Sapphire HD7950 Dual X OC 950mhz Edition

[SonDa5]

Checking in with Sapphire Dual X OC HD7950 950mhz edition.

Just got it a few hours ago.

Photos of it.



















Please comment about the PCB.


Looks like it is 1 VRM short of the HD7970 Dual X Sapphire version. I don't see any other differences from the Dual X HD7970 version.

[erocker]

Originally Posted by SonDa5

Please comment about the PCB.


Looks like it is 1 VRM short of the HD7970 Dual X Sapphire version. I don't see any other differences from the Dual X HD7970 version.

Reference PCB, seen it before and you're correct with the VRM setup.

How does your card perform?

[james888]

Hmm... Yes... That is PCB... I see vrm... memory... OH LOOK A GPU... and that is the extent of my knowledge of pcb.

On an unsarcastic note, how is saphires dual x in terms of sound and cooling performance? I have read good things in reviews. Whats your take?

[SonDa5]

Originally Posted by erocker

Reference PCB, seen it before and you're correct with the VRM setup.

How does your card perform?

Is that reference PCB for HD7950 or HD7970?

From what I have seen this is more like a beefed up reference HD7970. Even has the 1x6pin + 1x8pin power connector.


Haven't had time to set it up yet. Was expecting it tomorrow. Have a water cooled CPU and GTX 560ti 448 in right now so will take some time to get the loop reconfigured with only CPU and make room for slightly larger HD7950.

[SonDa5]

The unmarked die.

[SonDa5]

Looking good for 3570k@4.8GHZ.




http://3dmark.com/3dm11/3614346

[SonDa5]

Originally Posted by james888

On an unsarcastic note, how is saphires dual x in terms of sound and cooling performance? I have read good things in reviews. Whats your take?

Extremely quiet. Too quiet. I think the fans don't push enough air. Some bigger fans or different higher static pressure fans would probably make more noise but improve the cooling. As it stand with the stock cooler on max I was able to get stable over clocks to around 1250mhz. With water cooling I'm up to 1350mhz stable over clocks.

[manofthem]

Originally Posted by SonDa5

Looking good for 3570k@4.8GHZ.


http://minidriven.com/BlacknBlueforI...rk11HD7950.jpg

http://3dmark.com/3dm11/3614346

That does look good indeed. What kind of temps are you seeing at those clocks with your block installed?

[SonDa5]

Originally Posted by manofthem

That does look good indeed. What kind of temps are you seeing at those clocks with your block installed?

Haven't ran furmark at 1325mhz and probably wont. I'm gaming stable at 1300/1700 with 1.25v

With MCW82-7900 block at lower speeds running furmark

Using Sapphire TRIXX to adjust clocks and voltage.

Just a quick 10 minute test at 1205/1575
VDDC set to 1.15v
Board Power Li at +15
Abient Temps 27C

[bartsrevolution]

Great scores , but your vrm need some more efective cooling solution and maybe 1400mhz don`t be a challenge

[james888]

Originally Posted by SonDa5

Extremely quiet. Too quiet. I think the fans don't push enough air. Some bigger fans or different higher static pressure fans would probably make more noise but improve the cooling. As it stand with the stock cooler on max I was able to get stable over clocks to around 1250mhz. With water cooling I'm up to 1350mhz stable over clocks.

Really? Extremely quiet? The heatsink looks almost identical to my msi tw2 but with a different shroud. It isn't that quiet. Nice clocks.

[SonDa5]

Originally Posted by james888

Really? Extremely quiet? The heatsink looks almost identical to my msi tw2 but with a different shroud. It isn't that quiet. Nice clocks.

The heat sink on the PCB has is better because it is divided between VRMs and memory. Heat is isolated that way. The VRM heatsink is larger and has bigger fins.


You can get an idea of what I mean with this photo:






Also I have MSI TF3 heatsink on my MSI GTX 560 ti 448 and it is louder.

[SonDa5]

Originally Posted by bartsrevolution

Great scores , but your vrm need some more efective cooling solution and maybe 1400mhz don`t be a challenge

I'm working on a copper VRM base plate to put on VRMs and then I will top it off with a small Koolance VRM water block.
VRM TEMPS can get hot but I have not seen them higher than 110C running furmark at 1200/1575. That was with the stock heat sink. With the stock heat sink off my temps are about 15C lower. I can lower them more if I point a fan right at the VRM heat sinks. I still want to water cool the VRMs.

Ran similar set up on my GTX 560 ti 448.



Hook me up with HD7970 BIOS that is compatible to flash.

[SonDa5]

HWinfo64 is working better for temp sensors on my card.


This looks better on the VRMs.


1205/1575
Board Power Li +15
VDDC 1150
Ambient Temp 27C

[radrok]

Excuse me but a fullcover block wouldn't be better at this point?

[SonDa5]

Originally Posted by radrok

Excuse me but a fullcover block wouldn't be better at this point?

No. I'm satisfied with the MCW82 7900 block and temps.

[zargana]

Originally Posted by james888

Hmm... Yes... That is PCB... I see vrm... memory... OH LOOK A GPU... and that is the extent of my knowledge of pcb.

On an unsarcastic note, how is saphires dual x in terms of sound and cooling performance? I have read good things in reviews. Whats your take?

I have also sapphire 7950 (with blue board, this must be the flex version), its really quiet. And the temperatures (in room over 25c) raised 70c under furmark over-burn test.

When the fan speeds are over %70, you start to realize there is "something in the case", otherwise you don't know if your card fans working or not.

Also the dual-x solution as sound its faraway from msi cooling solution.

Sapphire with the dual-x cooling solution hits bullseye.

[SonDa5]

Originally Posted by zargana

I have also sapphire 7950 (with blue board, this must be the flex version)

It's the "950MHZ Edition".

This one.

SAPPHIRE 100352OCSR Radeon HD 7950 3GB 384-bit GDD...

[radrok]

Originally Posted by SonDa5

No. I'm satisfied with the MCW82 7900 block and temps.

I didn't mean about performance but the nightmarish tube routing you'd need to do with 4 fittings on a single gpu, it would be easier

Is Swiftech going to make a vrm+memory heatsink that is compatible with the MCW82 like they did in the past for their universal blocks? That would be easier too

[SonDa5]

Originally Posted by radrok

I didn't mean about performance but the nightmarish tube routing you'd need to do with 4 fittings on a single gpu, it would be easier

Is Swiftech going to make a vrm+memory heatsink that is compatible with the MCW82 like they did in the past for their universal blocks? That would be easier too

Yes.

This is it.


http://www.swiftech.com/hd7900-hsf.aspx


My VRM temps are fine with stock heat sink though.

[james888]

Originally Posted by SonDa5

Extremely quiet. Too quiet. I think the fans don't push enough air. Some bigger fans or different higher static pressure fans would probably make more noise but improve the cooling. As it stand with the stock cooler on max I was able to get stable over clocks to around 1250mhz. With water cooling I'm up to 1350mhz stable over clocks.

Originally Posted by SonDa5

The heat sink on the PCB has is better because it is divided between VRMs and memory. Heat is isolated that way. The VRM heatsink is larger and has bigger fins.


You can get an idea of what I mean with this photo:


http://minidriven.com/BlacknBlueforI...amheatsink.jpg



Also I have MSI TF3 heatsink on my MSI GTX 560 ti 448 and it is louder.

Originally Posted by zargana

I have also sapphire 7950 (with blue board, this must be the flex version), its really quiet. And the temperatures (in room over 25c) raised 70c under furmark over-burn test.

When the fan speeds are over %70, you start to realize there is "something in the case", otherwise you don't know if your card fans working or not.

Also the dual-x solution as sound its faraway from msi cooling solution.

Sapphire with the dual-x cooling solution hits bullseye.

I was going to get an antec 620 and attach it with a bracket to my 6950 now, and later a 7970. That route is silent and complete overkill for any gpu. I then found an artic xtreme 7970 with the 3 fans for a great price. Should be here this week.

When I do get a 7970 I will be getting a saphire. I have heard nothing but good things about them and you both convinced me. Especially those pictures of the stock heatsinks.

[radrok]

Originally Posted by SonDa5

Yes.

This is it.


http://www.swiftech.com/hd7900-hsf.aspx


My VRM temps are fine with stock heat sink though.

That looks nice man

[SonDa5]

Originally Posted by radrok

I didn't mean about performance but the nightmarish tube routing you'd need to do with 4 fittings on a single gpu, it would be easier

It may be easier but would it work as good? :lol:

Nightmarish???? Not. Sounds like fun to me.

I'm fortunate to have a Swiftech Apogee HD block which makes parallel cooling easier.


My RIG configured in this "nightmarish" configuration with a MSI TF3 PE/OC GTX 560 ti 448.

[erocker]

Here's the reference 7970 unlocked bios

[Mathragh]

Originally Posted by erocker

Here's the 7970 unlocked bios

Untill now, noone has succeeded in unlocking their 7950's to 7970's right?

Also, I just ran that HWiNFO64 program, and it reports my 7950 has 2048 useable shaders, but I guess thats just a bug or flaw.