Could use some help for a new videocard

[Neviskio]

System Specifications:

I. Processor/CPU:
cpu: CPU Intel Core i7-2600K 3.40GHz Socket 1155 95W con GPU Sandy Bridge Boxed BX80623I72600K boredly overclocked at 4.2ghz

II. Current Graphics Card:
amd ati radeon hd 5870 sapphire, stock clocks

III. Display Resolution:
1920x1080 full hd

IV. Power Supply Unit Specification (Brand, Wattage, Ampage, Age). If possible, please provide a link to a website containing the power supply specifications:
CORSAIR 620W CMPSU-620HXEU

V. Case Specifications(N/A, Model, Length, Low Profile, Cooling, HTPC, Water, Silent):
antec twelve hundred, should have space for a 29.5 cm card but have to check.Air cooling.

Purchase Details:

I. Budget? Please be sure to include currency (If not USD), retailer preferences & specify whether rebates are a viable option.

around 300-400€, I will only buy from italian shops because I had terrible rma experiences from outside italy shops, could link some of my favorites if needed?

II. Any particular preferences (Manufacturer[nV or AMD], Brand[XFX, Sapphire, EVGA, etc], Cooling Solutions)?

I usually don't have preferences but bear in mind I had 3 ati "failures" kinda leaning towards nvidia unless I HAVE to get an ati, for some reasons.More in the additional info

III. Do you plan to have any Multi-GPU solutions such as Crossfire or SLI?
Only single gpu

IV. Have you previously looked at a product(s) which you feel would fit your needs?

Kinda interested into either gtx 670 or maybe 7970 if all the damn ati issues are fixed.

V. What are your needs for this GPU? Which games(If any)do you intend to play? If you have this information at hand, what are the desired detail levels?

I have for passion/other reasons a huge game library(more than 180) so it's hard but some names: wow, borderlands 2, gw2, torchlight2, diablo3, sc2, payday the heist, civ5, xcom enemy unknown, shogun2, l.a. noire,hard reset, darksiders2, dark souls, the witcher2, skyrim, etc.I want a pc that can go at the witcher 2 at ultra since my pc right now as people say "should run at ultra and games like max payne 3 at all maxed out" while in reality I can barely play most games at medium.Probably some issue?

VI. Do you plan on overclocking the card you intend to purchase?
just some light oc if it's easy and not a huge issue.

Additional Notes

As said above, I've been "tricked" into buying 3 amd cards up to now, first I can't remember since it was old before 8800gt, then I bought either a 4850 or 4870 and at my 3rd rma(after changing the whole pc) I had it changed for the other model.Think it was in the end a working 4870.Which I changed for 5870, upgraded my whole pc AND STILL, I can't play games for shit as I want them.Sorry to be so brutal but yeah, tw2 at medium with what people said "best pc ever, you won't even use it all" feels bad.I don't feel it's broken(got it last year btw) because on some games it goes full hd ultra, just some games don't like it, had some black screens/bsods/driver reboots/mouse issues/etc, and I feel it's not worth my time keeping it.Now I'm scared that 7970 might be more powerfull but has the same driver issues or whatever problem I have now.Would you say I'd be ok with a gtx 670, also free borderlands 2 and physx kinda intrigues me, but still...not sure, what you'd say guys? With amd 12.8 I can generally have some things going ok, with 12.10 things go full disastrous.flickering, bugs, etc.I did reinstall windows recently and I do use driver sweeper if needed to change drivers, I just don't understand hwo people can say my 5870 should be better....Need some serious suggestions.

 

[Eureka]

Just saying, you weren't tricked". Believe it or not, there are games out there that will tax ANY card out there, nVidia or AMD. Right now the fastest card flip flops between the 7970 and the 680, especially with the new drivers on both. AMD with the new 12.11 drivers and the never settle bundle is far better, in my opinion, because it's cheaper with more games (at least in the US). If they are the same price with no bonuses, the 680 has phys-x in its favor, as well as support community and resale.

Ultimately, I think, you should look at benchmarks for the games you want and make a decision from there. The 7970 and 680 both are very close, so it comes down to individual games and price.

 

[Neviskio]

Thing is, I felt tricked because I was suggested "nvidia sucks, amd is the best, no driver issues, all games run fine, with an i7 and 5870 you can run X and Y at ultra" then I got both, started, and I couldn't run shit at ultra...well wow I can... I mean, your suggestion is surely more genuine than what I got up to now xD

right now on e-key.it prices are kinda similar for 680/7970/670 I mean, if I hav eto get out 350€ or 400€ it's a relative difference...also the bonus games of ati I don't exactly like but well it's not the main selling point =P

Thing is I really REALLY want to be able to do what other are doing, on a famous italian forum like anandtech there's a whole 5870 topic and I'm getting flamed to death because "I can run max payn 1920x1080 full ultra all filters on with 5870 and i5" while my pc can't go past low/medium, and asking for help means "noob you don't know shit of pc gaming" so yeah I'd love to avoid getting a 7970 and falling in the same situations where other pcs run things fine and mine somehow sucks while being a fresh install with fresh drivers and only with that game installed <.<

That's why I was leaning towards nvidia <.<

 

[Eureka]

Well, it's hard to say because we don't know what's going on with your system. Don't trust people who say you can run things at X and Y, go between review sites like anandtech, tomsreview, gpureview, etc.

Here's witcher2: http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/foru...radeon-hd-7970-3gb-ghz-edition-review-14.html

Now, this doesn't mean you'll get those numbers. With the new drivers for both companies, you should be able to get more, but that being said you may get less. What it should tell you is that in TW2, the 7970 is about 3-5% faster than the 680.

Now yes, AMD historically has bad drivers, but so has nVidia as well. What should factor your decision now is that the drivers have matured for the 7970 and the 680.

And also, here's a german benchmark (I can't seem to find an english one) of the 5870 on TW2. At very high it's barely playable (30s FPS). I can't imagine ultra would help it better (or are they the same thing, because I've never played TW2).

EDIT: If you're talking about ubersampling, forget it. I just read somewhere that SLI 680s can't hit 60fps with ubersampling on. There's no way ANY card out there right now will get good performance with it on.

 

[Neviskio]

Yeah I've been checking those more, also on my favorite shop gtx 670's are generally A LOT cheaper than 680's and 7970/7950, I might go for that, I just don't understand the difference between 2 and 4gb...I mean I could see it for the future, but right now are even there games that can saturate the 2gb one? I don't feel there are but maybe I'm a newb?

I'd love getting one higher up but prices aren't worth in my area...it's like 340 vs 400+ when you go from 6704gb to a 680 2gb...I have to check prices better though.

One of my shops if anyone wants to check it and fiddle even if it's italian it's e-key.it, it doesn't have a huge stock for example of windforce or whatever, but I do trust them in case of issues...Seems I might have to go for 670 unless something happens...I will surely do my order on monday though, don't want to pay for a quick delivery and get stuck into saturday/sunday no deliveries days <.<

edit: hold on...7950 at 280&#8364; more than 60&#8364; lower than the others and 12.11 on techpowerup it says it's comparable to a 670..mmmh... I still don't trust much amd drivers but could be a huge money saving...

 

[Eureka]

At 1080p, 2gb is enough for at least the next 2 years. I'm running Crysis on 1200p with texture mods and it only uses 1.2gb. Skyrim taxes a bit more but I don't play that so I have no numbers to give you.

If the GTX 670 is cheaper than the 7950, go for that. Right now in the US the 7950 has the sweet spot, much cheaper than a 670.

670 is very close to the 7970/680, and is higher than a 7950. You'll be happy with it.

 

[xcal237]

i suggest a GTX 670 or HD 7950 and if you can shell out the cash get a 7970... forget the 680 since you can literally OC the 670 to 680 speed and then some

 

[Neviskio]

Yeah I reduced my choice to either 7950 or 670 for pricing reasons, I might consider the 7970 if I can find a huge discount but I don't think so, I also noticed that the 7950 comes with 3 games, I only care for sleeping dogs so I could easily sell/trade those to save money.

now my thoughts are around this pricing, 240-270&#8364; for the 7950 +3 games, or the 670 for around 340+borderlands 2, I might spend more just to see if nvidia makes me happier than ati but man...100&#8364; difference + possibility to save more with games...kinda harsh...

Well I have time still so comparing and checking <.<

 

[dragantoe]

don't get the gtx 670, the 660 ti is the same card just lower bit ram, which really isn't noticeable while gaming and you can easily overclock it

 

[SlowSpyder]

OP, for what its worth the real value in the 7950 is raising the voltage and overclocking. The OP says you're only interested in easy, light overclocking. The 7950 is a fine card as is with the newest drivers, but you'll really want to overclock it to make it shine. So with that being said, you may want a different card if you aren't willing to put a little time into is pushing clocks and stress testing. But truth be told, at 1080P it is already probably plenty for 99% of games.

 

[ZimZum]

now my thoughts are around this pricing, 240-270&#8364; for the 7950 +3 games, or the 670 for around 340+borderlands 2, I might spend more just to see if nvidia makes me happier than ati but man...100&#8364; difference + possibility to save more with games...kinda harsh.

An argument can be made for the 670 if the prices were the same or comparable. But for 100+ bones cheaper not to mention the 7950's game bundle its a no brainer. With a mild overclock (1100) a 7950 is faster than a 680.

don't get the gtx 670, the 660 ti is the same card just lower bit ram, which really isn't noticeable while gaming and you can easily overclock it

Everything in this post is wrong.

 

[raptorxrx]

If I were you I would grab a 7950. Seems to be one of the best bang for buck cards if you want top end power.

 

[Rezist]

Get the 670 for sure. nVidia cards have always come at a premium but you need to figure out whats happening with your PC. The cards recommended to you were the better deals for there time and the majority of users don't have these issues. But only 100$ for some peace of mind isn't so bad. And like what was stated the 7950 left stock is good but not great.

 

[raghu78]

With the latest 12.11 beta drivers a HD 7950 (1.15 Ghz) is on par or ahead of a GTX 680 (1.25 Ghz). If you have doubts ask on overclock.net or ask users on this forum to post their benches with HD 7950 in BF3, Heaven and compare with GTX 680 users. With the game bundle its a no brainer. The drivers are quite good. Since you are so worried buy from a shop which has a 15 day or 30 day return policy . If you are happy keep it. else return and get GTX 670.