What is the most trusted brand for 7850, 7870, 7950

[badb0y]

Sapphire is good, XFX was good but is going downhill fast, ASUS is good, MSi is OK(I always have problems with MSi), Powercolor is decent.

[Nawlins]

Originally Posted by badb0y

Sapphire is good, XFX was good but is going downhill fast, ASUS is good, MSi is OK(I always have problems with MSi), Powercolor is decent.

dang it, now I'm back to indecision. I was about to tell my gf to pull the trigger on this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127681

[Durvelle27]

Originally Posted by Nawlins

dang it, now I'm back to indecision. I was about to tell my gf to pull the trigger on this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127681

that card is fine go for it

[wand3r3r]

For a comparison on warranties.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/...3bkd5R1E#gid=0

I've had numerous MSI cards and have never had a problem. The twin frozr 4 is great. The only issue with that card is that it's approaching HD 7950 deals territory. ($270 AR lately)

[Nawlins]

Thanks for that spreadsheet. Went to check out the 7950 and the cheapest one is the Sapphire for $280 AR which is indeed close in price to the 7870. I'm just a little leery of Sapphire after reading a thread on this forum about Sapphire's video card being unreliable.

I need to make a decision soon, my gf is putting the pressure on me. She wants to have it here in time for my birthday's party.

[stylez777]

I was at the same indecision point as you were. Hopefully some of what I have to say may help you out.

From the research I did most people looking into the 7xxx series recommend MSI, Gigabyte and Sapphire as a trusted brand to buy. Asus follows behind those 3 (not saying it is bad just saying what is recommended from reviews and such)

I myself went back and forth for over a month and I decide to pickup a Sapphire 7950 (boost model) from most of the research I have seen their GPU tend to be a lower asic % compared to Gigabyte and MSI (which could be they are not using binned chips if you buy into the asic % thing which some people don't) The Sapphire 7950 that I had had a asic % of 63.9 and when trying to overclock it I couldn't reach figures that others had reached easily with other cards. of course results will vary but a simple 1000/1400 should be reachable (especially with 1.25v!) but on my card wouldn't happen factor in also some seriously loud coil whine and I was not happy at all with the card and returned it. That was just my experience and others may have a more positive result. I will say the one positive of the card I got was the Dual X cooler worked well enough as temps seemed to stay inline with the norm not going over 70c on a stress testing. Like I said before I returned the card and I am now waiting on a MSI 7950 TF3 model.

If you are looking to overclock your card staying away from a boost model would be a good idea as all boost models bios pumps a higher voltage (1.25v) to the gpu to gain a very small boost clock and when trying to overclock these cards it's a bit more of a PITA than a non boost model.

Comparing the companies Sapphire only give you 2 years parts and labor warranty vs MSI who give 3 years parts 2 years labor vs Gigabyte who is 3 years on both.

So my opinion from broad scope of website reviews along with tons of posts form people about these cards and a little of my own experience is : MSI has the better binned GPU's, Gigabyte has the best cooler of the bunch, Sapphire dual X cooler is good but GPU's asic % or quality not as good as Gigabyte or MSI.

I have not mentioned other brands simply because I have no personal experience with them or have not read much about them (except for the Asus which has mixed reviews most of the time but I trust the company since they been around a very long time just not my first choice on a video card)

In conclusion I'd go with a MSI or Gigabyte or Sapphire (yes even after my 1 bad experience I would try them again in the future) in that order. Also a personal opinion is I'd spend the extra $50 and buy a 7950 over the 7870 ghz edition card. The extra 1gb of VRAM and the 384 bit alone is worth it for longevity (also the extra 512 stream processors) and either the MSI 7950 TF3 or the Gigabyte WindForce 3 *should*(stress the should because results can and will vary) hit 1100/1400 on stock voltage.

Whichever way you go I hope some of what I posted was able to help and wish you nothing but happiness with whatever card you end up with

[Durvelle27]

Originally Posted by Nawlins

Thanks for that spreadsheet. Went to check out the 7950 and the cheapest one is the Sapphire for $280 AR which is indeed close in price to the 7870. I'm just a little leery of Sapphire after reading a thread on this forum about Sapphire's video card being unreliable.

I need to make a decision soon, my gf is putting the pressure on me. She wants to have it here in time for my birthday's party.

Sapphire is a great brand i highly recommend them or MSI


Edit: All companies have Ups and downs

[Nawlins]

Thank you so much Stylez777. Now you got me looking at this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125414

Gonna start reading the reviews on it. I think maybe this is the one for me.

[wand3r3r]

Yeah it's a toss up and then overclocking is basically a lottery anyway (if you try OCing).

Personal preference atm is probably EVGA (NV), MSI/ASUS, and then the others vary by price.

[Nawlins]

Durvelle27, what do you think about all of those complaints about Sapphire's cards crashing and losing connection? Do you think those problems have been fixed?

[blastingcap]

FWIW, my Sapphire 7850 and 7870 from earlier in the year were both OC edition and had good ASIC% (85% or something like that). A 7950 Dual-X non-OC edition was really low though, like 70%.

Originally Posted by stylez777

I was at the same indecision point as you were. Hopefully some of what I have to say may help you out.

From the research I did most people looking into the 7xxx series recommend MSI, Gigabyte and Sapphire as a trusted brand to buy. Asus follows behind those 3 (not saying it is bad just saying what is recommended from reviews and such)

I myself went back and forth for over a month and I decide to pickup a Sapphire 7950 (boost model) from most of the research I have seen their GPU tend to be a lower asic % compared to Gigabyte and MSI (which could be they are not using binned chips if you buy into the asic % thing which some people don't) The Sapphire 7950 that I had had a asic % of 63.9 and when trying to overclock it I couldn't reach figures that others had reached easily with other cards. of course results will vary but a simple 1000/1400 should be reachable (especially with 1.25v!) but on my card wouldn't happen factor in also some seriously loud coil whine and I was not happy at all with the card and returned it. That was just my experience and others may have a more positive result. I will say the one positive of the card I got was the Dual X cooler worked well enough as temps seemed to stay inline with the norm not going over 70c on a stress testing. Like I said before I returned the card and I am now waiting on a MSI 7950 TF3 model.

If you are looking to overclock your card staying away from a boost model would be a good idea as all boost models bios pumps a higher voltage (1.25v) to the gpu to gain a very small boost clock and when trying to overclock these cards it's a bit more of a PITA than a non boost model.

Comparing the companies Sapphire only give you 2 years parts and labor warranty vs MSI who give 3 years parts 2 years labor vs Gigabyte who is 3 years on both.

So my opinion from broad scope of website reviews along with tons of posts form people about these cards and a little of my own experience is : MSI has the better binned GPU's, Gigabyte has the best cooler of the bunch, Sapphire dual X cooler is good but GPU's asic % or quality not as good as Gigabyte or MSI.

I have not mentioned other brands simply because I have no personal experience with them or have not read much about them (except for the Asus which has mixed reviews most of the time but I trust the company since they been around a very long time just not my first choice on a video card)

In conclusion I'd go with a MSI or Gigabyte or Sapphire (yes even after my 1 bad experience I would try them again in the future) in that order. Also a personal opinion is I'd spend the extra $50 and buy a 7950 over the 7870 ghz edition card. The extra 1gb of VRAM and the 384 bit alone is worth it for longevity (also the extra 512 stream processors) and either the MSI 7950 TF3 or the Gigabyte WindForce 3 *should*(stress the should because results can and will vary) hit 1100/1400 on stock voltage.

Whichever way you go I hope some of what I posted was able to help and wish you nothing but happiness with whatever card you end up with

[Durvelle27]

Originally Posted by Nawlins

Durvelle27, what do you think about all of those complaints about Sapphire's cards crashing and losing connection? Do you think those problems have been fixed?

The only complaint i heard about Sapphire now is that the new HD 7950 w/Boost is voltage locked so you want be able to oc as high as the regular model.

[Shephard]

ok good spreadsheet up above.

So I will decide Gigabyte or MSI. Too much complaint about Sapphire.

What is a good price for the 7950. I always see the Gigabyte one around $300 or above. The XFX 7870 goes on sale a lot though in the low $200 range which seems really good.

How much would you pay for 7950?

[winniethepwn]

Originally Posted by blastingcap

Just avoid Diamond and you'll be fine.

I have a diamond 4850 that has been OCed for 4 years... lucky card or has something changed?

The 7950 was recently 240 on amazon (sapphire I think). Hopefully the game bundle drives the price down for vendors that aren't a part of it.

I think the only terrible choice would be a sapphire 7870, due to faulty hardware that they ignored.

[wand3r3r]

I wouldn't pay $100 more in any case. Personally I'd probably pay ~$50 more or so?

Originally Posted by winniethepwn

I have a diamond 4850 that has been OCed for 4 years... lucky card or has something changed?

The 7950 was recently 240 on amazon. Hopefully the game bundle drives the price down for vendors that aren't a part of it.

I think people have an issue once and it leaves a bad taste permanently. Things change, I don't know if I'd buy from them or not.

[stylez777]

Originally Posted by Nawlins

Thank you so much Stylez777. Now you got me looking at this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814125414

Great card and great price. They did have a $20 rebate on it last week but still $299 is a great price for that card. I chose the MSI 7950 over for $5 more after rebate only because I liked that it had the 7970 PCB and the chance for a higher binned chip.

Originally Posted by blastingcap

FWIW, my Sapphire 7850 and 7870 from earlier in the year were both OC edition and had good ASIC% (85% or something like that). A 7950 Dual-X non-OC edition was really low though, like 70%.

I have read in many places that Sapphires newer cards are coming with lower quality chips because of the boost bios (this is totally unconfirmed but just many peoples theory). The boost bios throwing 1.25v to the core and throwing a 925 or 950mhz boost is considered safe by these companies for that modest overclock. A higher quality chip should be able to hit those clocks or better with lower volts. That why you get premium model like the Asus Matrix or MSI lightning that have premium binned chips for the highest of overclocks. What cannot be denied is that earlier Sapphire 7850,7870,7950 did have higher ASIC % numbers than the newer cards they are offering now particulary the boost models.

Originally Posted by Shephard

What is a good price for the 7950. I always see the Gigabyte one around $300 or above. The XFX 7870 goes on sale a lot though in the low $200 range which seems really good.

How much would you pay for 7950?

Right now a good price for the 7950 is about $300. If you can get a rebate even better. The Gigabyte WF3 like mentioned above for $300 is good deal, I think the MSI 7950 TF3 for $305 after rebate is a good deal. The Sapphire 7950 for $280 after rebate is a good deal also if you are not into overclocking too much (if you are the above 2 models are much better from what I have seen).

[blastingcap]

Originally Posted by winniethepwn

I have a diamond 4850 that has been OCed for 4 years... lucky card or has something changed?

The 7950 was recently 240 on amazon (sapphire I think). Hopefully the game bundle drives the price down for vendors that aren't a part of it.

I think the only terrible choice would be a sapphire 7870, due to faulty hardware that they ignored.

Diamond only sells reference cards, which are usually quite good and reliable and particularly good for things like watercooling or multi-GPU setups (ejecting air out the back). I have nothing against reference cards and am not saying they are not reliable or you are lucky. But if by some chance you need tech support or RMA or something with Diamond, it could get dicey. HOWEVER, things change in tech all the time and this information could be out of date. And I'm impressed that Diamond has a 5 year warranty on some of its cards like the 7970.

Originally Posted by stylez777

I have read in many places that Sapphires newer cards are coming with lower quality chips because of the boost bios (this is totally unconfirmed but just many peoples theory). The boost bios throwing 1.25v to the core and throwing a 925 or 950mhz boost is considered safe by these companies for that modest overclock. A higher quality chip should be able to hit those clocks or better with lower volts. That why you get premium model like the Asus Matrix or MSI lightning that have premium binned chips for the highest of overclocks. What cannot be denied is that earlier Sapphire 7850,7870,7950 did have higher ASIC % numbers than the newer cards they are offering now particulary the boost models.

Sounds plausible to me because the sub-70% Sapphire 7950 I bought wasn't that long ago, maybe a couple of months ago or something. I bought it to replace my 7850OC Sapphire which I sold.

[stylez777]

Originally Posted by blastingcap

Sounds plausible to me because the sub-70% Sapphire 7950 I bought wasn't that long ago, maybe a couple of months ago or something. I bought it to replace my 7850OC Sapphire which I sold.

In all honesty my problem with the Saphire 7950 boost I got wasn't so much the low ASIC %. Even if I was able to get a modest 1000/1350 stable overclock I'd be happy. It had more to do with the awful coil whine. In my PC I have 2 x 120mm rear fans, 1 x 200 mm top fan, 3 x 120mm front fans and 2 x 120mm fans p/p on my cpu heatsink plus ontop of that the 2 fans on the card running and my wife could noticeably hear the coil whine in the next room. That is very bad.

[crisium]

Diamond should indeed be avoided like the plague. Both my Diamond cards had crashing problems.

[Shephard]

XFX 7870 - there are 2 different ones on newegg - go for $249 not including rebate. I don't do rebates because they suck.

So do you think it's worth $50 more for 7950?

I am hoping 7950 will go on good deal at the Black Friday.

[stylez777]

Originally Posted by Shephard

So do you think it's worth $50 more for 7950?

1GB more VRAM
384bit instead of 256bit
512 more Stream Processors

those 3 options alone most certainly make it worth the extra $50 to me.

[Shephard]

sounds good. I will take MSI or Gigabyte. Whichever is cheaper on the Black Friday or Cyber Monday.

[Eureka]

Good choice. FYI, Asus does make good stuff, but when things go bad, they have some of the worst customer service out there. Stick with MSI & Gigabyte.

[dennilfloss]

I had two Diamond cards (3870 & 1GB 4870) before my current HIS and they were just fine. Before that I had Sapphire cards and again no problem whatsoever. Current card (factory-overclocked HIS) is working just fine also.

[blastingcap]

I can only speak to ASUS laptop customer service but it was awesome and they even paid for shipping both ways. Not sure what they are like for video cards.