Need Recommendation On GPU Upgrade

[Nietzsche-san]

Hey hey, everybody!



System Specifications:

I. Processor/CPU:

Intel i5 760 @ stock

II. Current Graphics Card:

EVGA GTX 470

III. Display Resolution:

23" LG monitor @ 1920x1080

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

Antec EarthWatts 650W Continuous Power; 2 1/2 years old.

V. Case Specifications(N/A, Model, Length, Low Profile, Cooling, HTPC, Water, Silent):

COOLER MASTER RC-692 CM690 II

Stock fans (can add another if necessary); Dimensions are 20.80" x 8.40" x 20.10"

Purchase Details:

I. Budget? ~$400



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

I'm debating between the Gigabyte GTX 670 and Sapphire's HD Radeon 7970

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

No.

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

Already stated.

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?

Games: Far Cry 3, Bioshock Infinite, and Crysis 3 at max settings. I hope to also run most games on max settings for 2 more years, which my 470 has accomplished quite well up until now.


VI. Do you plan on overclocking the card you intend to purchase?

Maybe

I've spent some time looking at benchmarks between the gtx 670 and the 7970, and my conclusions are this:

The 7970 wins in performance (Far Cry 3 benchmarks), though the difference isn't HUGE; 670 is more efficient and runs cooler. As a bonus, the 7970 for most companies includes a free copy of Far Cry 3 and Bioshock Infinite (though I've read they frequently don't follow through).

My main concerns are that my motherboard is only Gen 1 of PCI Express x16, so I'm unsure if that will bottleneck the card's max performance (I will get a new mobo in the future). Also, will it fit in my case?

The first problem has lead me to believe I might lose 10-15% in performance by using PCI Express 1x16 slots for this card. And it seems it should fit.

 

[Arachnotronic]

I'd go with the GTX 670, but that's because I have had better luck with Nvidia's drivers, like PhysX, and value power efficiency.

You can't go "wrong" either way, though.

 

[Eureka]

For the AMD bundles (not sure about the F2P bundle), Newegg includes it in the box with the video card.

I had both the 7970 Ghz and the 670. I'll be honest, I enjoyed the 670 more, just because I was amazed with the package. The card itself is tiny! And low power consumption. However, the 7970 was definitely faster.

I got the 670 for $100 cheaper than my GHz, so it made sense. I did notice some slight stutter on the 7970 but this was back in the 12.11 days and it wasn't bad enough. However, the 7970 (and the 7950 too) has coil whine, which my 670 luckily didn't. I guess that made for a slightly happier experience.

In terms of gaming, I can't say I really noticed much of a difference.

For the same price, I'd go with 7970. However, I'd spend a little more and get one that isn't a Sapphire. There's a Diamond on Newegg for $400 AR, it's reference but those are apparently some crazy good overclockers.

 

[Grooveriding]

7970 is the no brainer there. Faster with both cards at stock and it delivers more performance gains from overclocking than the 670 will. Plus it comes with Bioshock Infinite and Crysis 3, saving you $120 instead of buying those games.

I bought a 7950 TF3 recently just because the game bundle includes those games which I planned to buy. It was like getting the card for $180 instead of $300.

The Sapphire you picked is a good choice because it has voltage control, a custom cooler and will run quiet. Since you maybe plan to overclock, it is a good choice.

 

[RussianSensation]

The first problem has lead me to believe I might lose 10-15% in performance by using PCI Express 1x16 slots for this card. And it seems it should fit.

It's more like 3-4% and actually NV cards are slightly more susceptible to loss in performance with lower PCIe lanes. You should worry more about your CPU. I'd say get a $30 cooler and overclock your CPU.

Since you already want Bioshock Infinite and Crysis 3, 1Ghz Hd7970 is a no brainer since it's going to be about 10% faster on avg than a GTX670, effectively cost cost less after you account for the 2 games you want. It also has decent overclocking room should you want a bit more power down the line.

It will fit in your case. BTW, it takes a 1250mhz GTX670 to match a 1050mhz HD7970. At that overclock, the power consumption difference is a complete wash.

Keep in mind the free game coupons do not come with any brand, but it's rather a retailer deal (Newegg, Amazon, Superbiiz, etc.). Just make sure you order from a store that offers the actual coupon deal because the deal is not between AMD and the manufacturers but rather between AMD and retailers.

Also, if you don't mind a bit of overclocking, you can save some $ and grab an HD7950.

 

[Nietzsche-san]

Thank you, everybody, for your input and research! I was pretty sold on the 7970 and Russian's post definitely secured my confidence. I'll make sure to grab a heatsink and OC my CPU to keep up with my new badass GPU in a month

Thank you again!

 

[RussianSensation]

Thank you, everybody, for your input and research! I was pretty sold on the 7970 and Russian's post definitely secured my confidence. I'll make sure to grab a heatsink and OC my CPU to keep up with my new badass GPU in a month

Thank you again!

Just wanted to correct my post on Bioshock Infinite. With NV's latest drivers, GTX670 is now slightly ahead of the 7970GE. HD7970GE will be faster in Far Cry 3 and Crysis 3 though. Also, on average the 7970 is still faster than 670 but in the 3 games you mainly mentioned it'll be much closer, except if you go the 670 route, you have to purchase those games standalone. For that reason the 7970 is still a better value.

 

[Nietzsche-san]

Just wanted to correct my post on Bioshock Infinite. With NV's latest drivers, GTX670 is now slightly ahead of the 7970GE. HD7970GE will be faster in Far Cry 3 and Crysis 3 though. Also, on average the 7970 is still faster than 670 but in the 3 games you mainly mentioned it'll be much closer, except if you go the 670 route, you have to purchase those games standalone. For that reason the 7970 is still a better value.

Hmmm, now this raises the question of whether I should get the VaporX version or not, for the long term. Will the extra $30 be worth the OC capabilities?