AMD Catalyst 12.11 Performance Analysis

[os2wiz]

Originally Posted by manofthem

for what it's worth, the 12.11 beta 4 on Windows 8 also has the high 2d clocks. just throwing that out there

What does windows 8 have to with the high 2nd clocks??? You telling us that windows 7 won't see that?

[os2wiz]

Originally Posted by PatoRodrigues

Well, considering that here in Brazil HD7970 and GTX670 have almost the same price... no doubt about what to get for a new build.

Do you guys know about any review of HD7970 CFX with Catalyst 12.11? Google wasn't so friendly when i searched for it.

You must like high electric bills! Extra 350 watts/hour x say 2 hours a day x 365 days per year=
255.5 kwh per year . Con Edison in New York 39 cents /kwh = $100 a year in added electrcity costs. If you are a crazy addicted gamer double that.

[levat]

Originally Posted by os2wiz

You must like high electric bills! Extra 350 watts/hour x say 2 hours a day x 365 days per year=
255.5 kwh per year . Con Edison in New York 39 cents /kwh = $100 a year in added electrcity costs. If you are a crazy addicted gamer double that.

CFX is not for everybody, some people just don't care about those costs. If he wants better performance and has the money - why not invest in such configuration?

Btw i just ran 3dmark 11 on my HD 7750 and graphics score is 2860, while overclocked it went to 3607 (overclock: GPU 1050 MHz, Memory 1370).

[exodusprime1337]

Originally Posted by os2wiz

You must like high electric bills! Extra 350 watts/hour x say 2 hours a day x 365 days per year=
255.5 kwh per year . Con Edison in New York 39 cents /kwh = $100 a year in added electrcity costs. If you are a crazy addicted gamer double that.

I get that you don't agree with the added cost. But unless you're seriously gaming on a budget i don't think many people here actually consider the power options available to them when purchasing a high end rig. It's true my computer takes 1100 watts out of the wall everytime i play bf3, but then again i have the money to spend. I'm not exactly concerned with the cost of owning my computer as much as i am the performance it affords me. Similar things can be said about my corvette or my outer limits boat.. both chew through shitloads of fuel.. and yes i could by a sailboat and save some money on the fuel, or buy a prius.. but neither would go very fast and i don't find that very fun.

[erocker]

Originally Posted by os2wiz

$100 a year in added electrcity costs

I'll pay that and a bit more for my hobby.


*Also, remember to use the multi-quote button.

Thanks!

[FreedomEclipse]

Originally Posted by exodusprime1337

I get that you don't agree with the added cost. But unless you're seriously gaming on a budget i don't think many people here actually consider the power options available to them when purchasing a high end rig. It's true my computer takes 1100 watts out of the wall everytime i play bf3, but then again i have the money to spend. I'm not exactly concerned with the cost of owning my computer as much as i am the performance it affords me. Similar things can be said about my corvette or my outer limits boat.. both chew through shitloads of fuel.. and yes i could by a sailboat and save some money on the fuel, or buy a prius.. but neither would go very fast and i don't find that very fun.

no way your rig takes 1100w from mains. even mine doesnt even hit 600w when in BF3 and I have more hardware and other bits and bobs bolted on.

[manofthem]

Originally Posted by os2wiz

What does windows 8 have to with the high 2nd clocks??? You telling us that windows 7 won't see that?

I think you need to calm down; I'm not telling you anything. My comment was in the context of what we had even talking about earlier specifically regarding high 2d clocks on the 7979 in Win7, and since no one mentioned Windows 8, I thought I would, as i said "just throwing that out there."

Please don't be ridiculous and please formulate your posts better, leaving the argumentative tone out.

[os2wiz]

Originally Posted by exodusprime1337

I get that you don't agree with the added cost. But unless you're seriously gaming on a budget i don't think many people here actually consider the power options available to them when purchasing a high end rig. It's true my computer takes 1100 watts out of the wall everytime i play bf3, but then again i have the money to spend. I'm not exactly concerned with the cost of owning my computer as much as i am the performance it affords me. Similar things can be said about my corvette or my outer limits boat.. both chew through shitloads of fuel.. and yes i could by a sailboat and save some money on the fuel, or buy a prius.. but neither would go very fast and i don't find that very fun.

I get it. Your one of the 1%. We all love performance, but some of us have to worry about paying the mortgage , the food, the credit cards etc. So among the 99% it is a game of balance.

Originally Posted by FreedomEclipse

no way your rig takes 1100w from mains. even mine doesnt even hit 600w when in BF3 and I have more hardware and other bits and bobs bolted on.

He does Crossfire, you can't do Crossfire on less than 800 watts unless your using 5000 series or older chipsets. Of course if you have a platinum certified power supply you may skate by with 750 watts, but that would be cutting it very close.

Originally Posted by FreedomEclipse

no way your rig takes 1100w from mains. even mine doesnt even hit 600w when in BF3 and I have more hardware and other bits and bobs bolted on.

Originally Posted by manofthem

I think you need to calm down; I'm not telling you anything. My comment was in the context of what we had even talking about earlier specifically regarding high 2d clocks on the 7979 in Win7, and since no one mentioned Windows 8, I thought I would, as i said "just throwing that out there."

Please don't be ridiculous and please formulate your posts better, leaving the argumentative tone out.

There was nothing angry in my post , you through out the windows 8 remark out of the blue, and I being a skeptic wanted to know if there was something about windows 8 that influenced the results you mentioned. No need to be so defensive.

Please stop triple/double posting. -Staff

[erocker]

Originally Posted by os2wiz

I get it. Your one of the 1%. We all love performance, but some of us have to worry about paying the mortgage , the food, the credit cards etc. So among the 99% it is a game of balance.

Please keep the political diatribes off of this forum

He does Crossfire, you can't do Crossfire on less than 800 watts unless your using 5000 series or older chipsets. Of course if you have a platinum certified power supply you may skate by with 750 watts, but that would be cutting it very close.

This information is inaccurate. There are other 7000 series cards that can be CrossFired besides the highest end. Also, running a couple 6 series cards in CrossFire I never went above 600 watts. Your best bet is to check out some CrossFire reviews, some reviews will go over power consumption.

There was nothing angry in my post , you through out the windows 8 remark out of the blue, and I being a skeptic wanted to know if there was something about windows 8 that influenced the results you mentioned. No need to be so defensive.

This is why it is best to keep on topic on an internet forum. The topic of this thread is specifically for Catalyst 12.11 drivers.

[os2wiz]

Originally Posted by erocker

Please keep the political diatribes off of this forum

I only responded as I did after the guy mentions a Corvette and power boat. Don't you think he was pushing the envelope a little far? You can have wealth but you need not rub it in people's faces. You for instance are a more understated person . I do not condemn people for spending a lot on a hobby that is very intriguing to them. I do have financial concerns and it has to temper every decision I make about spending money. That is why I mentioned my concerns about the power usage. I get it that it would be better to leave out the 1% stuff and I will.



This information is inaccurate. There are other 7000 series cards that can be CrossFired besides the highest end. Also, running a couple 6 series cards in CrossFire I never went above 600 watts. Your best bet is to check out some CrossFire reviews, some reviews will go over power consumption.

Yes, but that would be 7700 series or lower . I don't think too many people around here are using that kind of hardware. Were those 6900 series cards that you crossfired? But you are right, it would be best if I read those reviews. Promise to do so.

This is why it is best to keep on topic on an internet forum. The topic of this thread is specifically for Catalyst 12.11 drivers.

I am sorry for going off topic. I must admit I do so more than I would like to admit , not intentionally but I believe my power of concentration is not that sharp laser beam it used to be. Sometimes I get caught up with secondary matters instead of keeping focused on the primary I will endeavor to be a little more attentive to the topic of discussion. Thank you.

[james888]

2x overclocked 6950's and a 4.5ghz 2500k along with the rest of my system only used 522watts at max usage. Tested. I have a killawat to test. Fun little thing to play with and see how much power each thing uses.

Edit: I think I was just above around 300W while gaming. I was just messing around with the killowat at the time.

[Mussels]

Originally Posted by james888

2x overclocked 6950's and a 4.5ghz 2500k along with the rest of my system only used 522watts at max usage. Tested. I have a killawat to test. Fun little thing to play with and see how much power each thing uses.

^ roughly 450W peak for mine in synthetic testing, sits under 300W for most gaming.

[os2wiz]

Originally Posted by james888

2x overclocked 6950's and a 4.5ghz 2500k along with the rest of my system only used 522watts at max usage. Tested. I have a killawat to test. Fun little thing to play with and see how much power each thing uses.

I checked out the 6970's on the AMD web site and they wouldn't work with 650 watts at full load. So I guess the 2 6950's use probably 100 watts less than 2 6970's. I'll go to the review on graphic cards power usage. So those 7900 series boards are very power hungry compared to the 6900's. That is a little surprising since they are done on a much smaller process than the 6900 chips. They must have twice as many transistors.

[Mussels]

Originally Posted by os2wiz

I checked out the 6970's on the AMD web site and they wouldn't work with 650 watts at full load. So I guess the 2 6950's use probably 100 watts less than 2 6970's. I'll go to the review on graphic cards power usage. So those 7900 series boards are very power hungry compared to the 6900's. That is a little surprising since they are done on a much smaller process than the 6900 chips. They must have twice as many transistors.

those are just generic requirements. meaning, they suggest you have a 650W PSU, so that if you get a *CRAP* 650W PSU, it should still run.


doesnt mean it needs anywhere near that level of power for regular use (again: if you'd tested it/researched it, the average power consumption of video cards is far, far lower than their peak - especially with Vsync on)

[eidairaman1]

only diff is you have to provide a piece of paper with your user name on here. besides the product yourselling. Stuff here tends to sell faster than on Ebay

Originally Posted by os2wiz

It is just as bad here selling as on Ebay. You have to supply a picture, which means absolutely nothing about fraud prevention. I woujld rather give my home address and telephone number when joining Tech power Up then having to do these false security measures that really do NOT making a safer place to sell. Any thief could find a picture to duplicate if they did not really have the product to sell. Any body can provide a false name and hand sign it on a picture. I built a life long reputation for being a man of my word. I earned whatever respect I have gotten in life. These false security measures are just like the TSA at the airports . A mega billion dollar industry based on mass fear and deception by the government. I would rather build a bond of trust rather than a world based on fear. No sale here it is more complicated than Ebay. I wanted to sell my 2 GB 6950 Radeon HD for $140 & free shipping here just to give guys a break, but if I have to jump through hoops to do it then it's not worth it to me. I'll sell it for $165 on Ebay plus shipping costs.

[james888]

Originally Posted by os2wiz

I checked out the 6970's on the AMD web site and they wouldn't work with 650 watts at full load. So I guess the 2 6950's use probably 100 watts less than 2 6970's. I'll go to the review on graphic cards power usage. So those 7900 series boards are very power hungry compared to the 6900's. That is a little surprising since they are done on a much smaller process than the 6900 chips. They must have twice as many transistors.

The gpu reccommened wattage is large safe zone. You can actually be a bit tighter than that. A 7970 and 6970 have the same power consumption according to amd (250 watts). I have found that the extreme psu calc is pretty accurate. According to it, a 6970 uses about 50 more watts.

[os2wiz]

Originally Posted by Mussels

those are just generic requirements. meaning, they suggest you have a 650W PSU, so that if you get a *CRAP* 650W PSU, it should still run.


doesnt mean it needs anywhere near that level of power for regular use (again: if you'd tested it/researched it, the average power consumption of video cards is far, far lower than their peak - especially with Vsync on)

So Mussells, would a 650 watt Platinum certified Kingwin LZP psu be able to Crossfire 2 HD7950s in your opinion?
I am searching on the web site here for a guide on AMD gpu power requirements and I can't find it. Can you provide me with the link?

[james888]

Originally Posted by os2wiz

So Mussells, would a 650 watt Platinum certified Kingwin LZP psu be able to Crossfire 2 HD7950s in your opinion?
I am searching on the web site here for a guide on AMD gpu power requirements and I can't find it. Can you provide me with the link?

You asked mussells but I beleive you could. I don't know your specs so I put in a higher power using cpu along with 7950 crossfire. Psu calc, with those specs, recommends a 500watt psu. I would think of that as a minimum. 650 watts should be plenty.

[Mussels]

Originally Posted by os2wiz

So Mussells, would a 650 watt Platinum certified Kingwin LZP psu be able to Crossfire 2 HD7950s in your opinion?
I am searching on the web site here for a guide on AMD gpu power requirements and I can't find it. Can you provide me with the link?

yeah, you quite likely could. obviously other things come into account as well, such as insane overclocks, or 50x hard drives - but at stock at least, it'd run with room to spare.

[crazyeyesreaper]

if i remember right cadaveca with his 2x 7950s stock on his rig was using around 400w when fully overclocked he was pulling 600-700

[os2wiz]

Originally Posted by Mussels

yeah, you quite likely could. obviously other things come into account as well, such as insane overclocks, or 50x hard drives - but at stock at least, it'd run with room to spare.

I only have 2 SSD drives , I disconnected my 1.5 GB Seagate Sata III drive ,as I rarely use it, and am looking to make more room for a future Crossfire setup with my now solo 7950 that arrives Tuesday. MY Kingwin 650 Platinum certified psu arrives Monday. I also have a blu-ray burner, but that doesn't draw a whole lot of current, and I rarely use it. With my AMD FX-8350 overclocked to 4.8 ghz I figure the cpu will draw 135-145 watts max. I have a Corsair H100 liquid cooler that should keep it nice and cool. That all gets installed Monday on my Crosshairs
V motherboard. The review for HD Radeon 7950 Crosshairs states at max 358 watts power usage. That is for the 2 cards together. Singly it is 179 watts. SO you are absolutely correct
I should be able to run the two with the psu that I am installing. I really do not understand why AMD doesn't explain in more detail what psu would need . I know builds vary greatly but they could give more detail that would make the choices easier. The review here on this site was far more useful than anything I read on AMD's site.

[os2wiz]

Originally Posted by crazyeyesreaper

if i remember right cadaveca with his 2x 7950s stock on his rig was using around 400w when fully overclocked he was pulling 600-700

Well it appears at least it is a viable option for me in the future with the hardware I am assembling Thanks for the information.

[os2wiz]

Originally Posted by james888

You asked mussells but I beleive you could. I don't know your specs so I put in a higher power using cpu along with 7950 crossfire. Psu calc, with those specs, recommends a 500watt psu. I would think of that as a minimum. 650 watts should be plenty.

Thank you for the link for psu calc. I subscribed gave them all my ram. cpu, potential crossfire setup, ssd's , hard drive, card reader, fans, usb 3.0 front panel hub , blu ray re-writable burner. All in all they recommend 619 watts. So with 650 platinum, I am should have a quite comfortable safety margin.

[crazyeyesreaper]

yea should be fine just keep the overclocks moderate, and it shouldnt be an issue.

[Mussels]

and really, if you're spending that much cash on a PC, cough up the $20-$30 for a wall meter and check the power use yourself.