HD 7870 vs GTX 600 (or NVIDIA vs ATI)

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Havoc888

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Ok. So. First post. I've been reading for a while but its time I grow up and ask questions. I am doing my first legit computer build out (i've just used kits in the past) I already have an intel i5 3570k(http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115233) and this motherboard (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157293).

I am looking into my video card next. I want to stay under or as close to $200 as possible. I think I've narrowed it down to two but now I can't decide.

I'm thinking either an HD 7870 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131467 (brand name doesn't mean as much to me so help me out if I choose poorly.)

Or an NVIDIA http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130825

As far as I can tell they are very similar and I don't know enough to decide.

On a side note, for what its worth if I buy soon the GTX 660 comes with assassin's creed 3 and the HD 7870 comes with far cry 3 (I am more excited about assassin's creed but I don't want the freebie to be what sways me. I want the best card for the money.)

Thanks to all who comment and I apologize is I said anything stupid. I'm still new to this higher end PC building stuff.
 
single or 3+ monitors? Eyefinity is king for surround view. Im in the same boat using Nvidia cards in SLI right now and I'm going for the MSI 7870.
 
Since that is a non-Ti version of the GTX 660 I would go with the 7870 as it traded blows with the card in the most recent review done by [H].

You don't seem like a super hardcore gamer though so if you aren't looking to eek out the best possible performance you can get go with what ever will make you happier. You did mention you were more excited about the AC coming with the Nvidia card.

http://hardocp.com/article/2012/11/12/fall_2012_gpu_driver_comparison_roundup/3

Thats the link that jumps straight to the game comparisons. Showing the 7870 doing well against the GTX660Ti.
 
I am only thinking to run one monitor. Well I also have an old 720p 32" tv I'll have hooked up for watching netflix and such, but only the one monitor for gaming. Right now the monitor is old as well but it will be seeing an upgrade soon too. I want to be able to run at 1920x1080 as smooth as possible on a single monitor.

I'm not that hardcore no, but I'm getting there. I just want to make the most future proof gaming rig I can within my budget. The fact that the NVIDIA comes with AC is a neat gimmick but not really a major selling point. If the 7870 is more on par with the 660ti I'm thinking that should be the road I go from the sound of it?
 
So you spent 325 dollars on a Intel CPU+Mobo on Newegg.

Could have gotten a FX6300 Vishera 6 Core + a 70 dollar ASRock AM3+. 200 bucks.

I woulda put 125 extra toward GPU SSD. Oh well 2500k is [H]'er right ;)
 
if you want to stay around 200 bucks get the PCS+ HD 7850 (1 Ghz) . at the same clocks HD 7850 is 8 - 10% slower than HD 7870. HD 7850(1 Ghz) will match or exceed a GTX 660.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131472

Also if you are spending above 200 go for the Gigabyte HD 7870 OC (1.1 Ghz). the cooler on this card is vastly superior to the reference HD 7870 cooler.

www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125418

here are couple of reviews. but they use older drivers and thus can only be used for comparison with HD 7870 (1 Ghz).

http://hexus.net/tech/reviews/graphics/38809-powercolor-pcs-hd7850/?page=5
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Powercolor/HD_7850_PCS_Plus/6.html
 
teletran8 said:
So you spent 325 dollars on a Intel CPU+Mobo on Newegg.

Could have gotten a FX6300 Vishera 6 Core + a 70 dollar ASRock AM3+. 200 bucks.

I woulda put 125 extra toward GPU SSD. Oh well 2500k is [H]'er right ;)
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Yes and he would have had an inferior, hot running, and power hungry CPU with a cheap-ass low-quality motherboard. Not all of us have bloody low standards like that.

Anyway, OP, what PSU do you have? Kinda of a bad idea to recommend GPUs if we don't know if your planned PSU will have enough power.
 
If you want good drivers, go nVidia

If you want good value per FPS go AMD

If you are like me look at slightly faster cards and buy which every one from either camp or any brand drops down into your price range in the next week. And yes the free games are part of the decision.
 
Trimlock said:
Since that is a non-Ti version of the GTX 660 I would go with the 7870 as it traded blows with the card in the most recent review done by [H].

You don't seem like a super hardcore gamer though so if you aren't looking to eek out the best possible performance you can get go with what ever will make you happier. You did mention you were more excited about the AC coming with the Nvidia card.

http://hardocp.com/article/2012/11/12/fall_2012_gpu_driver_comparison_roundup/3

Thats the link that jumps straight to the game comparisons. Showing the 7870 doing well against the GTX660Ti.
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not demanding the best possible performance in a game or all that eyecandy has nothing to do with not being a super hardcore gamer :/
 
I actually picked up the processor and mobo for 169.99 and 94.99 respectively at micro center. And I did consider amd at first but after doing my homework it seemed like Intel was better for me.

PSU was actually my next question. I was thinking to get a raidmax 730w. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0055EIIXW/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1353502717&sr=8-1&pi=SL75. I realize its no corsair or anything but the raidmax PSUs seem to review well and it's pretty cheap for being partially modular as well.

I apologize for not quoting anyone. I'm posting from my phone and it's a bit of a pain.
 
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7870 is as fast as 660ti. Which is as fast as gtx 670.

7870 is the best deal around and extreme performer.
I got gigabyte 7870 almost month ago. The power!
 
Havoc888 said:
I am only thinking to run one monitor. Well I also have an old 720p 32" tv I'll have hooked up for watching netflix and such, but only the one monitor for gaming. Right now the monitor is old as well but it will be seeing an upgrade soon too. I want to be able to run at 1920x1080 as smooth as possible on a single monitor.

I'm not that hardcore no, but I'm getting there. I just want to make the most future proof gaming rig I can within my budget. The fact that the NVIDIA comes with AC is a neat gimmick but not really a major selling point. If the 7870 is more on par with the 660ti I'm thinking that should be the road I go from the sound of it?
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If it's not that big of a selling point then for sure go with the 7870.
 
If you have a TV, if you want to do output audio to it, I suggest going nVidia, I have an HTPC with a monitor and a TV running a 7950 and there are some issues with audio you end up with no audio sometimes and you have to shut everything down in order to get it back, very annoying. This gets back to drivers, these problems have persisted through many driver releases.
 
Havoc888 said:
PSU was actually my next question. I was thinking to get a raidmax 730w. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0055EIIXW/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1353502717&sr=8-1&pi=SL75. I realize its no corsair or anything but the raidmax PSUs seem to review well and it's pretty cheap for being partially modular as well.
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Unless those were proper PSU reviews you were reading, user reviews from sites like Newegg or sites that don't test the PSU properly do not count as good sources for PSU reviews. In this case, that Raidmax is a piece of crap PSU that only reviewed well that only got a larger number of reviews due to people's ignorance when it comes to PSUs. There's several red flags I can see right off the bat with that Raidmax:
1) That red switch means that the PSU lacks APFC. Generally PSUs that lack APFC are of an older and/or crappy design.
2) It's a 730W PSU that costs $60 which is extremely suspicious when confirmed GOOD quality PSUs from Antec and Corsair in that price range are rated around 500W.
3) It's a 730W PSU that costs $60 which is extremely suspicious when confirmed GOOD quality PSUs from Antec and Corsair in that wattage range cost around $90+
4) No mention of temperatures it was rated at which is important because the hotter a PSU gets, the less power it can provide.
5) It's an older Huntkey design that can barely provide 550W of power under the most ideal of conditions.
6) It's a modular PSU which means that the base PSU platform is no more than $40 since adding modular cables to a PSU generally increases the price of a PSU by arond $15 to $20 at a minimum. Since the base platform costs $40, that's extremely suspicious when confirmed GOOD quality PSUs from Antec and Corsair in that price range are rated around 350W to 430W.

So in other words, don't get that Raidmax. I recommend this PSU:
$57 - Antec NEO ECO 520C 520W PSU
 
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rudy said:
If you have a TV, if you want to do output audio to it, I suggest going nVidia, I have an HTPC with a monitor and a TV running a 7950 and there are some issues with audio you end up with no audio sometimes and you have to shut everything down in order to get it back, very annoying. This gets back to drivers, these problems have persisted through many driver releases.
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Well, generally I have found the exact opposite, AMD cards are better when connecting to a TV. Nividia still doesn't output full rgb right over hdmi yet.

As for your two driver posts. The only difference between AMD drivers and Nvidia drivers is if you go with two cards or more Nivida will be much better.

To the OP, IF you are going between the normal 660 and the 7870 then the 7870 is probably the better buy. If it's the 660ti, then get that.
 
Havoc888 said:
I actually picked up the processor and mobo for 169.99 and 94.99 respectively at micro center. And I did consider amd at first but after doing my homework it seemed like Intel was better for me.

PSU was actually my next question. I was thinking to get a raidmax 730w. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0055EIIXW/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1353502717&sr=8-1&pi=SL75. I realize its no corsair or anything but the raidmax PSUs seem to review well and it's pretty cheap for being partially modular as well.

I apologize for not quoting anyone. I'm posting from my phone and it's a bit of a pain.
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Oh I was just going to respond to this, but Danny Bui got there first. I agree with all his comments. Don't get a crappy no name PSU. It's the one part of my system that I wouldnt go cheap on. I would get a 600Watt one minimum especially if you are going to keep this machine for a few years.
 
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Ok so no raidmax then. But is there something in that price range you would recommend? That antec looks good but will 520w be enough?

And over all its looking like the 7870 is the winner. I'll still watch prices on both but I want the card that is likely to last the longest. My build won't be ready til after Christmas so I have time to shop around a bit.
 
PSU power rating is very deceptive. I run one of those antec 520 watts on a system very similar to yours assuming you get a 660ti or 7850.

I have had plenty of cheapo 600 or 700 watt PSU not handle heavy systems.

Most companies know that without more information consumers just gun for the highest number on a PSU or anything that powers something like amplifiers / recievers and they manipulate these numbers.
 
Havoc888 said:
Ok well for the sake of amazon prime. How do these two stack up?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0092ML0MY/ref=aw_ls__2?colid=39CXERVRUU0PE&coliid=I214YWUYBGPBRV&vs=1

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000H9KRY8/ref=aw_ls__1?colid=39CXERVRUU0PE&coliid=I3D8WWQI3NVFIM&vs=1
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Between the two PSUs, the Corsair is the better choice. That particular Antec is overpriced by at least $20. With that said, I wouldn't really recommend that Corsair either since it's a tad overpriced as well considering its quality and the fact that it's the older version. The newer version, the CX500 V2, is of slightly better quality and has a tad more power on the +12V rail than the older CX500 but still not as good as the Antec Neo Eco 520C.

Does Amazon Prime's free shipping and all of its benefits apply only to products from Amazon.com proper or any store that's selling through Amazon?

EDIT: If you have to buy from Amazon.com proper to take advantage of Amazon Prime free shipping, I recommend these PSUs:
http://www.amazon.com/XFX-ATX-550-P...DKIKX0DER&s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1353528786&sr=1-15
http://www.amazon.com/Antec-Current...DKIKX0DER&s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1353528599&sr=1-12
 
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Nine times out of ten it has to be sold by amazon proper. But if the other antec is better. And cheaper. I'll order it from Newegg. Not a big deal.
 
rudy said:
If you have a TV, if you want to do output audio to it, I suggest going nVidia, I have an HTPC with a monitor and a TV running a 7950 and there are some issues with audio you end up with no audio sometimes and you have to shut everything down in order to get it back, very annoying. This gets back to drivers, these problems have persisted through many driver releases.
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Not sure what your problems are with the card but I have 2 AMD cards matched up to TV's right now and have never had audio problems. My 4550 is connected through a receiver and I get great sound out of it.

Honestly I have no clue what is causing your issue but I found Nvidia's options when connecting to a TV to be sub par when matched up to AMD's offering. To most these won't make a difference.
 
 
500w PC Power and Cooling is a great brand, good price, free dvd burner (if needed), modular, and enough watts for a HD7870 system.

The 600w Corsair is a good buy if you don't need to buy a dvd burner and feel like having a few more watts. $30 after rebate and promo code.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139028

If you plan to crossfire in the future, the 850w Thermaltake is ok.

Skip the COUGAR brand PSU. Never heard of them.

Antec Earthwatts is ok but the Corsair is cheaper upfront, and after rebate.

I like to run my PSU as ~50% load for less strain, heat, and more energy efficiency from the PSU. I would probably get the 600w Corsair or 650w Antec for the prices, but they are not modular and PC Power and Cooling is a good brand. A HD7870 system probably uses between ~300 watts, +/- depending on extra components and overclocking. From [H]'s ASUS Radeon HD 7870 DirectCU II TOP Review; 79w, 280w, 319w - idle, load, overclocked (total system wattage). http://hardocp.com/article/2012/07/02/asus_radeon_hd_7870_directcu_ii_top_review/9
 
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Havoc888 said:
Ok guys. Newegg has deals out that might be making some decisions for me. First off how does this look for the card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...-_-48-_-N82E16814161404-_-na&nm_mc=BlkFri2012
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I generally don't recommend HIS unless there's no other cheaper option. I'd recommend Powercolor, Gigabyte, MSI, Asus, or XFX, whichever is the cheapest options, for AMD GPUs.
Havoc888 said:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...-_-58-_-N82E16817153106-_-na&nm_mc=BlkFri2012
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Pure crap. Generally, only Thermaltake's Toughpower brand of PSUs are any good. The rest of Thermaltake's PSU brands are often of low quality and/or overpriced as hell. In this case, this particular Thermaltake (TT) is part of TT's TR2 PSU brand. The TR2 are TT's extremely low quality but high profit PSU line. Generally those that buy them don't know anything about PSUs or have really low standards.
Havoc888 said:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...-_-58-_-N82E16817703035-_-na&nm_mc=BlkFri2012
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Good quality PSU but a tad overpriced since the slightly higher amperage Seasonic M12II 520W costs the same. Not to mention that since PC P&C is owned by OCZ, I'm not sure if OCZ's poor customer support has also filtered down to PC P&C.
$70 - SeaSonic M12II 520 Bronze 520W Modular PSU
Havoc888 said:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...-_-58-_-N82E16817553009-_-na&nm_mc=BlkFri2012
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Cougar does source good PSUs but in this case that PSU is just way too low priced for me to recommend it. Not to mention that I'm not entirely sure how good Cougar's support is here in the U.S.
Havoc888 said:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...-_-58-_-N82E16817371044-_-na&nm_mc=BlkFri2012
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Good PSU. Well priced.

Also, I do not recommend that Corsair CX600 because it's the older and lower quality version. If you're gonna buy a Corsair CX series PSU, you might as well get the latest version so that you can get some more quality. Not to mention that the CX series in general are of slightly to just lower quality than the Antec Earthwatts EA650 Green, Antec Neo Eco 520C, and Seasonic M12II 520W.
 
Well I went for the corsair. I know its an older series but for thirty bucks after rebate it leaves me more for my card.

That being said this HIS is no good even at that price over the others?
 
Havoc888 said:
Well I went for the corsair. I know its an older series but for thirty bucks after rebate it leaves me more for my card.
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You haven't received the rebate yet so I don't see why you're factoring it in. Again, that older CX600 is still not a good buy even at the $50 promo price since the higher quality Antec Neo Eco 520C only costs $7 more. $7 more for higher quality is well worth it IMO.
Havoc888 said:
That being said this HIS is no good even at that price over the others?
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If you absolutely cannot spend the extra cash for the other brands, then go for the HIS.
 
Not sure why you think because its an older model is not good as good as a newer model or if the difference matters much. Only reason I didn't suggest the Earthwatts PSU is because I had an annoying fan clicking noise on two of my units.
 
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FYI: The 7850 2 GB can be EASILY overclocked to get the same performance of that stock 7870 your looking at for $90 less.

Newegg has a sale on them right now: $179.99 + Free Shipping + Free Extended Return Period + $40.00 Mail-in Rebate + Free Far Cry 3.

That's about the best bang for buck right now, in the sub $200 range. A hell of a value your getting there for $140 (after rebate) compared to $230... ;)


To quote what someone else said:

raghu78 said:
a HD 7850 2GB. the performance improvement with the HD 7850 2GB over the sub 150 cards is massive.
The HD 7850 is a powerhouse. At 1 Ghz it matches GTX 570 / GTX 660. at 1.2 Ghz it matches GTX 580.
the PCS+ HD 7850 comes clocked at 1 Ghz. for less than 200 bucks its an awesome card with a free
game (Farcry 3). what more do you want :D
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I bought one yesterday but they seem to be out of stock at the moment. (that was fast, phew!) Not the most visually appealing card, but meh.

HIS IceQ X Radeon HD 7850 2GB 256-bit: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161405
 
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Havoc888 said:
Well I hope that corsair works out for me cause it already done. We shall see. All that leaves me now is my video card. I found another 7870 on newegg in the price range i'm looking at.

how does this look http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102983

better or worse than the HIS? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...-_-48-_-N82E16814161404-_-na&nm_mc=BlkFri2012
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the his iceq is a better cooler. i would actually recommend the Gigabyte HD 7870 OC . even though its costlier

www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125418
 
In the case of brands stay away from his, purely for their dead customer support. I have asus/gigabyte/msi cards and would recommend them to anyone. Especially msi.
 
Well I stayed Radeon but ended up with an HD 7950 in the end. The price was right and the performance made it worth it I hope.
 
If you don't care about modular cables and fancy cable sleeving, get an Antec Earthwatts. Johnny Guru rates them highly and based on his tests, they perform way out of their street prices. I have an the old version of the Earthwatts 650, which he rated highly. The newer models that have green colored metal are even better!
 
I just was shopping in the same comparisons and went with the HIS 7870 on one of the black friday "deals" hehe. Card seems to be performing great so far, I sincerely hope I don't run into any snags though. I had a 5770 sapphire before and that ran perfect from the day I got it.

Unless it's a 660ti, then I'd go with the 7870, nothing below a 660ti will beat it.
 
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