HD7970 or HD7950?

[ChristTheGreat]

Hey guys!

Since I finally sold my HD6950, I am looking for a new card. Still going with AMD,as they offer free games, and I appreciate this part ( I still didn't bought crysis 3, was waiting for new card )

So here's what I found here in Canada:

Gigabyte HD7970 Overclocked: 379$
Gigabyte HD7950 Overclocked: 289$
Powercolor HD7970 PCs overclocked 1100mhz: 394$

Or just if I go a bit lower

Powercolor HD7870 Vortex ii: 229$ after Mail in rebate


That are the best price I found for aftermarket cooler Card (tried newegg, Memoryexpress, none has better price than NCIX)

I don't know what I am going to choose. Asus cost too much for DCII, MSI was a reference cooler, Sapphire a little bit more pricy, and no way fro XFX :S

Powercolor, sucks a bit to send it to USA, gigabyte has a canada service point which gives a good point.

So, My question is, what card should I pick? Anyone good some Windforce gigabyte? Noisy? good cooling? no fan dying? 7970 or 7950? or should I look at those GTX 670?

Thanks

edit:

I am playing 1080P, just in case

 

[cadaveca]

So far, my testing shows 7950 = 7970, so buy the cheaper 7950 card.

I have two of those Gigabyte Windforce cards, they are nice, have beefier VRM than any other 7950. You'll then have the option of flashing 100/1250 @ 1.1 V BIOS, or 1000/1275 @ 1.25 V, since most 7950's are all reference design with different coolers and slightly different parts used to build them.

I should almost offer you one of my cards, but I'm not quite ready to part with them yet.

BTW, Check with memory Express VS NCIX for price matching. Might save you a bit, MemX will beat difference by 25%, plus matches shipping. MemX usually has higher prices than NCIX, just a matter if they have items in stock, and their website lies often(nevermind staff taking parts home from the Edmonton South store and then the store selling them as new later, which is why the website is wrong often, they have in stock..at the staff's home. ).

 

[Protagonist]

If you have the 7970 money i don't see why the hell not....

 

[DarkOCean]

What about this one? http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=67172&vpn=FX797ATDFC&manufacture=XFX&promoid=1324

 

[ChristTheGreat]

I did work on ME before for my UPS, now it gives me like 5$ less on the HD7950 :S

if I'm looking at the price diffrent idk, but: http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/ASUS/GeForce_GTX_660_Ti_Direct_Cu_II/28.html

HD7970 would be like 14% better.

Still 100$ less that would be acceptable. I am shocked I didn't ordered the gigabyte at 359$ a couple of weeks ago :S

 

[ChristTheGreat]

What about this one? http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=67172&vpn=FX797ATDFC&manufacture=XFX&promoid=1324

Yeah I saw it also, but when I saw post from overclocking card, having high VRM temps, or the guy that has his cooler fucked up, that frosted me a little bit xD

If you have the 7970 money i don't see why the hell not....

that is what I was thinking, but I,m the kind of guy not buying the max I can maybe more price performance. but if the HD7970 worth enought vs the HD7950, I would do it.

 

[Protagonist]

What about this one? http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=67172&vpn=FX797ATDFC&manufacture=XFX&promoid=1324

I read a thread at overclock.net that the XFX 79xx card melts i saw some pictures on that thread too.

 

[DarkOCean]

I read a thread at overclock.net that the XFX 79xx card melts i saw some pictures on that thread too.

care to share a link? ..you've made me curious.

 

[Protagonist]

care to share a link? ..you've made me curious.

Oh,... thought I was dreaming.... on i actually read it and saw it

here
http://www.overclock.net/t/1196856/official-amd-radeon-hd-7950-7970-7990-owners-thread/21460

 

[d1nky]

I read a thread at overclock.net that the XFX 79xx card melts i saw some pictures on that thread too

I found the same and posted about it lol, vapour chambers faulty haha

 

[Mindweaver]

The 7950's are really tempting, but if I had to pick between a 7950 and a 7970 now, then I'd get the 7970. The first batch of 7950 were kickass and would overclock great and the 7970 did as well, but the prices were steep on both cards. The 7970 was $650 and the 7950's where $450... Now most of the cards you see now are weaker handy cap cards with voltage locked..

I've been debating over this lately because I needed a new card. If there were some 7970 @ $350 bucks then I would snatch one up in a minute.... I waited to long, because I thought we would have seen the 8XXX cards by now.. Everybody says grab this based off of what the better bined batches, and not the handy capped cards we have all over the market now..

I've got a friend that bought a 7970 when they first came out and paid 650 bucks for it and it truly kicks ass.. It'll do 1200+ core, but he paid a steep price to be able to do that kind of overclock. I ended up buying a MSI GTX680 PE (power edition) today with the lighting cooler for $459... But considering they came out at $499, I don't feel as robbed and I guaranty it won't clock like the first batch at $499.. So, with that being said I'd get the beefest card I could afford.

 

[ChristTheGreat]

it's the vapor chamber that did this ? I guess that gigabyte card would be a nice one for me. I've read about the 7950 and 7970 gigabyte. They are quite nice.

Just need to see if I'm getting the HD7950 or the HD7970

Didn't AMD said they would drop price in march?

 

[d1nky]

hmm when is the 8series due to come out?? wouldn't it be great if we could pair them with the 7series.....and like I hear people say that there isn't much difference between the 50 and 70?! and yea mine oc's like a champ 1100/1575 1175voltage and same temps as stock....love it!

 

[DarkOCean]

Oh,... thought I was dreaming.... on i actually read it and saw it

here
http://www.overclock.net/t/1196856/official-amd-radeon-hd-7950-7970-7990-owners-thread/21460

http://cdn.overclock.net/f/f8/f8224648_20130222_162211.jpeg

http://cdn.overclock.net/5/5d/5d751973_20130222_162220.jpeg

http://cdn.overclock.net/9/94/9486aac3_20130222_162223.jpeg

that's hardcore, lol.

 

[ChristTheGreat]

hmm when is the 8series due to come out?? wouldn't it be great if we could pair them with the 7series.....and like I hear people say that there isn't much difference between the 50 and 70?! and yea mine oc's like a champ 1100/1575 1175voltage and same temps as stock....love it!

end 2013 they said :S

 

[d1nky]

couldn't you wait and save......or buy and sell later.....that way it wouldn't matter on your choice so 7970 would be ideal, plus youll have a lump of cash for the 8series if its good enough!

 

[ChristTheGreat]

Umm well, I will have an house to pay, so I guess I should right now get the HD7970, and be able also to overclock it. I will last longer with this... Just sold my HD6950 which I used almost 2 years

 

[d1nky]

my plan is to go crossfire and then sell both cards for an 8series if its good enough or performs better than 7970/50 xfire.....see what others think, that's just my plan....

 

[Frizz]

If you're planning to go crossfire in the future then get the 7950 as there's very little difference with the 7970 in that area and you'll save lots of moolah. If you want to overclock one card like mad then 7970 but make sure you don't get one with a locked voltage controller like I did T_T

 

[jormungand]

+1 on the ga windforce. got the gtx670 and dont get near 70c ever. dunno about the red side but this aftercooler version is on gtx680,hd7870,hd7950,and 7970. if it is faulty uhmm? dont think so. to many speak for they own. all of them OC. and the best price you can get.
make some google search about the temps on the 7950 and the 7970 of this cards.
good luck.
my thoughts hd7970 wf3

 

[cadaveca]

Oh,... thought I was dreaming.... on i actually read it and saw it

here
http://www.overclock.net/t/1196856/official-amd-radeon-hd-7950-7970-7990-owners-thread/21460

http://cdn.overclock.net/f/f8/f8224648_20130222_162211.jpeg

http://cdn.overclock.net/5/5d/5d751973_20130222_162220.jpeg

http://cdn.overclock.net/9/94/9486aac3_20130222_162223.jpeg

I'm sorry, but you're very naive to believe that that is a melted metal cooler, with nothing burnt.

Yes, that's a metal plate up top, and I don't see plastic from the fans that has melted into the heatsink as it would if that metal part actually "melted".

Just WOW. I have no idea what did that, other than a vapor changing exploding(not likely, they are filled with water at sub-atmospheric pressure), that was done with human hands.

BTW, that cooler doesn't have a vapor chamber, it's just a flat metal plate. You done been trolled, son.

 

[d1nky]

I'm sorry, but you're very naive to believe that that is a melted metal cooler, with nothing burnt.

Yes, that's a metal plate up top, and I don't see plastic from the fans that has melted into the heatsink as it would if that metal part actually "melted".

Just WOW. I have no idea what did that, other than a vapor changing exploding(not likely, they are filled with water at sub-atmospheric pressure), that was done with human hands.

on the forum he wasn't sure, the manufacturer or something mentioned faulty vapour chamber. tbh I have no clue about the tech! but like you say its very dubious, and no sign of fire or burns. just a melt, but what temps would be needed to melt card?!

edit: no vapour chamber?! trolled?! investigation I thinks lol

 

[cadaveca]

on the forum he wasn't sure, the manufacturer or something mentioned faulty vapour chamber. tbh I have no clue about the tech! but like you say its very dubious, and no sign of fire or burns. just a melt, but what temps would be needed to melt card?!

ask yourself, what temps are needed to melt COPPER, but don't send a PCB up in flames. That cooler is a flat copper plate with aluminium fins soldered on top. The fins would have all fallen off. It's been hit with a hammer, or something similar, while removed from the card, since the card PCB isn't warped.

 

[d1nky]

looks like aliens done it..........http://www.overclock.net/t/1196856/official-amd-radeon-hd-7950-7970-7990-owners-thread/21470 read up if youre intruiged

 

[cadaveca]

He's a troll..the XFX 7950's don't have a vapor chamber. Google it.