AMD Radeon HD 7970 Video Card Review @ [H]

That card brings a question of PCIe saturation

Is there any chance Brent, that you will run crossfire on SB-E and SB, and check somehow if the crossfire on SB with only 16 pcie 2.0 lanes is much differ from crossfire on those yummy 40 lanes of SB-E?
 
It's funny how this thread xploded in pieces AFTER the releasing. Before we had few posts in here and like 9pages max. ? :D No need for replying cuz it's 10pages per day
 
Thanks a lot :)
Another great [H] review
I know, that 7970 isn't needed for my current build, 6950 is sufficient.
But, if eyefinity 2.0 truly delivers possibility of using 20-24-20 configuration (16x12-19x12-16x12)...
I'll buy it at day one, gladly overpaying just for that one function :)
 
DieU said:
Why did [H] omit the HD 6990 and GTX 590? Is assumed that those users that have the HD 6990 and GTX 590 have nothing to worry about?

http://www.anandtech.com/show/5261/amd-radeon-hd-7970-review
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Well that would be comparing a single-GPU card (7970) to dual-GPU cards (6990/590) that are $150-$200 more MSRP. It seems in real-world gaming performance the 6990/590 on average are about 15-20% faster at stock clocks, than the 7970, which is expected due to the price premium and the fact that they are dual GPU. Haven't seen any benches that compare the cards when they're all overclocked; but an overclocked 7970 can get within 5-10% of the performance of a stock clocked GTX 590.

I'm more interested in seeing what the HD 7990 will bring in March. If it provides a 30%+ increase in performance over my GTX 590 then I'll bite. I'm also hoping by then they'll reduce the MSRP from $850 for it to a more reasonable ~$699 (and the HD 7970 to ~$449).
 
If nvidia keeps launching cards so much more slowly than AMD its small performance increase over AMDs offerings wont really mean much beyond a benchmark win at the end of the day.
Eventually Nvidia will either get back on the right footing and launch a one two punch of cards with proper timing or AMD will experience that and knock Nvidia around. Its been crazy seeing AMD launch new generations of cards in such a timely mannor. They just have some great execution at AMD right now.

I miss ATI though :(
 
demingo said:
I don't understand how the driver problems AMD has are just ignored in this review. I think that not mentioning is quite deceptive especially when you see how close AMD and [H] have been getting. It's a shame that objectiveness is lost.

All it takes is a look at some of the biggest releases this year to see, that on launch day, most of them worked fine on Nvidia cards and AMD cards tended to have issues which had to be fixed. No matter who is at fault, one companies cards worked day 1, another's didn't. When spending over $400 for a video card, the expectation is that it works properly, not a few days or weeks later.
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So you have an issue waiting for a company for 1-4 weeks to iron out bugs with a new game, but no problem with a company that makes you wait 6-12 months to get a functioning current gen card on the market ? :rolleyes:
 
The problem with having to wait a month or more for proper driver support on a new title is that there's no reason to pre-order or buy a game on release if that becomes the expectation. I want to be able to play my $60 game now, not wait a month or two when I can get it for $40 on sale.
 
MavericK96 said:
The problem with having to wait a month or more for proper driver support on a new title is that there's no reason to pre-order or buy a game on release if that becomes the expectation. I want to be able to play my $60 game now, not wait a month or two when I can get it for $40 on sale.
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Excellent point and in all fairness both AMD and nVidia need to do a better job of support for titles at launch particularly for multi-GPU compatibility though I do think that nVidia does a better job of this than AMD throaty because of nVidia's stronger relationships with developers.
 
heatlesssun said:
Excellent point and in all fairness both AMD and nVidia need to do a better job of support for titles at launch particularly for multi-GPU compatibility though I do think that nVidia does a better job of this than AMD throaty because of nVidia's stronger relationships with developers.
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Agreed. Both companies have been slow on this in the past, but it seems AMD has been a bit slower in recent history.
 
Every single person bitching that the ATI/AMD 7970 card costs too much should just go QQ somewhere else. Seriously.

480 Prices

480sr.jpg


580 Prices

580sy.jpg


It's okay When nVidia sells a single card solution for $500-$550 generation after generation, but When ATI/AMD does it, it's a sign of the apocalypse?

It's laughable to see you whine over prices when you blow your money on high end CPU coolers, watercoolers, 16GB Ram kits (or more), RAID Drives, SSDs, and cases with LEDs bright enough to burn a hole through your eye then through the back of your skull.

Top performance comes with a price. Either buy it or don't and come to grips with it. Stop complaining like petulant schoolgirls with an over-grown sense of entitlement.
 
notarat said:
Every single person bitching that the ATI/AMD 7970 card costs too much should just go QQ somewhere else. Seriously.

480 Prices

480sr.jpg


580 Prices

580sy.jpg


It's okay When nVidia sells a single card solution for $500-$550 generation after generation, but When ATI/AMD does it, it's a sign of the apocalypse?

It's laughable to see you whine over prices when you blow your money on high end CPU coolers, watercoolers, 16GB Ram kits (or more), RAID Drives, SSDs, and cases with LEDs bright enough to burn a hole through your eye then through the back of your skull.

Top performance comes with a price. Either buy it or don't and come to grips with it. Stop complaining like petulant schoolgirls with an over-grown sense of entitlement.
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This it's a great post but w will be ignored. People will only respond to posts that sympathize with them. The fact is AMD only released two high end products art low cost because they could. They have typically had the most expensive cards, then nvidia, and now it's ati.
 
WOW..the fastest card demands the highest price...has anybody notified the press! :rolleyes:
 
jorojr said:
Overall, AMD's drivers are better now, but they still have some ways to go. They still carry over the stigma of poor drivers from the ATI days. The stumble with this Fall's lineup of games doesn't do a whole lot to help their cause.
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As I see it, there are no driver issues at all in most cases if you only have a single video card.

If you have crossfire or SLI, both AMD and Nvidia have issues, but AMD seems to have more issues at launch and seems to take longer to fix them than Nvidia.

Not an enormous issue for me, as I rarely buy new games at launch, but I can see how some would be annoyed.

I usually buy games that last for years of replay value (Counter-Strike, Civilization, Red Orchestra), so if something doesn't work 100% at launch, that's such a small portion of the games useful life to me that it's barely an issue at all.

AMD does need to improve here though, if for no other reason than for perception. reviews of games on launch day are going to point out any driver issues they encounter. In many cases these reviews stay up on the web unaltered for years to come, regardless of whether the AMD drivers were patched the next day or not.
 
Pyroja said:
Currently running a 4890 and feeling the desire to upgrade again. Was aiming for a 6950 2GB, but I guess now that the 7000 series is trickling out, now is not the time to buy, yes?
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hyperion0101 said:
Wait and see what Nvidia has to offer as well, before making a decision.
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2wiced said:
by the time nvidia releases their cards. AMD will be preparing a refresh. Or they will release a 7990. Youll be waiting forever :)
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You are both right.

it usually better to wait and see what is around the corner and see if that impacts price/performance purchasing decisions.

That being said, the companies are always so secretive these days, and you never know when a launch is going to actually happen. Waiting for the Bulldozer has changed my tune on this topic for PC hardware.

If your current machine is insufficient for your needs, buy the best you can for the money you are willing to spend NOW unless you have official information that something worth waiting for is about to be launched. Don't believe rumors.

You can't play a game today with hardware you buy tomorrow. One thing is however certain, if you keep waiting there is always going to be something else on the horizon, and while you keep waiting for it you are going to be stuck on your old hardware that you are unhappy with.
 
Makeroflostsouls said:
If the 7970 lets me do P-L-P 20x30x20 I'll be buying it as soon as I can.
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You will certainly be able to hook them up, but current drivers won't allow you to play games at Eyefinity with different resolutions/orientations.

Rumor has it this (fully customizable Eyefinity resolutions and orientations) will be coming soon in 12.2 or 12.3 drivers (we are currently at 12.1), but again, this is just rumor and you can't trust rumor.

If AMD do release drivers that do this - however - it will be a HUGE selling point for me as well.
 
MavericK96 said:
The problem with having to wait a month or more for proper driver support on a new title is that there's no reason to pre-order or buy a game on release if that becomes the expectation. I want to be able to play my $60 game now, not wait a month or two when I can get it for $40 on sale.
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Considering how buggy most games are on launch, that's pretty much reality already, regardless of what video card you have :p
 
what i want to know is if kyle or brent will be rocking amd gpus in their rigs
 
Anyone else wonder why they 7950 did not get reviewed at the same time like when the 6970/6950 launched? Most of the information floating around seems to indicate the 7950 will also be releasing on the 9th? :confused:
 
Dan_D said:
Unless NVIDIA puts out something better by the time I'm ready to buy, I certainly will be.
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Same way I feel.

I spent WAY too much money on Christmas gifts this year, so I won't be running out and getting one of these right away, I need to recover first.

My two 6970's run everything I play right now perfectly. The only game I've had issues with has been Metro 2033, which I still can't get to run with all settings turned on at 2560x1600, but I already finished it and I'm not playing it anymore.

Essentially, the only reason to upgrade from my two 6970s right now for me would be to bench better. I'm not necessarily opposed to this when I have extra cash, as its always going to be useful down the line, but when cash is tight, I hold off.

One thing that may change all this is if - as expected by some - AMD's 12.2 or 12.3 drivers bring custom resolution and configurations for Eyefinity. If I can run my games in my 20"-30"-20" P-L-P, I may need more power. SoftTH does this well for some older titles right now, but I have to run in single GPU mode for it to work, and it doesn't work in many titles.
 
I wouldn't be surprised to see some 7970XX where the letters at the end signify an OC'd version of the same card, although that may be up to the manufacturers themselves. With so much room to breathe in terms of overclocking, in temperatures, voltage and clock speed, you have to figure there may be at least a couple of different versions of this card later on.

The best part of the 7970s is that they're not constrained to the reference design by AMD so the manufacturers can do whatever they want with the cooling as soon as these cards hit the market.
 
stealthy123 said:
refreshing websites obsessively hoping it comes in stock, and you are lucky enough to buy one.
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Seems a little silly.

Go to your favorite retailer. if they have them, good. order. if they don't, check somewhere else or check again tomorrow :p

Many webpages even have a function where they can send you an email when they are in stock.

Refreshing a webpage over and over is just silly.
 
Zarathustra[H];1038194233 said:
Seems a little silly.

Go to your favorite retailer. if they have them, good. order. if they don't, check somewhere else or check again tomorrow :p

Many webpages even have a function where they can send you an email when they are in stock.

Refreshing a webpage over and over is just silly.
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you've never really wanted to get an item that is in high demand and low supply eh? Using your method you may wait weeks to get one.

While I wouldn't do it, I can see where people would.
 
robble said:
you've never really wanted to get an item that is in high demand and low supply eh? Using your method you may wait weeks to get one.

While I wouldn't do it, I can see where people would.
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If something is good today, then it will still be good in a couple of weeks. Patience is a virtue.

Sit back. Play your favorite game, work, finish up a project or read a good book. They will be in stock, when they are in stock. There is absolutely no value in being "the first" to have something. It's like those morons who camp in line outside Apple stores or Game Stops to be the first with a phone or new console. Silly.

People must have WAY too much time on their hands if they are wasting it refreshing webpages on the off chance something may come into stock... :rolleyes:
 
Sometimes it's not really about being first, it's more like if you didn't F5 spam you wouldn't get one for months, as was the case with the HD 5850.
 
Zarathustra[H];1038194181 said:
What does F5 have to do with upgrading?
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F5ing Newegg for it to show up as in stock so I can order it. F5 => purchase 7970 => upgrade video card
 
Volkum said:
F5ing Newegg for it to show up as in stock so I can order it. F5 => purchase 7970 => upgrade video card
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But, Newegg may only get them in once a week or less in some cases. How long do you plan on sitting there hitting F5? :confused:

Maybe at least there is some script you can write to do the reloading for you and alert you when the availability changes?
 
Zarathustra[H];1038194403 said:
Maybe at least there is some script you can write to do the reloading for you and alert you when the availability changes?
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A distinct possibility ;)
 
The pricing of 7970 is still a bit too much. Especially when I can get 6970 power for less than 240 (the 6950 unlocked to 6970 specs).

Very glad to see how efficient the 7970 is though, I hope this sets an example and maybe even starts a trend for other cards.
 
I expect MSRP only to last until the first run are sold out - which will happen in the first hour.

After that I'm sure the price will be jacked up to match demand.

I'm considering coming in late to work that day, if need be, so I can order one.
 
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