[james8]

Always used Nvidia (and Intel when forced to).
But with Kepler, they skimped a lot on memory bandwidth and bus and I really don't like that since games are getting more and more VRAM intensive. In addition to that they decided to lock us back into the dark ages of voltage-locked GPUs after only having 2 gens of voltage-unlocked cards

http://www.amazon.com/HIS-Mini-DiplayPort-Express-Graphics-H787Q2G2M/dp/B007HYIRES/ref=pd_sxp_f_pt
I heard that card has a great cooler and 7870s overclock well to 1.2 GHz which is very near 7950 level of perf.
also has the full 256-bit 2GB unlike comparable GTX 660 with 192-bit stripped memory shenanigans.
Problem is that I've heard all these bad rumors/experiences about Catalyst drivers from OCNers and fellow Nvidia fans. Also I am very worried about AMD's weak performance in Battlefield 3, which is now my #1 played game. Can anyone discuss these issues?

 

[raghu78]

Quote:

Originally Posted by james8

Always used Nvidia (and Intel when forced to).
But with Kepler, they skimped a lot on memory bandwidth and bus and I really don't like that since games are getting more and more VRAM intensive. In addition to that they decided to lock us back into the dark ages of voltage-locked GPUs after only having 2 gens of voltage-unlocked cards

http://www.amazon.com/HIS-Mini-DiplayPort-Express-Graphics-H787Q2G2M/dp/B007HYIRES/ref=pd_sxp_f_pt
I heard that card has a great cooler and 7870s overclock well to 1.2 GHz which is very near 7950 level of perf.
also has the full 256-bit 2GB unlike comparable GTX 660 with 192-bit stripped memory shenanigans.
Problem is that I've heard all these bad rumors/experiences about Catalyst drivers from OCNers and fellow Nvidia fans. Also I am very worried about AMD's weak performance in Battlefield 3, which is now my #1 played game. Can anyone discuss these issues?

the HIS Iceq HD 7870 for USD 220 (USD 200 after rebate) is unbeatable from a price performance point of view. The Iceq cooler is one of the best coolers in the market. HD 7870 easily beats the GTX 660 and scales better with overclocking. The cards higher up are the GTX 660 Ti and HD 7950. but they cost USD 300. so at the price of 200 bucks after rebate its a no contest.

The drivers have improved a lot from 12.7 beta onwards. 12.8 WHQL and 12.9 beta re the latest WHQL and beta drivers. you could post the question in the HD 7800 users thread asking for stability of these drivers.

here is a HD 7870 in BF3 multiplayer. at stock speeds you should be able to get 60 fps with Ultra FXAA at 1920 x 1200. overclocked to 1.2 Ghz you can turn on MSAA 2x and still be above 50 fps.

http://www.hardocp.com/article/2012/07/02/asus_radeon_hd_7870_directcu_ii_top_review/5

review of the HIS iceq HD 7870. load temps are below 65c.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/5691/the-retail-radeon-hd-7870-review-his-7870-iceq-turbo-powercolor-pcs-hd7870/5

here is a video review of the HIS Iceq HD 7870
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvpi14Rn3VE

this card goes out of stock quickly because of the amazing price. grab one before it goes out of stock.

 

[rubixcube101]

Hey dude, i was in the same boat as you choosing to go from nvidia to amd. Eventually i decided to get a 7970. My experience in gaming performance has been great. Overclocking the cards i managed to get great frames the same as you would with a topline gtx 680. As for the drivers and rest of the experience...

In the past i've had four nvidia cards and never had a single issue or crash during gaming (with the exception of overclocking to high obviously). Absolutely amazing, it works straight out of the box.However if your looking for that same flawless experience i'd take a stop to think. Since i bought my 7970 i've had several bluescreens and many events where my card decides not to display. I am hoping though that selecting the right drivers and find the right setup ill be able to obtain a nice experience without all these kinks.

Overall AMD isn't bad, i haven't had my card long enough to conclude my experience but its still enough to stay next time i'm going back to nvidia; simply because i enjoy that flawless experience

 

[specopsFI]

For a single card, you shouldn't have too much trouble with an AMD. Double the cards and you'll roughly quadruple the problems. So go for AMD if you feel like it, but go for a single card powerful enough to not run out of juice. A good custom 7950 is a great price/performance choice.