GTX570 vs HD6970

RussianSensation · Mar 7, 2011

sandorski said:
Placed an order for that card Thurs. Expecting it Tue/Wed, should be a nice replacement for my 4850.

:thumbsup: That's a huge upgrade. I remember when I upgraded from the 8800GTS 320 to the 4890. Your upgrade will probably be just as noticeable, esp. if you had the 512mb version.

I just placed an order for an XFX 4850 1GB on Newegg. It should be a nice upgrade from the 210 "GTX580 Pawned" edition. At least I should be able to do basic gaming (i.e., Starcraft 2) over the next couple of years when it comes time to resell my primary videocard. I mean I was trying to find any decent budget gaming card < $50 and it's nearly impossible. Really all you can get for that price are GeForce 210, 220, 240, HD4650/70, HD5450/5550/5570/5670, GT430 which are all inferior to the 4850. The low-end discrete GPU market is in a sad state of affairs.

Believe it or not but the 4850 has 240 GFlops of double-precision performance. This demolishes the GTX285 which only had 89 Gflops and even the GTX480 which only has 168 GFlops of DP. This means the double precision on the 4850 is unbeatable for modern distributed computer projects for a card ~ $50!

A couple questions (if you don't mind):

1) Were you able to adjust the voltage on the 4850 using AfterBurner or other tools?
2) What was the maximum stable GPU overclock you were able to achieve? Can these cards do 725-750mhz?
3) From #2, do you have a single slot reference design version?

sandorski · Mar 7, 2011

RussianSensation said:
:thumbsup: That's a huge upgrade. I remember when I upgraded from the 8800GTS 320 to the 4890. Your upgrade will probably be just as noticeable, esp. if you had the 512mb version.

I just placed an order for an XFX 4850 1GB on Newegg. It should be a nice upgrade from the 210 "GTX580 Pawned" edition. At least I should be able to do basic gaming (i.e., Starcraft 2) over the next couple of years when it comes time to resell my primary videocard. I mean I was trying to find any decent budget gaming card < $50 and it's nearly impossible. Really all you can get for that price are GeForce 210, 220, 240, HD4650/70, HD5450/5550/5570/5670, GT430 which are all inferior to the 4850. The low-end discrete GPU market is in a sad state of affairs.

Believe it or not but the 4850 has 240 GFlops of double-precision performance. This demolishes the GTX285 which only had 89 Gflops and even the GTX480 which only has 168 GFlops of DP. This means the double precision on the 4850 is unbeatable for modern distributed computer projects for a card ~ $50!

A couple questions (if you don't mind):

1) Were you able to adjust the voltage on the 4850 using AfterBurner or other tools?
2) What was the maximum stable GPU overclock you were able to achieve? Can these cards do 725-750mhz?
3) From #2, do you have a single slot reference design version?

Ya, my 4850(512mb) beats even the Fermi 580 in Milkyway due to Double Precision capability.

I don't overclock so haven't tried Voltage or Clock bumps. It has a factory installed Zalman copper Heatsink on it, so is non-Reference.

badb0y · Mar 7, 2011

RussianSensation said:
:thumbsup: That's a huge upgrade. I remember when I upgraded from the 8800GTS 320 to the 4890. Your upgrade will probably be just as noticeable, esp. if you had the 512mb version.

I just placed an order for an XFX 4850 1GB on Newegg. It should be a nice upgrade from the 210 "GTX580 Pawned" edition. At least I should be able to do basic gaming (i.e., Starcraft 2) over the next couple of years when it comes time to resell my primary videocard. I mean I was trying to find any decent budget gaming card < $50 and it's nearly impossible. Really all you can get for that price are GeForce 210, 220, 240, HD4650/70, HD5450/5550/5570/5670, GT430 which are all inferior to the 4850. The low-end discrete GPU market is in a sad state of affairs.

Believe it or not but the 4850 has 240 GFlops of double-precision performance. This demolishes the GTX285 which only had 89 Gflops and even the GTX480 which only has 168 GFlops of DP. This means the double precision on the 4850 is unbeatable for modern distributed computer projects for a card ~ $50!

A couple questions (if you don't mind):

1) Were you able to adjust the voltage on the 4850 using AfterBurner or other tools?
2) What was the maximum stable GPU overclock you were able to achieve? Can these cards do 725-750mhz?
3) From #2, do you have a single slot reference design version?

Didn't you have the GTX 470?

RussianSensation · Mar 7, 2011

sandorski said:
Ya, my 4850(512mb) beats even the Fermi 580 in Milkyway due to Double Precision capability.

CUDA what? NV needs to improve their DP. I guess that's how they make so much $$ of Tesla.

badb0y said:
Didn't you have the GTX 470?

Ya, I got rid of it. 6950 incoming next weekend. MrK6's mini-HD6950 review convinced me to try the 6950 flash to 6970. Plus I run DC projects on the side for fun when not gaming and Fermi wasn't cutting it. Next weekend she'll be put to the test. :wub:

Castiel · Mar 7, 2011

sandorski said:
Placed an order for that card Thurs. Expecting it Tue/Wed, should be a nice replacement for my 4850.

Fail

Another lost to Amd

Enjoy it. Big upgrade for you

Grooveriding · Mar 7, 2011

Castiel said:
No voltage control on the center mounted XFX 5870's

True but the reference 570s with their crappy VRMS are exploding from overclocking

badb0y · Mar 7, 2011

Castiel said:
Fail Another lost to Amd

Enjoy it. Big upgrade for you

You are next

You know you want that sweet, sweet 6990.

Castiel · Mar 7, 2011

Grooveriding said:
True but the reference 570s with their crappy VRMS are exploding from overclocking

No one buys reference anyway. The Asus DirectCU II 570 is the only 570 you want and need. 1Ghz overclocks

sandorski · Mar 7, 2011

Castiel said:
Fail Another lost to Amd

Enjoy it. Big upgrade for you

I was "lost" to AMD years ago. ()

Grooveriding · Mar 7, 2011

Castiel said:
No one buys reference anyway. The Asus DirectCU II 570 is the only 570 you want and need. 1Ghz overclocks

Those cards are nice. I'd like a set of those when 28nm cards drop. But I like multi-gpu and those things only seem suited to single card setups.

notty22 · Mar 7, 2011

Grooveriding said:
True but the reference 570s with their crappy VRMS are exploding from overclocking

Seems there are more accounts of artifacting 6950-70 flash victims. Russian can tell us if he is one of the lucky or unlucky ones.

badb0y · Mar 7, 2011

notty22 said:
Seems there are more accounts of artifacting 6950-70 flash victims. Russian can tell us if he is one of the lucky or unlucky ones.

http://www.techpowerup.com/articles/overclocking/vidcard/159
Do the math.

3.1% fail rate

.

Castiel · Mar 7, 2011

badb0y said:
You are next

You know you want that sweet, sweet 6990.

Pair of 6990's on launch day and i'm hoping it's tuesday because i don't have work so i can refresh newegg a million times.

happy medium · Mar 7, 2011

Castiel said:
Pair of 6990's on launch day and i'm hoping it's tuesday because i don't have work so i can refresh newegg a million times.

The only thing you will be refreshing is the AMD driver hotfix page and not for hours but days.

hahaahah I'm back......()

J/k

itsmydamnation · Mar 7, 2011

i dont know how anyone can recommend either the 6970 or 570, to me its either 6950 or 580. 6950 even if you dont unlock the shaders will hit 950-1000 mhz @1.3 volts on the core, memory seems to be a bit hit and miss by mine does 1400 fine, that takes it to 580 level of performance. 580 itself can OC quite nicely as well.

so for performance/value 6950
for absolute perf 580.

Castiel · Mar 7, 2011

itsmydamnation said:
i dont know how anyone can recommend either the 6970 or 570, to me its either 6950 or 580. 6950 even if you dont unlock the shaders will hit 950-1000 mhz @1.3 volts on the core, memory seems to be a bit hit and miss by mine does 1400 fine, that takes it to 580 level of performance. 580 itself can OC quite nicely as well.

so for performance/value 6950
for absolute perf 580.

Thanks but if i'm going amd it would be with a 6970 over a 6950.

Cookie Monster · Mar 7, 2011

RussianSensation said:
CUDA what? NV needs to improve their DP. I guess that's how they make so much $$ of Tesla.

Ya, I got rid of it. 6950 incoming next weekend. MrK6's mini-HD6950 review convinced me to try the 6950 flash to 6970. Plus I run DC projects on the side for fun when not gaming and Fermi wasn't cutting it. Next weekend she'll be put to the test. :wub:

Im eagerly waiting for you impressions on the new card! my trigger finger is getting itchy.

Skurge · Mar 7, 2011

RussianSensation said:
CUDA what? NV needs to improve their DP. I guess that's how they make so much $$ of Tesla.

Ya, I got rid of it. 6950 incoming next weekend. MrK6's mini-HD6950 review convinced me to try the 6950 flash to 6970. Plus I run DC projects on the side for fun when not gaming and Fermi wasn't cutting it. Next weekend she'll be put to the test. :wub:

Its going to be a huge boost. The 6950 has more than twice the DP performance as a 4850.

Keysplayr · Mar 7, 2011

GTX570. No question.

load81 · Mar 7, 2011

Grooveriding said:
True but the reference 570s with their crappy VRMS are exploding from overclocking

10 cards died in 3 months. Almost every one that fried disabled over current protection and ran furmark. 580's die from doing this also there are a few on the EVGA forums. Non-issue thx

Arkadrel · Mar 7, 2011

Almost every one that fried disabled over current protection and ran furmark.

Non-issue thx

So they disabled the protection thingy and blew up their own cards... that makes it a non issue? I know if your willing you can distroy any thing, but I doubt these guys are aiming to wreck their own cards. Point is enough people that buy nvidia cards expect them to overclock without dieing on them.

load81 · Mar 7, 2011

Arkadrel said:
So they disabled the protection thingy and blew up their own cards... that makes it a non issue?

Yep non-issue..Considering they are not dying from overclocking but from disabling safety features.

Arkadrel · Mar 7, 2011

@Load81

But why are they disableing safety features? is it because they gain better overclocking results from it? most likely yes (why else would you do it).

Why do Nvidia even allow you to remove them then(that safety feature), if they know it ll result in people frying their cards? I mean there must be a reason why it has a stigma for cards frying with the 570s.... to many overclockers out there.

load81 · Mar 7, 2011

You have to download a third party program to disable OCP Nvidia doesn't allow it. They disable OCP so the card doesn't throttle down while running furmark or kombuster. There is a 50 page post on OCN of overclocked 570's that are doing just fine some are even over 1k core.

wahdangun · Mar 7, 2011

go for HD 6950 and unlock it, it will save you money to buy new CPU ??

GTX570 vs HD6970

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