XFX Bilking the masses - replacing GDDR5 memory with DDR3

[apoppin]

I can understand the OP's point though and some consumers are not up on specs as others are. Probably a lot of consumers seeing GDDR-5 performance in reviews and unknowingly buying GDDR-3 product sku's.

Think it is disingenuous to have the same names with a stark difference in memory band-with. It's not surprising though because tech companies, at times, do disingenuous things including nVidia, AMD and their partners.

i said this before. Some of this is due to convenient sloppiness. They may have well *intended* to ship the product as reviewed or as specified when a change comes up - perhaps there is a supply issue and more latitude is given as to specifications. Sometimes a 'halo' product is produced with the intention of selling it at a lower price point and it doesn't work out profitably.

i am willing to bet, that if you brought this to the attention of the right person at AMD (for example), they would update their specification page; there is no reason not to.

As to the review sites; they are looking for new to review - not to usually revisit older HW. Not to mention that there is a FLOOD of HW to review and it is hard to even keep up with the new. And the information about changes or updated information may even be there but on a back page on a less popular site.

 

[SlowSpyder]

I can understand the OP's point though and some consumers are not up on specs as others are. Probably a lot of consumers seeing GDDR-5 performance in reviews and unknowingly buying GDDR-3 product sku's.

Think it is disingenuous to have the same names with a stark difference in memory band-with. It's not surprising though because tech companies, at times, do disingenuous things including nVidia, AMD and their partners.

No one who seems to agree with the OP is answering my question about my cards. My cards will likely user more power than a reference 5870 due to higher clocks and my cooler exhausts hot air into my case. Also, my voltage cannot be adjusted, though reference cards can have voltage adjusted. Was Sapphire 'bilking the masses' with these VaporX cards?

The card the OP bought does not appear to be a reference design (correct me if I'm wrong, someone). Here is a review of a 6670 with pics of the reference card:

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AMD/HD_6670/2.html

The card the OP was going to buy: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...&SID=u00000687

It looks like what the OP was going to buy is a non-reference version of a 6670. It uses different components and clearly states what it uses. I guess I simply do not see how this is an issue with AMD or XFX at all, but a mistake the OP made.

 

[SirPauly]

Edit: I made my mistake when I assumed that a model number actually meant something. In this case, it doesnt mean jack ****.

In some cases it doesn't and one has to go beyond the naming of product and research the specs. Sometimes the IHV's re-name chips, too.

 

[Bill Brasky]

FWIW, I always thought the model number referred to the gpu on the card and not necessarily the memory board manufacturers choose.

 

[SirPauly]

No one who seems to agree with the OP is answering my question about my cards. My cards will likely user more power than a reference 5870 due to higher clocks and my cooler exhausts hot air into my case. Also, my voltage cannot be adjusted, though reference cards can have voltage adjusted. Was Sapphire 'bilking the masses' with these VaporX cards?

The card the OP bought does not appear to be a reference design (correct me if I'm wrong, someone). Here is a review of a 6670 with pics of the reference card:

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AMD/HD_6670/2.html

The card the OP was going to buy: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...&SID=u00000687

It looks like what the OP was going to buy is a non-reference version of a 6670. It uses different components and clearly states what it uses. I guess I simply do not see how this is an issue with AMD or XFX at all, but a mistake the OP made.

The OP may of learned a valuable lesson, one may need to research more when considering product.

 

[Creig]

XFX Bilking the masses - replacing GDDR5 memory with DDR3

This thread title is complete false. XFX did not replace their GDDR5 models with DDR3. They supplemented their lineup to include DDR3 versions for those that wanted a cheaper card that used the same GPU, but didn't need the speed of GDDR5. Your thread title makes it sound as if XFX was only producing DDR3 versions now. The original GDDR5 6670 is still widely available for purchase.

The Newegg description very clearly shows DDR3 in the title and in the description. You may not have known of the existence of DDR3 versions of the 6670, but that's hardly XFX's fault.

You should have researched your intended purchase more thoroughly.

 

[Idontcare]

Likewise.

If I were you I'd get used to it.

cusideabelincoln, happy medium: enough with the inflammatory posting and baiting.

Figure out a way to interact as civil adults or put each other on your ignore lists, either way if you fail to reign yourselves in then you will force the moderators to step in and do so for you for the benefit of the rest of the community.

Idontcare
Super Mod

 

[TurtleCrusher]

This is nowhere near as bad as what Powercolor did to me on my first PCI-E video card, the x1550. It was supposed to come with 256mb, 128-bit DDR3. it came with 256mb *GASP* 32-bit DDR. No crap. I sold it for a profit locally without hiding a thing. Theres a use for everyone.

That said, ill never buy from Powercolor again.

 

[toyota]

This is nowhere near as bad as what Powercolor did to me on my first PCI-E video card, the x1550. It was supposed to come with 256mb, 128-bit DDR3. it came with 256mb *GASP* 32-bit DDR. No crap. I sold it for a profit locally without hiding a thing. Theres a use for everyone.

That said, ill never buy from Powercolor again.

I have never even heard of a 32 bit memory controller.

 

[Termie]

This is nowhere near as bad as what Powercolor did to me on my first PCI-E video card, the x1550. It was supposed to come with 256mb, 128-bit DDR3. it came with 256mb *GASP* 32-bit DDR. No crap. I sold it for a profit locally without hiding a thing. Theres a use for everyone.

That said, ill never buy from Powercolor again.

I have never even heard of a 32 bit memory controller.

Link: http://www.powercolor.com/us/products_features.asp?id=46

Doesn't look like he was making it up! (well, except that it was only 128MB)

 

[toyota]

Link: http://www.powercolor.com/us/products_features.asp?id=46

Doesn't look like he was making it up! (well, except that it was only 128MB)

well that's a new one. I wonder if that is even accurate though as companies can screw up specs all the time.

 

[happy medium]

cusideabelincoln, happy medium: enough with the inflammatory posting and baiting.

Figure out a way to interact as civil adults or put each other on your ignore lists, either way if you fail to reign yourselves in then you will force the moderators to step in and do so for you for the benefit of the rest of the community.

Idontcare
Super Mod

Relax there buddy.....Sorry.
Do you have one of these on your desk on stand by?

 

[AnandThenMan]

Relax there buddy.....Sorry.
Do you have one of these on your desk?

Yea, I'm gonna go ahead and report this post.

 

[Ratman6161]

Hmmm. Bet no one complains when they get a card that is running at higher than spec clock speed or with faster memory than the chip maker's spec. Those are out of spec too you know.

The thing about diy setups is that you have to do a lot of home work, read lots of reviews and choose carefully. That's one of the main reasons forums like this one exist - so people can exchange information etc. By doing so you save money and put one over on the big OEM's. You also take a risk you may make the wrong choice. It hurts when it happens (and we have all done it...admit it to yourselves) but if you are not prepared to take the risk then DIY is not for you. You should buy a Dell or HP and take it to Geek Squad when you want an upgrade.

 

[badb0y]

Hmmm. Bet no one complains when they get a card that is running at higher than spec clock speed or with faster memory than the chip maker's spec. Those are out of spec too you know.

The thing about diy setups is that you have to do a lot of home work, read lots of reviews and choose carefully. That's one of the main reasons forums like this one exist - so people can exchange information etc. By doing so you save money and put one over on the big OEM's. You also take a risk you may make the wrong choice. It hurts when it happens (and we have all done it...admit it to yourselves) but if you are not prepared to take the risk then DIY is not for you. You should buy a Dell or HP and take it to Geek Squad when you want an upgrade.

Over my dead body. I knew Geek Squad was full of crap when I was 13 years old lol.

 

[bryanW1995]

He did not make a mistake. He bought a 6670, but what XFX sells is not a 6670.

As far as AMD is concerned it's a 6670 b/c that's the gpu that they sold to XFX that is in that card. Sure, it's a non-standard version of one, but as all of know the non-standard version is the norm with most cards, anyway.

 

[bryanW1995]

Well, if the OP can't figure it out from reading the tag line of the card I doubt you running a review could inform him either. I can't believe you are jumping in here with both feet, taking sides on this thing. Especially since plenty of board partners do these types of things. Because it's an AMD exclusive partner though, let's kick crap all over them?

What about gtx 560 ti SOC from gigabyte? Send out 1GHz models to reviewers, get some super binned examples out to e-tailers, then, without sending new models out to reviewers, without a name or model change, manufacture them at 950MHz and tell no one. How many high and mighty moral journalists have rerun their reviews at the lower clocks?

The reference HD6850 was never released to the public. Nobody makes one. +90% of the cards sold are built to a lower standard than the reference design. How many reviews were run though with reference designs?

Now we have multiple board partners releasing cards with lower spec'd parts, as happens all of the time. Let's pick out the AMD exclusive partner, who used to be an nVidia partner, but switched teams, and crucify them.

There's no news here. It's just "business as usual", and you know it. If you want to truly inform people here, then tell them that. Tell them they need to be more careful when making their purchases. Especially when it is plainly stated that it's DDR3 and they missed it. Tell them if they are not it will likely continue to happen to them. Don't make this out to be some moral shortcoming though that in any way affects AMD exclusively. This is life in the big city. Learn to deal with it or continue to be disappointed, is the moral of the story here.

Are you talking to me? *Who* is making out that moral shortcomings are exclusive to AMD? Certainly not I

i have my own tech site and forum and i explain the insider view of the industry to our members. i know how it works. ABT is a media partner with both AMD and Nvidia.

Don't pick on one of my posts and attempt to make something out of it. We are dealing with a specific situation - and if you weren't lazy to read all of my posts in this thread - you would realize that i also talk about Nvidia and Galaxy with complete frankness.

apoppin's agenda has been quite clear to me for some time.

I still don't see the need for some massive outcry. I agree with others, all you have to do is read the tag line and there you have it, if you can't do that, well, your own fault.

Apoppin is still the only person on the planet who believes that 2900xt was a great card, but every time he doesn't toe the Red team line he gets accused of favoritism. Didn't any of you guys read the 8800gts vs 2900xt shootout?

 

[happy medium]

Apoppin is still the only person on the planet who believes that 2900xt was a great card, but every time he doesn't toe the Red team line he gets accused of favoritism. Didn't any of you guys read this?

I remember that thread. They were some fun times.

 

[busydude]

Apoppin is still the only person on the planet who believes that 2900xt was a great card, but every time he doesn't toe the Red team line he gets accused of favoritism. Didn't any of you guys read the 8800gts vs 2900xt shootout?

Just like people accusing Phynaz of being a fanboy of Intel in CPU and fanboy of AMD in GPU forums here.

 

[Idontcare]

Yea, I'm gonna go ahead and report this post.

I LOL'ed at that one. Mmmm...yea...

Who hasn't played a game or two on their "lunch break" in the office?

 

[TurtleCrusher]

Link: http://www.powercolor.com/us/products_features.asp?id=46

Doesn't look like he was making it up! (well, except that it was only 128MB)

Its been ages. I thought t was 256mb, but 128 sounds reasonable. Nonetheless i was severely unimpressed with the knowledge that it was not as advertised. It wasnt even a low profile like the picture shows.

I bought a Sapphire x1650 512mb ddr2 from newegg soon after and that was a massive upgrade.

 

[happy medium]

I have never even heard of a 32 bit memory controller.

The 6450 series has 128 bit, 64 bit and a 32bit and they cost the same
32 bit
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814121440

64bit
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814125377

128 bit
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814103187

 

[TurtleCrusher]

Thats pathetic!

 

[toyota]

The 6450 series has 128 bit, 64 bit and a 32bit and they cost the same
32 bit
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814121440

64bit
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814125377

128 bit
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814103187

unless someone can point me to a review of a 32 bit card then I still think its just mistakes on either neweggs or the manufacturer site. and you can surely bet that 128 bit 6450 is a misprint. when I bought my 4670, it took me 2 weeks to convince ASUS and newegg that is was not 256bit like they had it listed.

 

[happy medium]

unless someone can point me to a review of a 32 bit card then I still think its just mistakes on either neweggs or the manufacturer site. and you can surely bet that 128 bit 6450 is a misprint. when I bought my 4670, it took me 2 weeks to convince ASUS and newegg that is was not 256bit like they had it listed.

The Diamond website says 128 bit also.
http://www.diamondmm.com/6450PE31G.php

says 32 bit on the ASUS site also.
http://usa.asus.com/Graphics_Cards/AMD_Series/EAH6450_SILENTDI512MD3LP/#specifications