Can't decide on graphics for new watercooled build

[troublez]

Hey community,

So I am extremely on the fence about what graphics solution to stick in my new build I have been working on. I have been reading non stop for days about all the current high end card options.

The build will be water cooled on the processor, motherboard, and GPU(s) so no closed loop options. Doing it my self.

The below list is what I have already picked out with the green items already have been purchased
PCPartPicker part list: http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/FMeM

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor
Motherboard: Asus Maximus V Formula EATX LGA1155 Motherboard
Memory: G.Skill Trident X Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3-2400 Memory
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk
Power Supply: Corsair 860W 80 PLUS Platinum Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 Professional (OEM) (64-bit)
Case: Corsair Obsidian Series 900D ATX Full Tower Case (Not released yet)

Basically I have been going back and forth for days now. 690 hydro copper? Titan hydro copper? Crossfired 7970s that I have to put blocks on?

I can not make up my mind. Price isn't a huge issue but I don't want to go over 1300-1400 for graphics. I don't have a preference on AMD or Nvidia. I do overclock and I don't have a preference on a single card or going SLI/Crossfire.

I want something that a year and a half to two years from now will still own anything I throw at it.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

thanks,
Adam

 

[Chairman Ray]

My personal recommendation is to get a single 7970 GHz. There's almost no reason to go above this card since it can even handle surround mode quite well. This card will be able to play any game at any graphics setting for several years to come. If you really do need something with heavy computational power, I suppose the 690 will be your best option.

 

[blazorthon]

Two 7950s or 7970s will be better than a 690 and also better than a Titan along with being cheaper. If you want even better, two 7970 GHz Editions will be a little better than two 7970s.

 

[troublez]

If two 7970s are so much better then why do people buy a 690?

 

[blazorthon]

If two 7970s are so much better then why do people buy a 690?

It's not a huge difference in performance, but the price is much better in addition to a little better performance.

Most people who buy the 690 are making a mistake if they care about money. Even if one must go Nvidia, two 670s can be had much cheaper with identical performance as well as better cooling. The 690 is overpriced and throws much of its hot air back into the case, meaning that you may need extra case cooling compared to the cheaper 670s to deal with it. It's one advantage is that it only uses one PCIe slot.

Also worth mentioning is that sales often don't reflect the better product, but the better marketed product. What sounds cooler, having two single GPU cards, or spending much more money on a single dual-GPU card? The former is usually the better solution for various reasons, but the latter is often chosen strictly because of coolness factor and/or because one doesn't know any better.

 

[burritobob]

If two 7970s are so much better then why do people buy a 690?

The reason: People first of all you WONT get a %100 percent performance increase from CFx cards. Yes combined they do work better but the 690 mainly tailors to those who want a cooler system as the TDP of CFx 7970s is ALOT higher than that of the 690, and also the power efficiency of the 690 is a plus. Now that the facts are on the table people get the 690 simply because it's a lot easier to handle in a smaller enclosure or an enclosure with little ventilation. Personally, as long as you get a nice case, some nice fans, and of course CFx 7970s you will be good to go performance wise.

 

[troublez]

I read so many people claiming issues with SLI and cross fire that the single cards i.e. Titan don't have issue with. Is this really a big deal?

 

[blazorthon]

The reason: People first of all you WONT get a %100 percent performance increase from CFx cards. Yes combined they do work better but the 690 mainly tailors to those who want a cooler system as the TDP of CFx 7970s is ALOT higher than that of the 690, and also the power efficiency of the 690 is a plus. Now that the facts are on the table people get the 690 simply because it's a lot easier to handle in a smaller enclosure or an enclosure with little ventilation. Personally, as long as you get a nice case, some nice fans, and of course CFx 7970s you will be good to go performance wise.

690 is hotter than two 7970s. Lower TDP, yes, but TDP doesn't matter for gaming and furthermore, the 7970s have far superior cooling to keep them running cooler desptie having considerably higher power generation. Also, like I said before, two 670s are still better than getting a 690. They have comparable power consumption and performance to the 690 at a much lower price.

Like I said before, the 690's only advantage over every dual-card setup is the fewer expansion slots needed for it and the need for only a single PCIe x16 slot.

 

[blazorthon]

I read so many people claiming issues with SLI and cross fire that the single cards i.e. Titan don't have issue with. Is this really a big deal?

Most people still having issues have issues because they screwed something up or have a faulty card. SLI and Crossfire work great almost 100% of the time nowadays. Titan is also a huge downgrade in performance in most situations, negating any other advantages. Titan is only *worth* having if you buy two or three of them and even then, only because you can't make a comparably performing solution with the much more affordable cards.

 

[burritobob]

690 is hotter than two 7970s. Lower TDP, yes, but TDP doesn't matter for gaming and furthermore, the 7970s have far superior cooling to keep them running cooler desptie having considerably higher power generation. Also, like I said before, two 670s are still better than getting a 690. They have comparable power consumption and performance to the 690 at a much lower price.

Like I said before, the 690's only advantage over every dual-card setup is the fewer expansion slots needed for it and the need for only a single PCIe x16 slot.

Again 2x7970s will be better here, they perform better than 2x670s... you really cannot beat that.

 

[blazorthon]

Again 2x7970s will be better here, they perform better than 2x670s... you really cannot beat that.

They may generally be a little faster, but that wasn't the whole situation and the question wasn't just about performance.