[H] 680 Max Oc V 7970 Max Oc

[tommybhoy]

[H] has reviewed the 680 v 7970 both on max oc's, should put the argument to bed now.

Here's the figures strictly for the enthusiasts(the ex overclockers who now prefer stock performance may look away now):

Full review here:

http://hardocp.com/article/2012/04/04/nvidia_kepler_geforce_gtx_680_overclocking_review/1

'The Bottom Line
One thing is certain after our overclocking, the default GPU Boost settings are not the highest frequency the GeForce GTX 680 is capable of. The GPU frequency can certainly be improved by manual overclocking. There is a bit of headroom yet to be had with this GPU. We strongly feel that it is voltage that is holding this GPU back. We look forward to custom-built GeForce GTX 680 video cards. With a custom-built PCB, custom-HSF, and all the high-efficiency hardware add-in-board partners like to use, we can't wait to see custom capabilities with the GeForce GTX 680.

Despite the not-so Earth shattering overclocking results we achieved today, the GeForce GTX 680 is still able to compete well with the Radeon HD 7970, even overclocked. The fact remains that for a less expensive price[USA review remember] the GeForce GTX 680 remains a cost saving venture for a similar experience. Overclocking will buy you 15% or so better performance on a reference design board, but if you are interested in overclocking, we suggest you look toward custom add-in-board video cards for what may truly be possible out of the GeForce GTX 680.'

There you have it, unless you absolutuley need Cuda/PhysX/Nvidia3D/Eyefinity?, then imho, buy the cheapest of the two that you can find.

Anyone who could tell the difference sitting side by side with no fps counter really must be called Steve Austin!


I thought that this very heated subject deserved it's own thread even if the review has already been posted in one of the other threads.

 

[Gibbo]

Hi there

Good results.

Basically the way I see this, both are great cards, in games it is unlikely you will be able to see much if any difference between the two.

 

[lomez]

Another thing showing that these cards are closely matched no doubt someone will argue otherwise, still think the 7950 is better value for money though .

 

[tommybhoy]

Exactly Gibbo, it's what most of the 'true' enthusiasts here have been saying since release.

Now we have solid figures, if anything, as confirmed by the Vortez 680 review, Nvidia's performance dominance has been reduced to almost nothing by AMD this round.

At the end of the day, nobody can complain about the performance available with either card.

 

[straxusii]

I largely agree the cards are equal, the only thing I would say is the minimum is more important than the average.

 

[Gibbo]

Right now here in the UK, 79xx is far cheaper than 680, check these deals I've just done



Hi there


Some great long weekend deals here on ATI GPU's:-


Club3D HD 7970 3072MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card @ £399.95 inc VAT

The World's first 28nm GPU. The revolutionary new GCN Architecture. Ready for DirectX 11.1. PCI Express 3.0. The AMD Radeon™ HD 7970 is your personal checklist for ground-breaking technology. The next generation of AMD Eyefinity technology is here, featuring all-new support for stereo 3D, universal bezel compensation and brand new display configurations. Face it: the best just got better. Armed with the new PCI Express 3.0 standard, multi-GPU configurations with AMD CrossFire™ technology are just another way to obliterate the competition with the revolutionary AMD Radeon™ HD 7970. Leave no performance behind. Get higher clocks and faster gaming with AMD PowerTune technology on AMD Radeon™ HD 7970 Graphics. Fold and mine faster than ever with AMD App Acceleration powered by the unprecedented 28nm GCN Architecture. The market isn't ready for 4K video, but Radeon™ is. With full support for 3GHz HDMI 1.4a and DisplayPort 1.2 HBR2, the AMD Radeon™ HD 7970 is set for Quad HD.

- Core Clock: 925MHz
- Memory: 3072MB GDDR5
- Memory Clock: 5500MHz (Effective)
- Memory Interface: 384-Bit
- Processing Cores: 2048
- Bus Type: PCI-Express 3.0
- Display Connectors: 1x Dual Link DVI, 1x HDMI & 2x Mini-DisplayPort
- HDCP Capable
- DirectX 11 Support
- OpenGL 3.2 Support
- ATI CrossFire Ready
- ATI Eyefinity Technology
- ATI Avivo HD
- ATI Stream Technology
- ATI HD3D Technology
- Warranty: 2 Years


Was [£429.95] Inc. VAT

Only £399.95 inc VAT.

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HIS HD 7970 3072MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card @ £399.95 inc VAT

The World's first 28nm GPU. The revolutionary new GCN Architecture. Ready for DirectX 11.1. PCI Express 3.0. The AMD Radeon™ HD 7970 is your personal checklist for ground-breaking technology. The next generation of AMD Eyefinity technology is here, featuring all-new support for stereo 3D, universal bezel compensation and brand new display configurations. Face it: the best just got better. Armed with the new PCI Express 3.0 standard, multi-GPU configurations with AMD CrossFire™ technology are just another way to obliterate the competition with the revolutionary AMD Radeon™ HD 7970. Leave no performance behind. Get higher clocks and faster gaming with AMD PowerTune technology on AMD Radeon™ HD 7970 Graphics. Fold and mine faster than ever with AMD App Acceleration powered by the unprecedented 28nm GCN Architecture. The market isn't ready for 4K video, but Radeon™ is. With full support for 3GHz HDMI 1.4a and DisplayPort 1.2 HBR2, the AMD Radeon™ HD 7970 is set for Quad HD.

Features:-
- PCI-E 3.0 Ready: Delivers double the bandwidth per lane of PCIe GEN2 for faster GPU- CPU
- Fastest single GPU graphics card on the planet
- Hugely overclockable
- Vastly cooler running than previous generation
- Quieter running than previous generation
- Compute Power: 3.5 TFLOPS
- Core Clock Speed: 925MHz
- Primitive Rate: 2 prim / clk
- Shader Architecture: GCN
- Stream Processors: 32 CU / 2048 ALU
- Texture Units: 128
- ROPS / Z-Stencil: 32 / 128
- Frame Buffer / Memory: 3GB GDDR5
- Memory Width / Speed: 384 bit / 5500MHz
- Load / Idle Board Power: <300W / <3W
- Power Connectors: 8-pin + 6-pin
- Display Outputs: 1xDVI + 2x mDP + 1x HDMI
- 2yr Warranty


Was [£429.95] Inc. VAT

Only £399.95 inc VAT.

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MSI HD 7970 3072MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card @ £409.99 inc VAT

As AMD is going to launch its latest HD 7000 series GPU on Jan. 9th, 2012, MSI also will release R7970-2PMD3GD5 graphics card at the same time. MSI R7970-2PMD3GD5 has exclusive GPU Overvoltage support through MSI's Afterburner utility allowing amazing overclocked performance from the get-go. Equipped with 3GB GDDR5 memory allows for the unprecedented memory bandwidth levels needed to run today visually hottest DirectX 11 titles at extreme resolutions across multiple displays. Stability is guaranteed through the use of All Solid Capacitors making sure the R7970-2PMD3GD5 and R7950-2PMD3GD5 have an ultra-long lifespan even under the stress of continuous gaming. DisplayPort 1.2 and HDMI 1.4a connectors allows all new audio and video formats like Blu-ray 3D Stereo, "Deep Color" (for true natural color representation) and 7.1 High Bitrate audio to be presented on up-to six displays through AMD's Eyefinity Technology.

MSI's R7900 series graphics cards are the first graphics cards in the world to support the new PCI Express Gen 3 format. With a processor and mainboard that has PCI Express Gen 3 capability, users will be able to enjoy maximized gaming performance via the ultra-high 32GB/S bandwidth. The R7900 series graphics cards have also adopted the brand new AMD 28nm graphics chip to provide higher performance computing compared to previous generation 40nm products.

MSI's R7970-2PMD3GD5 graphics cards are equipped with the popular Afterburner tuning software, allowing users to adjust the core voltage and improve overclocking potential. In addition, Afterburner also features bundled Predator in-game video capture, remote monitoring capabilities via mobile phone, as well as Kombustor GPU stress testing and other amazing features at no extra charge, providing an exceptional software suite for users of the HD 7000 series graphics cards.

MSI's R7900 series graphics cards support AMD's exclusive Eyefinity multi-monitor display technology. The expanded field of view is perfect for professionals and hardcore gamers. The new MSI R7900 series cards support next-generation Display Port 1.2 and HDMI 1.4a interfaces with stereoscopic 3D capability, as well as 7.1 channel lossless high quality TrueHD and DTS-HD audio formats, providing users with the best audio and visual experience possible.

MSI's R7970-2PMD3GD5 has adopted all solid capacitors. The aluminum core is capable of maintaining a high degree of stability even when working under full loads over extended periods of time. With a 10-year lifespan, MSI rids users of concerns over potential crashes or delays that are caused by system hardware overheating, further providing users with the best computing experience possible.

Features:-
- Fastest single GPU graphics card on the planet
- Hugely overclockable
- Vastly cooler running than previous generation
- Quieter running than previous generation
- Compute Power: 3.5 TFLOPS
- Core Clock Speed: 925MHz
- Primitive Rate: 2 prim / clk
- Shader Architecture: GCN
- Stream Processors: 32 CU / 2048 ALU
- Texture Units: 128
- ROPS / Z-Stencil: 32 / 128
- Frame Buffer / Memory: 3GB GDDR5
- Memory Width / Speed: 384 bit / 5500MHz
- Load / Idle Board Power: <300W / <3W
- Power Connectors: 8-pin + 6-pin
- Display Outputs: 1xDVI + 2x mDP + 1x HDMI
- 3yr Warranty


Was [£429.95] Inc. VAT

Only £409.99 inc VAT.

ORDER NOW















MSI HD 7970 OC 3072MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card @ £419.99 inc VAT

As AMD is going to launch its latest HD 7000 series GPU on Jan. 9th, 2012, MSI also will release R7970-2PMD3GD5 graphics card at the same time. MSI R7970-2PMD3GD5 has exclusive GPU Overvoltage support through MSI's Afterburner utility allowing amazing overclocked performance from the get-go. Equipped with 3GB GDDR5 memory allows for the unprecedented memory bandwidth levels needed to run today visually hottest DirectX 11 titles at extreme resolutions across multiple displays. Stability is guaranteed through the use of All Solid Capacitors making sure the R7970-2PMD3GD5 and R7950-2PMD3GD5 have an ultra-long lifespan even under the stress of continuous gaming. DisplayPort 1.2 and HDMI 1.4a connectors allows all new audio and video formats like Blu-ray 3D Stereo, "Deep Color" (for true natural color representation) and 7.1 High Bitrate audio to be presented on up-to six displays through AMD's Eyefinity Technology.

MSI's R7900 series graphics cards are the first graphics cards in the world to support the new PCI Express Gen 3 format. With a processor and mainboard that has PCI Express Gen 3 capability, users will be able to enjoy maximized gaming performance via the ultra-high 32GB/S bandwidth. The R7900 series graphics cards have also adopted the brand new AMD 28nm graphics chip to provide higher performance computing compared to previous generation 40nm products.

MSI's R7970-2PMD3GD5 graphics cards are equipped with the popular Afterburner tuning software, allowing users to adjust the core voltage and improve overclocking potential. In addition, Afterburner also features bundled Predator in-game video capture, remote monitoring capabilities via mobile phone, as well as Kombustor GPU stress testing and other amazing features at no extra charge, providing an exceptional software suite for users of the HD 7000 series graphics cards.

MSI's R7900 series graphics cards support AMD's exclusive Eyefinity multi-monitor display technology. The expanded field of view is perfect for professionals and hardcore gamers. The new MSI R7900 series cards support next-generation Display Port 1.2 and HDMI 1.4a interfaces with stereoscopic 3D capability, as well as 7.1 channel lossless high quality TrueHD and DTS-HD audio formats, providing users with the best audio and visual experience possible.

MSI's R7970-2PMD3GD5 has adopted all solid capacitors. The aluminum core is capable of maintaining a high degree of stability even when working under full loads over extended periods of time. With a 10-year lifespan, MSI rids users of concerns over potential crashes or delays that are caused by system hardware overheating, further providing users with the best computing experience possible.

Features:-
- Fastest single GPU graphics card on the planet
- Hugely overclockable
- Vastly cooler running than previous generation
- Quieter running than previous generation
- Compute Power: 3.5 TFLOPS
- Core Clock Speed: 1010MHz
- Primitive Rate: 2 prim / clk
- Shader Architecture: GCN
- Stream Processors: 32 CU / 2048 ALU
- Texture Units: 128
- ROPS / Z-Stencil: 32 / 128
- Frame Buffer / Memory: 3GB GDDR5
- Memory Width / Speed: 384 bit / 5500MHz
- Load / Idle Board Power: <300W / <3W
- Power Connectors: 8-pin + 6-pin
- Display Outputs: 1xDVI + 2x mDP + 1x HDMI
- 3yr Warranty


Was [£449.99] Inc. VAT

Only £419.99 inc VAT.

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Sapphire HD 7970 OC 3072MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card @ £429.95 inc VAT

The SAPPHIRE HD 7970 OC Edition features SAPPHIRE’s new dual-extractor technology - Dual-X - a highly efficient multi-heatpipe cooler with dual fans providing quiet and very cool operation during normal operating conditions, and superb cooling performance even under extreme load. The HD 7970 from AMD is the most powerful single chip GPU ever built - it has a new internal structure with 32 compute units and a total of 2048 Stream processors. The SAPPHIRE HD 7970 OC Edition ships with a raised core clock speed of 950MHz, and 1425MHz for the memory. Its Dual BIOS switch allows users to select the higher performance settings of 1GHz core and 1450MHz memory, making the fastest card in its class. This setting also uses a more aggressive fan profile and raises the limits for maximum overclocking.

Features:-
- Fastest single GPU graphics card on the planet
- Hugely overclockable
- Vastly cooler running than previous generation
- Quieter running than previous generation
- Compute Power: 3.5 TFLOPS
- Core Clock Speed: 1000MHz
- Primitive Rate: 2 prim / clk
- Shader Architecture: GCN
- Stream Processors: 32 CU / 2048 ALU
- Texture Units: 128
- ROPS / Z-Stencil: 32 / 128
- Frame Buffer / Memory: 3GB GDDR5
- Memory Width / Speed: 384 bit / 5800MHz
- Load / Idle Board Power: <300W / <3W
- Power Connectors: 8-pin + 6-pin
- Display Outputs: 1xDVI + 2x mDP + 1x HDMI
- 3yr Warranty


Was [£459.95] Inc. VAT

Only £429.95 inc VAT.

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HIS HD 7950 3072MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card @ £329.99 inc VAT

The World's first 28nm GPU. The revolutionary new GCN Architecture. Ready for DirectX 11.1. PCI Express 3.0. The AMD Radeon™ HD 7950 is your personal checklist for ground-breaking technology. The next generation of AMD Eyefinity technology is here, featuring all-new support for stereo 3D, universal bezel compensation and brand new display configurations. Face it: the best just got better. Armed with the new PCI Express 3.0 standard, multi-GPU configurations with AMD CrossFire™ technology are just another way to obliterate the competition with the revolutionary AMD Radeon™ HD 7950. Leave no performance behind. Get higher clocks and faster gaming with AMD PowerTune technology on AMD Radeon™ HD 7950 Graphics. Fold and mine faster than ever with AMD App Acceleration powered by the unprecedented 28nm GCN Architecture. The market isn't ready for 4K video, but Radeon™ is. With full support for 3GHz HDMI 1.4a and DisplayPort 1.2 HBR2, the AMD Radeon™ HD 7950 is set for Quad HD.

- Core Clock: 800MHz
- Memory: 3072MB GDDR5
- Memory Clock: 5000MHz (Effective)
- Memory Interface: 384-Bit
- Processing Cores: 1792
- Bus Type: PCI-Express 3.0
- Display Connectors: 1x Dual Link DVI, 1x HDMI & 2x Mini-DisplayPort
- HDCP Capable
- DirectX 11 Support
- OpenGL 3.2 Support
- ATI CrossFire Ready
- ATI Eyefinity Technology
- ATI Avivo HD
- ATI Stream Technology
- ATI HD3D Technology
- Warranty: 2 Years


Was [£339.95] Inc. VAT

Only £329.99 inc VAT.

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VTX3D HD 7850 2048MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card @ £179.99 inc VAT

With continued demand for increased graphics horsepower to support more visually intensive games, the AMD Radeon HD 7800 Series is set to power the next generation of games and applications. And for those looking to upgrade to a next-generation graphics card, the AMD Radeon HD 7800 Series is the ideal choice.

- Core Clock: 860MHz
- Memory: 2048MB GDDR5
- Memory Clock: 4800MHz (Effective)
- Memory Interface: 256-Bit
- Processing Cores: 1024
- Bus Type: PCI-Express 3.0
- Display Connectors: 1x Dual Link DVI, 1x HDMI & 2x Mini-DisplayPort
- HDCP Capable
- DirectX 11.1 Support
- OpenGL 4.2 Support
- ATI CrossFire Ready
- ATI Eyefinity Technology
- ATI Avivo HD
- ATI Stream Technology
- ATI HD3D Technology
- Warranty: 2 Years


Was [£184.99] Inc. VAT

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VTX3D HD 7870 2048MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card @ £257.99 inc VAT

With continued demand for increased graphics horsepower to support more visually intensive games, the AMD Radeon HD 7800 Series is set to power the next generation of games and applications. And for those looking to upgrade to a next-generation graphics card, the AMD Radeon HD 7800 Series is the ideal choice.

- Core Clock: 1000MHz
- Memory: 2048MB GDDR5
- Memory Clock: 4800MHz (Effective)
- Memory Interface: 256-Bit
- Processing Cores: 1280
- Bus Type: PCI-Express 3.0
- Display Connectors: 1x Dual Link DVI, 1x HDMI & 2x Mini-DisplayPort
- HDCP Capable
- DirectX 11.1 Support
- OpenGL 4.2 Support
- ATI CrossFire Ready
- ATI Eyefinity Technology
- ATI Avivo HD
- ATI Stream Technology
- ATI HD3D Technology
- Warranty: 2 Years


Was [£263.99] Inc. VAT

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Club3D HD 6950 2048MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card (CGAX-69548A) @ £169.99 inc VAT

Play the most demanding DirectX® 11 capable games in true "Eye-Definition" with the Club 3D Radeon™ HD 6950 CoolStream Edition graphics series. A new and advanced DirectX® 11 capable architecture with scalable geometry processing enables flawless graphics and unbelievable frame rates for the ultimate HD gaming experience. Feel truly in the game with AMD Eyefinity™ technology, an immersive experience that expands your game across up to six displays and experience enhanced application performance and incredible video quality online or with your favorite Blu-Ray™ movie.

Club 3D CoolStream features high performance heatpipes that keeps the components cool and outperforms standard cooling solutions. Paired with a unique dual fan blade design it increases airflow while reducing noise. The result is a dramatic increase of performance for your gaming and multimedia experience.

Features:-
- Core Clock: 800MHz
- Memory: 2048MB GDDR5
- Memory Clock: 5000MHz (Effective)
- Memory Bandwidth: ??GB/sec
- Processing Cores: 1408
- Texture Units: 88
- ROPS: 32
- Bus Type: PCI-Express 2.1
- Display Connectors: 1 Dual Link DVI-I and 1 single link DVI-D, 1 HDMI & 2x Mini-DisplayPort
- HDCP Capable
- DirectX 11 Support
- Shader Model 5.0 Support
- OpenGL 4.0 Support
- ATI CrossFire Ready
- ATI Eyefinity Technology
- ATI Avivo HD
- ATI Stream Technology
- ATI HD3D Technology
- Maximum Power Consumption: 250W (Typical 190W)
- 2x 6pin PCI-E power connectors required
- 500W minimum PSU recommended
- Warranty: 2 Years


Was [£179.99] Inc. VAT

Only £169.99 inc VAT.

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[mmj_uk]

I largely agree the cards are equal, the only thing I would say is the minimum is more important than the average.

Indeed, even when the overclocked 7970 beat the GTX680 by 15-17% the GTX680 still had a considerably higher minimum frame-rate.

 

[Masterdeadly]

Tommy I assume you have to watercool these cards to get them sort of overclocks in frequency surely?

 

[Rusty0611]

Such a salesman spamming that in this performance review comparison Gibbo

 

[tommybhoy]

@Gibbo

Ahem, I presume you are posting me out a new card for my efforts?

 

[tommybhoy]

Tommy I assume you have to watercool these cards to get them sort of overclocks in frequency surely?

No, if you read the [H] review, they are both on air.

 

[coupe69]

Right now here in the UK, 79xx is far cheaper than 680, check these deals I've just done

Far cheaper is a bit of an over exaggeration tbh.

A quick Google turned up several sites with GTX 680s for £ if you don't mind waiting a week or so for stock, and some in stock for immediate delivery at £.

 

[Masterdeadly]

No, if you read the [H] review, they are both on air.

Now I'm very tempted by a 7970

 

[TheRealDeal]

I would say what amd has done this round is pretty impressive. There gpu is only 60nm bigger than the gtx680 and can match it even though its a compute part compared with thegtx680 being just a gaming part.

 

[Masterdeadly]

Will this card http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-155-MS&groupid=701&catid=56&subcat=938

Get to 1260/6.9Ghz do you reckon?

 

[dave_beast]

Will this card http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-155-MS&groupid=701&catid=56&subcat=938

Get to 1260/6.9Ghz do you reckon?

Should do, my stock PowerColor 7970 will get to 1250 with ease on air.

 

[BodgeITandRun]

Some good results for both cards. I think part of AMD's strategy for not reducing their prices just yet, may be that it looks as though they are admitting Nvidia beat them if they do so.

For the record, I think both cards are great and there is little difference between them.

 

[tommybhoy]

@Masterdeadly,

It's a lucky bag dip whether it does/doesn't, system stability has a big part to play also, the cheaper stock 7970's have the same chance of said clocks too, don't be fooled by the increased clock(and increased prices) unless you plan to run at stock.

Saying all that Masterdeadly, not being cheeky, but in your position get the 680, it does most of it(oc'ing) for you.

 

[dave_beast]

For the record, I think both cards are great and there is little difference between them.

The difference at stock was due to the 7970 being released with a very low static stock core clock speed.

 

[straxusii]

I would say what amd has done this round is pretty impressive. There gpu is only 60nm bigger than the gtx680 and can match it even though its a compute part compared with thegtx680 being just a gaming part.

Largely agree, they failed on the stock clock being too low for 7970 & 7950.