Suitable Nvidia replacement for 2x 6970's 5760x1200 resolution

A

AARGH!

Gawd
Joined
Jun 13, 2003
Messages
766
I have given up on my 2x6970 SLI setup for my 3 Dell U2410's. Too many driver issues with games I want to play and, also trying to do Hybrid Physx with it.

So what is the most cost efficient replacement for these two cards? I am just looking to match current performance (5760x1200 resolution 60FPS max settings for display). One or two cards doesn't matter.

I know this won't be cheap but hopefully I can convince the missus somehow. I searched but since these aren't the newest cards, they don't get referenced to any of the newer Nvidia series (and even less likely in SLI and Triple display) in comparisions online.

Price range is $500-$1K, but the higher it goes the harder the sell to the wife will be.

Current config is in signature

Thanks!
 
AARGH! said:
I have given up on my 2x6970 SLI setup for my 3 Dell U2410's. Too many driver issues with games I want to play and, also trying to do Hybrid Physx with it.

So what is the most cost efficient replacement for these two cards? I am just looking to match current performance (5760x1200 resolution 60FPS max settings for display). One or two cards doesn't matter.

I know this won't be cheap but hopefully I can convince the missus somehow. I searched but since these aren't the newest cards, they don't get referenced to any of the newer Nvidia series (and even less likely in SLI and Triple display) in comparisions online.

Price range is $500-$1K, but the higher it goes the harder the sell to the wife will be.

Current config is in signature

Thanks!
Click to expand...


SLI gtx 670 is a good deal. especially if you find a deal on some reference cards which is what youd probably want anyways for SLI.. that keeps you below your max spending range, gets you 60fps in any game @ that resolution and it will last you awhile. :)

i couldve sworn i saw some reference 670s going for 350. maybe not though

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2585872&CatId=7387


i would also like to add that the 7970 is pretty much unbeatable at that resolution. i know youre asking for nvidia but honestly when you are playing at that high resolution the AMD cards go crazy far. and for not much much you have much higher performance

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125413
 
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I would stay with AMD if they would actually play the games without driver hassles. It's either these games work with this version, or some with this. Or not at all no matter what I use. I've never played favorites whatever was best bang for buck, but driver issues with this setup has made this unbearable when I can't play Skyrim or Batman:AC without breaking another game (if they play at all).

I'll look into the SLI 670's and see what I can find for pricing.

I'm still open for suggestions..

:)

dremic said:
SLI gtx 670 is a good deal. especially if you find a deal on some reference cards which is what youd probably want anyways for SLI.. that keeps you below your max spending range, gets you 60fps in any game @ that resolution and it will last you awhile. :)

i couldve sworn i saw some reference 670s going for 350. maybe not though

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2585872&CatId=7387


i would also like to add that the 7970 is pretty much unbeatable at that resolution. i know youre asking for nvidia but honestly when you are playing at that high resolution the AMD cards go crazy far. and for not much much you have much higher performance

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125413
Click to expand...
 
I went from Tri-Crossfired 6970s to Crossfired 7970s, I feel your pain with software issues from AMD.
I've had a bunch of problems lately.....but I have to admit, a BIOS update on my Rampage IV Formula seems to have helped immensly.

I also have a computer with GTX 670s in SLi and that computer has been nothing but solid. I also run Surround/EyeFinity with three U2410s from Dell.
I have two MSI first release cards that run on air and generally clock to 1230 in games.
They are beasts and are solid as the day is long. I haven't had one issue since I installed them.....I haven't had to change drivers beyond the 304.2 that I currently run.:D
 
magoo said:
I went from Tri-Crossfired 6970s to Crossfired 7970s, I feel your pain with software issues from AMD.
I've had a bunch of problems lately.....but I have to admit, a BIOS update on my Rampage IV Formula seems to have helped immensly.

I also have a computer with GTX 670s in SLi and that computer has been nothing but solid. I also run Surround/EyeFinity with three U2410s from Dell.
I have two MSI first release cards that run on air and generally clock to 1230 in games.
They are beasts and are solid as the day is long. I haven't had one issue since I installed them.....I haven't had to change drivers beyond the 304.2 that I currently run.:D
Click to expand...

didnt AMD just release new drivers that are supposed to be amazing.


either way OP you cant go wrong with your price range. either team you go will be good especially if you go sli or xfire

but i hear your woes about the software support. i heard its mostly a multi-monitor issue when it comes down to it and surround is generally better supported.
 
Just go with two 670's that will equal to 1k budget and be happy bro. If i had 1k to spend on video cards i would not get the 660ti's in SLI but budget is a factor for me so 660ti's it is.
 
dremic said:
didnt AMD just release new drivers that are supposed to be amazing.
Click to expand...


I can tell you right here that I have been through every driver release and then some, since the end of last year on my AMD cards.

Amazingly bad would be more descriptive.

Right now I use the 12.4 Cat release and 12.7 subset1 CAPs, and these run about as good as I can get. Amazing would not be a word I use when describing AMD Catalyst over the last 18 months.:(
Also believe me, I have searched and searched for problems with my computer to blame, other than video drivers. My comp is about as stable as it can possibly be using any stress. A recent BIOS upgrade did help some, but I still experience way more hard freezing and crashing that I ever have.......and the only variable I can point to time over time is the Crossfire and the Catalyst drivers.
 
magoo said:
I can tell you right here that I have been through every driver release and then some, since the end of last year on my AMD cards.

Amazingly bad would be more descriptive.

Right now I use the 12.4 Cat release and 12.7 subset1 CAPs, and these run about as good as I can get. Amazing would not be a word I use when describing AMD Catalyst over the last 18 months.:(
Click to expand...

honestly if you were playing guild wars 2 with my setup and the performance ive been getting, you would be just as mad with a nvidia product.


when it comes down to it, the drivers are the same in terms of quality. the only exception being surround.
 
dremic said:
honestly if you were playing guild wars 2 with my setup and the performance ive been getting, you would be just as mad with a nvidia product.


when it comes down to it, the drivers are the same in terms of quality. the only exception being surround.
Click to expand...

:D Surround is the only way to go my friend. If you can't afford it, then i suggest justifying another means to an end :p
 
I would run games at single monitor resolutions and still have problems. If I install latest drivers, then certain Source engine games wouldn't work (or Diablo 3). I am currently running 12.3 drivers as they are the only ones stable for my most played games.

Thanks for all the info, now begins the discussion with the wife, wish me luck!
 
One question, how does one confirm Max resolution supported in SLI setup? I honestly didn't even consider that when I got the first AMD card (too excited about getting triple monitors finally).

Having discussion with wife now...

2GB or 4GB cards?

Since I'm seeing what I can get away with, is 690 worth the cost?

Thanks!!
 
AARGH! said:
One question, how does one confirm Max resolution supported in SLI setup? I honestly didn't even consider that when I got the first AMD card (too excited about getting triple monitors finally).

Having discussion with wife now...

2GB or 4GB cards?

Since I'm seeing what I can get away with, is 690 worth the cost?

Thanks!!
Click to expand...

690 can be worth it simply because you will have less issue then you would with sli.

single card > dual card
 
dremic said:
semantics
Click to expand...

Not really, since from the OS's/drivers point of view, it's two separate cards. As such, it is still considered an SLI setup, susceptible to any SLI problems.

AARGH! said:
One question, how does one confirm Max resolution supported in SLI setup? I honestly didn't even consider that when I got the first AMD card (too excited about getting triple monitors finally).

Having discussion with wife now...

2GB or 4GB cards?

Since I'm seeing what I can get away with, is 690 worth the cost?

Thanks!!
Click to expand...

It depends on the games you'll be playing, and the settings you want to play at. Some games eat up more vRAM than others. Also, higher AA requires more vRAM.
 
dremic said:
semantics
Click to expand...

No not really.

the 690 is essentially two GTX 680 chips acting in SLi on a single PCB.
the 690 still has to "obey" the laws of SLi.
so other than using only a single PCI-e slot, you still have the same SLi related "problems" and 2GB of memory per GPU just as if you bought two GTX 680s.

To the OP......I have been looking hard at two EVGA 680 FTW 4GB cards. I think the only thing that keeps me resisting to date has been the 3GB VRAM on my 7970s.:p
 
dremic said:
690 can be worth it simply because you will have less issue then you would with sli.

single card > dual card
Click to expand...

single PCB > dual PCB

fixed


the point being ONE PCB is better then two. heat, power draw and stability issues are heavily decreased. that was the point of my post. sorry i'll be more specific next time
 
dremic said:
when it comes down to it, the drivers are the same in terms of quality. the only exception being surround.
Click to expand...

Not at all, actually. The nVidia ones have more features and tend to be better on the whole by a longshot.
 
magoo said:
Adaptive VSync.:D if you are into VSync.
Click to expand...

theres one ! one that works well too. any others? i think the point being.. are there features that nvidia has that come with their drivers that are good enough to encourage others to make a purchase ? probably not. Adaptive Vsync is amazing I use it on everything, its the only global setting I have changed no doubt. but i dont consider it to being a weighing factor in making a several hundred dollar purchase.


power usage / temperatures / performance / build quality / driver stability ** ***** ding ding ding. :)
 
dremic said:
single PCB > dual PCB

fixed


the point being ONE PCB is better then two. heat, power draw and stability issues are heavily decreased. that was the point of my post. sorry i'll be more specific next time
Click to expand...

Not really.:D
Look at this. http://www.hardocp.com/article/2012/05/03/nvidia_geforce_gtx_690_dual_gpu_video_card_review/8
If you clock the 690 to 680 speeds it's just about even all the way around.

Two GPUs, one PCB, pretty much the same heat and power draw as two GTX 680s in SLi.
 
dremic said:
theres one ! one that works well too. any others? i think the point being.. are there features that nvidia has that come with their drivers that are good enough to encourage others to make a purchase ? probably not. Adaptive Vsync is amazing I use it on everything, its the only global setting I have changed no doubt.
Click to expand...

I have one system with 7970s in CrossfireX.
I have one system with GTX 670s in SLi.
My daughter has an HD 6950.
My son has a lappy with a GTX 680.

(my other daughter has a Mac, but she's an artist, what does she know, lol)

I'm even. So I don't try to push one side over the other at all.:D
 
magoo said:
Nah, just the facts. Just the facts.:p
Click to expand...

The Bottom Line

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 is the finest looking, best performing, most efficient dual-GPU video card in the world with unsurpassed design and engineering. The GeForce GTX 690 not only performs in terms of framerate, but also performs in terms of thermals, TDP, acoustics, and aesthetics. This is the "most perfect" dual-GPU video card we've ever experienced.
Click to expand...

straight from the review that you posted.

i think most sane people would agree though my dude. 1 PCB > 2
 
magoo said:
I can tell you right here that I have been through every driver release and then some, since the end of last year on my AMD cards.

Amazingly bad would be more descriptive.

Right now I use the 12.4 Cat release and 12.7 subset1 CAPs, and these run about as good as I can get. Amazing would not be a word I use when describing AMD Catalyst over the last 18 months.:(
Also believe me, I have searched and searched for problems with my computer to blame, other than video drivers. My comp is about as stable as it can possibly be using any stress. A recent BIOS upgrade did help some, but I still experience way more hard freezing and crashing that I ever have.......and the only variable I can point to time over time is the Crossfire and the Catalyst drivers.
Click to expand...

Just wondering. Are you running at pci-e 3.0?

Because contrary to the articles I saw before buying my 3930k, pci-e 3.0 is often broken on sb-e. So much so that Nvidia decided to block their cards from using 3.0 on sb-e. I'd try pci-e 2.0 before switching cards at cost.

When I found this out I started to wonder why the hell I bought an x79 setup that I could have had an equivalent IB setup for cheaper with 3.0 and have the same bandwidth.
 
dremic said:
oh fo REAL?! specifics please?
Click to expand...

Working sli
Txaa
Physx
Adaptive vsync


All while pulling the same or better performance and having better overall driver support. There's a reason nvidia holds the majority of market and it's not because people think the name sounds better.
 
I went from 2 6950 (upgraded to 6970 bios) to 2 GTX 680's and don't regret switching to Nvidia. I'm running 3 24" 1920x1200 resolution monitors in SLI surround. I had to switch from displayport to DVI to make this work which kind of surprised me and had to use one of the DVI ports from the second card which was always forbidden on AMD. Nvidia seems to do triple monitors better than AMD. Just as an example, I have one toolbar in my middle monitor rather than an extra large one across multiple screens. My windows popup to a single screen as expected and Eyefinity required a separate program to do that properly. I don't have any issues with having to use different port types with Nvidia (AMD required having 3 Displayports to do 3 monitors without screen artifacts because of timing issues) and Nvidia just allowed me to use both cards to get 3 DVI ports. I've went through two generation of cards (5850 and 6950) waiting for the Displayport hub promised in the 5800 series and then again in the 6900 series to eliminate this issue and still haven't seen one. It just makes matter worse that AMD advertised eyefinity to death and then had their stock cards configured so you couldn't get 3 of the same type of port. AMD has easier overclocking than Nvidia as a default but in the end I use MSI afterburner to overclock both so no difference. The GTX 680's were much quieter than the 6950's -- just an amazing difference.

So far, I've been disappointed by both AMD Crossfire and Nvidia SLI. It never seems to work properly. My latest games were Tera and Guild Wars 2 and I think I'd have been as well off with a single card in both.

I've been using AMD consistently for years and decided to give Nvidia a try -- mainly because of AMD's piss poor driver history. And just my luck, AMD seems to have better crossfire support in Guild Wars 2 than Nvidia does SLI at the moment. To me it's still worth it just to have 3 DVI ports rather than a 2 displayport + 1 DVI thing. Kind of wish I could have had 3 displayports but it doesn't really make any difference in the end.
 
Thanks to everyone for your helpful info, and I ordered my card at 4am this morning when the Asus GTX690 came back in stock at NewEgg (I would have preferred EVGA but I am not known for my patience)!

Nothing beats a techie wife!

Now I have to sell either both or one of my 6970's (wife may get one of them, can't recall what's in her PC now) to offset the cost of the new card.

Can't wait to install and play! Tomorrow can't get here fast enough!
 
AARGH! said:
Thanks to everyone for your helpful info, and I ordered my card at 4am this morning when the Asus GTX690 came back in stock at NewEgg (I would have preferred EVGA but I am not known for my patience)!

Nothing beats a techie wife!

Now I have to sell either both or one of my 6970's (wife may get one of them, can't recall what's in her PC now) to offset the cost of the new card.

Can't wait to install and play! Tomorrow can't get here fast enough!
Click to expand...

congrats dude, exciting stuff!
 
GoldenTiger said:
Working sli
Txaa
Physx
Adaptive vsync


All while pulling the same or better performance and having better overall driver support. There's a reason nvidia holds the majority of market and it's not because people think the name sounds better.
Click to expand...

lol txaa and physx
 
Update!

Well mixed bag here, got card installed and ran Batman AC with no issues, but major step backward when I load any source games as I now have the mouse/audio/graphics stuttering (which I think is why I switched to AMD from the 260's I used to have).

So will try Skyrim and see if that is playable, and then see what I can do about Source engine games, as I can't live without my TF2 or L4D2..

(fyi I did clean out all Nvidia and AMD drivers before installing new card)

If anyone has any suggestions I'm all ears.. TYIA
 
a pair of 4gb 670s will do you good.
just dont expect to max out the settings of current games.

i have two 4gb 680s and can run crysis 2 at 5760x1080 no problem.
bf3 has some issues but i think its just due to poor game support with surround.
 
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xnikx said:
a pair of 4gb 670s will do you good.
just dont expect to max out the settings of current games.

i have two 4gb 680s and can run crysis 2 at 5760x1080 no problem.
bf3 has some issues but i think its just due to poor game support with surround.
Click to expand...

dude he already bought a card.
 
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