yasamoka
Post here your system spec, HD7950 / HD7970 overclocks, voltages, temperatures, if you have replaced the stock cooler, any further suggestions for OCing. Benchmarks, gaming benches, stress tests, suicide runs, etc... are a must!
Let's help out new users who are just getting used to overclocking these beasts and learn from each other.
chassis
hey guys, long time lurker...i can get a sapphire amd 7970 reference card for 495$ should i go for it?...does it heat up?, will it make a loud noise?, does it have its voltage locked?,will it overclock much?...thanks in advance
yasamoka
chassis wrotehey guys, long time lurker...i can get a sapphire amd 7970 reference card for 495$ should i go for it?...does it heat up?, will it make a loud noise?, does it have its voltage locked?,will it overclock much?...thanks in advance
From where? Amazon, Lebanon?
AFAIK, reference Sapphire 7970 is not voltage locked. Overclock limits depend on the ASIC quality of the card and cooling potential.
chassis
actually i know someone who orders them from abroad(you just tell him the product and its here 10 days later), i have no idea from where exactly...ill ask him today and get back to you.... this is a link to the 7970 that i want (
http://www.techspot.com/products/graphics-cards/sapphire-radeon-hd-7970-3gb-gdddr5-pcie-21197-00-40g.82955/ )...........anyway im not too happy about the one fan, can it handle keeping the card cool....i have an inwin maelstrom case with 1 huge side fan (23cm) and 4 other fans....my current gtx 560ti stays cool at 29 degrees at idle ...cpu (i5 2400) at 31...mobo 26....hdd 30.......sorry for the long post but do you think should its a good buy? what about the price is it good?
oh and ps: reason of purchase is to play all games maxed out at 60 plus...well maybe not crysis 3 but im ok with that :)
yasamoka
If you dial down the AA, you should be getting mostly 60FPS on most games (with some exceptions like Metro 2033, Crysis 3, etc...). If you're aiming for 60FPS with high AA, you might want to consider dual 7950s/7970s.
Yes the one fan coolers are noisy and hot, I have mine here (MSI) on an aggressive fan profile to keep it below 70C (fan reaches ~44% or so, ~2650RPM @66C folding 24/7). However, with the recent crap with better cooler cards (still reference cards) voltage locking and such, like the Gigabyte (hardware locked now I think) and the Vapor-X (7950 used to be BIOS-locked, now I don't know about either 7950 or 7970), the reference cooler reference cards might be a better option.
Crappy Gigabyte locks the new 7950s at 1.25V, causing high temperatures for many users. Most people wouldn't want to run this voltage 24/7, so they're basically wasting their cooler, and at such a high voltage, the cooler approaches inadequacy even if it allows for high overclocks.
The $500 price is a bit high, considering that I got a Gigabyte 7970 (older revisions were good) WF3 from Amazon for $440 and it arrived here $550 with Aramex shipping (more expensive shipping than others). The Sapphire 7970 Dual-X, a better cooler, voltage-unlocked, and still a reference card, should be available for $400 from Amazon (when they get back in stock) and that means you'd get a better cooler for the same price, shipped. So you might want to have a small talk with that person who orders them from abroad, and either ask him how much the Dual-X would cost, or ship it yourself.
chassis
Ohh thanks alot....ive been meening to ask about ordering from amazon, i didnt think that they shipped to lebanon...so i just call them up and tell them that i want something from amazon and they do it??...but according to you you saw the gigabyte 7970 for 440$ and it arrived here in lebanon for 550 so thats a a total of 25% for shipping....and my guy is the same its 399$ from abroad and it arrives here plus 24% so it totals at 495$...........i just checked amazon and they have the xfx double d black edition which i think is a better deal
chassis
i just asked them he said that he gets them from NEWEGG!! i had no idea...its the price on there website plus 24% shipping and stuff...
i would realy appreciated if you could help me pick out one.... he is there link
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&N=-1&isNodeId=1&Description=7970&x=0&y=0.... thank you so much :)
yasamoka
Avoid XFX.
Amazon do not ship electronics to Lebanon. You have a virtual address in the US and they ship the items to that address, then from that address you ship them to Lebanon.
http://www.borderlinx.com and
http://www.shopandship.com
Would you mind sharing with me contact info regarding the person / company who /that is getting you this item?
edhunter
Yup. I've been looking at some of the reviews of XFX (since they seem to be the only one available on amazon right now) hd7970, it is a good advice to stay away I would say, some people were in their 3rd RMA.
chassis
yeah the xfx seams shaky at best....did you see pcandparts he restocked on cards he now has the sapphire 7970 w boost for 580$...7950 flex oc with boost for 440$ and the 7950 vapor-x boost for 420$....so now im rly thinking about getting one of them...im rly sorry but im gonna have this card for a long time so im not sure what to get....do you think the vapor-x can overclock past a 7970? ive read reviews that it can easily reach 1100-1200mhz ...it has 2 8 pins so its practically made for overclocking....or do u think the 160$ extra spent on the 7970 is justified?
sorry for the long post but here are the contenders1-sapphire 7970 with boost for 580$..(from pcandparts)
2-reference 7970 500$(to be ordered from abroad taking approximatly 2 weeks to arrive
3-amd 7950 flex hd oc with boost..440$(from pcandparts)
4-7950 vapor-x oc with boost 420$ from pcandparts)
which one do you think is the best buy??................................thank you
chassis
i have no idea why i just called pcandparts a HE!! :pp
yasamoka
Consider that the prices indicated by pcandparts lack VAT. Add 10% to the prices. The card from pcandparts is the stock cooler Sapphire 7970 (not the Dual-X even, I believe)
Also, stock for the Vapor-X 7970 on Amazon is coming back on April 13th. The card costs $440 at Amazon, and there's almost no way that card could reach here more than the 580+VAT price of pcandparts. The Dual-X should cost $400 at Amazon when it comes back in stock.
Something to consider is the ease of RMA if purchased from pcandparts, but then again Amazon's customer service will surprise you, and edhunter here can tell you his experience until now.
I've yet to confirm whether this model is voltage-locked or not; I have shot Sapphire an e-mail today. If / When they reply, I'll get back to you. If the card turns out voltage-locked, then there are three people who will most probably be buying this model (includes you).
chassis
no actually these are the final prices, including vat and shipping
yasamoka
Oh yes, you're right. Still, things are relatively valid, anyways.
edhunter
Yes, yasamoka is quite right. The downside is that you have to wait a bit with amazon (until they stock and then until you get it) and I am bit running impatient having no card!...but the sapphire 7970 from amazon at 440 seems a very good buy and the customer service of amazon is very surprising - they refunded before even they got the card back! and I paid 98$ for DHL and they said they will refund that once the card arrives.
Though I was going through the shipping calculations from amazon through borderlinx: 440 + 15 (shipping to borderlinx) + 21 (if 1 kilo or less) + 45 (10% value at customs) + 5 (insurance) + 11 (fuel surcharge) +10 (clearance, stamp, customs overtime....) = 547$....so around a 115$ to get to you here....28% increase (for some that might be fair price)...
yasamoka
edhunter, that's logical as my gigabyte 7970 that I bought @ 440 dollars on August arrived here around 550 dollars. YMMV, though.
The graphics card with box should weigh around 2.6KG though, something to consider.
Zahix
My advise go with dual 7950's you won't regret it . Pcandparts has a good offer if you're planning to pay shipping and taxes from amazon. Although a couple of months ago Pcandparts offered me 306$ for a dual x 7950 when I asked for a special order. Now the prices are higher but still cheaper than ordering from abroad I guess.
Imo don't trust that guy with shipment. Do it yourself even if he buys from Newegg.
Zahix
Or just wait for the new series coming soon.
chassis
yes dual 7950 does sound tempting....i think ill get one on monday and the second next month (when i get more funding for the second card plus a new psu)...which one do you think is better the 7950 flex or vapor-x...keep in mind i plan on overclocking...i rly dont want to get one with its voltages locked ..
Zahix
Well my vapor-x 7950's got to 1100/1500 at stock clocks no sweat and they are really silent and cool. I highly recommend . Make sure they are the double 8pin power too.
Edit: I haven't tried to go higher. It certainly can push higher clocks on stock volage . In love with those cards :D
