AT members choice: GTX 680 or 7970 (ghz) ?

[raghu78]

No, look here:
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AMD/Catalyst_12.11_Performance/23.html

~5% on average doesn't "change everything". Sontin is right: the price is the main factor in the purchasing decision. Overall the cards are still pretty close. Only when you look at specific games, that changes.

5% average at 1080p and 10% at 1600p. the average for the GTX 680 is made to look better than it really is . Games like Starcraft II where the high end cards are doing 100+ fps at 1600p don't make a difference. the HD 7970 Ghz is significantly faster than GTX 680 in the most demanding games like BF3, Metro 2033, Crysis, Crysis 2, Sleeping Dogs, Alan Wake. tpu is not the only review.

hardocp shows HD 7970 Ghz faster by bigger margin. HD 7970 Ghz is 10 - 15% in BF3, 30% faster in Sleeping Dogs, 15% faster in Witcher 2.

http://www.hardocp.com/article/2012/11/12/fall_2012_gpu_driver_comparison_roundup/3

techspot shows HD 7970 Ghz faster than GTX 680 by average 7% at 1080p and 11% at 1600p.

http://www.techspot.com/review/603-best-graphics-cards/page12.html

computerbase also shows significant differences

http://www.computerbase.de/artikel/grafikkarten/2012/bericht-amd-catalyst-12.11-beta/5/

http://www.computerbase.de/artikel/grafikkarten/2012/nvidia-geforce-310.33-beta/6/

anyway voted for HD 7970 Ghz

 

[omeds]

Ok, my bad.
(i pretty sure ive been wrong once b4 too...LOL)
Although it obviously was taken that way by him and myself because of the way you worded your post about "i'd hate to game your system".

But, no big deal...some people like to spend time to tweak and others feel that time is better spent doing other things that are of a higher priority to them.
And the tweaks are the responsibility of the GPU manufacturer themselves. (my conclusion since Final8ty edited his post)
And i cannot say i disagree with his view, since i feel it is an area where AMD still needs to improve.

So, did ya vote AMD or Nvidia?

I honestly feel AMD is kicking some butt here with their price/game offerings.

I only wish the 12.11 performance drivers/price and game bundle were offered to the early adopters at launch to show AMD fans they care about their die hard supporters/early adopters.

But, it is here now and very hard to ignore.

And to lavaheadache ,
I'd like to withdraw my vote and ask for a free GTX 680 and 7970GE for 'hands on" evaluation before coming to a conclusion. :whiste:

KK np, I didnt mean I'd hate to game on his system per se, just that radeon pro and inspector are vital for a good gaming experience, especially with MGPU, and more so with Tri and Quad.

So, did ya vote AMD or Nvidia?

:hmm:

http://forums.anandtech.com/showpost.php?p=34297761&postcount=48

 

[RussianSensation]

Both are nice cards. I was just trying to see what we as a community felt was the best of the generation. I believe the clear winner is the 7970 GHZ.

If we are talking cream of the crop HD7970 Ghz vs. GTX680, in my eyes the Asus Matrix Platinum would beat any single GPU this round. The only decider is then NV-specific features (PhysX, CUDA, 3D vision), not performance.

In the most demanding titles, things can get real nasty for the GTX680.

At multi-monitor gaming, GTX680 is not even on the map.

"That said, we have to wonder why anyone would bother with the GeForce GTX 680 4GB for extreme resolutions when the Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition was constantly faster at both 5040x1050 and 7680x1600. In fact at 7680x1600 the 7970 GHz Edition was on average 20% faster than the GeForce GTX 680 4GB in the half dozen games that we tested with."
http://www.legionhardware.com/articles_pages/gigabyte_geforce_gtx_680_4gb,6.html

NCIX even tested it against an overclocked GTX680 Lightning and the Matrix still won. This is not a surprise since HD7970 is faster per clock so there is no way you can beat a 1300mhz HD7970 unless you overvolt GTX680 to 1450mhz or something.

Contrary to popular beliefs that Cats 12.11s put HD7970 Ghz over the top, HD7970 Ghz was already faster as early as June 2012 and this was widely documented by most professional reviews. Cats 12.11s actually extended 7970 Ghz's lead but NV lost the single GPU performance crown as early as Cats 12.7 betas. Of course most people on our forum didn't acknowledge this back then because they were too busy discussing the noise levels and power consumption of the non-existent retail reference designed HD7970 Ghz card:

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AMD/HD_7970_GHz_Edition/28.html

And then there is the case of 1200mhz Sapphire HD7970 6GB TOXIC. That card took out the fastest factory pre-overclocked GTX680 (a 1267mhz Galaxy/KFA2 White edition):

"In 7 out of 11 tests, The Sapphire HD7970 6GB Toxic Edition outperformed the KFA2 GTX680 Limited OC Edition."
http://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/zardon/sapphire-hd-7970-6gb-toxic-edition-review/25/

So really, stock vs. stock, OC vs. OC, HD7970 Ghz had GTX680 beaten 5 months ago. At high resolution with the latest drivers, even a stock 925mhz HD7970 is faster than GTX680 and after-market HD7970 cards are in another league entirely.

No matter how we slice it, NV went from having a clear performance lead with GTX280/285/480/580 to losing the single GPU performance crown. They'll probably get it back next year with the GTX780 but GTX680 was overall one of their least impressive showings since GeForce 7. What made GTX680 so sour in my mouth was that nV continued to charge more for it after June 2012 despite selling a slower card. When companies charge more $ for less performance, that stuff doesn't fly well with me.

Of course as some mentioned if all you play is a particular game that runs faster on 1 brand or the other, well then pick based on that 1 game!

 

[Final8ty]

Glad to hear it.
I have a tendency to upgrade more often than needed to satisfy my hardware itch.(did you see the ASUS MATRIX HD 7970 PLATINUM EDITION )
Man its hard not to want one of those. :awe:
This is the first GPU generation, i'm trying to show restraint and not spend UN-necessary $$$.

Its not hard for me to resist but I think I will up grade the CPU first next year.
I'm told that SLI works in Windowed mode and that could be of use to me.

 

[Final8ty]

KK np, I didnt mean I'd hate to game on his system per se, just that radeon pro and inspector are vital for a good gaming experience, especially with MGPU, and more so with Tri and Quad.

Clearly a matter of opinion based on personal preference and needs.

 

[badb0y]

As of lately, the gtx680 is cheaper on newegg. Cheapest two gtx680's are $419.99 ($405 after MIR) and $426.88 ($407 after MIR), whereas the cheapest two 7970GE's are $449.99 ($420 after MIR) and straight up $450.

Soooo...

I should have checked the prices before I posted but the last time I checked the 7970 Ghz was cheaper so that's why I said faster and cheaper. If the GTX 680 is cheaper right now that just makes the decision for new buyers more difficult lol.

 

[chimaxi83]

I compared the cheapest of one product to the cheapest of another product. I didn't cheat, include, exclude, or fail at anything.

Person says Product A is more than Product B.
I show person that Product B is cheaper right now.
You blow a gasket.

How is it fail when I showed the least expensive gtx680's costing less than the least expensive hd7970GE's? Can't you just seriously shut up for once and not get incredibly defensive about anything that damages your psyche?

Who's blowing gaskets or getting incredibly defensive? All I'm doing is pointing something out in the exact same manner that you did. Learn how to agree to disagree dude, telling people to shut up because they dont like your video card assessment is... strange. Talk about a serious overreaction

 

[Whitestar127]

Six months ago, would say the 680. Today it's the 7970ghz, even the plain 7970 is a better card currently.

Also with current drivers and the 7970ghz's advantage over the 680, there are games where the 7970ghz is appreciably faster that it will deliver a better experience than a 680, particularly at my resolution.

It's also fun to have a card where you can overclock it and have hardware voltage control. Unlike the 680 which has no hardware voltage control and you can only adjust the voltage down from the maximum 1.17v it runs the card at with maximum clocks. Pretty sad on what is supposed to be a flagship card.

Do you have a link to benchmarks showing that the 7970 is faster than the 680 now?

I haven't really been following the driver updates. The only benchmarks I've seen for the GTX 680 vs. 7970 are these here at Anandtech: http://www.anandtech.com/show/5699/nvidia-geforce-gtx-680-review. And they show a commanding lead for the 680. But that situation has changed I gather?

By the way, does that apply to all resolutions? I will play in 1920x1080.

 

[wand3r3r]

Do you have a link to benchmarks showing that the 7970 is faster than the 680 now?

I haven't really been following the driver updates. The only benchmarks I've seen for the GTX 680 vs. 7970 are these here at Anandtech: http://www.anandtech.com/show/5699/nvidia-geforce-gtx-680-review. And they show a commanding lead for the 680. But that situation has changed I gather?

By the way, does that apply to all resolutions? I will play in 1920x1080.

Read a couple pages back. There are 2 reviews that show the 7970 (GHz) is clearly faster in most games.

 

[sontin]

The 7970 is not faster in "most games". The GHz edition on the other hand is.

That's a difference.

 

[wand3r3r]

The 7970 is not faster in "most games". The GHz edition on the other hand is.

That's a difference.

The regular 7970 is about 1% faster then the 680 at 1600p and about 3% slower at 1920x1200.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AMD/Catalyst_12.11_Performance/23.html

This thread is about ghz vs. 680 2/4GB but I'll clarify it.

 

[sontin]

That's fine. Maybe you should tell that Grooveriding.

 

[tviceman]

Who's blowing gaskets or getting incredibly defensive? All I'm doing is pointing something out in the exact same manner that you did. Learn how to agree to disagree dude, telling people to shut up because they dont like your video card assessment is... strange. Talk about a serious overreaction

Not at all an overreaction. I'm sick and tired of you swooping in making idiotic thread crapping comments all the time still OR trying to twist a statement or contort facts to fit the reality in which your brain can only exist. The statement was hd7970GE is cheaper than gtx680. I showed that was not true right now with links to the lowest prices for several cards each. You came in and said "fail" even though I clearly, clearly, without an irrefutable doubt showed a reality in which you just couldn't stand to bare - that the hd7970GE is not currently cheaper than gtx680.

Sorry, but it is you that fails hard at basic comprehension and acceptance but I guess you probably need to twist and qualify statements as much as possible so you can sleep a little better.




ANYWAYS, back on topic, 7970GE wins vs. 680, esp. with latest drivers and 1440p or higher resolution. AMD should have just released this card in January; based on the users on here 7970's have been hitting 1050mhz+ quite easily since day 1. Yields should not have been an issue at all, it was AMD just being AMD and shooting themselves in the foot.

 

[AdamK47]

Who's blowing gaskets or getting incredibly defensive? All I'm doing is pointing something out in the exact same manner that you did. Learn how to agree to disagree dude, telling people to shut up because they dont like your video card assessment is... strange. Talk about a serious overreaction

I think this is what got to him; "Sooooo, nice try, but fail."

Comments like that tend to lead to overration and defensiveness.

 

[wand3r3r]

There is a reference card at 1010 MHz for $360 AR but I guess that it's not a GHz edition. The performance is still probably equal to or greater then the 680. (With 3 free games) The rest seem to be ~ $400 and up (Gigabyte 1GHz, .. etc)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814127652

 

[JohnnyChuttz]

I would take the 7970. Add it to my three and have quad-fire. Also, it's obvious that CrossFire > SLI.

Please tell me more about how Xfire is better than SLI. Go ahead, I'll wait.
:awe:

A forum dominated by AMD fans voted for the AMD product. Pretty thin veil there.

Go look at the steam survey which shows what people are actually buying. The 680 is ahead of the 7970 even though it has not been for sale as long.

This. 2x times as many 680

 

[AdamK47]

Please tell me more about how Xfire is better than SLI. Go ahead, I'll wait.
:awe:

 

[Lepton87]

Sales numbers mean nothing when it comes to which product is better. People are dumb, people don't buy based on logic. If that were the case then millions of people in the marketing departments around the world would be fired.

 

[Whitestar127]

Please tell me more about how Xfire is better than SLI. Go ahead, I'll wait.
:awe:


As I understand it SLI gives smoother fps and less microstuttering than Crossfire, is that correct? Or is it debatable?

I can only tell what I've experienced with my Radeon 5970. There seems to be a lot of MS going on when I play Crysis when the fps drops down under say 50. Suddenly it looks like 30 fps or something.

 

[Ferzerp]

As I understand it SLI gives smoother fps and less microstuttering than Crossfire, is that correct?

It's widely reported by reviewers to be the case.

We just have a few people who seem to be personally offended by it and try to smokescreen any mention of it.

 

[AdamK47]

It's widely reported by reviewers to be the case.

We just have a few people who seem to be personally offended by it and try to smokescreen any mention of it.

And then there are people who seem to ignore the fact that there are solution to it.

 

[ocre]

No matter how we slice it, NV went from having a clear performance lead with GTX280/285/480/580 to losing the single GPU performance crown. They'll probably get it back next year with the GTX780 but GTX680 was overall one of their least impressive showings since GeForce 7. What made GTX680 so sour in my mouth was that nV continued to charge more for it after June 2012 despite selling a slower card. When companies charge more $ for less performance, that stuff doesn't fly well with me.

Of course as some mentioned if all you play is a particular game that runs faster on 1 brand or the other, well then pick based on that 1 game!

in a lot of ways it is. But then look at how it came to be. Nvidia pushed up their mid grade to fill their flagship high end. This is why its the least impressive, really. Its not all bad though. I think the gk104 has worked out well for nvidia. Its been very successful and has given better power consumption than they have had a reputation for. It served as a decent flagship for 2012 but it just doesnt have a huge amount of resources. As far as performance its a mediocre step. Its all right but it is limited.

As for pricing, nvidia is all about making money. They held out on dropping prices for a good while. If you look at the Q3 market share its fair to think that sales were probably pretty good. This could be why they held their prices. All that is changing now though as there are some gtx680s coming down in price. This is an indication that perhaps sales have slowed or the stock is getting fuller. Maybe AMD is gaining traction with their never settle promo. Even with some 680 models coming down in price, AMD has tremendous value with their bundles. But my point is its looking like 680 prices might be coming down some, at least some models. I hope it is because AMD is having success in their recent push.

The regular 7970 is about 1% faster then the 680 at 1600p and about 3% slower at 1920x1200.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AMD/Catalyst_12.11_Performance/23.html

This thread is about ghz vs. 680 2/4GB but I'll clarify it.

Right now the ghz 7970 edition is clearly faster than the 680. The plain jane 7970 may not be. Nvidia has been working hard on their betas. Several nvidia drivers have come out since AMDs never settle. Each one a little better than the last. The 310.64 beta just came out and there are some more improvements. I dont think there has been any reviews on these last few betas. I think Nvidia is trying to get their revenge driver and we will keep seeing tiny gains here and there. Eventually we will get a WHQL and perhaps some reviews to see if nvidia gained any ground back.

 

[Eureka]

The problem is there are too many people with 680s who don't want to admit that their card is now slower than AMD's offering. It's hard to realize that something that was clearly ahead before is now clearly behind, when they spent more on what was supposed to be a superior product.

 

[Final8ty]

It's widely reported by reviewers to be the case.

We just have a few people who seem to be personally offended by it and try to smokescreen any mention of it.

No one has smoke screened mention of it, the only problem is that it is continually put across by the same few as if its the end of the world with no solutions and as if its the same for all setups in its severity, which would be looking at PCs as if they were a typical brand of gaming console in performance consistency between owners.
I have mentioned myself on this forum the occasions i have experienced it.

I have tested BF3 without Vsync when it first came out and there was allot of Micro stuttering, but there has been allot of driver updates since then plus patching and in game RenderDevice.ForceRenderAheadLimit 0
RenderDevice.TripleBufferingEnable 0 , haven't played it in ages, i think it was just before back to karkand when i last played.

I have experienced over the years micro stuttering in CODMW 2x3870 early drivers ,BFBC2 5970 early drivers, no quadfire and Vsync not working.

 

[cmdrdredd]

The problem is there are too many people with 680s who don't want to admit that their card is now slower than AMD's offering. It's hard to realize that something that was clearly ahead before is now clearly behind, when they spent more on what was supposed to be a superior product.

That is just untrue...the 680 was cheaper when it released vs a 7970 and was faster at the time. Nobody is buying a card in hopes that in 6 months it is worth buying. I would guess that everyone with a 680 had gotten usage out of it from day one. Also everyone buying these cards know they will eventually drop in price. I never once see anyone on these forums crying that their 680 is garbage now and the 7970 is way cheaper and they should have waited. No, nobody thinks like that because you simply can't. For 6+ months the 7970 was not ad fast and over time the price just kept dropping. Meanwhile people with a 680 were playing games on it. Plus is isn't as if your card suddenly gets slower just cause a competitor finally comes out with a good driver. You still have the performance you paid for to begin with and maybe a bit better with its newer drivers.

Go look at prices at the 680 launch. 7970 was $550 and 680 was $499. It was both cheaper and faster at the time. How long ago was that? 8 months...