What is the best GTX 970?

[IEC]

I just got a G1 Gaming 970. The main reason I got it was it had more display outputs than other brands (3 DP, 1 HDMI, 1 DVI-I, 1 DVI-D). Yeah, you can daisy chain DP but a lot of cheap monitors (the kind I end up using 2 or 3 of) only have 1 DP input. I looked at various cards disassembled and thought the gigabyte windforce cards had better designed coolers too. More total airflow/surface area, less turns/kinks in the heat pipes (the straighter/rounder a heat pipe is the better it performs), better cooling of the power circuitry, heat pipe walls directly touching the GPU, etc. I've had pretty good experiences with gigabyte RMA too in the US. The backplate is a pure gimmick though, not thick/stiff enough to add a meaningful amount of rigidity to the card and it might actually hurt cooling performance by blocking airflow around the memory chips on the bottom of the card. It's pretty I guess. Also make sure to measure your case it's over a foot long (newegg has exact dimensions).



I'd still be using my 7950 actually if AMD's drivers weren't so broken. The last issue/straw for me (of many) was newer games having serious issues with the 14.9s I was running due to a regression that broke oclHashcat in all later AMD GPU drivers (it has yet to be fixed over half a year later in typical AMD fashion), software I use to make $$$$.

Build a dedicated AMD GPU rig for oclHashcat with cheap 290s and keep gaming rig separate.

Win.

 

[happy medium]

When did this start to matter in highend gaming?

When gtx480 was launched..... but now it seems to be ok to have a virtual oven in the room.

I sure don't want 270 watts of heat constantly blowing in my room.

 

[Joepublic2]

Build a dedicated AMD GPU rig for oclHashcat with cheap 290s and keep gaming rig separate.

Win.

I don't really get enough business to justify that, would be pretty sw8 tho. I threw it in my NAS running ubuntu server and SSH into it when I rarely have some double precision work to do (bout twice as fast at double precision than this nvidia card). Just annoying I wanted to use it for games too until 16nm cards started coming out.

 

[jime1]

When gtx480 was launched..... but now it seems to be ok to have a virtual oven in the room.

I sure don't want 270 watts of heat constantly blowing in my room.

.+10

 

[hojnikb]

Is there a list of 970gtx models, that supports idle fan off ?

I'm really tired of myy 7950 being f***** loud in idle...

 

[Qwertilot]

Strix, MSI Gaming and some of the Palit's I think? Maybe some others added it later, I dunno. Worth double checking of course because they've all got big ranges.

 

[lehtv]

I'm really tired of myy 7950 being f***** loud in idle...

Have you tried customizing the fan curve in Afterburner?

Strix, MSI Gaming and some of the Palit's I think? Maybe some others added it later, I dunno. Worth double checking of course because they've all got big ranges.

Also EVGA ACX 2.0

 

[hojnikb]

Have you tried customizing the fan curve in Afterburner?



Also EVGA ACX 2.0

Yes. I even tried flashing a modded bios. Whatever i do, i cant get it to spin lower than ~1500rpm. Everythig below 30% has no effect on rpm speed.

Any ideas what i could do ?
I have xfx 7950 black edition btw..

 

[lehtv]

Sounds a bit far fetched to call it loud, it may be audible but certainly not loud at 30%. Perhaps for you audible is already too loud.

Options are: upgrade graphics card or install an Accelero. According to http://www.coolingconfigurator.com/ there are three different 7950 Black Editions:

Single fan: http://www.coolingconfigurator.com/step1_complist?gpu_gpus=607
Dual fan, original: http://www.coolingconfigurator.com/step1_complist?gpu_gpus=593
Dual fan, new revision: http://www.coolingconfigurator.com/step1_complist?gpu_gpus=945

The first two have a reference PCB, the third one isn't Accelero compatible (see technical data -> compatibility).

 

[hojnikb]

Sounds a bit far fetched to call it loud, it may be audible but certainly not loud at 30%. Perhaps for you audible is already too loud.

Options are: upgrade graphics card or install an Accelero. According to http://www.coolingconfigurator.com/ there are three different 7950 Black Editions:

Single fan: http://www.coolingconfigurator.com/step1_complist?gpu_gpus=607
Dual fan, original: http://www.coolingconfigurator.com/step1_complist?gpu_gpus=593
Dual fan, new revision: http://www.coolingconfigurator.com/step1_complist?gpu_gpus=945

The first two have a reference PCB, the third one isn't Accelero compatible (see technical data -> compatibility).

Aftermarket coolers are out of the question, becase card is not worth that much. Its better to just sell the card and get another one....

To me, this either sound like some wierd issues with the fan controller or fans pwm acting up. Dunno...

 

[Headfoot]

Everything else being more of less equal why wouldn't it matter?

It's not more or less equal. 290 costs a lot less.

 

[Headfoot]

When gtx480 was launched..... but now it seems to be ok to have a virtual oven in the room.

I sure don't want 270 watts of heat constantly blowing in my room.

Yet you continue to use a q9550 @ 4ghz, which probably uses nearly ~200 watts and 2 6850s overclocked so they use significantly more power. You've got WELL over 270 watts of heating blowing into your room NOW just due to your overclocking. You do realize you'd get MORE FPS for LESS WATTS using a 290 compared to your 6850s, right?

Don't talk the talk if you won't walk the walk buddy. If you actually cared about power use in your computer you would've moved to a faster and vastly more energy efficient Haswell i5 and a 28nm GPU years ago.

 

[Leyawiin]

It's not more or less equal. 290 costs a lot less.

I was referring to the R9 290X. The performance at 1080p or 1440p is pretty much identical between that and the GTX 970 (those are the resolutions most single card setups play at). The cheapest one today at Newegg is $300. The cheapest GTX 970 is $307. The power consumption difference while gaming is anywhere from 100W to 150W depending on load. Again, why wouldn't it matter?

As for the R9 290, there can be some very good buys. I picked up an XFX DD back during Black Friday for $239.99. Makes the extra heat dumped in the room easier to live with.

 

[Headfoot]

I was referring to the R9 290X. The performance at 1080p or 1440p is pretty much identical between that and the GTX 970 (those are the resolutions most single card setups play at). The cheapest one today at Newegg is $300. The cheapest GTX 970 is $307. The power consumption difference while gaming is anywhere from 100W to 150W depending on load. Again, why wouldn't it matter?

As for the R9 290, there can be some very good buys. I picked up an XFX DD back during Black Friday for $239.99. Makes the extra heat dumped in the room easier to live with.

It's not 100-150w. It's about 70w. If you can perceive a 70w difference in a room, your room is tiny, you've been gaming for hours and hours, or it's placebo.

http://www.techspot.com/review/898-geforce-gtx-970-sli-4k-gaming/page6.html. That's at 4k, so full GPU gaming load. Early reference 290s run at higher voltage than nearly every aftermarket variety which is what people actually buy, so keep that in mind while reading reviews.

It is true that the 290x is much less competitive than the 290, though I've seen the occasional great deal on 290x's

 

[Ranulf]

I was referring to the R9 290X. The performance at 1080p or 1440p is pretty much identical between that and the GTX 970 (those are the resolutions most single card setups play at). The cheapest one today at Newegg is $300. The cheapest GTX 970 is $307. The power consumption difference while gaming is anywhere from 100W to 150W depending on load. Again, why wouldn't it matter?

As for the R9 290, there can be some very good buys. I picked up an XFX DD back during Black Friday for $239.99. Makes the extra heat dumped in the room easier to live with.

I noticed more of a temp change when I swapped out incandescent bulbs for LED ones in my home office. That was a 98w drop, two 60w bulbs for two 11w bulbs.

 

[Headfoot]

I noticed more of a temp change when I swapped out incandescent bulbs for LED ones in my home office. That was a 98w drop, two 60w bulbs for two 11w bulbs.

Swapping incandescents for LED bulbs is the cheapest, easiest, and biggest power saving move you can make right now. Until this has been done, worrying about GPU power consumption is wasted time or intentional sophistry. Its ~50 watt savings per bulb replaced, with a lot longer useful lifespan than a GPU. LED Bulbs are less than $10 now. Staggeringly more watts saved/$ spent. Which leads me to believe people who bring up a 70w difference in GPU power consumption have motivations other than power saving in mind...

If you spent the difference between a 290 and a 970 on LED bulbs replacing incadescents ($320ar -250ar = $70 / ~$14) = 5 2-packs off Amazon at 50 watts a piece = 250 watts. Given most people use lights more than video cards this would result in an even greater relative power saving. Bulb considered: http://www.amazon.com/Sylvania-7301...ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1432154476&sr=1-1.

Basically worrying about 70 watts in your computer you dont use all the time is making a mountain out of a molehill in a serious way.

 

[jime1]

True stories about power savings
The GTX 970 is just more advanced and efficient

 

[happy medium]

WELL over 270 watts of heating blowing into your room

That's in the basement, with the parents,(old people love the heat ) much bigger, self cooling room! And it doesn't mean I like it. ANd who ever said I cared about power use?
Heat! You know that thing that makes my air conditioner run all day.

WHo says I haven't moved onto a more power efficient computer?
I have, it's called a laptop with hdmi and a big monitor, and it has a nice cool 45watt core i5 in it. I even use a battery operated mouse and keyboard.

If you want to game with r9 290/fx9550 spaceheaters that's your choice.

 

[Ranulf]

I paid $2.50/each ($5 pack) the other day for some led 60w equivalents at home depot.

 

[96Firebird]

flexy summed it up nicely.

 

[futurefields]

very happy with my EVGA SSC ACX 2.0+
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814487088

 

[sakete]

Just picked up a EVGA FTW ACX 2.0 myself. Just waiting for my monitor to arrive today and I can start testing it.

 

[Headfoot]

If you want to game with r9 290/fx9550 spaceheaters that's your choice.

Plays on 4 ghz q9550 and CF 6870 overclocked ---> calls r9 290 a spaceheater.

That's rich dude. Have you ever heard the fable about the pot calling the kettle black?

"Oho!" said the pot to the kettle;
"You are dirty and ugly and black!
Sure no one would think you were metal,
Except when you're given a crack."

"Not so! not so!" kettle said to the pot;
"'Tis your own dirty image you see;
For I am so clean – without blemish or blot –
That your blackness is mirrored in me."

 

[exar333]

It's not 100-150w. It's about 70w. If you can perceive a 70w difference in a room, your room is tiny, you've been gaming for hours and hours, or it's placebo.

http://www.techspot.com/review/898-geforce-gtx-970-sli-4k-gaming/page6.html. That's at 4k, so full GPU gaming load. Early reference 290s run at higher voltage than nearly every aftermarket variety which is what people actually buy, so keep that in mind while reading reviews.

It is true that the 290x is much less competitive than the 290, though I've seen the occasional great deal on 290x's

It IS 100w+....

Who here doesn't OC their cards? The power difference starts at ~70w and goes well over 100w when you start increasing core speeds. The 970/980 only jumps ~20-25w when increasing the core boost to 1400-1450mhz (which for most users is where they will max out). AMD's 290/290x gains closer to 75w+ when doing the same type of overclocking. That puts a delta at closer to ~100-150w for both fully overclocked.

That is NOT peanuts and for some users, could be the difference between fitting in their current PSU allotment or not.

Not badmouthing the 290/x (they are great cards for the $$$) but overclocking these GPUs really does increase the power difference between the different archs.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/7601/sapphire-radeon-r9-290-review-our-first-custom-cooled-290/5

http://www.anandtech.com/show/8568/the-geforce-gtx-970-review-feat-evga/15

http://techgage.com/article/taking-it-to-the-limit-overclocking-nvidias-geforce-gtx-970-980/

 

[happy medium]

Plays on 4 ghz q9550 and CF 6870 overclocked ---> calls r9 290 a spaceheater

I guess you missed the part when I said that I now game with a laptop and big screen TV?
My q9550 system is like 7 years old. Compared to todays standard of power/performance per watt the r9 290 is the gtx480 of yesteryear my friend. And yes its a spaceheater.

In others news...........and since this thread was about what gtx970 to buy.............
I recommend the cheapest one you can find. I think there is one floating around for 300$ and 2 free games at Newegg. It should use about half the power and give off half the heat and still be faster than a 290 overclocked.