7950/7970 or GTX580...What to choose?
- Thread starter fridgevr
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The Joker
Thread Killer MKII
http://www.guru3d.com/article/amd-radeon-hd-7970-review/22
That's without overclocking on a standard 7970.
On avg the 7970 is around 15-20% faster than the GTX580 and as drivers mature that number will increase by another couple of %.
That's before you start playing around with overclocking, the 7970's overclock like monsters without any real effort and that widens the gap even more, yes sure you can oc a 580 but it can't hope to oc as well as the 7970.
7950 is on par with the gtx580 but again drivers and overclocking will push it past the 580 and I think the 580 only just beats it in BF3.
As far as kepler goes...Who knows..I think they'll be good, but I don't think they'll be much better than the 7970's and if they are expect a HUGE price tag on them, Also there is no official release date on Kepler so no one knows when they'll be avialable.
AMD have seriously upped their game with the 7xxx cards. The 7970 is officially the most powerful single gpu on earth. So there is no denying how awesome it is.
That's without overclocking on a standard 7970.
On avg the 7970 is around 15-20% faster than the GTX580 and as drivers mature that number will increase by another couple of %.
That's before you start playing around with overclocking, the 7970's overclock like monsters without any real effort and that widens the gap even more, yes sure you can oc a 580 but it can't hope to oc as well as the 7970.
7950 is on par with the gtx580 but again drivers and overclocking will push it past the 580 and I think the 580 only just beats it in BF3.
As far as kepler goes...Who knows..I think they'll be good, but I don't think they'll be much better than the 7970's and if they are expect a HUGE price tag on them, Also there is no official release date on Kepler so no one knows when they'll be avialable.
AMD have seriously upped their game with the 7xxx cards. The 7970 is officially the most powerful single gpu on earth. So there is no denying how awesome it is.
The Joker
Thread Killer MKII
Well Honestly...You'll only end up losing cash on the 580 if you do plan on selling it in the near future.
You can get a Sapphire 7970 3GB from Computersonly for R5999 inc vat. Oh and I think wootware has one for R5800.
Where the cheapest decent 580 I know of is around R5300. Look at it like that then I would get the 7970 hands down.
7970 is new tech, uses less power, runs much cooler, overclocks much better, will hold its value much longer than the 580.
You can get a Sapphire 7970 3GB from Computersonly for R5999 inc vat. Oh and I think wootware has one for R5800.
Where the cheapest decent 580 I know of is around R5300. Look at it like that then I would get the 7970 hands down.
7970 is new tech, uses less power, runs much cooler, overclocks much better, will hold its value much longer than the 580.
I have two GTX580's and I've had them for more than a year now. They're great cards, but I wouldn't invest in them at the moment. Sure, ATI has some great offerings at the moment (as The Joker pointed out) but NVIDIA isn't asleep at the wheel either and they're about to launch their brand new cards too. With all due respect to AMD, given past events NVIDIA's offering will, more than likely, trump AMD again. Remember, AMD want to give the "best bang for buck" product. NVIDIA are interested in giving the best bang...period. NVIDIA also holds some perks as well such as PHYSX, which is being used more and more in AAA titles and does make a difference in the gaming experience.
If I were you, I'd hold out to see what NVIDIA has to offer in the near future before you go and blow your money on the current top-of-the-line AMD card. The GTX580 is a great card, but it's old tech. Comparing it with the brand new AMD offering is not fair and essentially a silly move. Wait until NVIDIA also have their new card on the table - THEN compare the two. Just don't be surprised if you end up with the NVIDIA.
Edit: Just to add insult to injury - the mere fact that the GTX580 manages to keep up (and even beat) the new AMD cards is a testament to how good the top-line NVIDIA products are.
If I were you, I'd hold out to see what NVIDIA has to offer in the near future before you go and blow your money on the current top-of-the-line AMD card. The GTX580 is a great card, but it's old tech. Comparing it with the brand new AMD offering is not fair and essentially a silly move. Wait until NVIDIA also have their new card on the table - THEN compare the two. Just don't be surprised if you end up with the NVIDIA.
Edit: Just to add insult to injury - the mere fact that the GTX580 manages to keep up (and even beat) the new AMD cards is a testament to how good the top-line NVIDIA products are.
The Joker
Thread Killer MKII
That's a damn good price.
If you don't mind please pm me the supplier/seller.
I bought 2 of them for a client of mine and they weren't anywhere near that price xD
R4C3
New member
Uhhm Yskas as ek dit nie verkeerd het nie 7970 is ATI daar is nie physix kaarte nie.... Hy moet op sy eie hardloop
R4C3
New member
Ja voël dis hoekom ek my GTX470 in die 2de pci-e slot sit om physics te run. Eks slim so.
LOL ok Volstruis try dit maar...
The Joker
Thread Killer MKII
Putting my neck on the line now, but I can promise you Nvidia will not be releasing anything that beats the 7970 at the price fridgevr is paying for the 7970. Again don't expect monster gains from the new Nvidia cards, probably 10-15%.
Its hard to believe, the 7970 has been available since late december, by the time Nvidia launches their flagship cards the 7970 will have been on sale for around 6 - 8 Months. So yes the Kepler series cards will be faster, by how much I am not sure, they will also run hotter, draw more power, as Nividia's of past have done.
Then people will be comparing the GTX680 or whatever it will be called to the 7970 saying I told you it would be faster bla bla, then the amd fans will shout yes but the 7970 has been available for 8 months already..comparing older tech and then they'll say AMD are already working on their new GPU's (Which they are).
Its a never ending cycle.
Its hard to believe, the 7970 has been available since late december, by the time Nvidia launches their flagship cards the 7970 will have been on sale for around 6 - 8 Months. So yes the Kepler series cards will be faster, by how much I am not sure, they will also run hotter, draw more power, as Nividia's of past have done.
Then people will be comparing the GTX680 or whatever it will be called to the 7970 saying I told you it would be faster bla bla, then the amd fans will shout yes but the 7970 has been available for 8 months already..comparing older tech and then they'll say AMD are already working on their new GPU's (Which they are).
Its a never ending cycle.
cheeseofdoooom
New member
It is, remember the 7000 series uses WAY less power and therefore heat(i'm talking about 40% less in some cases) than the Nvida cards. So that extra 1k will pay for it's self in under a year. That coupled with the OC ability, PCI-e 3.0 and a 384bit interface its the right card to buy. Personally i'd go with a 7950 with a Asus directCU cooler and OC the SHIT outa it
Nvida cards are there for those who want raw power and dnt care about heat fan noise or power consumption and TBH their flagships are always over priced.
AMD cards (well since the 4000 series) have been improving on their price vs performance model. If you're working on a budget 9/10 AMD's the way to go.
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