Making final decisions on a new VID card…

[dsventimiglia]

Hello, my build is as follows:
CPU Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core
CPU Cooler Corsair H100 92.0 CFM Liquid
Motherboard Asus SABERTOOTH Z77 ATX LGA1155
Memory G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600
G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600
Storage Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM
OCZ Vertex 4 256GB 2.5" SSD
Case Corsair 550D ATX Mid Tower
Power Supply Thermaltake 850W ATX12V / EPS12V
Monitor BenQ XL2420TX 24.0"
Operating System Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Full (32/64-bit)

After much study on TOM I’ve made the decision in going with the GTX 670 over the 680. Now an even harder one confronted me with all the different types there were out there. I wanted something fast, quite, cool and solid… ya ya join the crowed I know lol. So after much deliberation im down to 4 cards I I would love your help on the last 4. ( not in any specific order) ( $ really isn’t an option just looking for my best $’s worth)
1. MSI N670 PE 2GD5/OC
2. GIGABYTE GV-N670OC-2GD
3. ZOTAC AMP! ZT-60302-10P
4. EVGA 02G-P4-2678-KR

 

[abraham_mammogram]

this could be completely anecdotal, but zotac AMP! series of gpu's tend to run extremely hot, hot enough that I wouldn't run one personally.

EVGA customer support is definitely the best in the industry, if that is any concern to you. It is also factory overclocked, which may or may not interest you, depending on what you wish to get out of this card.

The Gigabyte looks to have the best aftermarket cooling, which means it is also probably the quietest.


In this review, tom's goes over both the gigabyte card and the zotac card in detail:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gtx-670-test-review,3217.html

 

[dsventimiglia]

Roger, read the article forward and back but then I go to do additional research on newegg for example and in there forums the card gets a beet down like in the case with the GIGABYTE GV-N670OC-2GD. There is a 5th option in the ASUS GTX670-DC2-2GD5 which seems to be a pretty solid card but again seems to get a beet down on some reviews. So ive come to the conclusion that all 5 cards are pretty much close in comparison, some hotter but faster, some run well but made of flimsy and so forth. Right now im leaning between the ASUS GTX670-DC2-2GD5 and the EVGA 02G-P4-2678-KR GeForce GTX 670 FTW. Am I making a mistake with ether of these 2 cards?

 

[abraham_mammogram]

I really don't think so, I would pick the EVGA strictly due to their customer service, in the rare case that you get a bad card. I have had to send item back to them, and they are phenomenal. Like I said, it's also factory overclocked so you will get more right off the bat when you plug it in.

That being said, it will be hotter than the ASUS, due to the higher clock rate, and due to the 680 factory cooler that is placed on it. If you have thermal concerns with your case, I would say opt for the ASUS, if you want the fastest card you can without having to concern yourself with ruining your warranty by overclocking, then go with the EVGA. Both cards will be great, and at this point, you're really just splitting hairs.

 

[MajinCry]

I'd recommend an AMD over an NVidia any day. Get a 7850 or a 6950.

 

[abraham_mammogram]

I'd recommend an AMD over an NVidia any day. Get a 7850 or a 6950.

While I also think AMD is a better value, especially if you are into overclocking, his post was not asking "What brand should I get?" His question was "Which GTX 670 should I get?"

Additionally, perhaps there are features that nvidia provides that the OP is into, like adaptive vsync, FXAA, or physx.

 

[dsventimiglia]

Thx for your help, the EVGA 02G-P4-2678-KR did post some very nice #’s and a nice low price. Thx for your help
If i was to compare the EVGA GTX 670 FTW card against an AMD, which 1 would you suggest i look at?

Keep in mind though I am looking more for stable and advanced system with new tec not tec from 1 or 2 years ago. Maby the XFX Double D FX797GTDFC ?

and explain what this coil wine is that is on the AMD forums?

 

[abraham_mammogram]

Thx for your help, the EVGA 02G-P4-2678-KR did post some very nice #’s and a nice low price. Thx for your help
If i was to compare the EVGA GTX 670 FTW card against an AMD, which 1 would you suggest i look at?

Keep in mind though I am looking more for stable and advanced system with new tec not tec from 1 or 2 years ago.

The 7970 is very similar, however, you can buy the 7950 for 100(USD) less, and overclock it to stock 7970 levels without much difficulty. Once again, overclocking voids your warranty, so if that is a concern, do not attempt it. Both of those cards, however, don't pull nearly as much power as the 5xx nvidia cards, and in fact, are rather efficient.

With the current generation, I would say overall the 7950 has the best value of all enthusiast level cards, due to its very friendly 300 dollar price point. If you watch carefully however, you will be able to find either the 7970 or the gtx 670 for roughly 320$ after rebates, if you are patient enough. This actually occurred two weeks ago, so I would not be surprised if it happens again in the near future. It all depends on how long you are willing to wait, and how much you are willing to shell out.

 

[dsventimiglia]

lol im in Afghanistan for another 5 months so the wateing part is no problem nor is the $ just want a nice match for my monitor and the I7 3770K

how dus the XFX Double D FX797GTDFC match up the the 670FTW card?

 

[abraham_mammogram]

lol im in Afghanistan for another 5 months so the wateing part is no problem nor is the $ just want a nice match for my monitor and the I7 3770K

how dus the XFX Double D FX797GTDFC match up the the 670FTW card?

I would rather have the sapphire Vapor-X 100351VXSR, strictly because I have heard several unflattering things about XFX hardware.

It depends on what you are wanting from the card, the 7970 is going to run three screen setups like butter, they work beautifully at high resolutions, where nvidia tends to struggle. Additionally, they have a higher memory bus, therefore, you can apply anti aliasing and post processing to your hearts content.

However, nvidia has advantages too, their proprietary physx technology is quite stunning, if only in a handful of games. Adaptative vsync is also cool, where it doesn't limit your framerate if you drop below the refresh rate of the monitor.

As far as the comparison, I would say that the the 7970 ghz edition will out perform even the 670 FTW edition, if only due to its more conservative core clock settings, which can be easily bumped up.

Care to read a full review? Here you go: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-7970-ghz-edition-review-benchmark,3232.html


edit: coil whine is the phenomenon where you hear a metal grinding like sound, due to electromagnetic variances in the unshielded coils. This variance causes small, but rapid, vibrations, which you hear. When the fans speed up, it multiplies the problem, because it introduces more physical vibrations into the already affected coils. Now I have never experienced coil whine, so I cannot attest to how bothersome it is, nor can I pretend to know how common it is.


edit again: So I just powered up my girlfriends computer, and guess what. Coil whine from the graphics card, it's an nvidia. It is so damn quite that I wouldn't really have noticed it if I hadn't been paying attention from this post.

 

[dsventimiglia]

Best answer selected by dsventimiglia.

 

[dsventimiglia]

thx alot, you where very helpfull

 

[Mousemonkey]

This topic has been closed by Mousemonkey