achieving clarity : 7970 vs 670/680

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The Alias

Senior member
Aug 22, 2012
646
58
91
Do you have any experience with them?
At stock they are very quiet, and even with moderate overclock they are still fairly quiet. Only when fan speed is over 50% does it start getting loud. Once it gets over 60% it's too loud for me. But that would typically only happen if you overvolted/oc'd pretty high. Ref cards are also better-built than some aftermarket cards like the XFX Double D which is known to have worse cooling:
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yes and they really were (note: this is coming from someone who loves the pcs+ 7970 with a passion )
 

Gunbuster

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
6,852
23
81
For me it's all about drivers. So I'm going with Nvidia.

I remember ATI forcing .net on me just to install their huge driver and control panel package. Then for the quality of the current drivers just look to how they have fumbled the mobile enduro problem with a flagship chip... They are incompetent on the software side of things.
 

LOL_Wut_Axel

Diamond Member
Mar 26, 2011
4,310
8
81
For me it's all about drivers. So I'm going with Nvidia.

I remember ATI forcing .net on me just to install their huge driver and control panel package. Then for the quality of the current drivers just look to how they have fumbled the mobile enduro problem with a flagship chip... They are incompetent on the software side of things.

BS.

Most driver issues are PEBKAC. If you're having problems running a single card with AMD's drivers you're not installing them right. With NVIDIA it's the same thing. You would've probably had a point if it were 2007, but not now.
 

Gunbuster

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
6,852
23
81
BS.

Most driver issues are PEBKAC. If you're having problems running a single card with AMD's drivers you're not installing them right. With NVIDIA it's the same thing. You would've probably had a point if it were 2007, but not now.

Oh yeah putting out a flagship card (7900m) and then having an issue that effects every single laptop using it (except alienware) causing them to under-perform and then go around having forum posts deleted to cover it up is definitely PEBKAC.
 

KingFatty

Diamond Member
Dec 29, 2010
3,034
1
81
If you're having problems running a single card with AMD's drivers you're not installing them right. With NVIDIA it's the same thing. You would've probably had a point if it were 2007, but not now.

It would be nice if drivers were not capable of being installed wrong. Sort of like how when I insert the key in my car, and turn on the car, I don't have to worry about my engine exploding if I over-rotate the key.
 

LOL_Wut_Axel

Diamond Member
Mar 26, 2011
4,310
8
81
It would be nice if drivers were not capable of being installed wrong. Sort of like how when I insert the key in my car, and turn on the car, I don't have to worry about my engine exploding if I over-rotate the key.

That's something you'll have to live with. If you're installing a new graphics card, you have to remove ALL driver traces of the previous one.

I had driver ''issues'' with my GTX 460 and I learned to install the drivers right, and what do you know, I've had no problems for three months. Before that, anything related to video like Flash or gaming would crash within 5-10 minutes.
 

LOL_Wut_Axel

Diamond Member
Mar 26, 2011
4,310
8
81
Oh yeah putting out a flagship card (7900m) and then having an issue that effects every single laptop using it (except alienware) causing them to under-perform and then go around having forum posts deleted to cover it up is definitely PEBKAC.

Um, wat.

Most driver issues are PEBKAC, again.
 

The Alias

Senior member
Aug 22, 2012
646
58
91
That's something you'll have to live with. If you're installing a new graphics card, you have to remove ALL driver traces of the previous one.

I had driver ''issues'' with my GTX 460 and I learned to install the drivers right, and what do you know, I've had no problems for three months. Before that, anything related to video like Flash or gaming would crash within 5-10 minutes.

Nvidia really sucks when uninstalling their drivers they leave a bunch of stuff behind that you have to seek out and delete
 

Ferzerp

Diamond Member
Oct 12, 1999
6,438
107
106
Oh look this thread again :rolleyes:

If I were doing 1920x1200, I'd probably have a 7970 because it's cheaper

Since the experience with crossfire is widely reported as being so poor, and I do 2560x1600, I have 2x 680s.
 

Crap Daddy

Senior member
May 6, 2011
610
0
0
That's something you'll have to live with. If you're installing a new graphics card, you have to remove ALL driver traces of the previous one.

Never did that and never had a problem. Been using Nvidia so I don't know how things are with AMD.
 

cmdrdredd

Lifer
Dec 12, 2001
27,052
357
126
At 1080p a 7950/7970 is better. At 2560x1440 or above, neither company offers a single card I am happy with so it must be dual GPU and right now SLI > Xfire