Update: 7970! New Dell U3011, Need new GPU-GTX680?

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
S

saratoga172

Golden Member
Nov 10, 2009
1,564
1
81
Edit: 2


I originally got the 7970 before the GTX 670 dropped. I was satisfied but felt I needed a bit more for the 30 inch monitor.

Took my card back to Fry's and exchanged it plus some dough for dual GTX670's. My mobo didn't support SLI however so I upgraded my system. Got a Z77 MSI mobo and an i5-2500k. Also picked up a new 950W PSU for the SLI config.

Got the MSI OC'd 670's for $399 each. Ran a quick test with the stock setup for the cards with the new proc. Nothing overclocked. Fresh Windows install with the latest drivers. Ran very smoothly.

I've since OC'd my proc to 4.5 stable. Running a CM v8 on it keeps it at 67-69 under 100% load max. Low 30's during idle. 670's are still stock but I plan on overclocking them a bit (10% or so most likely). They are beastly right now though.

I play a lot of Star Wars: The Old Republic right now and it seems to be a bit more CPU intensive like Starcraft however it utilizes to some extent the 4 cores. I rarely see over 35-40% usage across cores though. Before I was OC'd it was around 45-50%. So temps are similar in the low 50 range. Frames are 90's and up. Never seen it dip below the 80's. Average is probably low 100's. Very smooth gameplay. No stuttering whatsoever.

SC2 is another game I play from time to time. SLI doesn't seem to play too much into SC2. With one card it was already over 100. With 2 I'm about 120 or so. Peaks higher but I'd say about average. After the CPU OC I'm sitting about 135-140ish.

BF3 is in the low 80's with my cards being stock as I bought them...slight OC. CPU Oc only bumped it by a couple frames. Game ran smooth before and after OC. I'll report back after my OC how BF3 reacts.

Overall extremely happy with the SLI 670's as a whole. Everything maxed and nothing drops below 80fps average. This should last me a while as I'm not always updating my games catalogue every month. I tend to get a game and play it for a bit. I can always revert to gaming on the 1080p monitor as well if necessary. But that won't be for at least a year or two.

OP:

As the title state I just recently picked up a Dell U3011 Monitor. I run a dual monitor setup with a Dell 24 inch TN panel.

I have an ATI 6950 that I've been using to run all my games on the 24 inch monitor at 1080p. Up to this point I have been able to max everything I play with no issues. This is at 1080 however.

Games I primarily play:
Battlefield 3
Starcraft 2
Star Wars: The Old Republic (primary right now)
and a few others that aren't as graphically intensive.

System specs:
CPU: i5-750 @ 3.2GHz
Kingston 16GB DDR3-1600
Intel 320 120gb SSD
MSI 1156 mobo
800W Corsair PSU

Looking to either rebuild my system or preferably get a vid card. Looking at maybe a GTX680. Also no against a 7970 if they are worth the price.

Recommendations? Looking to stay single GPU. My only real requirement. Looking around $550 price ceiling if I can keep it.

Thanks
 
Last edited:
L

lavaheadache

Diamond Member
Jan 28, 2005
6,893
14
81
I wouldn't touch a 2gb GTX 680 with a u3011. Skyrim can already be made to consume that much ram and then some easily and I feel like more games are right around the corner. I'm not saying that the 680 is a bad card because it's not. It's great right now but I wouldn't buy it for long term @2560x1600.

edit**

Raven beat me by a min
 
Last edited:
F

Ferzerp

Diamond Member
Oct 12, 1999
6,438
107
106
I used to play 2560x1600 with a single 480 (about the same performance as a 6950). I gave in and got a 680 when they came out because I kept having to disable more and more to keep up decent framerates. 2560x1600 is almost exactly twice the pixels of 1080p.

I already have a second 680 on order because one just wasn't quite enough for all games. The witcher 2 for example, could use a little more power than a single 680. Things like Skyrim though, sit at 60 fps the entire time.
 
F

Ferzerp

Diamond Member
Oct 12, 1999
6,438
107
106
RavenSEAL said:
My vote goes for the 7970, just because the amount of vRAM really helps at 1600p.
Click to expand...


Of note is the single review that I've seen test this theory in BF3 and shows it to be a faulty theory. The 7970 has more memory, but the same settings consume much, much more memory (and this was at much, much higher resolution). The review is in multi-gpu configurations, but that shouldn't change much here.

http://www.hardocp.com/article/2012/03/28/nvidia_kepler_geforce_gtx_680_sli_video_card_review/5
 
L

Lepton87

Platinum Member
Jul 28, 2009
2,544
9
81
Ferzerp said:
The 7970 has more memory, but the same settings consume much, much more memory (and this was at much, much higher resolution). The review is in multi-gpu configurations, but that shouldn't change much here.

http://www.hardocp.com/article/2012/03/28/nvidia_kepler_geforce_gtx_680_sli_video_card_review/5
Click to expand...

How is that possible? AMD has always had better memory management than NV. BF3 engine detects how much graphic memory you have and adjusts LOD accordingly so it's not apples to apples comparison. Anyway, back to the topic for that resolution I would recommend at least 2x680 if you don't OC, if you do either 680s or 7970s.
 
Last edited:
S

saratoga172

Golden Member
Nov 10, 2009
1,564
1
81
So basically there isn't really a one card solution out there for most games on this screen. If I went with any kind of a multi-gpu setup I'd be looking at building a new rig.

Most of what I had seen at quick glance seemed to indicate the GTX680 was the top card for nearly all games at 1600p and almost everything was playable. Only game I haven't seen benchies for yet is Star Wars: ToR.

My current mobo is a 16x\4x PCI-e 16 slot. How would it fare if I just simply got a second 6950 and unlocked both of them to 6970's?
 
F

Ferzerp

Diamond Member
Oct 12, 1999
6,438
107
106
saratoga172 said:
My current mobo is a 16x\4x PCI-e 16 slot. How would it fare if I just simply got a second 6950 and unlocked both of them to 6970's?
Click to expand...


Two 6950's are going to be very similar (perhaps better than, especially if you OC it, but then, you'd OC a 680 for 10-15% improvement too) assuming you have CF support in that game. If you don't, you'll have half the performance.
 
A

abaez

Diamond Member
Jan 28, 2000
7,155
1
81
I have the same monitor and only a gtx470. I run stuff mainly on medium and everything is fine.
 
B

blackened23

Diamond Member
Jul 26, 2011
8,548
2
0
I play at the same resolution and a single card, neither the 7970 or the gtx 680 will be enough to max all details for all games at that resolution. You can still play a single card great but you'll have to bump the settings down a notch in some games.
 
RaistlinZ

RaistlinZ

Diamond Member
Oct 15, 2001
7,470
9
91
Either one would be good. I use the same monitor with my 7970, which really needs to be overclocked to show it's strength.

You should also be overclocking that i5-750. You're giving up free performance there.

If you're leaning towards the 7970 wait for upcoming price drops.
 
S

saratoga172

Golden Member
Nov 10, 2009
1,564
1
81
My CPU is at 3.2. I can get 3.4 and it's stable but since I've still got my stock HS/fan it run a bit hot over 3.2.

It would cost me about $300 for the 680 after sell my 6950...or about 225ish for another 6950. I would then unlock them to 6970's.

Thanks for all the feedback so far. Was leaning towards the 680 when I made the thread. Think that option still has the slight lead. I'm not terribly worried about all the new games coming out. Only have time for a few select ones.

I play Starcraft 2 and Star Wars: The old Republic mostly. And I jump on BF3 from time to time.
 
R

rickon66

Golden Member
Oct 11, 1999
1,824
16
81
Interesting thread, I just sold my HD5870 that was not doing the job with my U3011 and am looking at building a new computer. I was hoping that the 680 would be the video card to go with, but after reading some of the comments now I don't know.
 
F

Ferzerp

Diamond Member
Oct 12, 1999
6,438
107
106
rickon66 said:
Interesting thread, I just sold my HD5870 that was not doing the job with my U3011 and am looking at building a new computer. I was hoping that the 680 would be the video card to go with, but after reading some of the comments now I don't know.
Click to expand...


There still is no single card that will handle all games at 2560x1600 maxxed. Two of either 7970 or 680s and you should be fine for the moment, but that's $1000-$1150. Then again, if you can afford a U3011....

Though, one of either will handle most things just fine, but you might have to lower a setting or two. If you want 7970(s) wait a bit because the price should be dropping since the 680 is slightly faster and cheaper.
 
Last edited:
R

RavenSEAL

Diamond Member
Jan 4, 2010
8,661
3
0
Ferzerp said:
There still is no single card that will handle all games at 2560x1600 maxxed. Two of either 7970 or 680s and you should be fine for the moment, but that's $1000-$1150. Then again, if you can afford a U3011....

Though, one of either will handle most things just fine, but you might have to lower a setting or two. If you want 7970(s) wait a bit because the price should be dropping since the 680 is slightly faster and cheaper.
Click to expand...

Well, there are "single cards", just not single GPU cards...
 
F

Ferzerp

Diamond Member
Oct 12, 1999
6,438
107
106
It's distractingly jerky. I don't have the illusion of smooth on a u3011 until low 50's.

That's not playable to me, especially when as an average, there are likely going to be dips in to the high 20's or low 30's. They just aren't quite enough.
 
Shmee

Shmee

Memory & Storage, Graphics Cards Mod Elite Member
Super Moderator
Sep 13, 2008
8,272
3,158
146
EVGA plans on releasing a 4 GB version of the 680. 685 might also be a good bet as mentioned. Me, im on an HP, but I use 2 unlocked 6950s. They work for most stuff, though not maxed, and I mainly play older games and WoT, except for some BF3 and tribes ascend.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom