Need help choosing a Radeon 7950

[Nebulae]

Hi all, this is my first post. This site has helped me build at least 5 rigs over the years of lurking, so thanks for all the great knowledge sharing!

That being the case I just built another one and want to get a respectable gpu to finish it out. I think the Radeon 7950 should do the trick for the pricepoint, but there are so many to choose from. I want one that will work well AND be as quiet as possible. The cost is less important than finding the right gpu. My monitor is HDMI, and I'll output to a TV as well. Overclocking doesn't interest me either.

System:
i5 3750 Ivy w/ Hyper 212 EVO
16GB Corsair Vengeance PC3 12800
OCZ Vertex 4 256GB
ASUS Sabertooth z77

Thank you so much in advance for any thoughts!

 

[acerace]

Been lurking around the forums for 5 years must have granted you the knowledge to state the essential specs (CPU, Mobo, GPU & PSU) and budget.

Anyway, this SAPPHIRE Vapor-X 100352VXSR Radeon HD 7950 3GB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card looks like a good all-round card for $340.

 

[Sakkura]

I would either go with the Asus Radeon HD 7950, which was named the quietest in Tom's review of 6 different 7950s, or the Gigabyte Radeon HD 7950 which wasn't in that review and has been praised elsewhere for great cooling.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121716
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-7950-review-benchmark,3207-14.html

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125414

 

[sulumordna]

^+1 that is a good card. xfx makes good cards too. I personally recommend staying from HIS cards though, had a lot of trouble with that brand. I have also heard some bas reviews on some of the msi 7950s and 7970s. I am planning on a new build soon myself and intend to get the Sapphire card.

 

[Nebulae]

Best answer selected by Nebulae.

 

[Nebulae]

I just received notification that there were replies to my query, so I didn't realize you all had posted. I got the SAPPHIRE 100352-2L Radeon HD 7950 3GB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card

and I love it. It is really quiet too. It's handling Borderlands 2 fully maxxed without issue and looks simply beautiful, though I haven't checked framerates. I'm glad I didn't skimp on it. My case is plenty big enough for it, but it is really long. I did forget to mention my psu is a Seasonic SS-520FL, and I haven't had any issues so far so I guess it can handle it.

Thanks for the thoughts!

 

[acerace]

You're welcome. Enjoy with your card.