Need vid card recommendation.

[BAMAVOO]

Have a 7970 and want a newer generation, used is fine for the best price, which will be faster than this card. i5 2500k @ 4ghz. Now that these cards appear to be legacy, just looking for a cheap upgrade to newer tech. I prefer maybe even to switch to Nvidia, but performance and price will play a major factor.

Thanks

 

[Seba]

Better wait a little longer for the new generation of graphics cards. Your HD 7970 is still a good card, even compared to today's graphics cards (unfortunately).

 

[Mercennarius]

Have a 7970 and want a newer generation, used is fine for the best price, which will be faster than this card. i5 2500k @ 4ghz. Now that these cards appear to be legacy, just looking for a cheap upgrade to newer tech. I prefer maybe even to switch to Nvidia, but performance and price will play a major factor.

Thanks

What resolution are you wanting to play at and how long do you plan to keep the next card?

I'm biased but i'd recommend a used Saphire Tri-X 8GB 290X....can be had for under $300 and should last you longer than any other card at at that price point.

 

[RussianSensation]

Have a 7970 and want a newer generation, used is fine for the best price, which will be faster than this card. i5 2500k @ 4ghz. Now that these cards appear to be legacy, just looking for a cheap upgrade to newer tech. I prefer maybe even to switch to Nvidia, but performance and price will play a major factor.

Thanks

Where did you get that from? HD7970 has full driver support from AMD and performs very well at 1080P. If you have an after-market card or even a reference card, you should be able to overclock it to 1125-1150mhz and possibly coast to next generation's GPUs.

Given how long you've used 7970 for and that it's almost the end of this 28nm generation, I don't think there is anything really worth upgrading unless you want a 980Ti.

I mean if you absolutely do not want to wait for a 16nm GPU, either consider finding a used great condition after-market R9 290/290X or get an R9 390 for $280. You said you have a preference for NV but at $280, R9 390 is a better card than the 970 and the next level up that makes sense is the 980Ti. If you want NV, then look out for EVGA B-stock deals on $240 GTX970/ $350 980.

 

[BAMAVOO]

1080p and quite a while. Not a heavy gamer at all, but wanting a card that will have driver support moving forward.

 

[RussianSensation]

1080p and quite a while. Not a heavy gamer at all, but wanting a card that will have driver support moving forward.

I don't understand this point you keep making. HD7970 has full driver support. You must be confusing HD7000 series with HD4000-6000 cards. HD7970 even supports DX12 gaming on Windows 10. Your reference about it being a legacy status is incorrect unless you accidentally typed 7970 and you have a 6970.

 

[96Firebird]

7970 is a far cry from going to legacy support, since the 280X (same GPU) was EOL'd just months ago. Why do you think it is legacy?

 

[maddogmcgee]

1080p and quite a while. Not a heavy gamer at all, but wanting a card that will have driver support moving forward.

That card will have driver support for ages. Your fine. Give it a year or so and pick something, you will be much happier.

 

[BAMAVOO]

I could have sworn I saw anything below 8000 series was on the last driver update. If that is the case, then I need to find another one of these to replace my sons 6850.

 

[Azix]

I could have sworn I saw anything below 8000 series was on the last driver update. If that is the case, then I need to find another one of these to replace my sons 6850.

doesn't have to be another 7970. 285 should be cheap enough nowadays. 380 too. 4GB tho

 

[frozentundra123456]

7970 is a far cry from going to legacy support, since the 280X (same GPU) was EOL'd just months ago. Why do you think it is legacy?

I had the same confusion. There was some announcement about 7000 series going to legacy status, but it was some older 7000 series, not the GCN cards.

 

[RussianSensation]

I could have sworn I saw anything below 8000 series was on the last driver update. If that is the case, then I need to find another one of these to replace my sons 6850.

For future reference, just because any GPU's drivers go to legacy status, it doesn't suddenly mean the GPU is unusable for games. It just means there will be no more performance updates and bug fixes for that series of cards. By the time this usually happens, almost all NV/AMD GPUs are so outdated that even a $50-70 card is better than any of them. 7970 probably has at least 2 more years before this happens on the driver side. Chances are in 2 years 7970 will be too slow for AAA modern games anyway so an upgrade will necessary regardless of drivers.

What are the PC specs of your son's rig? CPU and power supply?