8
0
18,510
How much are you getting for your 6770? When you state you are spending $150, is that TOTAL, or on top of what you are getting for your card? You could go a few ways:

1. Get a 6870 and look for a gently used 6870 on eBay. Alot for sale now that 7000 series are out, and you could get it on the cheap within the next 6 months.
2. Get 2 older GTX 560s to SLI. They would be very competitive, new, and relatively cheap (under $300, per earlier links)
3. Buy a used GTX 580. You can snag them for $280 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130620) on NewEgg. Its more than you were looking for, but it would solidify your system for a few years. Also, again, with people finally moving off of their high-end 6xxx and 580s to the new 7xxx and 680, there will be alot of previous gen cards floating around.

Advantage = you.

Don't get shy about buying a used card or a refurb. from NewEgg. It really ends up being a good deal for you. I guess I would just ask, what is your TOTAL spending budget? If you are looking to get the most bang for your buck, it may be more wise to pony up a few extra bucks right now to open up more doors for yourself down the road.

(and not trying to make this an ad forum, but I have my 2 HD 6870s listed on eBay right now (http://www.ebay.com/itm/220992757699?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1586.l2649) for $275. I would go down to $250 if it would help you. They are only 3 months old, and were never run hard)
 
jmasta111

jmasta111

Distinguished
Oct 30, 2011
28
0
18,530
Here is the fact of the matter:
I have an XFX R7770 Black Edition Double D.
It comes with a standard overclock of 1095/1245.
It runs cooler than a 6870 at stock and has the same performance.
I have it overclocked to 1125/1300 and it still runs VERY cool.
The difference is that the 7770 takes significantly less power, so if you crossfire the two for about $250 you will get the performance of 7950.

HOWEVER, if you have a bit more money to spend, go with a 660ti. The performance wont be as good as two R7770's at first, but the difference is that one card is always better and a 660ti will allow for further crossfiring.

Its up to you, but basically, if you are looking to spend no more than $250-300 and not planning on doubling that price later down the road, or if you can only affort half now, go with the two R7770's. If you have a bit more money go for the 660ti
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom