Test Setup And 2012 Chart Placement
We’re running the usual benchmarks on the benchmark system we introduced last year for generating our graphics card charts (check out our 2012 Graphics And GPGPU database for comparative results). The only thing different this time around is the graphics card we're testing.
| CPU | Intel Core i7-2600K (Sandy Bridge), 3.4 GHz Stock, Overclocked to 4.5 GHz (45 x 100 MHz), LGA 1155, 8 MB shared L3 Cache, Hyper-Threading enabled, Power-savings enabled |
|---|---|
| CPU Cooler | Prolimatech SuperMega + Noiseblocker eLoop |
| Motherboard | Gigabyte Z68X-UD7 B3 |
| RAM | 2 x 4 GB Kingston HyperX DDR3-1600 |
| System Drive | Kingston V100+ 256 GB (SSD) |
| Power Supply | Corsair AX1200i, 80 PLUS Platinum, 1,200 W |
| Operating System | Windows 7 x64 SP1 |
Cumulative Benchmarks And Placement In Our 2012 VGA Charts
In order to generate an overview of performance, we plugged the PowerColor HD7870 PCS+ Myst Edition into our 2012 VGA charts using the mid-class performance index as the reference. It’s especially interesting to see how the card stacks up to the Pitcairn-based Radeon HD 7870, as well as the Radeon HD 7950.
According to the cumulative benchmark numbers, PowerColor's HD7870 PCS+ Myst Edition’s performance is closer to that of the Radeon HD 7950 than the Radeon HD 7870. With its already-high base core clock rate and accelerated Boost setting, this new card nearly matches the first-gen Radeon HD 7950, which didn't include Boost functionality.
This makes the HD7870 PCS+ Myst Edition almost a steal at $240. You’d have to spend at least $60 more for a Radeon HD 7950, and you wouldn’t have very much additional performance to show for it. Now, you’re probably wondering if this is too good of a deal to be true. We’ll just have to keep testing to find out.
