GTX 660ti vs XFX 7970 vs GTX 670

[aatish11]

Hello,
I am currently running 2x hd 5870's in x-fire. I like to play games like GTA 4, FSX, and Project CARS. I am considering upgrading from the two 5870's to either a gtx 660ti, XFX 7970, or a gtx 670. The main reason I want to do this is to cut down on power usage a bit, to improve airflow into my case, and to get better performance for future games. What would be the best card, and would the upgrade be worth it? Also, what brands of cards would you guys recommend. I prefer buying from Bestbuy or Tigerdirect. My Specs are listed below. All suggestions are welcomed.
Thanks,
-Aatish

Specs
x58 alienware motherboard
i7 920 @3.8ghz
12gb ddr3 1333mhz
1 500gb WD velociraptor for boot and some games
1 120gb OCZ silver series ssd for games and programs
2 WD 500gb hard drives for data

 

[redeemer]

for your CPU a 660ti will be excellent

 

[aatish11]

for your CPU a 660ti will be excellent

Do you have any particular brands that you suggest?

 

[djangoringo]

What's your psu ?
A 670 gtx/7970 is more a natural upgrade from two 5870.
My personal suggestion goes for a 670 gtx from asus, msi or gigabyte, those have superb coolers, since you're concerned with temperatures.

 

[bigshootr8]

Yea I'm liking DJ's recommendation here but I would also say that the 670/7970 will probably give you a bit more high end gameplay for longer then you would get from the 660Ti which isn't to take away from the card.

 

[aatish11]

What's your psu ?
A 670 gtx/7970 is more a natural upgrade from two 5870.
My personal suggestion goes for a 670 gtx from asus, msi or gigabyte, those have superb coolers, since you're concerned with temperatures.

I think I have a 825w...do you think I will hit any bottlenecks with the graphics card? Also, my motherboard only has pci-e 2.0, will this affect the cards performance?

 

[bigshootr8]

Your bandwidth to your card won't be an issue and your psu should be fine. What power supply are you currently using.

 

[djangoringo]

I think I have a 825w...do you think I will hit any bottlenecks with the graphics card? Also, my motherboard only has pci-e 2.0, will this affect the cards performance?

That cpu you have is still a good one, it will not bottleneck the card, pcie 3.0 cards are compatible with previous pcie, with a one with 2.0 16x, no hit in performance.
A 825w psu will do, if that psu powered two 5870, it will definitely run a 670 gtx without hassle, it was a dumb question of my part.

 

[aatish11]

That cpu you have is still a good one, it will not bottleneck the card, pcie 3.0 cards are compatible with previous pcie, with a one with 2.0 16x, no hit in performance.
A 825w psu will do, if that psu powered two 5870, it will definitely run a 670 gtx without hassle, it was a dumb question of my part.

Well I am glad to know that I wont have any problems with my psu and motherboard. I guess I will get the 670 then. Thanks for the help mate

 

[aznplayer213]

Look into the prices of each card. Im in the US and i think the 7970 and 670 are closely priced with one another. If you are looking to spend 400 bucks, I would rock the 7970 (with aftermarket cooler of course).

 

[hapkido]

I don't think a 660ti or 670 will be a performance upgrade over 2x 5870. 7970 maybe, but it's not worth spending $400 on imo.

hd5870 cf
660ti

tom's gpu hierarchy

I'd wait. Your setup is going to be a little better than a 5970 (which benches closer to crossfire 5850s since it's 2x 5870 chips with lower clocks). You're really not going to improve much without getting another multiple card setup. My advice is to wait for the next generation.

 

[aatish11]

Look into the prices of each card. Im in the US and i think the 7970 and 670 are closely priced with one another. If you are looking to spend 400 bucks, I would rock the 7970 (with aftermarket cooler of course).

I am also in the US, and have noted the similarity in prices. I want to get more bang for my buck, hence why I included the 7970 in the thread as a choice. I like AMD cards, just that I never actually have had a Nvidia card. Basically, Im now torn between a gtx 670 and 7970. I dont mind overclocking a bit. I just want something that will last a good time and allow my to game reliably.

 

[Tom Burnqest]

I am also in the US, and have noted the similarity in prices. I want to get more bang for my buck, hence why I included the 7970 in the thread as a choice. I like AMD cards, just that I never actually have had a Nvidia card. Basically, Im now torn between a gtx 670 and 7970. I dont mind overclocking a bit. I just want something that will last a good time and allow my to game reliably.

A 7970 TOXIC would be an upgrade but honestly 5870 CF is generally on par or faster than a GTX 670 so ....

 

[aatish11]

A 7970 TOXIC would be an upgrade but honestly 5870 CF is generally on par or faster than a GTX 670 so ....

But I would be cutting down one card, which would help with airflow and cut down on some power consumption...correct?

 

[djangoringo]

A 580 GTX is better than two 5870 in crossfire, a 670 or 7970 will be much better, without micro stuttering problems, also worth mention the vram which is 1GB, either the 670 or 7970 have more vram and a much lower power consumption.
If your priority is lower power consumption the 670 gtx is the best choice.

 

[hapkido]

A 580 GTX is better than two 5870 in crossfire, a 670 or 7970 will be much better, without micro stuttering problems, also worth mention the vram which is 1GB, either the 670 or 7970 have more vram and a much lower power consumption.
If your priority is lower power consumption the 670 gtx is the best choice.

gtx580 is slower than a 5970, which crossfire 5870s are faster than.

 

[aatish11]

A 580 GTX is better than two 5870 in crossfire, a 670 or 7970 will be much better, without micro stuttering problems, also worth mention the vram which is 1GB, either the 670 or 7970 have more vram and a much lower power consumption.
If your priority is lower power consumption the 670 gtx is the best choice.

My main priority is performance, the reliability, then air flow, and then power consumption. I want to try Nvidia, but have no experience with it other than an 8800 which my dad uses to play fs2004. I don't mind spending a little more on a card, I just want to be sure that it will be better than what it will be replacing and it will last for a good while.

 

[djangoringo]

http://www.overclock.net/t/890010/gtx-580-vs-radeon-hd-5870-crossfire-review

Not to mention the micro stuttering, higher power consumption and crossfire driver support...
A single 670 gtx or 7970 will be better, especially in the future games, with better DX11 performance, less heat, less power consumption, less noise, and with higher vram capacity, no micro stutter hassle.
A 670 gtx might be the best choice for him, since he wants a single card with the lowest power consumption possible.

 

[hapkido]

http://www.overclock.net/t/890010/gtx-580-vs-radeon-hd-5870-crossfire-review

Not to mention the micro stuttering, higher power consumption and crossfire driver support...
A single 670 gtx or 7970 will be better, especially in the future games, with better DX11 performance, less heat, less power consumption, less noise, and with higher vram capacity, no micro stutter hassle.
A 670 gtx might be the best choice for him, since he wants a single card with the lowest power consumption possible.

It is not worth spending $400 for marginal performance increase (at best) no matter which way you slice it. He'd "save" more on his power bill by investing in a higher efficiency PSU than upgrading his graphics.

 

[djangoringo]

Well the op wants a single card with lower power consumption, even with a platinum psu it won't help to lower down the power consumption.
And a 670 gtx or 7970 is a valid option, he can sell the two 5870, it will lower down the cost of those cards, and with possibility of adding another one later.

 

[hapkido]

What do you mean a more efficient PSU won't lower power consumption? It won't lower it for the computer, but it will lower what the PSU takes from the outlet (i.e. his total usage).

I'm saying it's not worth upgrading. He currently has a powerful GPU setup. It would take a really, really, really long time to recoup $400 on your power bill from one or two PC components.

New cards are coming out in a few months, and there's a good chance the high-end ones will be good performance upgrades from his current setup. Wait for the new cards.

 

[Tom Burnqest]

But I would be cutting down one card, which would help with airflow and cut down on some power consumption...correct?

5870CF are the same performance as a GTX 670 so you already have the performance. GPUs for running games not saving power and you already have an extremly capable setup. I suggest you wait and save for CF 7950s as this will blow away CF 5870s whereas a GTX 660ti/670/7970 will not.

 

[Tom Burnqest]

http://www.overclock.net/t/890010/gtx-580-vs-radeon-hd-5870-crossfire-review

Not to mention the micro stuttering, higher power consumption and crossfire driver support...
A single 670 gtx or 7970 will be better, especially in the future games, with better DX11 performance, less heat, less power consumption, less noise, and with higher vram capacity, no micro stutter hassle.
A 670 gtx might be the best choice for him, since he wants a single card with the lowest power consumption possible.

WoW a fan boy dd a less than side grade and you think it was a great idea ?

 

[djangoringo]

What do you mean a more efficient PSU won't lower power consumption? It won't lower it for the computer, but it will lower what the PSU takes from the outlet (i.e. his total usage).

I'm saying it's not worth upgrading. He currently has a powerful GPU setup. It would take a really, really, really long time to recoup $400 on your power bill from one or two PC components.

New cards are coming out in a few months, and there's a good chance the high-end ones will be good performance upgrades from his current setup. Wait for the new cards.

See this : http://hardocp.com/article/2011/10/04/80_plus_irrelevant_to_you_when_buying_psu/2

There's no proof that two 5870 performs as good as a 670 gtx or 7970.
Even a 580 gtx tested by the same user with two 5870 get higher frame rate and more smoothness.
The 5870 is two generations old, with the aggravation of the driver support for old generation cards from amd and with just 1 GB of vram.
A single card like the 670 or 7970 will give more frame rates and a better experience in gaming, and with a much lower power consumption, without micro stuttering hassle.
It's valid, there's no mention on when other cards will arrive.
He can sell the two 5870 later, it will trim down the cost...and he can add another one later(either the 670 or 7970).

 

[hapkido]

See this : http://hardocp.com/article/2011/10/04/80_plus_irrelevant_to_you_when_buying_psu/2

There's no proof that two 5870 performs as good as a 670 gtx or 7970.
Even a 580 gtx tested by the same user with two 5870 get higher frame rate and more smoothness.
The 5870 is two generations old, with the aggravation of the driver support for old generation cards from amd and with just 1 GB of vram.
A single card like the 670 or 7970 will give more frame rates and a better experience in gaming, and with a much lower power consumption, without micro stuttering hassle.
It's valid, there's no mention on when other cards will arrive.
He can sell the two 5870 later, it will trim down the cost...and he can add another one later(either the 670 or 7970).

Not only are you wrong, but even if you were right, it's still terrible advice.