Is the 7770 a decent card?

[Red Hawk]

Yes it's decent. One of the most important factors for buying a budget graphics card right now though, in my opinion, is the comparison to consoles. The Radeon HD 7770 has half the tessellation power and significantly less graphics processing power than the Xbox One. In order to be sure that the graphics card can keep up with at least the Xbox One, I would recommend you get something like the Radeon HD 7790 or the newer Radeon R7-260.

 

[bononos]

OK then, I'll name the next card 73422022227900022242, and the other one 724220222279000222421. You tell me which one is newer?

At the same time, if you don't see them side by side, you'll forget which one is the "better" card, because the number is too large. It's not like comparing V1 to V12.

Requesting a change of your username to Bananas - in the admin forum, now.
.....

You have trouble with life if you can't decipher 4 digit numbers.

 

[Red Hawk]

The old way of AMD naming its graphics cards was pretty straightforward, to be fair. x000 noted the generation (higher numbers being newer), 0x00 noted the tier of the chip (again, higher being better), and 00x0 noting the variation of that specific chip (usually either 7 or 5). Aside from dropping the extraneous 0 at the end, there isn't really a simpler way of conveying all that information.

I do think that the new R9/R7 naming scheme is an improvement, though. It takes a page out of Intel's i7/i5/i3 naming by making an aspect of the name independent of any specification of the card. This is useful if AMD wants a way to convey to potential customers "This is high end" without worrying about them getting confused that a 7750 is better than a 6950, or something similar.

 

[coffeejunkee]

Well, the problem is that the 7 series cards have been discontinued and if you are able to find one in stock, it will be overpriced (close to original MSRP). So a brand new 7770 today would cost around the same as you paid for it last year.

25% is a fairly noticeable difference in performance. For instance, going from 30fps to 37.5 is a fair jump.

I think what screwed up prices the most is the fact that neither nvidia or AMD really care about the low end/entry level segment. They are failing to push low end cards at reasonable prices and make them widely available. For instance, all AMD has to offer is the 260x which is a renamed and ridiculously overpriced 7790. Anything lower than the 260x (from AMD's new series) is not a capable gaming card.

I feel so lucky to have gotten in on the 7850 and 7870 at closeout prices 2 months ago... XFX 7850 1gb ended up costing me less than $90 and I got a Sapphire/MSI 7870 for around $120 each. It's gonna be a while until a similar deal comes up.

7770 original msrp was $159: http://www.anandtech.com/show/5541/amd-radeon-hd-7750-radeon-hd-7770-ghz-edition-review. Cheapest on Newegg is $107.

I also don't see how R7 260X is overpriced. It sells for the same as 7790 but is clocked higher and has 2GB. It's not like Nvidia has anything compelling in this segment either.

And yes you got lucky. But that's the point with luck, not everybody gets it.

7770 is a nice card for $100, but the 7850 is substantially better at $140

Yup, but where will you get it at that price?

In general it would really help to stick to regular prices and not compare to some superspecial hot deal with massive rebate someone got somewhere. On that note, don't you US guys have some kind of price over time graph somewhere?

 

[tweakboy]

Grab the 7850 if you can when it goes on sale. gl

 

[VirtualLarry]

To give you a related story, my brother in law works for a company that has a product model number as V252. A competitor released a similar product and named it V253, but the product was inferior and their prior model numbers were nothing similar to that. That is a classless move, but also a much more useful implementation of versioning to try and steal customers.

Just like, AMD's 3850/3870 naming for their Llano APUs? Or their A4/6/8/10 numbering, playing off Intel's i3/5/7/(rumored 9)?

Anyways, both CPUs and video cards have always required a secret decoder ring for the model numbers, to figure out what you're truly getting.

 

[nwo]

Yup, but where will you get it at that price?

Believe it or not... newegg! And it's a 2GB version! Of all the places http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814131547

I also don't see how R7 260X is overpriced. It sells for the same as 7790 but is clocked higher and has 2GB. It's not like Nvidia has anything compelling in this segment either.

I'm sorry but $140 for a 260x is a ripoff. It is worth finding/waiting on a deal for the 7850 or even aiming for a GTX 660 which will outperform both for only $140 :awe: Also, 2GB of VRAM is really not going to make a difference on an entry level gaming card. Odds are, you will not be using more than 1GB of VRAM if you want smooth fps because you will have to turn down settings/resolution which will use less VRAM.

 

[crazzy.heartz]

I have a 7770 (1GB DDR5) and it plays any game i throw at it.. Crysis 3, Battlefiled 4, Skyrim, Farcry3, Arma 3, Metro Last Light...

My monitor's resolution is 1680x1050 (~ 15% lower than 1920x1080)

Would recommend a 2GB card for 1920x1080, as most of these games use more than 1GB Ram with hi-rez textures.

 

[nenforcer]

I have a 7770 (1GB DDR5) and it plays any game i throw at it.. Crysis 3, Battlefiled 4, Skyrim, Farcry3, Arma 3, Metro Last Light...

My monitor's resolution is 1680x1050 (~ 15% lower than 1920x1080)

Would recommend a 2GB card for 1920x1080, as most of these games use more than 1GB Ram with hi-rez textures.

I agree. Even an old (2 1/2 years) DirectX 9 game like Skyrim can use more than 1GB VRAM.

I wouldn't consider less than that for a modern gaming graphics card especially now that the new consoles are out.

nVidia will have the GTX 750 out next month but it will be slower than a 660 right around the $150 mark.

 

[DigDog]

oops; didn't see NWO's post.
anyway

Yup, but where will you get it at that price?

http://pcpartpicker.com/parts/video-card/#c=81,82&sort=a7
PowerColor AX7850 2GBD5-2DHE/OC Radeon HD 7850 2GB 910MHz
$119.99
XFX FX-787A-CNFC Radeon HD 7870 2GB 1.0GHz
$169.99

also, since any occasion to whine is a good occasion to whine, the 7750 is bad. zero OC capabilities and the most disappointing card i have ever owned, even over the 4350. the 7770 (and above) let you overvolt, and are a far better buy.

 

[Red Hawk]

Would recommend a 2GB card for 1920x1080, as most of these games use more than 1GB Ram with hi-rez textures.

But if you get a card with 2 GB of memory, you want to be sure it has enough memory bandwidth to use that 2 GB, like nwo said. I would recommend no less than a Radeon HD 7850 or Geforce GTX 660 for 2 GB of memory.

also, since any occasion to whine is a good occasion to whine, the 7750 is bad. zero OC capabilities and the most disappointing card i have ever owned, even over the 4350. the 7770 (and above) let you overvolt, and are a far better buy.

I don't know what you were expecting out of the 7750. It's basically an HTPC/casual gaming card. It doesn't have a PCI Express power jack, and it was often produced in a low profile form factor and with DDR3 memory. Of course it can't overclock and it's bad for modern gaming at 1080p, but being mad at it for that is like being mad at a Radeon HD 6570 or 5570 for the same thing. It's just not made to be used like that.

 

[coffeejunkee]

Believe it or not... newegg! And it's a 2GB version! Of all the places http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814131547


I'm sorry but $140 for a 260x is a ripoff. It is worth finding/waiting on a deal for the 7850 or even aiming for a GTX 660 which will outperform both for only $140 :awe: Also, 2GB of VRAM is really not going to make a difference on an entry level gaming card. Odds are, you will not be using more than 1GB of VRAM if you want smooth fps because you will have to turn down settings/resolution which will use less VRAM.

It's 150, not 140. And it's a special offer, normal price is 180. Ok, you get a $30 rebate on top of that which is great if you don't mind waiting (and you actually get it) but maybe next week you get a rebate on 7770 too? Hard to compare this way.

Also, 7850 and GTX660 are more or less discontinued, so you will be able to find good deals on them as remaining stock is being cleared. Obviously it makes them a good purchase but it skews price comparisons with newer cards. The ECS card is one of those special deals I mentioned, all other brands 660´s are 190 or more.

 

[DigDog]

I don't know what you were expecting out of the 7750.

Not mad;

Disappointed.

i could OC my 4350 (now, that was a real htpc card), but my 7750 xfx refused to give me even 10mhz on the core, and would occasionally BSOD with +100 memory.

why is it that the 7770 - which is nearly identical - can be overvolted, and will OC *somewhat*, while the 7750 doesnt?
because they were built like that - the 7750 was gimped on purpose so that 1) it wouldn't compete with other AMD products and 2) so that people wouldn't crossfire them.
AMD's website doesnt even mention xfire capabilities with the 7750.

 

[nwo]

It's 150, not 140. And it's a special offer, normal price is 180. Ok, you get a $30 rebate on top of that which is great if you don't mind waiting (and you actually get it) but maybe next week you get a rebate on 7770 too? Hard to compare this way.

Also, 7850 and GTX660 are more or less discontinued, so you will be able to find good deals on them as remaining stock is being cleared. Obviously it makes them a good purchase but it skews price comparisons with newer cards. The ECS card is one of those special deals I mentioned, all other brands 660´s are 190 or more.

Well I'm sorry but the fact is that if you aren't willing to hunt for deals, you will end up getting screwed and overpaying.

Also, I have never gotten denied a rebate. And in the last 4 PCs I built in the last 6 months, I filed about 30 rebates. Still waiting on about a half of them because I keep purchasing parts here and there, but I have gotten approved for every single one of them.

Nvidia still doesn't have a 7 series replacement for the GTX 660 price segment, so if you ask me, the GTX 660 is still an active card and there seem to be plenty of them in stock everywhere on the net. That is certainly not the case with the Radeon 7 series. They have gotten their (overpriced) replacements and have been discontinued. Nvidia discontinued 660Ti and up as far as I know.

 

[coffeejunkee]

I'm willing to hunt for deals, no problem. It's just that it makes it hard to talk about things in more general terms. Now I'm not sure the op is even reading this, but his question was fairly generic. Which generates a fairly generic response.

Sure, you can find good deals on second hand cards, or even new. Why would I deny that? Ofcourse, a 7850 for $120 is a much better value than a 7770 for $100. I'm not saying you won't get your rebate either, just that apparently it's sometimes not honored, something to keep in mind. It also appears this particular Powercolor model doesn't let you control fanspeeds, enough for me to turn the offer down. The ECS GTX660 makes me suspicious too...it's not the most confidence inspiring brand out there so why is their card $50 less than all the others? Also, some people work with tight budget, so even if a $140 card offers better bang for buck than a $100 card, that $40 extra might just not be there.

 

[monkeydelmagico]

http://pcpartpicker.com/parts/video-card/#c=81,82&sort=a7
PowerColor AX7850 2GBD5-2DHE/OC Radeon HD 7850 2GB 910MHz
$119.99

This

7770 is a decent entry level gaming card but I wouldn't pay more than $85.- AR/AP/Free shipping/no tax/free cup of coffee/etc.

 

[Red Hawk]

Not mad;

Disappointed.

i could OC my 4350 (now, that was a real htpc card), but my 7750 xfx refused to give me even 10mhz on the core, and would occasionally BSOD with +100 memory.

why is it that the 7770 - which is nearly identical - can be overvolted, and will OC *somewhat*, while the 7750 doesnt?
because they were built like that - the 7750 was gimped on purpose so that 1) it wouldn't compete with other AMD products and 2) so that people wouldn't crossfire them.
AMD's website doesnt even mention xfire capabilities with the 7750.

I'm not so sure. AMD later released an official 900 MHz version of the 7750, but they had to add a PCI-E power power to do it. It may just be that the stock clock for the 7750 was already the maximum that the chip could do without additional power from the port. A design shortcoming, to be sure, but not an intentional one. You have to remember that the 7770 and 7750 are the same chip (Cape Verde), the 7750s are just "harvested" versions with less than the full amount of functional stream processors.

 

[Bubbleawsome]

My 7770 can max games at 1280x1024 at 30 fps slightly under clocked. It used to clock to 1300/1500, but it died. Golden chip. The 280x in the mail will make up for it's passing. :awe:

 

[Attic]

My 7770 can max games at 1280x1024 at 30 fps slightly under clocked. It used to clock to 1300/1500, but it died. Golden chip. The 280x in the mail will make up for it's passing. :awe:

:thumbsup:

Now that's an upgrade! 77who...

 

[crazzy.heartz]

I agree. Even an old (2 1/2 years) DirectX 9 game like Skyrim can use more than 1GB VRAM.

I wouldn't consider less than that for a modern gaming graphics card especially now that the new consoles are out.

nVidia will have the GTX 750 out next month but it will be slower than a 660 right around the $150 mark.

Not just Skyrim, Total War Shogn -2 also also uses 1.5+ Gb of RAM.. Most games modern games with decent textures do, even at lower resolutions such as 1680x1050.

But if you get a card with 2 GB of memory, you want to be sure it has enough memory bandwidth to use that 2 GB, like nwo said. I would recommend no less than a Radeon HD 7850 or Geforce GTX 660 for 2 GB of memory.

My 7770's 1GB RAM is maxed out with most modern games, @ 1680x1050 rez; sometimes without AA/AF too. Even when GPU utilization is 70-80% (i play with V-sync On), RAM utilization is always 99% with good graphics games.

7770/7790 cards are more than capable to adequately utilize 2GB RAM. Their gaming performance is in the same league as 6850/6870..

At 1600x900, 1GB RAM may not be a bother. However, at higher resolutions, i'd recommend 2GB with 7770/7790 cards.

P.S. if OP has a quad core processor; get the 7850/660. When buying a new GPU, get the most powerful one you can afford. However, with a dual core processor, even a 7750 (DDR5) would suffice.

 

[Bubbleawsome]

:thumbsup:

Now that's an upgrade! 77who...

Oop, nevermind. 280x went OOS and I need a new card now. Got a GTX 770. :awe:

 

[DigDog]

*COUGH*nvidiamasterrace**COUGH**

 

[tweakboy]

Yes for basic needs. For gaming your going to fall a little short. gl

 

[ColonelBlimp]

1600 X 900. Some of the games I was wanting to play where : Black Ops 2, Civ 5, Age Of Empires 2, Battlefield 3.

I used a 5770 right up til crimbo playing BF3 at 1080p with most settings on high, some on medium and it was fine, that's with a Phenom 965, and a 7770 is slightly quicker. At 1600x900 it will have no trouble.
I couldn't realistically play BF4 on high to Ultra though so I replaced it with am R9-280x which is lovely.

The 5770 is now in a machine built for my brother with a q6600 at 3ghz and he's happily playing L4D2 and Far Cry 2 at Max settings on 1080p.

If you already have the card, use it, it's fine. If not and your budget is 100 quid or so and you're in the UK then Scan have a 2gb 7850 for £116 which would be a much better bet. http://www.scan.co.uk/products/2gb-xfx-7850-860m-ddr5-dd-cooler-dual-mini-dphdmi-dual-dvi-output