[bit-tech] Radeon HD 7000-series rumoured for May production

Page 13 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.

3DVagabond

Lifer
Aug 10, 2009
11,951
204
106
I think three 7990's in crossfire would make for a very fast gaming System :)

Wonder how much they would cost and what would be the best CPU to match with them

Assuming the same naming scheme, I assume you mean 3x 7970's? 7990's would be dual GPU cards, and you would be limited to two cards.

Now, to your post. If the 7970 performs at ~6990 levels, as some are claiming, then one will make for a very fast system. Two of them will likely be CPU limited in +90% of the rigs out there. Even if they aren't as fast as that, I still believe that 2 of them will rock any game at 1080.
 

happy medium

Lifer
Jun 8, 2003
14,387
480
126
I think three 7990's in crossfire would make for a very fast gaming System :)

Wonder how much they would cost and what would be the best CPU to match with them

I can tell you this.... a 1100t AMD cpu overclocked to 4.0 would barely push 1 7970 and never be good enough for 2.
3? forget about it.

A 2500k @ 4.8 could push 2 . that would = 4 6950's in quadfire.

edited for content
 
Last edited:

videoclone

Golden Member
Jun 5, 2003
1,465
0
0
I can tell you this.... a 1100t AMD cpu overclocked to 4.0 would barely push 1 7970 and never be good enough for 2.
3? forget about it.

A 2500k @ 4.8 could push 2 . that would = 4 6950's in quadfire.

edited for content

Wouldnt two 7990's be = 4x 6990's in quadfire. that would = 8x 6950's in quadfire.

Seeing as that one 1x 7970 should be as fast as 1x 6990 as it will double all the specs of the 6970 lol
 

RussianSensation

Elite Member
Sep 5, 2003
19,458
765
126
Two of them will likely be CPU limited in +90% of the rigs out there. Even if they aren't as fast as that, I still believe that 2 of them will rock any game at 1080.

Welcome to consolization of PC game engines. Even now, a single 6970/GTX580 can pretty much max out any game at 1080P, outside of Metro 2033, Crysis 2 and BF3 (with MSAA). So obviously, a single 7970 will be massive overkill for 99% of current games. Alternatively, HD6870 CF will literally crush every game at 1080P today. So even today, for $280+ you already get more than enough performance for non-3D 1080P. But hardware overkill is what some ppl are all about ^_^.

Eventually future games will be more demanding, and we'll be able to pick up an HD7970 or GTX670 for $200, 12-15 months after release. This year, GTX480 was on sale on Newegg for $175-200. No one forces anyone to buy a top-end GPU at $500 on first day of release. But we need new GPUs so that one day their prices fall to $175-200 :biggrin:

AMD systems are SOL, since any X4/X6/Bulldozer system already bottlenecks a single HD6990...
 
Last edited:

Pacman4

Senior member
Nov 7, 2011
251
0
0
I never buy a GPU unless it's quiet, relatively powerful and doesn't get supa hot under load.....the cost is somewhat irrelevant up to say $400, IOW, I'll pay anywhere from $250-$400 to get what I want.
 

RussianSensation

Elite Member
Sep 5, 2003
19,458
765
126
True, but can you XF a dual slot card and have room for two single PCI cards, ie, sound and HD tuner...?

In your case, if you are not willing to get a PCIe x1 sound card, then I wasn't able to find MSI, Asus, Asrock or Gigabyte boards that will run 2 PCI cards with 2 dual slot GPUs. Maybe there are such boards but it would take a while to go through all the boards each manufacturer has! The MSI Z68A-G43 has all the right space, but the 2nd PCIe slot only works at PCIe 2.0 x4.

I think a lot of people would buy a new $70-100 sound card if they really wanted to go dual GPUs. If a single HD7970 = HD6990 or within 10% of it, it will smoke every game out right now ad probably any game in 2012 at 1080P. Hardware is getting way ahead of PC software at the moment. Even BF3 barely made current generation of cards sweat. Witcher 2 was very demanding as a result of Super Sampling. All in all, both of these games were unable to bring cards to their knees without having to enable AA filters. Otherwise, you can easily play both on Ultra settings if you back off the AA.

When Doom 3 or Far Cry or Crysis 1 came out, you have no hope at all to play any of those games with all the in-game settings maxed out (nevermind with AA!). If the next generation of GPUs is 50-75% faster than today, they'll fly through anything but perhaps a case of extreme tessellation.
 
Last edited:

Pacman4

Senior member
Nov 7, 2011
251
0
0
It's just that XF starts to get a bit hexy, gotta have the right PSU, mobo, case+cooling etc, and you also run the risk of not having a XF profile.

I hope there's a decent single GPU[dual slot cooler is ok} coming out, ideally one that smokes a 580 otherwise this will be a very mundane launch.

I also hate having to upgrade working parts, ie, both my HD tuner and SC both work and don't give me any headaches, so I'd like to carry them over.
 

3DVagabond

Lifer
Aug 10, 2009
11,951
204
106
It's just that XF starts to get a bit hexy, gotta have the right PSU, mobo, case+cooling etc, and you also run the risk of not having a XF profile.

I hope there's a decent single GPU[dual slot cooler is ok} coming out, ideally one that smokes a 580 otherwise this will be a very mundane launch.

I also hate having to upgrade working parts, ie, both my HD tuner and SC both work and don't give me any headaches, so I'd like to carry them over.

In the past new gen cards "smoked" the previous gen but also used more power. From leaks/rumors, it appears that they are trying to decrease power usage. We might not see big jumps because of this. Of course, there might be huge O/C headroom though? Also, the lower TDP that's being quoted might just be disinformation? If AMD is really releasing their next gen high performance parts though months ahead of nVidia, then disinformation isn't likely to be too effective. So many possibilities... We're getting pretty close to the proposed launch time. Maybe the picture will start to get clearer soon.
 

Pacman4

Senior member
Nov 7, 2011
251
0
0
Maybe the picture will start to get clearer soon.

I'd like an effective dualslot that's at least 30% faster than 580, less power and quiet, my old 4850 has the HIS ICE COOLER, but still ran hottish and was noisy under full load.

I now have a 6850 saphire and it's near dead silent.
 

ManBearPig

Diamond Member
Sep 5, 2000
9,173
6
81
should i NOT buy a 2gb 6950 right now then? im building a new PC asap but i can put it on hold if new cards are coming out very soon.
 

IlllI

Diamond Member
Feb 12, 2002
4,927
10
81
I have my doubts we'll see anything in december. Unless it is just a paper launch
 

Zargon

Lifer
Nov 3, 2009
12,218
2
76
Hardware is getting way ahead of PC software at the moment. Even BF3 barely made current generation of cards sweat. Witcher 2 was very demanding as a result of Super Sampling. All in all, both of these games were unable to bring cards to their knees without having to enable AA filters. Otherwise, you can easily play both on Ultra settings if you back off the AA.

not when you look at 3d or eyefinity or surround

to play bf3 in eyefinity at 1080p you need 2 oc'd 6970s to do it with some candy

get into 2560x1600 and you need trifire :p
 

Grooveriding

Diamond Member
Dec 25, 2008
9,110
1,260
126
not when you look at 3d or eyefinity or surround

to play bf3 in eyefinity at 1080p you need 2 oc'd 6970s to do it with some candy

get into 2560x1600 and you need trifire :p

Is this the wrong way round ? Meaning 2 6970s for 1600p and tri-fire for surround ? :)

I find BF3 multiplayer to be really demanding, enough so that I wouldn't want to run it on two cards rather than three at my resolution. I'm also only using 2xMSAA and I have HBAO off to keep the framerate up. Single player runs really well but multiplayer is not the same story. Once I get my new CPU installed I am hoping it will make a difference for multiplayer.
 

Zargon

Lifer
Nov 3, 2009
12,218
2
76
Is this the wrong way round ? Meaning 2 6970s for 1600p and tri-fire for surround ? :)

I find BF3 multiplayer to be really demanding, enough so that I wouldn't want to run it on two cards rather than three at my resolution. I'm also only using 2xMSAA and I have HBAO off to keep the framerate up. Single player runs really well but multiplayer is not the same story. Once I get my new CPU installed I am hoping it will make a difference for multiplayer.

sorry I meant for 2560x1600 in anything other than single screen you need tri-fire


one 6970 stuggles to maintain 60FPS at 1080P on ultra in BF3

tried tri-dell 30's with 5870CF and it was garbage
 

uclaLabrat

Diamond Member
Aug 2, 2007
5,581
2,939
136
not when you look at 3d or eyefinity or surround

to play bf3 in eyefinity at 1080p you need 2 oc'd 6970s to do it with some candy

get into 2560x1600 and you need trifire :p
Yeah, no. One 6970 @ 2560 x 1600 with everything at ultra (shadows on low) and no MSAA, deferred on high, SSAO on, no motion blur: 49-51 FPS

Perfectly playable.
 

Zargon

Lifer
Nov 3, 2009
12,218
2
76
Yeah, no. One 6970 @ 2560 x 1600 with everything at ultra (shadows on low) and no MSAA, deferred on high, SSAO on, no motion blur: 49-51 FPS

Perfectly playable.

add back in motion blur, and MSAA and what do you have? 40 tops?

and I was referenceing eyefinity with the tri-fire comment..

If this turns out to be true, it would be amazing how AMD kept the entire series so quiet. Not even any pics of a PCB or cooler or anything.



that would be awesome but I an not holding my breathe
 
Last edited:

videoclone

Golden Member
Jun 5, 2003
1,465
0
0
In the past new gen cards "smoked" the previous gen but also used more power. From leaks/rumors, it appears that they are trying to decrease power usage. We might not see big jumps because of this. Of course, there might be huge O/C headroom though? Also, the lower TDP that's being quoted might just be disinformation? If AMD is really releasing their next gen high performance parts though months ahead of nVidia, then disinformation isn't likely to be too effective. So many possibilities... We're getting pretty close to the proposed launch time. Maybe the picture will start to get clearer soon.

every time a new generation is made on a new process node they double the specs and end up with almost a 100% improvement ie the move from 55nm (4870) to 40nm (5870)

Last gen was a move from 40nm (5870) to 40nm (6970)

This gen is another shrink in nodes from 40nm (6970) to 28nm (7970)

And the net gain will be less power usage, more space to double the specs and close to 100% performance jump

Same can be said with the midrange cards with the move from from 55nm (4870) to 40nm (5770) A midrange card being able to match and in most cases beat last generations high end card even on a reduced 128bit memory bus VS 256bit on the older gen high end.