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GPU upgrade time...... ~$450 budget - Page 2

post #11 of 21
I'd go with the Asus 670 (not the TOP version) or the Gigabyte Windforce
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121637
post #12 of 21
Why the GTX 670 when the 7970's are within budget and will beat it? doh.gif

7970's = GTX 680's overclock for overclock.
    
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post #13 of 21
If your going to play BF3 get a 670 if not get a 7950/70, I have 2 replica builds, one with 680 and the
Other with a 7970, and for most games they feel the same except bf3 the Nvidia card runs consistently higher fps and smoother, the game is heavily optimised for n cards, no surprise, the splash for bf used to be "nvidia, the way its meant ti be played"
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post #14 of 21
Quote:
Originally Posted by pioneerisloud View Post

Why the GTX 670 when the 7970's are within budget and will beat it? doh.gif
7970's = GTX 680's overclock for overclock.
Because AMD cards are a stuttering mess in certain games
post #15 of 21
Quote:
Originally Posted by delow View Post

Quote:
Originally Posted by pioneerisloud View Post

Why the GTX 670 when the 7970's are within budget and will beat it? doh.gif
7970's = GTX 680's overclock for overclock.
Because AMD cards are a stuttering mess in certain games

proof.gif

There is not one game that I have a hard time with at 2560x1600 with my 7970 at a very modest overclock of 1150 / 1600 (stock volts). Not a single one game.
    
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post #16 of 21
Quote:
Originally Posted by stryker7314 View Post

If your going to play BF3 get a 670 if not get a 7950/70, I have 2 replica builds, one with 680 and the
Other with a 7970, and for most games they feel the same except bf3 the Nvidia card runs consistently higher fps and smoother, the game is heavily optimised for n cards, no surprise, the splash for bf used to be "nvidia, the way its meant ti be played"

So you are asking to get a 670 because your 680 runs faster than HD 7970. nice logic. GTX 670 runs slower than GTX 680 by 5 - 6% clock for clock.

If thats the case why are these reviews showing the HD 7970 Ghz (1/1.05 Ghz) edition competing and even slightly faster than the GTX 680 (1 /1.05 - 1.1 Ghz) at 1600p.

http://www.hardocp.com/article/2012/06/21/amd_radeon_hd_7970_ghz_edition_video_card_review/4
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-7970-ghz-edition-review-benchmark,3232-8.html
http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Graphics-Cards/AMD-Radeon-HD-7970-3GB-GHz-Edition-Review-Taking-GTX-680/Battlefield-3
http://techreport.com/articles.x/23150/4
Quote:
Originally Posted by pioneerisloud View Post

proof.gif
There is not one game that I have a hard time with at 2560x1600 with my 7970 at a very modest overclock of 1150 / 1600 (stock volts). Not a single one game.

Forget it. people who have a bias towards Nvidia aren't going to understand. There are reviews which clearly tell that as the resolution increases there is only one fastest card. Radeon HD 7970. But they won't understand.
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post #17 of 21
@ that resolution get the 7970.
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post #18 of 21
lol. as expected.
Censored version of my previous post ...

@1440p, my vote goes for any non-ref cooling 7970 you can find at that price (as an OCNer, i believe your card will get overclocked, right? ).
If you can't get any 7970's at that price, then hop on a 670. That card is also a beast and will be well worth your money.
Though your game of choice is bf3, assuming you will be overclocking your card, this gives a nice ballpark for expected performance:
http://www.hardocp.com/article/2012/05/14/geforce_680_670_vs_radeon_7970_7950_gaming_perf/3
[note that this article is pre Catalyst 12.7b, which provides pretty nice gains for the 79xx series of cards].
I would normally recommend the 670 but at 1440p, I am a little concerned about potential bandwidth limitations (and compute performance, should games tap into that some more) in the future.
You'll be happy with either purchase though

[too lazy to add the edits I made later ... with other benches ]
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post #19 of 21
7970 to squeeze all the performance you can out of $450. 670/7950 if you don't mind leaving 3-5fps on the table and you have extra money left for games.

Again I have to laugh at people getting so worked up on the differences between 70 and 75 fps at max settings for games. Especially when we're talking about $50-$100 price differences.
    
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post #20 of 21
I've said it once, I'll say it a million times. My 7970 at a wimpy little overclock of 1150 core maxes out EVERY game I've thrown at it at 2560x1600, with the one exception of GTA IV. Even Metro 2033 is completely playable maxed (no AA though).

If you're going for a high resolution and you want the best card to suite your needs, the 7970 is where its at. Please don't misunderstand my post, the GTX 670 is a great card too. But the 7970 is better, and its doable in the $450 range. Why not get the better card? If it were between the 680 and 7970, that's a different story as they're basically on par with each other after overclocking. So whatever on that one.

If you want proof of my 7970, all you have to do is ask nicely. I'd be more than happy to benchmark whatever you want me to. Keep in mind, I'm temperature limited, which is why I have to stick to stock volts. My card does 1300 on water, I just don't have water yet....and I can't stand the stock leaf blower fan (which is why I recommended the Sapphire Dual X).
    
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