Gigabyte GeForce GTX 680 OC 4GB vs Gigabyte AMD Radeon HD 7970 OC 3GB

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AvalancheRyder

Junior Member
Mar 12, 2013
9
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Hi all,

I recently built a new PC for gaming and am using a Gigabyte GeForce GTX 680 OC 4G that I purchased for $539.99. I primarily play action games (shooters, racing, etc). I am receiving a 2560x1440 monitor this week and would like to play on Ultra settings at this resolution on a single monitor with 60 FPS and above for most games with the exception of the latest extremely graphic intensive games. Is the card I purchased overkill? I now see that the Gigabyte AMD Radeon HD 7970 OC 3GB is $379.99. Would the Radeon have been a better choice? From what I've read, there doesn't seem to be a clear winner between the two cards. I know I am losing 2 GB of RAM, but I'm not sure it's necessary. If they are so close, I may want to return the GeForce and buy the Radeon instead and save $160.

Here are links to the two cards I am looking at:

GeForce - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009LTUC9A/ref=oh_details_o04_s03_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Radeon - http://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-Rade...F8&qid=1363128498&sr=1-1&keywords=radeon+7970

Here the other components of my PC:

Motherboard - ASUS P8Z77-V
Memory - Corsair Vengeance Blue 8 GB
CPU - Intel Core i5-3570K
Power Supply - Corsair Professional Series HX 850
SSD - Crucial m4 128GB 2.5-Inch Solid State Drive
HDD - WD Blue 1 TB Desktop Hard Drive

Thank you for any advice you can provide.
 
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Xarick

Golden Member
May 17, 2006
1,199
1
76
Umm. you link to the same card twice. I can tell you now you should just buy that card.
 
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JordanTurner

Junior Member
Mar 12, 2013
4
0
0
I own the 7970. It's always an issue with the Catalyst drivers, anytime you update them or anything, they refuse to appear in the system tray and wont open. You have to reboot in safe mode, uninstall everything reboot reinstall reboot, then start a new task and type MOM for them to show up. Aside from this unusual methodology for driver updates, I love the card and its plenty fast for everything.

For the money difference definitely the 7970 is better. OC it to 1100gpu 1475ram,
 
I

ICDP

Senior member
Nov 15, 2012
707
0
0
The difference between the two cards would depend on the games you play (you linked to the 7970 twice). The 7970 you linked to has locked voltage control so find a different one if you can.

This one has unlocked voltage control.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814202008

You could always return the GTX680 4GB and replace it for a 2GB version and save some money. 2GB is not required for 2560x1440 as the GPU performance bottleneck would be reached before the VRAM bottleneck. Of course there will be exceptions if you use extreme hi-res mods for Skyrim for example.

Of course the problem is that the GTX680 is still more expensive than the 7970 for similar performance. So if money is your motivation for returning it then a 7970 would mean more money in your pocket.

There is always GTX670 or HD 7950.
 
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ICDP

Senior member
Nov 15, 2012
707
0
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JordanTurner said:
I own the 7970. It's always an issue with the Catalyst drivers, anytime you update them or anything, they refuse to appear in the system tray and wont open. You have to reboot in safe mode, uninstall everything reboot reinstall reboot, then start a new task and type MOM for them to show up. Aside from this unusual methodology for driver updates, I love the card and its plenty fast for everything.

For the money difference definitely the 7970 is better. OC it to 1100gpu 1475ram,
Click to expand...

I think you have a system problem that you should look into. That is not normal behaviour and may be a result of a corrupt Windows.
 
A

AvalancheRyder

Junior Member
Mar 12, 2013
9
0
0
ICDP said:
The difference between the two cards would depend on the games you play (you linked to the 7970 twice). The 7970 you linked to has locked voltage control so find a different one if you can.

This one has unlocked voltage control.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814202008

You could always return the GTX680 4GB and replace it for a 2GB version and save some money. 2GB is not required for 2560x1440 as the GPU performance bottleneck would be reached before the VRAM bottleneck. Of course there will be exceptions if you use extreme hi-res mods for Skyrim for example.

Of course the problem is that the GTX680 is still more expensive than the 7970 for similar performance. So if money is your motivation for returning it then a 7970 would mean more money in your pocket.

There is always GTX670 or HD 7950.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the information. Why would I want unlocked voltage control? Is that for overclocking? I am new to this so sorry if that's a basic question.

My main motivation isn't necessarily money. Though if I can have the same level of performance for considerably less money, I would like to go that route. I am willing to spend up to $600. So the GTX 690 and Titan are out of my range, which basically leaves me with a choice between either a GTX 680 or Radeon 7970 to max out performance under $600. Or is that an incorrect assumption?
 
sublime420ec

sublime420ec

Member
Feb 7, 2013
112
0
0
i think the posted card would be a great choice for you....unlocked voltage is for overclocking yes... it allows for higher clocks......if u wanna spend 600$ go with 2 cards instead of one drivers can be iffy tho sometimes.... i'd stick to one... it's cheaper..
 
sublime420ec

sublime420ec

Member
Feb 7, 2013
112
0
0
you could get two 7950's tho for 600$ or one 7970...... and money left for other things....i'd go with just the 7970....
 
notty22

notty22

Diamond Member
Jan 1, 2010
3,375
0
0
To bad you didn't ask get the answers you wanted, before you bought. Is there a re-stocking fee? Where did you buy?
 
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AvalancheRyder

Junior Member
Mar 12, 2013
9
0
0
notty22 said:
To bad you didn't ask get the answers you wanted, before you bought. Is there a re-stocking fee? Where did you buy?
Click to expand...
I bought it on Amazon. I did ask questions before I bought on another forum and was recommended the GTX 680 4GB and was told the 4GB would be necessary for running at 2560x1440. After additional research it doesn't seem like that's the case. I have to double check the return policy but I think it's 30 days even if it's opened.
 
D

darckhart

Senior member
Jul 6, 2004
517
2
81
i play at 1440p and can tell you that the settings i want depends on what i want from each game. sometimes the vram isn't enough (hi-res + AA). sometimes the processing power isn't enough (120 fps vsync). and sometimes it depends entirely on the game as nv or amd runs better in one case or the other. you really have to know what games you play and what "level of performance" you want for each before you go off deciding that 7970 is overall "better" (or gtx680 is overall better).
 
Plimogz

Plimogz

Senior member
Oct 3, 2009
678
0
71
JordanTurner said:
I own the 7970. It's always an issue with the Catalyst drivers, anytime you update them or anything, they refuse to appear in the system tray and wont open. You have to reboot in safe mode, uninstall everything reboot reinstall reboot, then start a new task and type MOM for them to show up. Aside from this unusual methodology for driver updates, I love the card and its plenty fast for everything.

For the money difference definitely the 7970 is better. OC it to 1100gpu 1475ram,
Click to expand...

I agree with ICDP that you must have something amiss with your system with regards to you driver update issues. I'm on the third or fourth set of drivers on my cards with this current installation of Windows 7 64-bit, and I haven't had any of the issues which you describe.

As for the OP, given the resolution of the new monitor I would tentatively recommend going for the 7970, pending disclosure of how much restocking will actually cost you. Even at cost parity, choosing between 680 and 7970 GHz based on benchmarks can be a toss up. Of course the extra GB of VRAM on the big 680 interesting, but even for your high resolution screen 3GB shouldn't limit you in any big way for the foreseeable future. Plus the Radeon comes with a nicer bundle.

Again, it does somewhat depend on how much restocking might be, but if it turns out to be 15% or less (with the Amazon policy apparently offering full refund within 30days so long as you fulfill the requirements), I'd say that you do stand to get better value out of a 7970 GHz.
 
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