Upgrade from HD6970 (2560x1600 resolution)

[Zorander]

Hi all,

I have been using the 6970 for nearly a year now with my 30in Dell.

I am happy with its performance but not its thermals. With the old 5850, I could run the system with just one exhaust fan (and a passively-cooled CPU). Now I need to run 3 case fans plus a CPU fan to keep the nearby RAMs cool. Even then, I had to underclock the core in summer to keep things stable.

With the australian summer coming towards the year end, I plan to replace the 6970 with something of similar or better performance, and cooler. I'm undecided between the 7850 and 7950 TBH. I'm aware of the former's overclockability but not of its thermal in O.C. mode (don't want another toaster). The 7950 seems to run a little cooler than the 6970 but I don't know if it's cool enough. Between the 7950 & 670, the latter runs at least $50 dearer here and I have not looked at it.

Very much appreciate your input on this.

Thanks.

Update (2012):
I ended up getting a Gigabyte WF3 7950 a month ago for $299. I can't get much overclock out of it though. Factory clock is 900MHz and so far I cannot even reach 975MHz without (any) games crashing out as soon as rendering starts. Running the render test under GPU-Z yields no issues and allows me to get some load numbers (Ambient temperature of 19C):
GPU Temperature = 52C
Fan speed = 35% / 1597RPM
12V = 11.94V
VDDC = 0.951V
MVDDX = 1.602V
VDDC Current = 46-8A to 48.5A
VDDC Current In = 4.4A
VRM Temperature 1 = 61C
VRM Temperature 2 = 66C

Update 2 (27-Dec-16):
In the spirit of keeping previous information in one thread, I am bumping this thread with my next VGA upgrade.

Having had the HD7950 for 4 years, it has been a great performer though starting to feel long in the tooth now. I plan to play GTA V, AC Syndicate, XCom 2 & Deus Ex: MD in the next 12 months. Below is my current system:

CPU: i5-4690K (overclocked to 4.2-4.5GHz)
CPU Cooler: Prolimatech Megahalem + Noctua NF-F12 PWM
Motherboard: Asus Z97-A
SSD: Samsung 840 Pro 256GB
HDD: WD Green 2TB
RAM: Corsair XMS3 2x4GB 1.65V
GPU: Gigabyte HD7950 (overclocked to 1000-1100Mhz core)
Monitor: Dell U3011 (2560x1600)
Soundcard: E-MU 1212m
Case: Corsair 550D
PSU: Corsair HX620

I'm not planning to spend much due to life's other commitments. Below are what I have been considering:
ASUS GTX1060-O3G (~AUD$273)
MSI Gaming X GTX 1060 3GB (~AUD$275) - Add another AUD$70 for the 6GB version
MSI Gaming X RX480 8GB (~AUD$335)
MSI Gaming X RX470 8GB (~AUD$285)

Between the 1060 3GB and RX470 8GB, the former trounces the latter though I don't know if the lower VRAM will become a sticking point down the years. The 1060 6GB is quite beyond what I'm willing to spend (understand it is easily the best in the list) so would like to hear some persuasions from you.

Thanks in advance.

 

[RussianSensation]

As long as you get an HD7950 with an after market cooler, you should be fine:

http://www.computerbase.de/artikel/grafikkarten/2012/kurztest-3-x-amd-radeon-hd-7950/6/

Was your 6970 stock? My reference 6970 was loading to 77-78*C at 880mhz on the stock cooler. In comparison my HD7970 @ 1150mhz loads up to 71-76*C (on a hot day) and runs much quieter. If you want to have a cool running card, it's more dependent on how good the cooler is. What you cannot solve with a great cooler is all that heat being dumped into your case and eventually leaving into your room. The power consumption between an HD6970 and an overclocked HD7950 should be very similar. A lightly overclocked 880mhz HD7950 consumes less power though than the GTX670 (see link above).

If you don't have an A/C, it's going to be very tough to find a card that consumes a lot less power than the 6970 and performs much faster. HD7950 OC and GTX670 are probably the best compromise between a reasonable performance increase and power consumption. At 2560x1600, almost any single-GPU starts to stuggle and the performance gap between cards shrinks:
http://www.computerbase.de/artikel/grafikkarten/2012/test-amd-radeon-hd-7970-ghz-edition/4/

So, if you are OK dealing with similar power consumption once overclocked, just get an HD7950 with a good after market cooler: MSI TwinFrozr, PowerColor PCS+, Gigabyte Windforce 3x, Asus Direct CUII and it'll cool the card well enough. When you overclock, just keep it at stock voltage. It's the added voltage that exponentially increases power consumption. 1.175V and let her go to 1.1ghz+ and you have GTX680/7970 GE performance.

Here is a quick HD7950 sample with thermal images to help you get an idea of how hot some of them get under load:
http://www.hardware.fr/articles/853-16/thermographie-infrarouge-cartes-graphiques.html

The MSI TwinFrozr III looks pretty good.

If you want a very large performance increase at your resolution, you'd need to get 2 GPUs though. Even HD7950 OCed is probably going to be just 40-50% faster.

If you want a lot more performance, 2 overclocked HD7850 2GB is the least you'll want.

 

[Zorander]

Thanks heaps for the detailed response (once again), RS.

My 6970 is a MSI TwinFrozr (not sure if II or III). I can currently run it at the 940MHz factory clock in my ambient room temp of 15-16C (or 19C with the heater on). Once summer sets in (and ambient hits 30-32C), I will have to reduce it to around 880MHz and stability is not even guaranteed. I haven't got a detailed temp reading on the card; it has 3 sensors on it with the 2 of them reporting (IIRC, at load) around the 40-45C mark and the other one hitting a high 78-85C. The i7-860 has no heat issue (barely 40C when actively cooled, 55C under passive cooling) but I suspect there is heat trapped near the RAM modules and hence why I need to create airflow there.

Still a difficult decision to make indeed: the cooler 7850 or the faster 7950. I'll have a few months to mull over this before summer sets in. Do you think this will still be the choices I have by then or is there anything new (rumoured or confirmed) at this price/performance point coming out?

Cheers!

 

[RussianSensation]

Still a difficult decision to make indeed: the cooler 7850 or the faster 7950. I'll have a few months to mull over this before summer sets in. Do you think this will still be the choices I have by then or is there anything new (rumoured or confirmed) at this price/performance point coming out?

Cheers!

I wouldn't even consider an HD7850 for you, unless you get 2. That's not a good upgrade. It's slower at stock speeds for starters. Why drop $200+ on it?

When does summer start for you October/November?

August 16th is supposedly the launch date for GTX660/660Ti cards. I have no idea how much more the prices on the HD7870/7950/7970 cards will drop from now until then. Did you guys get price drops on HD7000 series in Australia yet?

If you wait to upgrade until Oct-Nov, we'll probably have more information on HD8000 series and possibly GTX700 series.

Really, the minimal performance upgrade for you is an HD7950, preferably HD7970. Maybe by then prices of 7950/7970 will drop to $250-$350 Australian dollars, respectively.

For your own card, 940 vs. 880mhz isn't that big of a deal at your resolution. That's not very material in situations where HD6970 is struggling in the more modern games. I am not sure why you are concerned with the card running too hot though. 85*C is not bad at all. It's not 95-100*C.

You can download GPU-Z. It has GPU temperature and VRM temps exactly for HD6900 series so you don't have to guess which one is what. Another good tool is HWiNFO64. Keep VRMs under 115*C and you are good.

Basically, outside of GTX660/660Ti, I don't see any new GPUs worth talking about to launch from now until November. At least I haven't read any rumours on anything launching by then. So I suppose it comes down to how much of a performance increase do you want in the games you play and perhaps timing the resale value of your HD6970 before its value drops once GTX660/660Ti launch (if that's a consideration).

The other point is if you hold out longer, prices may drop as we edge closer to the holiday season (X-mas time). But that's a long time. There are also a bunch of games coming out in the fall that may sway you to go NV or AMD depending on how each camp performs:

Darksiders II – August 14, 2012
Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition – August 24, 2012
Borderlands 2 – September 18, 2012
F1 2012 – September 21, 2012
Resident Evil 6 – October 2, 2012
Dishonored – October 9, 2012
Medal of Honor: Warfighter – October 23, 2012
Call of Duty: Black Ops II – November 13, 2012
Assassin’s Creed III – November 23, 2012
Far Cry 3 – December 4, 2012

I didn't include SC2 expansion and probably missed some other games (Just a quick run down from what I have written down).

 

[aaksheytalwar]

7970 ghz edition or 680 box oc. Enuf said

 

[Zorander]

Happy to wait to see if prices drop some more or if newer cards will come out. You have a point on falling resale value of the 6970 so that's something I will have to consider. At least I will look purely on the 7950 now based on your recommendation.

aaksheytalwar, the 7970 is a tantalizing option but I don't think I'm willing to spend that much. I'm not performance-hungry, merely looking for something reasonably fast without toasting the rest of my (quiet) system. A bonus if it does not break the bank as well.

Cheers!

 

[RussianSensation]

At least I will look purely on the 7950 now based on your recommendation.

You don't have to eliminate GTX670 entirely from your considering. If the price difference between the 7950 and the 670 narrows, by all means get the 670 as it's still a good card. Also, AMD is looking to launch Ghz Edition of HD7950 soon. That may put additional pricing pressure on original HD7950 cards.

I already see stock HD7950s dropping to $280 CDN over here. Once those faster HD7970 GE and 7950 GE cards launch, we might even see fire sale prices to clear our original 7970/7950 cards OR the original cards dropping in price even more.

 

[Zorander]

Hi,

Thought I would revive this thread to see why I can't get much overclock out of the Gigabyte WF3 7950. Factory clock is 900MHz and so far I cannot even reach 975MHz without (any) games crashing out as soon as rendering starts. Running the render test under GPU-Z yields no issues and allows me to get some load numbers (Ambient temperature of 19C):
GPU Temperature = 52C
Fan speed = 35% / 1597RPM
12V = 11.94V
VDDC = 0.951V
MVDDX = 1.602V
VDDC Current = 46-8A to 48.5A
VDDC Current In = 4.4A
VRM Temperature 1 = 61C
VRM Temperature 2 = 66C

What do you make of this? Or is there some other program I should use to get readings? Thanks.

 

[hyrule4927]

Looks like that card is undervolted at stock, hence the low OC headroom.

 

[MsLuck]

wow! 2560x1600? this is huge!

 

[lehtv]

7950 3GB is pretty much the only reasonable option.
- it has enough VRAM for 2560x1600
- it's an OK upgrade over 6970 even at stock clocks
- it runs quieter and cooler due to consuming less power
- you should be able to recover 2/3 of the cost by selling your 6970

 

[Zorander]

7950 3GB is pretty much the only reasonable option.
- it has enough VRAM for 2560x1600
- it's an OK upgrade over 6970 even at stock clocks
- it runs quieter and cooler due to consuming less power
- you should be able to recover 2/3 of the cost by selling your 6970

HI lehtv,

I did get the WF3 7950 for those reason you listed (I do think it's a very good upgrade for the price and performance jump I get).

I updated the OP with the current problem I'm having, which is not getting even a decent OC out of the card.

Thanks!

 

[Zorander]

In the spirit of keeping previous information in one thread, I am bumping this thread with my next VGA upgrade.

Having had the HD7950 for 4 years, it has been a great performer though starting to feel long in the tooth now. I plan to play GTA V, AC Syndicate, XCom 2 & Deus Ex: MD in the next 12 months. Below is my current system:

CPU: i5-4690K (overclocked to 4.2-4.5GHz)
CPU Cooler: Prolimatech Megahalem + Noctua NF-F12 PWM
Motherboard: Asus Z97-A
SSD: Samsung 840 Pro 256GB
HDD: WD Green 2TB
RAM: Corsair XMS3 2x4GB 1.65V
GPU: Gigabyte HD7950 (overclocked to 1000-1100Mhz core)
Monitor: Dell U3011 (2560x1600)
Soundcard: E-MU 1212m
Case: Corsair 550D
PSU: Corsair HX620

I'm not planning to spend much due to life's other commitments. Below are what I have been considering:
ASUS GTX1060-O3G (~AUD$273)
MSI Gaming X GTX 1060 3GB (~AUD$275) - Add another AUD$70 for the 6GB version
MSI Gaming X RX480 8GB (~AUD$335)
MSI Gaming X RX470 8GB (~AUD$285)

Between the 1060 3GB and RX470 8GB, the former trounces the latter though I don't know if the lower VRAM will become a sticking point down the years. The 1060 6GB is quite beyond what I'm willing to spend (understand it is easily the best in the list) so would like to hear some persuasions from you.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Bacon1]

Fury is best bet

https://www.reddit.com/r/bapcsalesa...l/gpu_sapphire_r9_fury_4gb_hbm_335aud_on_msy/

Not sure if that is still available, but will have the most power @ 2560x1600 out of any of the cards in that price range.

 

[Zorander]

Thanks. Have heard about the Fury though its reportedly high heat dissipation makes it a no-no for me. I prefer something that is cooler or no hotter than the HD7950.

Fury is best bet

https://www.reddit.com/r/bapcsalesa...l/gpu_sapphire_r9_fury_4gb_hbm_335aud_on_msy/

Not sure if that is still available, but will have the most power @ 2560x1600 out of any of the cards in that price range.

 

[Bacon1]

Thanks. Have heard about the Fury though its reportedly high heat dissipation makes it a no-no for me. I prefer something that is cooler or no hotter than the HD7950.

You could just undervolt or underclock:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Amd/comments/56ncbi/sapphire_fury_nitro_undervolting_and_underclocking/

Most people I know (and myself) have had no issues undervolting -60 or higher while keeping stock (even OC'd) clocks.

Like the test there shows, he dropped power from 370 -> 330 watts and his score even went slightly **up** while keeping stock clocks.

Would keep you about even on power while over twice the fps.

Again your choice, but power / price its the best option in that price range.

Price/perf is usually the 470, even the 4gb will do well if its over $20 cheaper.

Its better to upgrade more often than spend more on a better card tbh, GPUs are unique that way in that they die off very fast compared to the rest of your system.

 

[b-mac]

My fury runs about 70c with only 30% fan with a -60mV offset. I'm sure your ambient temps are warmer than mine but an increased fan speed may take care of that for you. I completely pleased with the sapphire nitro fury.

 

[happy medium]

Instead of trying to sell you something you don't want, I'll give you your best choice from your options.
The 470 8gb is your best choice.

 

[Bacon1]

Instead of trying to sell you something you don't want, I'll give you your best choice from your options.
The 470 8gb is your best choice.

8GB is a waste on the the 470 tbh. You'll be turning down settings before that memory is really needed. I listed the 470 in my post as the best price/perf besides the fury, but the 4GB is usually quite a bit cheaper so not worth the extra money for the 8gb. 8gb is for those that want to go 2x 470/480.

Remember this is for 2560x1600 gaming, not 1080p. 2560x1600 is 2x 1080p. Fury is the best performance at that resolution in that price range.

If he is turning down settings to do it on a 470, no need for the 8GB version, so 470 4gb could save him more money.

 

[happy medium]

Thanks. Have heard about the Fury though its reportedly high heat dissipation makes it a no-no for me. .

read what the OP said.

Instead of trying to sell you something you don't want, I'll give you your best choice from your options.
The 470 8gb is your best choice.

 

[AtenRa]

How much for an XFX RX 480 GTR Black ??? Im using one for two weeks now and the card is fantastic, i can play BF4 Multi 64player at 2560x1440 at 120fps cap with almost everything in Ultra (no MSAA).

 

[Shmee]

At 2560x1600 I would go with a 8 GB RX 480, as you say the 6 GB GTX 1060 is too much.

 

[Zorander]

The 8gb rx480 is closely priced to the 1060 6gb (~$345AUD). At that range, I'm inclined towards the latter.

Looking on the other end of the budget, I can potentially get the rx470 8gb for $215AUD. A bit torn if I should jump on this deal or forgo it for the 1060 6gb.

At 2560x1600 I would go with a 8 GB RX 480, as you say the 6 GB GTX 1060 is too much.

 

[GaiaHunter]

The 8gb rx480 is closely priced to the 1060 6gb (~$345AUD). At that range, I'm inclined towards the latter.

Looking on the other end of the budget, I can potentially get the rx470 8gb for $215AUD. A bit torn if I should jump on this deal or forgo it for the 1060 6gb.

Performance wise the 480 8GB and the 1060 6GB trade blows.
So whatever you choose you will do fine.

 

[Face2Face]

I'd go with the RX 480 8GB.