[Dead] VisionTek HD 7970 Ghz Edition 3 GB Videocard + Sleeping Dogs = $360 (Newegg)

[RussianSensation]

VisionTek 900557 Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
+ Sleeping Dogs game coupon for Steam activation

$399.99
- 10% off Coupon Code VISTEK, ends October 20, 2012
= $360

This card is a 1.05ghz HD7970 with a memory clock of 5.7Ghz, slightly under HD7970 GE's official memory clock of 6.0ghz.

I believe the warranty is 3 years not lifetime, if you register within 30 days of purchase.

This card comes with a $30 Active-DP-to-single-link DVI adapter, which means Eyefinity for 3x 1920x1200 monitors out of the box.

It has upgraded VRM to 5+2 setup from 5+1 on the reference 7970 board.

Power consumption at load is less than a GTX680 or a HD7970.

Very quiet at idle, decent at load.

Performance is nearly unbeatable at this price.

Full Review.

You are basically getting a $360 GPU with the performance of a GTX680. Since this card is based on the reference HD7970 PCB with the CHIL voltage controller, you get voltage control which should allow this card to hit 1100-1150mhz, making it a great deal as GTX680 needs to be overclocked to 1270mhz+ to match an an 1150mhz HD7970 on average.

Oct 21, 2012 Update: Deal is dead.

 

[stylez777]

I'm so torn... Seems like a sick price for a 7970 but I'm not so sure if I am sold on the brand. They bump this down to a 3 year warranty vs other products they offer a lifetime warranty. Then they under spec the card also. Really tough call on saving $ or going with another brand that may have a better rep.

Still sick deal and thanks for posting it.

 

[spinejam]

Nice looking card!

 

[RussianSensation]

I'm so torn... Seems like a sick price for a 7970 but I'm not so sure if I am sold on the brand. They bump this down to a 3 year warranty vs other products they offer a lifetime warranty. Then they under spec the card also. Really tough call on saving $ or going with another brand that may have a better rep.

Still sick deal and thanks for posting it.

3 years is the maximum warranty you'll get from any AMD AIB anyway for HD7970 cards.

The memory is only under spec by 5% and it can be bumped in MSI afterburner. Even at these speeds, that's as fast as GTX680 for $360.

Should be able to overclock to 1150mhz since there is a lot of headroom temperature wise.

VXT HD7970 X-Edition in Europe = VisionTek HD7970 Ghz Edition in North America

 

[Trailblazer]

Mr. Sensation,

I posted a while back lamenting having to stay with NVIDIA cards b/c of wanting to be able to use PhysX, which at the time I thought was only available on NVIDIA cards. I also tried doing a hybrid system, using an AMD card for my main video card and having a secondary NVIDIA card for physx. You have to jump through your butt to make that work b/c of NVIDIA disabling physx on their cards if the driver sees and AMD card. I couldn't get it to work even after using very questionable 'hybrid fixes'.

I was way, way incorrect about all that. It's so simple it's pitiful. I have 5850 that I'm playing Borderlands 2 on with PhysX enabled (handled by the CPU). It works perfectly.

You don't need NVIDIA to do PhysX. What a bunch of marketing crap.

PhysX in BL2 with AMD card.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_VE5yqNbLg

Big thanks to the guy that made this video. I'm now an AMD guy all the way and just might have to jump on this deal! Thanks to you for covering these video card deals in such detail. Really, really appreciate your expertise.

 

[tHa ShIzNiT]

I am extremely close to pulling the trigger on this, and replacing an EIGHTY EIGHT HUNDRED GTS 256MB. Yes, thats right.

 

[philipma1957]

limit of 5. so crossfire anyone?

 

[RussianSensation]

Big thanks to the guy that made this video. I'm now an AMD guy all the way and just might have to jump on this deal! Thanks to you for covering these video card deals in such detail. Really, really appreciate your expertise.

Yes, you can run Hybrid PhysX but sometimes people cannot do this if their PSU cannot support both a GPU and a hybrid NV card. The other reason is not everyone knows this hack and there is a power consumption cost with having a slave NV card. Finally, let's say you have native PhysX off GTX680, later if you upgrade to a GTX880, you get faster PhysX and gaming performance. Sooner or later a slave NV card used for PhysX will get too slow and will need replacing (such as 9800GTX --> GTX460). Then you'd need to upgrade your AMD and NV cards if you still want to continue to have PhysX.

Personally, the added PhysX is a nice feature of NV cards but too few games use it well. For example in Mafia 2, it created too many exaggerated effects I felt that actually made the game less realistic with millions of debris glass particles.

NV has PhysX, but HD7970 can be used for bitcoin mining.

I am extremely close to pulling the trigger on this, and replacing an EIGHTY EIGHT HUNDRED GTS 256MB. Yes, thats right.

What CPU, power supply and monitor do you have? You may be better off with an HD7850/7870.








AMD has continued to improve drivers since launch on HD7000 series. The performance in Dec 2011 was very poor and now it's very good.

 

[tHa ShIzNiT]

I have a 3570k and dual 24" 1080p monitors. thinking about getting a catleap and running these on the side with eyefinity...somehow.

 

[RussianSensation]

I have a 3570k and dual 24" 1080p monitors. thinking about getting a catleap and running these on the side with eyefinity...somehow.

Just connect the Catleap to the Dual-DVI port on the card and 2 1080P monitors off 2 mini Display port connectors. 1 of those comes in the box. You just need to purchase 1 more adapter (Newegg sells them for $27: Active DisplayPort Adapter 100924 DisplayPort to DVI).

Alternatively, you could run it without spending extra $:

1) 1080P Monitor 1 = use Active DP-to-DVI connector that comes in the box
2) 1080P Monitor 1 = use HDMI to DVI connector that comes in the box
3) Catleap = use Dual-Link DVI port

1 such GPU won't be powerful enough to run modern games smoothly across that much real estate though.

 

[Rvenger]

RS, am I correct in saying that this model does not have heatsinks on the RAM?

 

[tHa ShIzNiT]

trigger pulled. thanks russian. now I just need to figure out my cable management...its a mess in there.

 

[FiLeZz]

I have 3x7970 in my rig.


I needed another for my spare rig.

Good deal. Thx

 

[RussianSensation]

RS, am I correct in saying that this model does not have heatsinks on the RAM?

Yes, you are correct, there are no heatsinks on the VRAM on this card. It should overclock to 1100-1150mhz on the GPU but memory is unlikely to be overclockable by a lot.

trigger pulled. thanks russian. now I just need to figure out my cable management...its a mess in there.

Hope it works out for you. Don't forget you can still use the HD7970 card for bitcoin mining on the side should you want to have that option.

Anyone else having issues accessing Newegg's website?

Guys just a reminder, make sure to register the card within 30 days (but maybe not right away in case it fails so you can return it to Newegg). Otherwise, the warranty will be only 1 year.

 

[JWatson]

Yes, you are correct, there are no heatsinks on the VRAM on this card. It should overclock to 1100-1150mhz on the GPU but memory is unlikely to be overclockable by a lot.

Will not having heatsinks on the VRAM at all be a problem for long-term durability? This seems like a good card for the price, even after CA tax. However, I don't want a card to die prematurely because of poor cooling.

 

[Rvenger]

I am also wondering if that is why they downclocked the memory a bit.

 

[JWatson]

I am also wondering if that is why they downclocked the memory a bit.

Pretty much why I am concerned. I'm sure the card will be more than enough for my 1080p resolution, but I just don't want a card to die due to lack of proper cooling. $400 bucks after tax is a lot of money to have go up in blue smoke

 

[Ricochet]

I have 3x7970 in my rig.


I needed another for my spare rig.

Good deal. Thx

Geez. Just curious what kind of applications you run.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

I am also wondering if that is why they downclocked the memory a bit.

My guess is that some memory manufacturer had a batch of chips that were not quite up to snuff so visiontek got them at a discount and underclocked them so they would work. Having gotten the memory at a cheaper rate has allowed them to pass the savings onto the customer and here we are.

 

[tigersty1e]

I overclock my cards manually anyway.

So does the GHZ edition do anything extra besides just give higher default clocks?

 

[chimaxi83]

I'll be doing some testing on this card next week, I'll have it on Monday. Thought I'd grab another card, this price is unbeatable and matches/beats a $500 680. Might put it under water too. Thanks for the thread Russian!

 

[ArchAngel777]

I almost picked this up, but something told me not too. I don't feel comfortable with the memory clocks being lower. I admit though, there is nothing scientific about my worry, I am just a bit worried that there may be an issue with longevity if they underclocked the memory while overclocking the core... Still, this is a great deal.

 

[chimaxi83]

I thought of that too, but at least it has a 3 year warranty. I'm going to see how far that memory can be pushed, hopefully the underclock doesn't mean they used crap lol

 

[RussianSensation]

Will not having heatsinks on the VRAM at all be a problem for long-term durability? This seems like a good card for the price, even after CA tax. However, I don't want a card to die prematurely because of poor cooling.

The memory doesn't get too hot on the card. Even when I crank mine to 1700mhz or lower it to 800mhz, it hardly impacts the card's temperatures. It looks like that card is Discontinued on Newegg.

Anyway, for those who skipped this deal, not to worry. There will be more deals to come

Here is an XFX HD7970 Double Dissipation with real Lifetime Warranty and 4 Free games for $400 after $30 Rebate:

- Medal of Honor Warfighter
- Hitman Absolution
- Sleeping Dogs
- Far Cry 3

That's $150+ worth of free games.

 

[xarcticmonkey]

Hey guys, registered just for this thread. I found this site through googling visiontek 7970 ghz effective memory clock.

I noticed this card is discontinued and I was wondering if I buy a second 7970 ghz edition card will it crossfire nicely with this card (since most 7970 ghz cards are rated at 6Gbps vs. 5.7Gbps of the visiontek)? From my limited knowledge of crossfire, apparently when you CFx cards the better card runs at the same specs as the lesser card. I'm worried that in the future if I decide to get a second 7970 ghz ediditon card I'll be overpaying for the second card. With that said should I return this card and just buy a standard 7970 ghz edition card or is this card fine? Sorry I'm not that very tech saavy.