I5-3470 + 7950 3GB VS i5-3570K + 7870 2GB

[Sret43rg]

Which of the two would be better for gaming? Also, if i get the i5-3570K combo i will be able to buy a Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO cooler with it because of the savings of the 7950>7870.

Thanks in advance.

 

[FinneousPJ]

7950 build is better.

 

[Thomas Creel]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3470 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($191.97 @ CompUSA)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Newegg) Go with this cooler, you will not see any noticeable improvement spending more money on the EVO.
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($279.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $491.95

OR

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($169.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition 2GB Video Card ($222.21 @ NCIX US) Go with the Ghz edition for $20 more.
Total: $412.19

Personally if I were on a budget I would go with the Intel i5-3570K & Radeon HD 7870 Ghz Edition, which will save me $79.76 while still having very good performance, with the right motherboard I could even 2-Way SLI another Radeon HD 7870 Ghz Edition in the future.

Also the benchmarks say that the i5-3570K W/ Radeon HD 7870Ghz Edition scores 197.15 on SysMark 2012 - Overall while the i5-3470 W/ Radeon HD 7950 scores 192.22.

The i5-3570K build is also more future proof coupled with better all round overclocking potential. In games you will see higher frame rates with the Radeon HD 7950 though.

 

[Sret43rg]

I heard the difference between a 7870 and a 7950 is very little, is this correct?

 

[Thomas Creel]

Says here that the 7950 is on a higher tier on the gpu heirarchy :

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-7.html

 

[eddie jr]

Here's a list of benchmarks between the two, just to give you a broad perspective of both of their capabilities. As you can see, the 7950 outperforms the 7870 for the most part, but when building PCs it's usually about what you're willing to sacrifice as far as performance/dollar. The fact that the 7950 is a 3gb card and the 7870 is a 2gb card makes quite a bit of difference as well...
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/548?vs=550

 

[Thomas Creel]

The fact that the 7950 is a 3gb card and the 7870 is a 2gb card makes quite a bit of difference as well...

Says who? Past 2GB of VRAM you get diminishing returns if running a single 1080p monitor.

 

[Guest]

getting a "K" version processor and overclocking it will not make nearly as much difference as a better graphics card.

there are a few 7870s that can overclock to the performance of a 7950 and the same can be said about the 7950 overclocking to a 7970s performance. but not all cards/gpus overclock the same.

with that said, you will get a better 'potential' performance from a i5-3470/7950 than a i5-3770K/7870 set up.

 

[eddie jr]

If running a single 1080p monitor, you probably shouldn't be worried about buying a high end card like a 7950 at all

Plus, it's just a matter of opinion. I'm still relatively new to the forums myself so I can't say I've tested both personally, as I've opted to go with the 7870 myself.

 

[Sret43rg]

So i really can't go wrong with either decision? just go with the cheaper one?

 

[Guest]

If running a single 1080p monitor, you probably shouldn't be worried about buying a high end card like a 7950 at all

Plus, it's just a matter of opinion. I'm still relatively new to the forums myself so I can't say I've tested both personally, as I've opted to go with the 7870 myself.

i this card - MSI R7870 HAWK Edition


i am waiting for the 7890s to be released before my next upgrade

 

[Thomas Creel]

there are a few 7870s that can overclock to the performance of a 7950 and the same can be said about the 7950 overclocking to a 7990s performance. but not all cards/gpus overclock the same.

I hope thats a typo , jk I know you meant 7970

 

[Guest]

I hope thats a typo , jk I know you meant 7970

what typo?

 

[eddie jr]

So i really can't go wrong with either decision? just go with the cheaper one?

As I said, it's really a matter of personal opinion. Both cards perform exceptionally well, but when choosing GPUs, it comes down to if you really need everything at ULTRA or the highest settings possible in order to play the game for a gamer build. If you have it like that, and "money ain't a thing," then go ahead and spend it, but just because it costs more doesn't mean you'll need it. However, overkill is a beautiful thing for many people.

I've heard great things about the 7870 from many people which is why I'm going with it.

 

[Sret43rg]

It's either this: http://www.scan.co.uk/products/3gb-xfx-radeon-hd-7950-double-d-5000mhz-gddr5-gpu-800mhz-dvi-dvi-hdmi-mdp or this: http://www.scan.co.uk/products/2gb-msi-radeon-hd-7870-overclocked-28nm-4800mhz-gddr5-gpu-1050mhz-1280-cores-dl-dvi-i-hdmi-2x-mini-d which has the better cooling solution?

 

[eddie jr]

i this card - MSI R7870 HAWK Edition


i am waiting for the 7890s to be released before my next upgrade

I'm wary as to what the 7890 will actually offer. The fact that they mention it's going to be competing with the 660 ti makes me wonder what their gameplan is, since the 7870 is right up there with the 660 ti already (IMO). My 7870 purchase for will probably be the only GPU I buy for a while, unless I have a bunch of cash lying around for the GTX 690.

 

[Guest]

I'm wary as to what the 7890 will actually offer. The fact that they mention it's going to be competing with the 660 ti makes me wonder what their gameplan is, since the 7870 is right up there with the 660 ti already (IMO). My 7870 purchase for will probably be the only GPU I buy for a while, unless I have a bunch of cash lying around for the GTX 690.

on a side note:
i understand that production of the NON boost 7950 will cease and the 7890s will replace them. i hope to see its release and some reviews soon because i got an itch that needs scratched :lol:

if it performs well and prices are ~$280 i really think i'll get one.

 

[eddie jr]

on a side note:
i understand that production of the NON boost 7950 will cease and the 7890s will replace them. i hope to see its release and some reviews soon because i got an itch that needs scratched :lol:

if it performs well and prices are ~$280 i really think i'll get one.

If that's true, and the price range are around $280, I might be with you on that one lol.

 

[A Bad Day]

At 1080p resolution, the 7870 is sufficient.

What kind of games are you looking at? Typically the multiplayer mode of many games, and some games like SC2 or ones based on Source will use more CPU power.

 

[Sret43rg]

I am looking at games like Battlefield 3, Skyrim, Dishonoured etc. Will the 7870 be able to handle these on ultra at 1920x1080 with playable settings?

 

[Guest]

yes!

 

[Thomas Creel]

I am looking at games like Battlefield 3, Skyrim, Dishonoured etc. Will the 7870 be able to handle these on ultra at 1920x1080 with playable settings?

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-7870-review-benchmark,3148.html''

BF3 - 65 FPS
Skyrim - 72 FPS

Dishonoured will run ever higher frame rates.

 

[boulbox]

http://teksyndicate.com/news/2012/08/16/nvidia-gtx-660-ti-vs-amd-radeon-7950-vs-amd-radeon-7870

i prefer the 7870 a bit more. not that much more gain going with a 7950

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-5.html
^
which is why Tom didnt recommend it since the 7870 is more cost efficient over the 7950.

also BF3 prefers Nvidia over AMD GPUs but should still run it smoothly. As for the others Yes it will run smoothly

Also what is the budget of the build so i can help build one.

 

[Sret43rg]

My Budget of the build is £600-£640 MAX, if you could use Amazon.co.uk or Scan.co.uk or cclonline.com prices that would be amazing, thank you

 

[Thomas Creel]

My Budget of the build is £600-£640 MAX, if you could use Amazon.co.uk or Scan.co.uk or cclonline.com prices that would be amazing, thank you

Sonicers did an amazing build recently for that much, I'll see if I can find it. Here it is:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3350P 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor (£132.85 @ Scan.co.uk)
Motherboard: MSI B75MA-E33 Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard (£45.30 @ Scan.co.uk)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£30.96 @ Scan.co.uk)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£40.98 @ Ebuyer)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 660 Ti 3GB Video Card (£246.79 @ Scan.co.uk)
Case: XClio Nighthawk ATX Mid Tower Case (£28.79 @ Scan.co.uk)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W ATX12V Power Supply (£32.92 @ Scan.co.uk)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-222BB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer (£11.96 @ Scan.co.uk)
Total: £570.55
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

I changed the case, added a power supply, and changed the video card to fit in your budget ( Plus the case is better. )