Gigabyte HD7970 or MSI GTX670
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Last response: in Graphics & Displays
lemming9
August 13, 2013 9:13:36 AM
Hello,
I am looking to get a new GPU and have shortlisted the following:
Gigabyte HD7970 OC Edition
MSI GTX670 OC Edition
MSI GTX670 Power Edition
Although I was considering a Gigabyte HD7970 OC Edition as I found one at 25% off the current retail price, I've noticed the prices of the MSI GTX670 are very similar with the OC Edition being 10% cheaper still and the Power Edition being only 5% more, so price is not really a big issue between any of them.
The Games
My main idea is to play Skyrim and Tomb Raider on highest settings (TressFX enabled etc.) so relative performance needs to consider these games in particular rather than usual 1st person shooter FPS benchmarks. Games will be played at 1080p
Not Overclocked Performance
I understand the Gigabyte is voltage locked?
So given their non overclocked speeds am I right in thinking that the HD7970 with 1000/5500MHz 384bit 3GB is the best way to go?
Or do either of the 2 NVIDIA cards at their standard speeds outperform the Gigabyte HD7970 OC Edition at its standard speed?
Overclocked Performance
Given the Gigabyte HD7970 OC Edition is voltage locked exactly how far can I expect the Gigabyte HD7970 be overclocked?
Will either MSI GTX670 overclock to outperform the Gigabyte HD7970 OC Edition when it's overclocked?
NVIDIA
NVIDIA cards have PhysX, Cuda and Active Sync Control. Not sure exactly what they do? Will the AMD have an equivalent to these? Are these features worth considering if the NVIDIA speed is slower or will they help to improve performance above the HD7970 even at their slower clock speeds?
Crossfire / SLI
I'm hoping whichever card I get will last about 2 years, in which time a second in Crosfire or SLI could be got for cheap to boost performance. Is there any issue with Crossfire or SLI that might affect future performance.
PSU
Obviously for 2 cards I'd need a new PSU. I have a good quality 380W PSU. Some power consumption reviews for the Gigabyte HD7970 OC Edition indicate total system power in the region of 370W. I'd rather not upgrade my PSU but can if necessary.
Could you girls and guys give your opinions on relative performance so that I may make a better informed decision.
Thanks.
I am looking to get a new GPU and have shortlisted the following:
Gigabyte HD7970 OC Edition
MSI GTX670 OC Edition
MSI GTX670 Power Edition
Although I was considering a Gigabyte HD7970 OC Edition as I found one at 25% off the current retail price, I've noticed the prices of the MSI GTX670 are very similar with the OC Edition being 10% cheaper still and the Power Edition being only 5% more, so price is not really a big issue between any of them.
The Games
My main idea is to play Skyrim and Tomb Raider on highest settings (TressFX enabled etc.) so relative performance needs to consider these games in particular rather than usual 1st person shooter FPS benchmarks. Games will be played at 1080p
Not Overclocked Performance
I understand the Gigabyte is voltage locked?
So given their non overclocked speeds am I right in thinking that the HD7970 with 1000/5500MHz 384bit 3GB is the best way to go?
Or do either of the 2 NVIDIA cards at their standard speeds outperform the Gigabyte HD7970 OC Edition at its standard speed?
Overclocked Performance
Given the Gigabyte HD7970 OC Edition is voltage locked exactly how far can I expect the Gigabyte HD7970 be overclocked?
Will either MSI GTX670 overclock to outperform the Gigabyte HD7970 OC Edition when it's overclocked?
NVIDIA
NVIDIA cards have PhysX, Cuda and Active Sync Control. Not sure exactly what they do? Will the AMD have an equivalent to these? Are these features worth considering if the NVIDIA speed is slower or will they help to improve performance above the HD7970 even at their slower clock speeds?
Crossfire / SLI
I'm hoping whichever card I get will last about 2 years, in which time a second in Crosfire or SLI could be got for cheap to boost performance. Is there any issue with Crossfire or SLI that might affect future performance.
PSU
Obviously for 2 cards I'd need a new PSU. I have a good quality 380W PSU. Some power consumption reviews for the Gigabyte HD7970 OC Edition indicate total system power in the region of 370W. I'd rather not upgrade my PSU but can if necessary.
Could you girls and guys give your opinions on relative performance so that I may make a better informed decision.
Thanks.
More about : gigabyte hd7970 msi gtx670
The Q6660 Inside
August 13, 2013 9:17:48 AM
lemming9 said:
Hello,I am looking to get a new GPU and have shortlisted the following:
Gigabyte HD7970 OC Edition
MSI GTX670 OC Edition
MSI GTX670 Power Edition
Although I was considering a Gigabyte HD7970 OC Edition as I found one at 25% off the current retail price, I've noticed the prices of the MSI GTX670 are very similar with the OC Edition being 10% cheaper still and the Power Edition being only 5% more, so price is not really a big issue between any of them.
The Games
My main idea is to play Skyrim and Tomb Raider on highest settings (TressFX enabled etc.) so relative performance needs to consider these games in particular rather than usual 1st person shooter FPS benchmarks. Games will be played at 1080p
Not Overclocked Performance
I understand the Gigabyte is voltage locked?
So given their non overclocked speeds am I right in thinking that the HD7970 with 1000/5500MHz 384bit 3GB is the best way to go?
Or do either of the 2 NVIDIA cards at their standard speeds outperform the Gigabyte HD7970 OC Edition at its standard speed?
Overclocked Performance
Given the Gigabyte HD7970 OC Edition is voltage locked exactly how far can I expect the Gigabyte HD7970 be overclocked?
Will either MSI GTX670 overclock to outperform the Gigabyte HD7970 OC Edition when it's overclocked?
NVIDIA
NVIDIA cards have PhysX, Cuda and Active Sync Control. Not sure exactly what they do? Will the AMD have an equivalent to these? Are these features worth considering if the NVIDIA speed is slower or will they help to improve performance above the HD7970 even at their slower clock speeds?
Crossfire / SLI
I'm hoping whichever card I get will last about 2 years, in which time a second in Crosfire or SLI could be got for cheap to boost performance. Is there any issue with Crossfire or SLI that might affect future performance.
PSU
Obviously for 2 cards I'd need a new PSU. I have a good quality 380W PSU. Some power consumption reviews for the Gigabyte HD7970 OC Edition indicate total system power in the region of 370W. I'd rather not upgrade my PSU but can if necessary.
Could you girls and guys give your opinions on relative performance so that I may make a better informed decision.
Thanks.
It is nessecary to have a quality PSU to run these, at least 550W, I would go for this. What are your other system specifications? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168... SLI is still more stable than Crossfire, but the latter is now a very viable option. Honestly, both trade blows in gaming, but in the end, it all comes down to brand preference and looks. Personally, I love the looks of the MSi 670 PE.
socialassassin
August 13, 2013 9:36:26 AM
lemming9 said:
Hello,I am looking to get a new GPU and have shortlisted the following:
Gigabyte HD7970 OC Edition
MSI GTX670 OC Edition
MSI GTX670 Power Edition
Although I was considering a Gigabyte HD7970 OC Edition as I found one at 25% off the current retail price, I've noticed the prices of the MSI GTX670 are very similar with the OC Edition being 10% cheaper still and the Power Edition being only 5% more, so price is not really a big issue between any of them.
The Games
My main idea is to play Skyrim and Tomb Raider on highest settings (TressFX enabled etc.) so relative performance needs to consider these games in particular rather than usual 1st person shooter FPS benchmarks. Games will be played at 1080p
Not Overclocked Performance
I understand the Gigabyte is voltage locked?
So given their non overclocked speeds am I right in thinking that the HD7970 with 1000/5500MHz 384bit 3GB is the best way to go?
Or do either of the 2 NVIDIA cards at their standard speeds outperform the Gigabyte HD7970 OC Edition at its standard speed?
Overclocked Performance
Given the Gigabyte HD7970 OC Edition is voltage locked exactly how far can I expect the Gigabyte HD7970 be overclocked?
Will either MSI GTX670 overclock to outperform the Gigabyte HD7970 OC Edition when it's overclocked?
NVIDIA
NVIDIA cards have PhysX, Cuda and Active Sync Control. Not sure exactly what they do? Will the AMD have an equivalent to these? Are these features worth considering if the NVIDIA speed is slower or will they help to improve performance above the HD7970 even at their slower clock speeds?
Crossfire / SLI
I'm hoping whichever card I get will last about 2 years, in which time a second in Crosfire or SLI could be got for cheap to boost performance. Is there any issue with Crossfire or SLI that might affect future performance.
PSU
Obviously for 2 cards I'd need a new PSU. I have a good quality 380W PSU. Some power consumption reviews for the Gigabyte HD7970 OC Edition indicate total system power in the region of 370W. I'd rather not upgrade my PSU but can if necessary.
Could you girls and guys give your opinions on relative performance so that I may make a better informed decision.
Thanks.
I wouldn't even consider a 670 anymore. The new 760s perform around the same for at least $50 less.
I'd decide between a 760, or there are great deals on a 7970. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
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The Q6660 Inside
August 13, 2013 9:37:46 AM
socialassassin said:
lemming9 said:
Hello,I am looking to get a new GPU and have shortlisted the following:
Gigabyte HD7970 OC Edition
MSI GTX670 OC Edition
MSI GTX670 Power Edition
Although I was considering a Gigabyte HD7970 OC Edition as I found one at 25% off the current retail price, I've noticed the prices of the MSI GTX670 are very similar with the OC Edition being 10% cheaper still and the Power Edition being only 5% more, so price is not really a big issue between any of them.
The Games
My main idea is to play Skyrim and Tomb Raider on highest settings (TressFX enabled etc.) so relative performance needs to consider these games in particular rather than usual 1st person shooter FPS benchmarks. Games will be played at 1080p
Not Overclocked Performance
I understand the Gigabyte is voltage locked?
So given their non overclocked speeds am I right in thinking that the HD7970 with 1000/5500MHz 384bit 3GB is the best way to go?
Or do either of the 2 NVIDIA cards at their standard speeds outperform the Gigabyte HD7970 OC Edition at its standard speed?
Overclocked Performance
Given the Gigabyte HD7970 OC Edition is voltage locked exactly how far can I expect the Gigabyte HD7970 be overclocked?
Will either MSI GTX670 overclock to outperform the Gigabyte HD7970 OC Edition when it's overclocked?
NVIDIA
NVIDIA cards have PhysX, Cuda and Active Sync Control. Not sure exactly what they do? Will the AMD have an equivalent to these? Are these features worth considering if the NVIDIA speed is slower or will they help to improve performance above the HD7970 even at their slower clock speeds?
Crossfire / SLI
I'm hoping whichever card I get will last about 2 years, in which time a second in Crosfire or SLI could be got for cheap to boost performance. Is there any issue with Crossfire or SLI that might affect future performance.
PSU
Obviously for 2 cards I'd need a new PSU. I have a good quality 380W PSU. Some power consumption reviews for the Gigabyte HD7970 OC Edition indicate total system power in the region of 370W. I'd rather not upgrade my PSU but can if necessary.
Could you girls and guys give your opinions on relative performance so that I may make a better informed decision.
Thanks.
I wouldn't even consider a 670 anymore. The new 760s perform around the same for at least $50 less.
I'd decide between a 760, or there are great deals on a 7970. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
The 670 is a actually not a bad deal, considering that most 7970s are $50+ more.
lemming9
August 13, 2013 10:17:11 AM
The Q6660 Inside said:
lemming9 said:
Hello,I am looking to get a new GPU and have shortlisted the following:
Gigabyte HD7970 OC Edition
MSI GTX670 OC Edition
MSI GTX670 Power Edition
Although I was considering a Gigabyte HD7970 OC Edition as I found one at 25% off the current retail price, I've noticed the prices of the MSI GTX670 are very similar with the OC Edition being 10% cheaper still and the Power Edition being only 5% more, so price is not really a big issue between any of them.
The Games
My main idea is to play Skyrim and Tomb Raider on highest settings (TressFX enabled etc.) so relative performance needs to consider these games in particular rather than usual 1st person shooter FPS benchmarks. Games will be played at 1080p
Not Overclocked Performance
I understand the Gigabyte is voltage locked?
So given their non overclocked speeds am I right in thinking that the HD7970 with 1000/5500MHz 384bit 3GB is the best way to go?
Or do either of the 2 NVIDIA cards at their standard speeds outperform the Gigabyte HD7970 OC Edition at its standard speed?
Overclocked Performance
Given the Gigabyte HD7970 OC Edition is voltage locked exactly how far can I expect the Gigabyte HD7970 be overclocked?
Will either MSI GTX670 overclock to outperform the Gigabyte HD7970 OC Edition when it's overclocked?
NVIDIA
NVIDIA cards have PhysX, Cuda and Active Sync Control. Not sure exactly what they do? Will the AMD have an equivalent to these? Are these features worth considering if the NVIDIA speed is slower or will they help to improve performance above the HD7970 even at their slower clock speeds?
Crossfire / SLI
I'm hoping whichever card I get will last about 2 years, in which time a second in Crosfire or SLI could be got for cheap to boost performance. Is there any issue with Crossfire or SLI that might affect future performance.
PSU
Obviously for 2 cards I'd need a new PSU. I have a good quality 380W PSU. Some power consumption reviews for the Gigabyte HD7970 OC Edition indicate total system power in the region of 370W. I'd rather not upgrade my PSU but can if necessary.
Could you girls and guys give your opinions on relative performance so that I may make a better informed decision.
Thanks.
It is nessecary to have a quality PSU to run these, at least 550W, I would go for this. What are your other system specifications? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168... SLI is still more stable than Crossfire, but the latter is now a very viable option. Honestly, both trade blows in gaming, but in the end, it all comes down to brand preference and looks. Personally, I love the looks of the MSi 670 PE.
I was hoping I could just about get away with the 380w given the HD7970 is just under in some reviews. The GTX670 is less so that should be fine right? Nonetheless, I have looked into a OCZ CoreXStream, Xigmatek Tauro and Fractal Integra and Fractal Tesla PSUs. The only main difference is if they're single or dual rail on the +12v but i guess any of them would be fine. Are any of those brands known for better quality?
lemming9
August 13, 2013 10:25:52 AM
I wouldn't even consider a 670 anymore. The new 760s perform around the same for at least $50 less.
I'd decide between a 760, or there are great deals on a 7970. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...[/quotemsg]
The 670 is a actually not a bad deal, considering that most 7970s are $50+ more.
[/quotemsg]
Thanks guys. But isn't the 760 slightly slower than the 670? Fortunately prices are all roughly the same even for the HD7970 so just looking based on performance and features for Skyrim and Tomb Raider rather than relative price. But if there are any other cards you thing would be better in this price region than please let me know.
The Q6660 Inside
August 13, 2013 10:33:43 AM
lemming9 said:
I wouldn't even consider a 670 anymore. The new 760s perform around the same for at least $50 less.
I'd decide between a 760, or there are great deals on a 7970. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
The 670 is a actually not a bad deal, considering that most 7970s are $50+ more.
[/quotemsg]
Thanks guys. But isn't the 760 slightly slower than the 670? Fortunately prices are all roughly the same even for the HD7970 so just looking based on performance and features for Skyrim and Tomb Raider rather than relative price. But if there are any other cards you thing would be better in this price region than please let me know.
[/quotemsg]
The 670 is a bit faster IIRC.
In3rt1a
August 13, 2013 10:42:54 AM
I would recommend Sapphire's 7970: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=14-202-...
It's $90 off right now, a good overclocker, and super fast. I have one, and am really happy. It's way faster then both the 760 and the 670. It competes with gtx 680s and 770s.
It's $90 off right now, a good overclocker, and super fast. I have one, and am really happy. It's way faster then both the 760 and the 670. It competes with gtx 680s and 770s.
socialassassin
August 13, 2013 12:47:34 PM
In3rt1a said:
I would recommend Sapphire's 7970: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=14-202-... It's $90 off right now, a good overclocker, and super fast. I have one, and am really happy. It's way faster then both the 760 and the 670. It competes with gtx 680s and 770s.
Agreed, thats my card as well, and its a great overclocker (I'm running 1200/1700). Also, if you plan on installing a lot of mods for Skyrim, the 3GB memory cant hurt.
lemming9
August 13, 2013 3:42:20 PM
socialassassin said:
In3rt1a said:
I would recommend Sapphire's 7970: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=14-202-... It's $90 off right now, a good overclocker, and super fast. I have one, and am really happy. It's way faster then both the 760 and the 670. It competes with gtx 680s and 770s.
Agreed, thats my card as well, and its a great overclocker (I'm running 1200/1700). Also, if you plan on installing a lot of mods for Skyrim, the 3GB memory cant hurt.
Thanks In3rt1a. Unfortunately that offer is not available in my region. the Gigabyte HD 7970 OC is slightly cheaper than the Sapphire you mentioned at around $300, but the Sapphire is still over $430 which is a lot more.
Thanks Social. 1200/1700 sounds excellent on the Sapphire HD7970 which seems like a massive 20% increase in performance over the Gigabyte HD7970 at 1000/1375 but I'm not sure I'd want to spend an extra $130 for that. If I could get the extra $90 off too then there'd be no contest.
Anyone know how far I could overclock the Gigabyte HD7970 from 1000/1375?
In3rt1a
August 13, 2013 7:58:08 PM
lemming9
August 13, 2013 8:55:24 PM
In3rt1a said:
Gigabyte's card should be able to get pretty close to that speed, possibly just as far. You will just have to use a tuning utility besides Sapphire trixx. If GB's card is around $300 where you live, that's a great deal. Go for it!Thanks In3rt1a, the Gigabyte is just under $300 here which sounded like a good deal as prices are usually much higher here. However, one difference with the Gigabyte HD7970 compared to the Sapphire that is stopping me from jumping at the purchase is that I hear the Gigabyte is voltage locked at 1.17V so I'm a bit unsure of it's overclocking ability at stock voltage compared to your Sapphire. A 20% increase in performance by overclocking your Sapphire to 1200/1700 seems quite substantial but I'd be ok knowing I could get close with the Gigabyte so maybe around 15% to 1150/1600 would be more than fine. But some websites are saying 1050/1425 which is only a 5% increase which doesn't seem too good. Can you get to around 1200/1700 on stock voltage on your Sapphire or is that by adjusting the voltage?
In3rt1a
August 13, 2013 9:06:42 PM
lemming9
August 13, 2013 9:22:47 PM
In3rt1a said:
On my sapphire, I can't even get to 1000 without changing the voltage... I got a crappy overclocker
. Most people get to around 1050-1100 mghz before they have to change the voltage tho. What resolution are you playing at? You probably don't even need to oc your card.The Gigabyte comes at 1000MHz out of the box at its stock locked voltage of 1.17V which I guess is pretty good considering you need to adjust the voltage on the Sapphire to get 1000MHz. I guess a 5% - 10% increase to 1050-1100 is the best I can hope for on the stock voltage card. I was hoping 20% would be possible like on the Sapphire but like you say I guess that would require a greater voltage adjustments like is possible on your Sapphire.
I will be playing Tomb Raider and Skyrim at 1080p but I would like to raise the quality to max with TressFX in Tomb Raider and maybe the enhanced texture pack for Skyrim. I understand these are quite demanding graphical enhancements so I figured the higher the overclock the better.
Have you tried these on your Sapphire at around 1000/1375?
Would a speed of 1000/1375 be ample to run the with max graphics at 1080p? (in which case the GB would be more than enough)
Or would a OC to 1200/1700 still not be enough to max the graphics at 1080p? (in which case the higher OC wouldn't make a significant difference anyway)
In3rt1a
August 14, 2013 12:40:48 AM
lemming9
August 14, 2013 7:15:15 AM
In3rt1a said:
Oh yah, don't sweat it. I have Skyrim on 1080p maxed out with that texture pack playing smoothly on my card. You don't need to overclock. I just did it to try and raise my 3dmark score
.Thanks In3ert1a. That's really good to know. Unfortunately I've missed the offer on the Gigabyte at $300 and it's back at $400 which is a real shame as after reading your message it seemed like the best choice. I'm tempted to just wait until a Gigabyte or Sapphire comes back down to $300 in my region but that is usually a slow process even with the price cut on the Sapphire you mentioned.
I have noticed the Gigabyte HD 7970 GHz Edition is available for $375. Would that be a better option?
So I'm now back at either the:
MSI GTX 670 Overclock Edition for $270
MSI GTX 670 Power Edition for £315
or the Gigabyte HD7970 for the usual price of $400 or wait for it to come down to $300 again.
or the Gigabyte HD7970 GHz Edition for $375 which should OC to 1200/1600 like your the Sapphire. Again the price is higher and I'm not sure if there are other cards that are better if I go up to that price range.
In3rt1a was good enough to confirm that the stock HD7970 will run Skyrim fine at at 1080p with max graphics with the enhanced texture pack and Social has mentioned 3GB may be useful for modding.
I would also like to try Tomb Raider smoothly at 1080p at max graphics with TressFX on and hopefully keep the card for 1.5-2 years before I change it.
Now that I've missed the HD7970 offer, any thoughts on performance difference would be appreciated?
PS will any of these cards allow gaming at 4K given the upcoming Xbox One can supposedly do 4K in games?
socialassassin
August 14, 2013 7:49:25 AM
lemming9 said:
In3rt1a said:
Oh yah, don't sweat it. I have Skyrim on 1080p maxed out with that texture pack playing smoothly on my card. You don't need to overclock. I just did it to try and raise my 3dmark score
.Thanks In3ert1a. That's really good to know. Unfortunately I've missed the offer on the Gigabyte at $300 and it's back at $400 which is a real shame as after reading your message it seemed like the best choice. I'm tempted to just wait until a Gigabyte or Sapphire comes back down to $300 in my region but that is usually a slow process even with the price cut on the Sapphire you mentioned.
I have noticed the Gigabyte HD 7970 GHz Edition is available for $375. Would that be a better option?
So I'm now back at either the:
MSI GTX 670 Overclock Edition for $270
MSI GTX 670 Power Edition for £315
or the Gigabyte HD7970 for the usual price of $400 or wait for it to come down to $300 again.
or the Gigabyte HD7970 GHz Edition for $375 which should OC to 1200/1600 like your the Sapphire. Again the price is higher and I'm not sure if there are other cards that are better if I go up to that price range.
In3rt1a was good enough to confirm that the stock HD7970 will run Skyrim fine at at 1080p with max graphics with the enhanced texture pack and Social has mentioned 3GB may be useful for modding.
I would also like to try Tomb Raider smoothly at 1080p at max graphics with TressFX on and hopefully keep the card for 1.5-2 years before I change it.
Now that I've missed the HD7970 offer, any thoughts on performance difference would be appreciated?
PS will any of these cards allow gaming at 4K given the upcoming Xbox One can supposedly do 4K in games?
For reference, my Sapphire 7970 running at 1200/1700 is at 1.25V.
I wouldn't pay very much extra for a GHz edition, seeing as the non-GHz editions seem to overclock just as high.
At those prices, I would just go for the MSI 670 for $270.
In3rt1a
August 14, 2013 10:04:45 AM
Since Gigabyte's stock 7970 is voltage locked, I actually think that it is worth it to go with the ghz edition. Much better overclocking capabilities on a card that normally cannot be overclocked very far. $375 is a good price for a ghz edition card, as you can be 100% sure that you will already be running at higher clock speeds then normal, and will most likely be able to push your card further (+, ghz edition cards are normally $400-$500). I didn't have that guarantee on my stock 7970, and you can see that I didn't even make it to the advertised 1000 mgh boost speed. So my vote goes to GB's 7970 ghz edition.
The Q6660 Inside
August 14, 2013 10:35:30 AM
lemming9 said:
In3rt1a said:
Oh yah, don't sweat it. I have Skyrim on 1080p maxed out with that texture pack playing smoothly on my card. You don't need to overclock. I just did it to try and raise my 3dmark score
.Thanks In3ert1a. That's really good to know. Unfortunately I've missed the offer on the Gigabyte at $300 and it's back at $400 which is a real shame as after reading your message it seemed like the best choice. I'm tempted to just wait until a Gigabyte or Sapphire comes back down to $300 in my region but that is usually a slow process even with the price cut on the Sapphire you mentioned.
I have noticed the Gigabyte HD 7970 GHz Edition is available for $375. Would that be a better option?
So I'm now back at either the:
MSI GTX 670 Overclock Edition for $270
MSI GTX 670 Power Edition for £315
or the Gigabyte HD7970 for the usual price of $400 or wait for it to come down to $300 again.
or the Gigabyte HD7970 GHz Edition for $375 which should OC to 1200/1600 like your the Sapphire. Again the price is higher and I'm not sure if there are other cards that are better if I go up to that price range.
In3rt1a was good enough to confirm that the stock HD7970 will run Skyrim fine at at 1080p with max graphics with the enhanced texture pack and Social has mentioned 3GB may be useful for modding.
I would also like to try Tomb Raider smoothly at 1080p at max graphics with TressFX on and hopefully keep the card for 1.5-2 years before I change it.
Now that I've missed the HD7970 offer, any thoughts on performance difference would be appreciated?
PS will any of these cards allow gaming at 4K given the upcoming Xbox One can supposedly do 4K in games?
4K is murder on cards these days. I would go for the Gigabyte 7970 GHz or the MSi 670 PE, you can't go wrong with either.
VXBlade
August 14, 2013 11:21:38 AM
In3rt1a said:
On my sapphire, I can't even get to 1000 without changing the voltage... I got a crappy overclocker
. Most people get to around 1050-1100 mghz before they have to change the voltage tho. What resolution are you playing at? You probably don't even need to oc your card.I recently decided to switch from the Gigabyte 770 to the Sapphire 7970 OC with Boost when it went down to $299.99. Framerates during gameplay on Crisis 3 on ultra and Skyrim with lots of mods is unnoticeable.
Stock voltage I have the 7970 running at 1100/1550 (Never tried higher) at 73 degrees peak temp.
The 770 was running at stock and hitting 83 degrees peak and drawing more power and was $150 more.
I also might add, that this thread is comparing two cards that are not really in the same class.
7950 OC ~ 670 (670 is faster, but closer in specs)
7970 is more on par with 680/770
lemming9
August 14, 2013 12:46:58 PM
The Q6660 Inside said:
lemming9 said:
In3rt1a said:
Oh yah, don't sweat it. I have Skyrim on 1080p maxed out with that texture pack playing smoothly on my card. You don't need to overclock. I just did it to try and raise my 3dmark score
.Thanks In3ert1a. That's really good to know. Unfortunately I've missed the offer on the Gigabyte at $300 and it's back at $400 which is a real shame as after reading your message it seemed like the best choice. I'm tempted to just wait until a Gigabyte or Sapphire comes back down to $300 in my region but that is usually a slow process even with the price cut on the Sapphire you mentioned.
I have noticed the Gigabyte HD 7970 GHz Edition is available for $375. Would that be a better option?
So I'm now back at either the:
MSI GTX 670 Overclock Edition for $270
MSI GTX 670 Power Edition for £315
or the Gigabyte HD7970 for the usual price of $400 or wait for it to come down to $300 again.
or the Gigabyte HD7970 GHz Edition for $375 which should OC to 1200/1600 like your the Sapphire. Again the price is higher and I'm not sure if there are other cards that are better if I go up to that price range.
In3rt1a was good enough to confirm that the stock HD7970 will run Skyrim fine at at 1080p with max graphics with the enhanced texture pack and Social has mentioned 3GB may be useful for modding.
I would also like to try Tomb Raider smoothly at 1080p at max graphics with TressFX on and hopefully keep the card for 1.5-2 years before I change it.
Now that I've missed the HD7970 offer, any thoughts on performance difference would be appreciated?
PS will any of these cards allow gaming at 4K given the upcoming Xbox One can supposedly do 4K in games?
4K is murder on cards these days. I would go for the Gigabyte 7970 GHz or the MSi 670 PE, you can't go wrong with either.
Thanks. I guess I'll leave 4K for another time. I wonder how the Xbox One would manage at 4K anyway as it's not expected to be better than these cards. Still, it might be nice feature to have just to mess about with even if I stick to 1080P for now.
lemming9
August 14, 2013 12:53:04 PM
socialassassin said:
lemming9 said:
In3rt1a said:
Oh yah, don't sweat it. I have Skyrim on 1080p maxed out with that texture pack playing smoothly on my card. You don't need to overclock. I just did it to try and raise my 3dmark score
.Thanks In3ert1a. That's really good to know. Unfortunately I've missed the offer on the Gigabyte at $300 and it's back at $400 which is a real shame as after reading your message it seemed like the best choice. I'm tempted to just wait until a Gigabyte or Sapphire comes back down to $300 in my region but that is usually a slow process even with the price cut on the Sapphire you mentioned.
I have noticed the Gigabyte HD 7970 GHz Edition is available for $375. Would that be a better option?
So I'm now back at either the:
MSI GTX 670 Overclock Edition for $270
MSI GTX 670 Power Edition for £315
or the Gigabyte HD7970 for the usual price of $400 or wait for it to come down to $300 again.
or the Gigabyte HD7970 GHz Edition for $375 which should OC to 1200/1600 like your the Sapphire. Again the price is higher and I'm not sure if there are other cards that are better if I go up to that price range.
In3rt1a was good enough to confirm that the stock HD7970 will run Skyrim fine at at 1080p with max graphics with the enhanced texture pack and Social has mentioned 3GB may be useful for modding.
I would also like to try Tomb Raider smoothly at 1080p at max graphics with TressFX on and hopefully keep the card for 1.5-2 years before I change it.
Now that I've missed the HD7970 offer, any thoughts on performance difference would be appreciated?
PS will any of these cards allow gaming at 4K given the upcoming Xbox One can supposedly do 4K in games?
For reference, my Sapphire 7970 running at 1200/1700 is at 1.25V.
I wouldn't pay very much extra for a GHz edition, seeing as the non-GHz editions seem to overclock just as high.
At those prices, I would just go for the MSI 670 for $270.
Thanks for the info. If could get the Sapphire 7970 for $300 here then that's what I would go for as your OC seems to be similar to the GHz version. Unfortunately things here are generally more expensive as the Sapphire is equivalent to $400.
The low price on the MSI 670 is tempting, but I assume that reflects its slower capability. Plus I wanted the GPU to last around 2 years. Still I was aiming for the $300 price point so since the Gigabyte 7970 has gone back up from $300 to $400 maybe an MSI 670 would be best.
lemming9
August 14, 2013 1:07:53 PM
VXBlade said:
In3rt1a said:
On my sapphire, I can't even get to 1000 without changing the voltage... I got a crappy overclocker
. Most people get to around 1050-1100 mghz before they have to change the voltage tho. What resolution are you playing at? You probably don't even need to oc your card.I recently decided to switch from the Gigabyte 770 to the Sapphire 7970 OC with Boost when it went down to $299.99. Framerates during gameplay on Crisis 3 on ultra and Skyrim with lots of mods is unnoticeable.
Stock voltage I have the 7970 running at 1100/1550 (Never tried higher) at 73 degrees peak temp.
The 770 was running at stock and hitting 83 degrees peak and drawing more power and was $150 more.
I also might add, that this thread is comparing two cards that are not really in the same class.
7950 OC ~ 670 (670 is faster, but closer in specs)
7970 is more on par with 680/770
Be nice if I could get those prices.
So the 7970 is a class above the MSI 670 more like a 680/770? I thought the 7970/7670 were roughly similar. Thanks for that. I want the card to last a while so maybe the 670 is not ideal but the cheapest I could get the 680/770 is around $430 - $450 so I guess I should try to get a HD7970 even if it is a basic model that doesn't OC well.
lemming9
August 14, 2013 1:12:58 PM
byogamingpc said:
The Gigabyte HD 7970 OC http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00752QYLK/ref=as_li_q... is better all the way around.Thanks for clarifying it's the better choice. I missed out on that at the reduced price of $300. It's now back up to $400 in my region so is more than what I would like to spend. However, were you saying a HD 7970 it's better than the GTX 670PE or that it's better than a GTX 680 and GTX 770 too?
lemming9
August 14, 2013 1:33:52 PM
In3rt1a said:
Since Gigabyte's stock 7970 is voltage locked, I actually think that it is worth it to go with the ghz edition. Much better overclocking capabilities on a card that normally cannot be overclocked very far. $375 is a good price for a ghz edition card, as you can be 100% sure that you will already be running at higher clock speeds then normal, and will most likely be able to push your card further (+, ghz edition cards are normally $400-$500). I didn't have that guarantee on my stock 7970, and you can see that I didn't even make it to the advertised 1000 mgh boost speed. So my vote goes to GB's 7970 ghz edition.I've been thinking the same thing. The 7970 GHz Edition would save me having to mess around with OCing as it's already 1100/1500 out of the box. Maybe not quite as good as a Sapphire that is going up to 1200/1700 with voltage adjustments but close enough even without an OC. Plus I assume the Gigabyte 7970 GHz Edition is not voltage locked like their stock 7970 so I could probably get close to your Sapphire
As you say the price is not bad at $375 while also avoiding the hassle of OCing as at the higher 1100/1500 I'd probably not even think of or risk OCing for a long time. Everyone seems to agree that even a stock HD7970 is the best performer out of all the ones I mentioned so the GHz must be better were it not for the price. But my initial target expense was around $150 which then doubled to $300. The GHz Edition at $375 is a lot more than I'd like to spend.
Funny enough after missing out on the stock GB HD7970 at $300, the GHz Edition at $375 is now the cheapest HD7970 (GHz or otherwise) that I can get.
lemming9
August 14, 2013 1:37:29 PM
byogamingpc said:
lemming9 said:
byogamingpc said:
The Gigabyte HD 7970 OC http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00752QYLK/ref=as_li_q... is better all the way around.Thanks for clarifying it's the better choice. I missed out on that at the reduced price of $300. It's now back up to $400 in my region so is more than what I would like to spend. However, were you saying a HD 7970 it's better than the GTX 670PE or that it's better than a GTX 680 and GTX 770 too?
As far as performance is concerned, it's better than the 670 but it's all around the best performance/price. the 680 and 770 are better performers but their price/performance ratio is worse.
Again, thanks for that. Do you suppose the GHz version of the HD7970 at 1100/1500 would be better than a 680/770?
In3rt1a
August 14, 2013 2:16:48 PM
lemming9
August 15, 2013 7:25:05 PM
Both the Gigabyte and Sapphire versions of the HD7970 GHz look very similar. I think the core clock on the Gigabyte is 50MHz faster out of the box but like the non GHz version the Sapphire might OC better. Thanks for taking the time to reply and for the recommendations.
Now that I am certain which card is better it really comes down to the best price I can find. And on that point I had a thought; as I'm now considering the HD 7970 GHz Version which is at a higher price than I was initially looking at, the GTX 670 now becomes a lot cheaper relative to the HD 7970 GHz. So would a GTX 670 SLI setup even at stock clocks outperform the HD 7970 GHz Edition even if it was OC say to the max of 1200/1700? Assuming similar prices wouldn't the GTX 670 SLI be a significant improvement over a single HD 7970 GHz? Or would there be no improvement or only minor that would not be worth the hassle of trying 2 cards?
The reason I ask about GTX 670 SLI is because NVIDIA highlight the fact that they support PhysX, CUDA, Adaptive Vertical Sync and FXAA / TXAA which I assume would all be absent on the HD 7970 GHz. I have an idea of what Adaptive Vertical Sync does and it sounds useful but what do PhysX, CUDA and FXAA / TXAA do to improve gameplay over an AMD card if anything?
Thanks.
Now that I am certain which card is better it really comes down to the best price I can find. And on that point I had a thought; as I'm now considering the HD 7970 GHz Version which is at a higher price than I was initially looking at, the GTX 670 now becomes a lot cheaper relative to the HD 7970 GHz. So would a GTX 670 SLI setup even at stock clocks outperform the HD 7970 GHz Edition even if it was OC say to the max of 1200/1700? Assuming similar prices wouldn't the GTX 670 SLI be a significant improvement over a single HD 7970 GHz? Or would there be no improvement or only minor that would not be worth the hassle of trying 2 cards?
The reason I ask about GTX 670 SLI is because NVIDIA highlight the fact that they support PhysX, CUDA, Adaptive Vertical Sync and FXAA / TXAA which I assume would all be absent on the HD 7970 GHz. I have an idea of what Adaptive Vertical Sync does and it sounds useful but what do PhysX, CUDA and FXAA / TXAA do to improve gameplay over an AMD card if anything?
Thanks.
The Q6660 Inside
August 15, 2013 7:29:23 PM
lemming9 said:
Both the Gigabyte and Sapphire versions of the HD7970 GHz look very similar. I think the core clock on the Gigabyte is 50MHz faster out of the box but like the non GHz version the Sapphire might OC better. Thanks for taking the time to reply and for the recommendations. Now that I am certain which card is better it really comes down to the best price I can find. And on that point I had a thought; as I'm now considering the HD 7970 GHz Version which is at a higher price than I was initially looking at, the GTX 670 now becomes a lot cheaper relative to the HD 7970 GHz. So would a GTX 670 SLI setup even at stock clocks outperform the HD 7970 GHz Edition even if it was OC say to the max of 1200/1700? Assuming similar prices wouldn't the GTX 670 SLI be a significant improvement over a single HD 7970 GHz? Or would there be no improvement or only minor that would not be worth the hassle of trying 2 cards?
The reason I ask about GTX 670 SLI is because NVIDIA highlight the fact that they support PhysX, CUDA, Adaptive Vertical Sync and FXAA / TXAA which I assume would all be absent on the HD 7970 GHz. I have an idea of what Adaptive Vertical Sync does and it sounds useful but what do PhysX, CUDA and FXAA / TXAA do to improve gameplay over an AMD card if anything?
Thanks.
You can use an SMAA or FXAA injector (SweetFX) to substitute, PhysX and CUDA are nothing special. Two cards in SLI will work great with a GTX 670, what is your full specs?
In3rt1a
August 15, 2013 7:30:57 PM
lemming9
August 15, 2013 8:07:53 PM
The Q6660 Inside said:
lemming9 said:
Both the Gigabyte and Sapphire versions of the HD7970 GHz look very similar. I think the core clock on the Gigabyte is 50MHz faster out of the box but like the non GHz version the Sapphire might OC better. Thanks for taking the time to reply and for the recommendations. Now that I am certain which card is better it really comes down to the best price I can find. And on that point I had a thought; as I'm now considering the HD 7970 GHz Version which is at a higher price than I was initially looking at, the GTX 670 now becomes a lot cheaper relative to the HD 7970 GHz. So would a GTX 670 SLI setup even at stock clocks outperform the HD 7970 GHz Edition even if it was OC say to the max of 1200/1700? Assuming similar prices wouldn't the GTX 670 SLI be a significant improvement over a single HD 7970 GHz? Or would there be no improvement or only minor that would not be worth the hassle of trying 2 cards?
The reason I ask about GTX 670 SLI is because NVIDIA highlight the fact that they support PhysX, CUDA, Adaptive Vertical Sync and FXAA / TXAA which I assume would all be absent on the HD 7970 GHz. I have an idea of what Adaptive Vertical Sync does and it sounds useful but what do PhysX, CUDA and FXAA / TXAA do to improve gameplay over an AMD card if anything?
Thanks.
You can use an SMAA or FXAA injector (SweetFX) to substitute, PhysX and CUDA are nothing special. Two cards in SLI will work great with a GTX 670, what is your full specs?
I'm in the process of updating my system as necessary. I read a comparison that the difference between having an old Dual Core / Core2Quad compared to more recent AMD/i5/i7 is somewhat negligible in most games. Since games primarily need GPU power I thought I'd start there. I know my motherboard has a few PCIe x16 slots so 2 GPUs shouldn't be a problem. Or could it only support Crossfire and not SLI?
The Q6660 Inside
August 15, 2013 8:09:15 PM
lemming9 said:
The Q6660 Inside said:
lemming9 said:
Both the Gigabyte and Sapphire versions of the HD7970 GHz look very similar. I think the core clock on the Gigabyte is 50MHz faster out of the box but like the non GHz version the Sapphire might OC better. Thanks for taking the time to reply and for the recommendations. Now that I am certain which card is better it really comes down to the best price I can find. And on that point I had a thought; as I'm now considering the HD 7970 GHz Version which is at a higher price than I was initially looking at, the GTX 670 now becomes a lot cheaper relative to the HD 7970 GHz. So would a GTX 670 SLI setup even at stock clocks outperform the HD 7970 GHz Edition even if it was OC say to the max of 1200/1700? Assuming similar prices wouldn't the GTX 670 SLI be a significant improvement over a single HD 7970 GHz? Or would there be no improvement or only minor that would not be worth the hassle of trying 2 cards?
The reason I ask about GTX 670 SLI is because NVIDIA highlight the fact that they support PhysX, CUDA, Adaptive Vertical Sync and FXAA / TXAA which I assume would all be absent on the HD 7970 GHz. I have an idea of what Adaptive Vertical Sync does and it sounds useful but what do PhysX, CUDA and FXAA / TXAA do to improve gameplay over an AMD card if anything?
Thanks.
You can use an SMAA or FXAA injector (SweetFX) to substitute, PhysX and CUDA are nothing special. Two cards in SLI will work great with a GTX 670, what is your full specs?
I'm in the process of updating my system as necessary. I read a comparison that the difference between having an old Dual Core / Core2Quad compared to more recent AMD/i5/i7 is somewhat negligible in most games. Since games primarily need GPU power I thought I'd start there. I know my motherboard has a few PCIe x16 slots so 2 GPUs shouldn't be a problem. Or could it only support Crossfire and not SLI?
What exactly is your specs? We need a bit more detail.
lemming9
August 15, 2013 8:23:50 PM
In3rt1a said:
CUDA acceleration and physx will barely ever be used. SLI w/ two 670s will outperform one 7970, but only do that if you cand find two 670s for the price of one 7970. If you do go with two 670's in sli, I'd recommend getting a 750 watt psu ATLEAST.So CUDA and PhysX are game specific rather than general improvements to all games. With the new consoled being all AMD they'd probably be less frequently applied in the coming years. Do Skyrim or Tomb Raider even use these functions?
Anyway, the 670 SLI option would only cost 20% more than the HD7970GHz. Would I be getting a significant boost in GPU performance with the SLI?
The Q6660 Inside
August 15, 2013 8:26:33 PM
lemming9 said:
In3rt1a said:
CUDA acceleration and physx will barely ever be used. SLI w/ two 670s will outperform one 7970, but only do that if you cand find two 670s for the price of one 7970. If you do go with two 670's in sli, I'd recommend getting a 750 watt psu ATLEAST.So CUDA and PhysX are game specific rather than general improvements to all games. With the new consoled being all AMD they'd probably be less frequently applied in the coming years. Do Skyrim or Tomb Raider even use these functions?
Anyway, the 670 SLI option would only cost 20% more than the HD7970GHz. Would I be getting a significant boost in GPU performance with the SLI?
Yes, should you have a good resolution monitor SLI is a nice option. What is your full specs?
VXBlade
August 15, 2013 8:39:14 PM
lemming9 said:
In3rt1a said:
CUDA acceleration and physx will barely ever be used. SLI w/ two 670s will outperform one 7970, but only do that if you cand find two 670s for the price of one 7970. If you do go with two 670's in sli, I'd recommend getting a 750 watt psu ATLEAST.So CUDA and PhysX are game specific rather than general improvements to all games. With the new consoled being all AMD they'd probably be less frequently applied in the coming years. Do Skyrim or Tomb Raider even use these functions?
Anyway, the 670 SLI option would only cost 20% more than the HD7970GHz. Would I be getting a significant boost in GPU performance with the SLI?
I wouldn't get a Ghz version unless it's cheap, or the only option in that price range. The Sapphire card I have overclocks to Ghz speeds at half the cost. But it all depends on pricing and timing of buying.
2 670's in SLI would be about the same as a 7970 but remember unless you are getting 4 GB 670 cards, you will still only have 2GB of texture memory going into the next gen years. I wouldn't recommend 2 GB at this point for someone that wants to keep their cards for a few years, 3GB is even iffy a year from now.
I personally wouldn't SLI 2 670's at this point, I'd get 2 760's if anything for SLI and that is about as low as I would go card type wise. Less power, cooler and faster. (And way cheaper here)
CUDA is primarily for things like 3D Studio MAX and things of the like. Its just a core difference on how the card renders what you see for gaming, transparent and pretty irrelevant for gaming purposes. Physx is game specific, and isn't anything to write home about. I played Borderlands 2 with no physx for a half a year, then with it for a few months, now without it again and didn't notice anything different personally. Maybe some little dust specs flying around? Maybe? It may be way more awesome that than in some games, but my eyes just ignored it.
VXBlade
August 15, 2013 8:46:27 PM
The Q6660 Inside said:
lemming9 said:
In3rt1a said:
CUDA acceleration and physx will barely ever be used. SLI w/ two 670s will outperform one 7970, but only do that if you cand find two 670s for the price of one 7970. If you do go with two 670's in sli, I'd recommend getting a 750 watt psu ATLEAST.So CUDA and PhysX are game specific rather than general improvements to all games. With the new consoled being all AMD they'd probably be less frequently applied in the coming years. Do Skyrim or Tomb Raider even use these functions?
Anyway, the 670 SLI option would only cost 20% more than the HD7970GHz. Would I be getting a significant boost in GPU performance with the SLI?
Yes, should you have a good resolution monitor SLI is a nice option. What is your full specs?
Resolution of the monitor isn't terribly relevant to the increased performance even at 1080p. But I wouldn't SLI 670's at this point in the cycle.
VXBlade
August 15, 2013 8:51:09 PM
lemming9 said:
Hello,I am looking to get a new GPU and have shortlisted the following:
Gigabyte HD7970 OC Edition
MSI GTX670 OC Edition
MSI GTX670 Power Edition
Although I was considering a Gigabyte HD7970 OC Edition as I found one at 25% off the current retail price, I've noticed the prices of the MSI GTX670 are very similar with the OC Edition being 10% cheaper still and the Power Edition being only 5% more, so price is not really a big issue between any of them.
The Games
My main idea is to play Skyrim and Tomb Raider on highest settings (TressFX enabled etc.) so relative performance needs to consider these games in particular rather than usual 1st person shooter FPS benchmarks. Games will be played at 1080p
Not Overclocked Performance
I understand the Gigabyte is voltage locked?
So given their non overclocked speeds am I right in thinking that the HD7970 with 1000/5500MHz 384bit 3GB is the best way to go?
Or do either of the 2 NVIDIA cards at their standard speeds outperform the Gigabyte HD7970 OC Edition at its standard speed?
Overclocked Performance
Given the Gigabyte HD7970 OC Edition is voltage locked exactly how far can I expect the Gigabyte HD7970 be overclocked?
Will either MSI GTX670 overclock to outperform the Gigabyte HD7970 OC Edition when it's overclocked?
NVIDIA
NVIDIA cards have PhysX, Cuda and Active Sync Control. Not sure exactly what they do? Will the AMD have an equivalent to these? Are these features worth considering if the NVIDIA speed is slower or will they help to improve performance above the HD7970 even at their slower clock speeds?
Crossfire / SLI
I'm hoping whichever card I get will last about 2 years, in which time a second in Crosfire or SLI could be got for cheap to boost performance. Is there any issue with Crossfire or SLI that might affect future performance.
PSU
Obviously for 2 cards I'd need a new PSU. I have a good quality 380W PSU. Some power consumption reviews for the Gigabyte HD7970 OC Edition indicate total system power in the region of 370W. I'd rather not upgrade my PSU but can if necessary.
Could you girls and guys give your opinions on relative performance so that I may make a better informed decision.
Thanks.
You need a new power supply in my opinion for a 7970, and FOR SURE a new one for Ghz
In3rt1a
August 15, 2013 9:53:17 PM
CUDA amd physx are not used in tomb raider or skyrim. CUDA will not even be used in video games at all, and physx is used in about 4 games
. Not a selling point. I'd say one 7970 ghz edition and you can use crossfire on that in the future if needed. You won't be able to upgrade from to 670s, you will be able to improve on one 7970. Plus, one 7970 will consume less power, which means less money spent on a psu. Plus, one 7970 has 3gb of vram vs. a gtx 670s 2gb. All that vram is nice with high textures and loads of mods, plus it's good for futureproofing.
. Not a selling point. I'd say one 7970 ghz edition and you can use crossfire on that in the future if needed. You won't be able to upgrade from to 670s, you will be able to improve on one 7970. Plus, one 7970 will consume less power, which means less money spent on a psu. Plus, one 7970 has 3gb of vram vs. a gtx 670s 2gb. All that vram is nice with high textures and loads of mods, plus it's good for futureproofing.
lemming9
August 16, 2013 7:36:26 AM
I'll be staying with 1080p until 4K becomes the standard.
PSU is 380W I might get away with that with a GTX 670 or even. Reviews indicate the HD7970 at system load reaches around 370W which is close.
I've checked that my motherboard only says it supports Crossfire, so for SLI I'd need a different motherboard.
CPU is a core2quad at stock but could probably OC to 3.0+GHz
Obviously any GPU I get now would not reach its potential on my current system. However all those components would be upgraded in time. Future plans are something like a 700W PSU, Gigabyte GA-Z68AP-D3 Z68 motherboard, and maybe an i5/i7 is best for gaming.
Still, any current GPU would be a significant improvement and since its the most important component for gaming I'd like to start there and work around that.
PSU is 380W I might get away with that with a GTX 670 or even. Reviews indicate the HD7970 at system load reaches around 370W which is close.
I've checked that my motherboard only says it supports Crossfire, so for SLI I'd need a different motherboard.
CPU is a core2quad at stock but could probably OC to 3.0+GHz
Obviously any GPU I get now would not reach its potential on my current system. However all those components would be upgraded in time. Future plans are something like a 700W PSU, Gigabyte GA-Z68AP-D3 Z68 motherboard, and maybe an i5/i7 is best for gaming.
Still, any current GPU would be a significant improvement and since its the most important component for gaming I'd like to start there and work around that.
lemming9
August 16, 2013 7:47:03 AM
VXBlade said:
lemming9 said:
In3rt1a said:
CUDA acceleration and physx will barely ever be used. SLI w/ two 670s will outperform one 7970, but only do that if you cand find two 670s for the price of one 7970. If you do go with two 670's in sli, I'd recommend getting a 750 watt psu ATLEAST.So CUDA and PhysX are game specific rather than general improvements to all games. With the new consoled being all AMD they'd probably be less frequently applied in the coming years. Do Skyrim or Tomb Raider even use these functions?
Anyway, the 670 SLI option would only cost 20% more than the HD7970GHz. Would I be getting a significant boost in GPU performance with the SLI?
I wouldn't get a Ghz version unless it's cheap, or the only option in that price range. The Sapphire card I have overclocks to Ghz speeds at half the cost. But it all depends on pricing and timing of buying.
2 670's in SLI would be about the same as a 7970 but remember unless you are getting 4 GB 670 cards, you will still only have 2GB of texture memory going into the next gen years. I wouldn't recommend 2 GB at this point for someone that wants to keep their cards for a few years, 3GB is even iffy a year from now.
I personally wouldn't SLI 2 670's at this point, I'd get 2 760's if anything for SLI and that is about as low as I would go card type wise. Less power, cooler and faster. (And way cheaper here)
CUDA is primarily for things like 3D Studio MAX and things of the like. Its just a core difference on how the card renders what you see for gaming, transparent and pretty irrelevant for gaming purposes. Physx is game specific, and isn't anything to write home about. I played Borderlands 2 with no physx for a half a year, then with it for a few months, now without it again and didn't notice anything different personally. Maybe some little dust specs flying around? Maybe? It may be way more awesome that than in some games, but my eyes just ignored it.
For me, the GHz version is actually the cheapest HD7970 here at equivalent to about $370. The Sapphire would be over $50 more.
Are you sure 2 x GTX 670 SLI would be about the same as a HD 7970? I thought a single stock SLI was slightly below a stock HD7970 so I expected at least about a 50% increase with GTX670SLI over a single HD7970.
I would have got the 2GB version of the 670. Again if that was used for SLI wouldn't they combine to give 4GB of texture memory rather than 2GB?
760s are more than the 670s here so i'd likely go with a HD7970 instead as I assume that's better than both.
socialassassin
August 16, 2013 7:54:06 AM
2 x 670s would be much faster than a 7970. http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NVIDIA/GeForce_GTX_670_SLI/24.html
And unfortunately, 2 x 2GB cards in SLI still only gives you 2GB of memory.
And unfortunately, 2 x 2GB cards in SLI still only gives you 2GB of memory.
lemming9
August 16, 2013 8:32:29 AM
In3rt1a said:
CUDA amd physx are not used in tomb raider or skyrim. CUDA will not even be used in video games at all, and physx is used in about 4 games
. Not a selling point. I'd say one 7970 ghz edition and you can use crossfire on that in the future if needed. You won't be able to upgrade from to 670s, you will be able to improve on one 7970. Plus, one 7970 will consume less power, which means less money spent on a psu. Plus, one 7970 has 3gb of vram vs. a gtx 670s 2gb. All that vram is nice with high textures and loads of mods, plus it's good for futureproofing. In that case i'll ignore PhysX and CUDA. Even for future proofing these may not be used much as new consoles are AMD so any console to PC port shouldn't use such features either.
Still, the GTX 670 = $270
SLI would be $540 + PSU (about $100) + new motherboard (about $100). New motherboard would mean new CPU & RAM (maybe another $250?)
I didn't really factor in those costs yesterday but it seemed like a good deal. Maybe still is as I would upgrade the other components a few months down the line anyway.
The HD 7970 GHz = $340
and Crossfire would be $680 + PSU (about $100)
Although the GPU costs more I guess this way I could save on the motherboard/cpu/ram if I crossfire and it's a slightly higher spec card too.
lemming9
August 16, 2013 8:42:43 AM
socialassassin said:
2 x 670s would be much faster than a 7970. http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NVIDIA/GeForce_GTX_670_SLI/24.htmlAnd unfortunately, 2 x 2GB cards in SLI still only gives you 2GB of memory.
This link seems to show that a single 670 is actually better than a HD7970?
Even the Skyrim test here http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NVIDIA/GeForce_GTX_6... shows they are almost the same. Although, at 720p there was no difference with SLI both at 82.9 FPS and at 1080p 75.2 to 83.1 FPS. which is only 10% increase by having two cards. Seems pointless to get SLI.
And as for 2 x 2GB cards in SLI still only using 2GB, would this principle be the same if they were Crossfire cards?
RussK1
August 16, 2013 8:44:32 AM
VXBlade said:
lemming9 said:
In3rt1a said:
CUDA acceleration and physx will barely ever be used. SLI w/ two 670s will outperform one 7970, but only do that if you cand find two 670s for the price of one 7970. If you do go with two 670's in sli, I'd recommend getting a 750 watt psu ATLEAST.So CUDA and PhysX are game specific rather than general improvements to all games. With the new consoled being all AMD they'd probably be less frequently applied in the coming years. Do Skyrim or Tomb Raider even use these functions?
Anyway, the 670 SLI option would only cost 20% more than the HD7970GHz. Would I be getting a significant boost in GPU performance with the SLI?
I wouldn't get a Ghz version unless it's cheap, or the only option in that price range. The Sapphire card I have overclocks to Ghz speeds at half the cost. But it all depends on pricing and timing of buying.
2 670's in SLI would be about the same as a 7970 but remember unless you are getting 4 GB 670 cards, you will still only have 2GB of texture memory going into the next gen years. I wouldn't recommend 2 GB at this point for someone that wants to keep their cards for a few years, 3GB is even iffy a year from now.
I personally wouldn't SLI 2 670's at this point, I'd get 2 760's if anything for SLI and that is about as low as I would go card type wise. Less power, cooler and faster. (And way cheaper here)
CUDA is primarily for things like 3D Studio MAX and things of the like. Its just a core difference on how the card renders what you see for gaming, transparent and pretty irrelevant for gaming purposes. Physx is game specific, and isn't anything to write home about. I played Borderlands 2 with no physx for a half a year, then with it for a few months, now without it again and didn't notice anything different personally. Maybe some little dust specs flying around? Maybe? It may be way more awesome that than in some games, but my eyes just ignored it.
Did you really say 2 670's are almost the same as a 7970?
670 sli crushes a single 7970.
lemming9
August 16, 2013 8:51:03 AM
RussK1 said:
VXBlade said:
lemming9 said:
In3rt1a said:
CUDA acceleration and physx will barely ever be used. SLI w/ two 670s will outperform one 7970, but only do that if you cand find two 670s for the price of one 7970. If you do go with two 670's in sli, I'd recommend getting a 750 watt psu ATLEAST.So CUDA and PhysX are game specific rather than general improvements to all games. With the new consoled being all AMD they'd probably be less frequently applied in the coming years. Do Skyrim or Tomb Raider even use these functions?
Anyway, the 670 SLI option would only cost 20% more than the HD7970GHz. Would I be getting a significant boost in GPU performance with the SLI?
I wouldn't get a Ghz version unless it's cheap, or the only option in that price range. The Sapphire card I have overclocks to Ghz speeds at half the cost. But it all depends on pricing and timing of buying.
2 670's in SLI would be about the same as a 7970 but remember unless you are getting 4 GB 670 cards, you will still only have 2GB of texture memory going into the next gen years. I wouldn't recommend 2 GB at this point for someone that wants to keep their cards for a few years, 3GB is even iffy a year from now.
I personally wouldn't SLI 2 670's at this point, I'd get 2 760's if anything for SLI and that is about as low as I would go card type wise. Less power, cooler and faster. (And way cheaper here)
CUDA is primarily for things like 3D Studio MAX and things of the like. Its just a core difference on how the card renders what you see for gaming, transparent and pretty irrelevant for gaming purposes. Physx is game specific, and isn't anything to write home about. I played Borderlands 2 with no physx for a half a year, then with it for a few months, now without it again and didn't notice anything different personally. Maybe some little dust specs flying around? Maybe? It may be way more awesome that than in some games, but my eyes just ignored it.
Did you really say 2 670's are almost the same as a 7970?
670 sli crushes a single 7970.
By how much would 670 SLI be better than a HD7970?
This link
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NVIDIA/GeForce_GTX_6...
only shows a 10% increase with SLI at 1080p and no increase at all at 720p
The Q6660 Inside
August 16, 2013 9:10:43 AM
lemming9 said:
In3rt1a said:
CUDA acceleration and physx will barely ever be used. SLI w/ two 670s will outperform one 7970, but only do that if you cand find two 670s for the price of one 7970. If you do go with two 670's in sli, I'd recommend getting a 750 watt psu ATLEAST.So CUDA and PhysX are game specific rather than general improvements to all games. With the new consoled being all AMD they'd probably be less frequently applied in the coming years. Do Skyrim or Tomb Raider even use these functions?
Anyway, the 670 SLI option would only cost 20% more than the HD7970GHz. Would I be getting a significant boost in GPU performance with the SLI?
lemming9 said:
RussK1 said:
VXBlade said:
lemming9 said:
In3rt1a said:
CUDA acceleration and physx will barely ever be used. SLI w/ two 670s will outperform one 7970, but only do that if you cand find two 670s for the price of one 7970. If you do go with two 670's in sli, I'd recommend getting a 750 watt psu ATLEAST.So CUDA and PhysX are game specific rather than general improvements to all games. With the new consoled being all AMD they'd probably be less frequently applied in the coming years. Do Skyrim or Tomb Raider even use these functions?
Anyway, the 670 SLI option would only cost 20% more than the HD7970GHz. Would I be getting a significant boost in GPU performance with the SLI?
I wouldn't get a Ghz version unless it's cheap, or the only option in that price range. The Sapphire card I have overclocks to Ghz speeds at half the cost. But it all depends on pricing and timing of buying.
2 670's in SLI would be about the same as a 7970 but remember unless you are getting 4 GB 670 cards, you will still only have 2GB of texture memory going into the next gen years. I wouldn't recommend 2 GB at this point for someone that wants to keep their cards for a few years, 3GB is even iffy a year from now.
I personally wouldn't SLI 2 670's at this point, I'd get 2 760's if anything for SLI and that is about as low as I would go card type wise. Less power, cooler and faster. (And way cheaper here)
CUDA is primarily for things like 3D Studio MAX and things of the like. Its just a core difference on how the card renders what you see for gaming, transparent and pretty irrelevant for gaming purposes. Physx is game specific, and isn't anything to write home about. I played Borderlands 2 with no physx for a half a year, then with it for a few months, now without it again and didn't notice anything different personally. Maybe some little dust specs flying around? Maybe? It may be way more awesome that than in some games, but my eyes just ignored it.
Did you really say 2 670's are almost the same as a 7970?
670 sli crushes a single 7970.
By how much would 670 SLI be better than a HD7970?
This link
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NVIDIA/GeForce_GTX_6...
only shows a 10% increase with SLI at 1080p and no increase at all at 720p
Again, what are your full system specs, monitor, case, etc these are important factors before upgrading to a new card.
lemming9
August 16, 2013 9:19:06 AM
The Q6660 Inside said:
lemming9 said:
In3rt1a said:
CUDA acceleration and physx will barely ever be used. SLI w/ two 670s will outperform one 7970, but only do that if you cand find two 670s for the price of one 7970. If you do go with two 670's in sli, I'd recommend getting a 750 watt psu ATLEAST.So CUDA and PhysX are game specific rather than general improvements to all games. With the new consoled being all AMD they'd probably be less frequently applied in the coming years. Do Skyrim or Tomb Raider even use these functions?
Anyway, the 670 SLI option would only cost 20% more than the HD7970GHz. Would I be getting a significant boost in GPU performance with the SLI?
lemming9 said:
RussK1 said:
VXBlade said:
lemming9 said:
In3rt1a said:
CUDA acceleration and physx will barely ever be used. SLI w/ two 670s will outperform one 7970, but only do that if you cand find two 670s for the price of one 7970. If you do go with two 670's in sli, I'd recommend getting a 750 watt psu ATLEAST.So CUDA and PhysX are game specific rather than general improvements to all games. With the new consoled being all AMD they'd probably be less frequently applied in the coming years. Do Skyrim or Tomb Raider even use these functions?
Anyway, the 670 SLI option would only cost 20% more than the HD7970GHz. Would I be getting a significant boost in GPU performance with the SLI?
I wouldn't get a Ghz version unless it's cheap, or the only option in that price range. The Sapphire card I have overclocks to Ghz speeds at half the cost. But it all depends on pricing and timing of buying.
2 670's in SLI would be about the same as a 7970 but remember unless you are getting 4 GB 670 cards, you will still only have 2GB of texture memory going into the next gen years. I wouldn't recommend 2 GB at this point for someone that wants to keep their cards for a few years, 3GB is even iffy a year from now.
I personally wouldn't SLI 2 670's at this point, I'd get 2 760's if anything for SLI and that is about as low as I would go card type wise. Less power, cooler and faster. (And way cheaper here)
CUDA is primarily for things like 3D Studio MAX and things of the like. Its just a core difference on how the card renders what you see for gaming, transparent and pretty irrelevant for gaming purposes. Physx is game specific, and isn't anything to write home about. I played Borderlands 2 with no physx for a half a year, then with it for a few months, now without it again and didn't notice anything different personally. Maybe some little dust specs flying around? Maybe? It may be way more awesome that than in some games, but my eyes just ignored it.
Did you really say 2 670's are almost the same as a 7970?
670 sli crushes a single 7970.
By how much would 670 SLI be better than a HD7970?
This link
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NVIDIA/GeForce_GTX_6...
only shows a 10% increase with SLI at 1080p and no increase at all at 720p
Again, what are your full system specs, monitor, case, etc these are important factors before upgrading to a new card.
Listed a few posts above but here is is again:
I'll be staying with 1080p until 4K becomes the standard.
PSU is 380W I might get away with that with a GTX 670 or even. Reviews indicate the HD7970 at system load reaches around 370W which is close.
I've checked that my motherboard only says it supports Crossfire, so for SLI I'd need a different motherboard.
CPU is a core2quad at stock but could probably OC to 3.0+GHz
Obviously any GPU I get now would not reach its potential on my current system. However all those components would be upgraded in time. Future plans are something like a 700W PSU, Gigabyte GA-Z68AP-D3 Z68 motherboard, and maybe an i5/i7 is best for gaming.
Still, any current GPU would be a significant improvement and since its the most important component for gaming I'd like to start there and work around that.
Only addition is that my case is full size so even dual 11" cards shouldn't be a problem.
Thanks
RussK1
August 16, 2013 9:21:37 AM
lemming9 said:
RussK1 said:
VXBlade said:
lemming9 said:
In3rt1a said:
CUDA acceleration and physx will barely ever be used. SLI w/ two 670s will outperform one 7970, but only do that if you cand find two 670s for the price of one 7970. If you do go with two 670's in sli, I'd recommend getting a 750 watt psu ATLEAST.So CUDA and PhysX are game specific rather than general improvements to all games. With the new consoled being all AMD they'd probably be less frequently applied in the coming years. Do Skyrim or Tomb Raider even use these functions?
Anyway, the 670 SLI option would only cost 20% more than the HD7970GHz. Would I be getting a significant boost in GPU performance with the SLI?
I wouldn't get a Ghz version unless it's cheap, or the only option in that price range. The Sapphire card I have overclocks to Ghz speeds at half the cost. But it all depends on pricing and timing of buying.
2 670's in SLI would be about the same as a 7970 but remember unless you are getting 4 GB 670 cards, you will still only have 2GB of texture memory going into the next gen years. I wouldn't recommend 2 GB at this point for someone that wants to keep their cards for a few years, 3GB is even iffy a year from now.
I personally wouldn't SLI 2 670's at this point, I'd get 2 760's if anything for SLI and that is about as low as I would go card type wise. Less power, cooler and faster. (And way cheaper here)
CUDA is primarily for things like 3D Studio MAX and things of the like. Its just a core difference on how the card renders what you see for gaming, transparent and pretty irrelevant for gaming purposes. Physx is game specific, and isn't anything to write home about. I played Borderlands 2 with no physx for a half a year, then with it for a few months, now without it again and didn't notice anything different personally. Maybe some little dust specs flying around? Maybe? It may be way more awesome that than in some games, but my eyes just ignored it.
Did you really say 2 670's are almost the same as a 7970?
670 sli crushes a single 7970.
By how much would 670 SLI be better than a HD7970?
This link
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NVIDIA/GeForce_GTX_6...
only shows a 10% increase with SLI at 1080p and no increase at all at 720p
Of course you're not going to see linear scaling @ 720p with AMD nor nVidia. At that resolution the strain is on the CPU... high-end cards will pretty much idle.



The Q6660 Inside
August 16, 2013 9:27:30 AM
lemming9 said:
The Q6660 Inside said:
lemming9 said:
In3rt1a said:
CUDA acceleration and physx will barely ever be used. SLI w/ two 670s will outperform one 7970, but only do that if you cand find two 670s for the price of one 7970. If you do go with two 670's in sli, I'd recommend getting a 750 watt psu ATLEAST.So CUDA and PhysX are game specific rather than general improvements to all games. With the new consoled being all AMD they'd probably be less frequently applied in the coming years. Do Skyrim or Tomb Raider even use these functions?
Anyway, the 670 SLI option would only cost 20% more than the HD7970GHz. Would I be getting a significant boost in GPU performance with the SLI?
lemming9 said:
RussK1 said:
VXBlade said:
lemming9 said:
In3rt1a said:
CUDA acceleration and physx will barely ever be used. SLI w/ two 670s will outperform one 7970, but only do that if you cand find two 670s for the price of one 7970. If you do go with two 670's in sli, I'd recommend getting a 750 watt psu ATLEAST.So CUDA and PhysX are game specific rather than general improvements to all games. With the new consoled being all AMD they'd probably be less frequently applied in the coming years. Do Skyrim or Tomb Raider even use these functions?
Anyway, the 670 SLI option would only cost 20% more than the HD7970GHz. Would I be getting a significant boost in GPU performance with the SLI?
I wouldn't get a Ghz version unless it's cheap, or the only option in that price range. The Sapphire card I have overclocks to Ghz speeds at half the cost. But it all depends on pricing and timing of buying.
2 670's in SLI would be about the same as a 7970 but remember unless you are getting 4 GB 670 cards, you will still only have 2GB of texture memory going into the next gen years. I wouldn't recommend 2 GB at this point for someone that wants to keep their cards for a few years, 3GB is even iffy a year from now.
I personally wouldn't SLI 2 670's at this point, I'd get 2 760's if anything for SLI and that is about as low as I would go card type wise. Less power, cooler and faster. (And way cheaper here)
CUDA is primarily for things like 3D Studio MAX and things of the like. Its just a core difference on how the card renders what you see for gaming, transparent and pretty irrelevant for gaming purposes. Physx is game specific, and isn't anything to write home about. I played Borderlands 2 with no physx for a half a year, then with it for a few months, now without it again and didn't notice anything different personally. Maybe some little dust specs flying around? Maybe? It may be way more awesome that than in some games, but my eyes just ignored it.
Did you really say 2 670's are almost the same as a 7970?
670 sli crushes a single 7970.
By how much would 670 SLI be better than a HD7970?
This link
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NVIDIA/GeForce_GTX_6...
only shows a 10% increase with SLI at 1080p and no increase at all at 720p
Again, what are your full system specs, monitor, case, etc these are important factors before upgrading to a new card.
Listed a few posts above but here is is again:
I'll be staying with 1080p until 4K becomes the standard.
PSU is 380W I might get away with that with a GTX 670 or even. Reviews indicate the HD7970 at system load reaches around 370W which is close.
I've checked that my motherboard only says it supports Crossfire, so for SLI I'd need a different motherboard.
CPU is a core2quad at stock but could probably OC to 3.0+GHz
Obviously any GPU I get now would not reach its potential on my current system. However all those components would be upgraded in time. Future plans are something like a 700W PSU, Gigabyte GA-Z68AP-D3 Z68 motherboard, and maybe an i5/i7 is best for gaming.
Still, any current GPU would be a significant improvement and since its the most important component for gaming I'd like to start there and work around that.
Only addition is that my case is full size so even dual 11" cards shouldn't be a problem.
Thanks
What type of Core 2 Quad, what motherboard and exact case?
In3rt1a
August 16, 2013 9:38:06 AM
I'd say get yourself one 7970 and upgrade your psu. That way you don't have to replace your processor and motherboard. Plus, you have the option for crossfire in the future. Alternatively, two 670s in sli would result in a huge system re haul and you would not be able to improve on that setup, oyou would just have to get a new card. I'd say get the 7970.
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