OC 7950 or 7970?

[The0ne]

With the recent deals it's been tempting. I finally settled on the 7970. Now though I'm wondering if I should have gone with the 7950's and OC them to the 7970 level and be happy. The cost for the 7950 is of course roughly $100 less. I can OC the 7970 too but is the gain as much as OCing the 7950. Here's the dilemma.

7950, OC to 7970 level for $200 or less
or
7970, OC for $300 - $20 rebate

I'm driving 2 old 3007 WFPs. I can pick up two 7950 or two 7970 since it uses Dual-link DVI.

Opinions would be greatly appreciated. I don't game much but may get into FFXIV:ARR. This game of course already looks fine, based on the benchmark, with just my current 650 in standard resolution. It is a little choppy at max settings but very playable.

 

[xXx orange]

7950 OC. Maxes out all games I throw at it. Only go below 60 FPS if my CPU is being overused (Total War games mainly).

 

[3DVagabond]

The 7950 is better value than the 7970, every time.

You aren't going to get 2x DL-DVI from any AMD card, though. You'll need a (m)DP->DL-DVI adapter. Make sure it's a powered adapter like this.

 

[toyota]

7950 OC. Maxes out all games I throw at it. Only go below 60 FPS if my CPU is being overused (Total War games mainly).

lol a 7950 can not "max out" all games at 60 fps. why do people say such nonsense when it takes less than 1 minute to link to reviews proving that is simply not true?

 

[Durvelle27]

7950 OC. Maxes out all games I throw at it. Only go below 60 FPS if my CPU is being overused (Total War games mainly).

This is simply not true. I have an OC'd HD 7970 and i cant max every game

 

[The0ne]

I would xfire the two cards to avoid the adapter, which I'm fine with. Even then, the xfire setup should be more than enough for me I think. Long term two 7970 OC'd would last me a long time. Remember this is driving games at 2560x1600.

 

[3DVagabond]

I would xfire the two cards to avoid the adapter, which I'm fine with. Even then, the xfire setup should be more than enough for me I think. Long term two 7970 OC'd would last me a long time. Remember this is driving games at 2560x1600.

When crossfired you use the connections from one card only. Unfortunately the only way you can run 2x DL-DVI without the adapter would be to have each card dedicated to one monitor not crossfired.

 

[xXx orange]

This is simply not true. I have an OC'd HD 7970 and i cant max every game

Hence why I said "I can max out every game I throw at it". I haven't played every game ever made. It maxes out: Crysis 2, Metro 2033, Hitman (the new one), Shogun 2, Chivalry Medieval Warfare, Skyrim (heavily modded), Saints Row the Third with graphical mods and Infestation: Survivor Stories (included that one as it runs like shit).

 

[toyota]

Hence why I said "I can max out every game I throw at it". I haven't played every game ever made. It maxes out Crysis 2, Metro 2033, Hitman (the new one), Shogun 2, Chivalry Medieval Warfare, Skyrim (heavily modded), Saints Row the Third with graphical mods and Infestation: Survivor Stories (included that one as it runs liek shit).

so in other words you just did not want to be clear? and sorry but you do not even come remotely close to staying above 60 fps with Metro 2033 fully maxed. and you dont have Hitman Absolution fully maxed either and maintain 60fps. please stop exaggerating.

 

[The0ne]

When crossfired you use the connections from one card only. Unfortunately the only way you can run 2x DL-DVI without the adapter would be to have each card dedicated to one monitor not crossfired.

Oh, this is quite bad. I had assumed that sli/xfire would just work and never bother reading up on it. In that case I think I'm limited in my video options or shell out $100 for the active adapter. Sigh, even my 650 has two dual-link DVI's, come on AMD!

 

[3DVagabond]

Oh, this is quite bad. I had assumed that sli/xfire would just work and never bother reading up on it. In that case I think I'm limited in my video options or shell out $100 for the active adapter. Sigh, even my 650 has two dual-link DVI's, come on AMD!

AMD considers DVI a legacy connection. If they had their way everyone would use DP.

 

[xXx orange]

so in other words you just did not want to be clear? and sorry but you do not even come remotely close to staying above 60 fps with Metro 2033 fully maxed. and you dont have Hitman Absolution fully maxed either and maintain 60fps. please stop exaggerating.

Why are you attacking me? I was just helping OP. a 7950 is much better for the price than a 7970. I can max out my games. The only times Metro goes below 70 fps (yes 70) is when their is lots of lighting or a grenade goes off (at those times it goes down to 15 fps for some reason). I run Hitman and Shogun at max but with AA at 2x for Hitman and MLAA 2x (almost MSAA 4X but takes as much FPS as MSAA 2X). I only run them at those settings to keep them at perfect fps and because I can't tell the differene between 0 AA and 8 AA. Every other game runs perfect highest settings. And BTW you are not exactly helping OP. You are just creating a flame war.

 

[xXx orange]

Also most people consider max settings to be highest settings with AA 4X or 2X... 8X is a waste of time. Almost no graphical change yet massive performance decrease.

 

[toyota]

Why are you attacking me? I was just helping OP. a 7950 is much better for the price than a 7970. I can max out my games. The only times Metro goes below 70 fps (yes 70) is when their is lots of lighting or a grenade goes off (at those times it goes down to 15 fps for some reason). I run Hitman and Shogun at max but with AA at 2x for Hitman and MLAA 2x (almost MSAA 4X but takes as much FPS as MSAA 2X). I only run them at those settings to keep them at perfect fps and because I can't tell the differene between 0 AA and 8 AA. Every other game runs perfect highest settings. And BTW you are not exactly helping OP. You are just creating a flame war.

I am not attacking you. you were flat out exaggerating and NOT being clear which does not help anyone. even after I mentioned that it was important to be claer you still came back claiming to "max out" Metro 2033 and Hitman Absolution and stay above 60fps. you are NOT running those games on fully maxed settings and staying above 60 fps and that's a fact. you were the one that went of your way to claim "fully maxed" but now you admit that you are indeed running lower levels of AA. you still are not clear about Metro 2033 so here is even a 7970 ghz getting only 36 fps for an average at 1920. http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NVIDIA/GeForce_GTX_780/18.html

so again be more clear and please stop making claims that can be disproved in hardly no time at all.

Also most people consider max settings to be highest settings with AA 4X or 2X... 8X is a waste of time. Almost no graphical change yet massive performance decrease.

thats fine and I agree but that is why you explain the exact settings because saying maxed out indicates EVERY setting maxed if you make no other explanations.

 

[xXx orange]

But I do run Metro 2033 at (most the time) 70 FPS... (I am at 1080p).

 

[xXx orange]

Maybe drivers have something to do with that.

 

[toyota]

But I do run Metro 2033 at (most the time) 70 FPS... (I am at 1080p).

Maybe drivers have something to do with that.

so EVERY review out there is wrong and you get basically DOUBLE the framerate with your 7950 as they do with a 7970 ghz? and no, drivers have nothing to do with it as that game has been benched out the wazoo with various drivers. I mean lets be realistic here as you have do not have every setting enabled or maxed.


btw you can use the edit button so no need to post back to back.

 

[xXx orange]

so EVERY review out there is wrong and you get basically DOUBLE the framerate with your 7950 as they do with a 7970 ghz? and no, drivers have nothing to do with it as that game has been benched out the wazoo with various drivers. I mean lets be realistic here as you have do not have every setting enabled or maxed.


btw you can use the edit button so no need to post back to back.

Yeah sorry about that I normally do.

I am not saying they are wrong but I do get 70 FPS on my rig. Remember they have a different overclock (mine is oced), drivers, CPU and RAM.

Oh and I decided to do the bench for Metro and I get 44 FPS average. Min is like 9 FPS and max is 120 (the end scene I think). The bench is very intensive so it doesn't really show you average FPS for most the game. I usually get 60+ FPS but when I got to the scene in the bench in game it went to like 40.

So yes I normally get 60-70 fps but some times depending completely on where I am and what is happening then it can be anywhere from 30-50. 20 and below when grenades go off and when there is lots of lighting.

A benchmark is used to test cards against each other. It doesn't really show how well the card will preform in game for most of the game. Plus that benchmark was supposed to be very hard to run. In that scene in game there wasn't nearly a many NPCs and guns being shot.

 

[balane]

I have a 7970 GE running at 1175 and I wish I could get 60fps in Metro 2033 at 1080p with all details set to maximum. I get dips into the 30's frequently. I've tried all drivers and am currently on 13.8 B2.

 

[xXx orange]

I have AAA on. Is MSAA 4X more intensive? I thought it was easier to run so maybe that is why. I might be using the second best AA and so that is why I might be getting FPS. I haven't seen AAA in another game so I don't really know.

 

[toyota]

I have AAA on. Is MSAA 4X more intensive? I thought it was easier to run so maybe that is why. I might be using the second best AA and so that is why I might be getting FPS. I haven't seen AAA in another game so I don't really know.

see thats what I am talking about when it comes to being clear. it took you until now to finally say you were only running AAA. and of course 4x MSAA is way more intensive.

 

[The0ne]

Going to return my 7970. FFXIV runs fine on my current GTX650 card At max it is a "tad" choppy but very playable. This also at 2560x1600 Very happy at the moment that I don't have to shell out hundreds of dollar to play (when I can log in!!!) the game with the nephews and kids.

 

[skipsneeky2]

Last card i picked up based on the stories of overclocking was my 7850,clocked as high as 1050 core which is sorta weak and just shy of 7870 performance which was annoying cause i could have easily bought a 7870 in the first place as i had the cash and most likely oced that to 7950 lol.

Now i buy based on pure performance at stock if the extra cash doesn't strap or hurt me then consider its overclocking headroom later,some like the gamble of ocing but that isn't for me anymore.