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7970 Lightning, worth the premium?

Do NOT touch Furmark/Kombuster, its a completely unrealistic load for your GPU to handle, if anything, the heat and power it can draw has the potential to damage your GPU.

If you want a 'realistic' heavy load test, use Unigine with some hefty settings...Or if you have the full version of 3dmark11, loop the 4 GPU tests at your native resolution.

Memory volts, it will max out at 1.7v, you will never ever ever need 1.7v, you will hit memory correction before you can even consider needing that much voltage. If you're pushing the memory, 1.65v is about your limit, many hit 1800+ on the stock 1.6v, I needed 1.63v for 1950mhz.
 
I started getting artefacts in Heaven @ 1250 MHz / 1250 mV but then I thought I'd try a game (BF3 @ 2560x1440) @ same volts but 1300 MHz and I've been playing for about an hour with no problems?

How can this be?
 
Were these artifacts like a black line/flicker, especially around the dragon statue?

If so then thats a glitch in the bench, happens on all cards/drivers/clocks.
 
pgi947 said:
Were these artifacts like a black line/flicker, especially around the dragon statue?

If so then thats a glitch in the bench, happens on all cards/drivers/clocks.
Click to expand...

Nah, they were like blue polygons. I got a few through one run as I passed 1250 core, and they were random. I just thought I'd try 1300 in BF3 for fun and I've not noticed any problems in over an hour of playing.
 
Ahh I see, its strange as I never had any graphical defects as a result of core too high, if the core was too high I would just get a driver stopped responding error.

That said if its down to the core, give the voltage a little bump to 1.26v, with a good fan profile you'll be fine up-to around 1.275v depending on clock speed.
 
pgi947 said:
Ahh I see, its strange as I never had any graphical defects as a result of core too high, if the core was too high I would just get a driver stopped responding error.

That said if its down to the core, give the voltage a little bump to 1.26v, with a good fan profile you'll be fine up-to around 1.275v depending on clock speed.
Click to expand...

I was thinking that myself.

When I had my 7850, my card would just stop responding if the core was too high, but this card seems to get more and more artifacts as I increase the frequency past a point (1250 MHz).

Could my card be faulty? Baring in mind that it only happens in Unigine Heaven 3.0.
 
G-Sharp said:
I was thinking that myself.

When I had my 7850, my card would just stop responding if the core was too high, but this card seems to get more and more artifacts as I increase the frequency past a point (1250 MHz).

Could my card be faulty? Baring in mind that it only happens in Unigine Heaven 3.0.
Click to expand...

Nah! it's not faulty, if I go too high on the core with mine it does the same.
 
I'd test something else, its entirely possible its just a problem with Heaven, I've found heaven to be quite quirky at times :)

I'd also presume the card is getting quite taxed in BF3 at that resolution (provided you have some AA applied?) so it could well be fine.

I suggest grabbing 3dmark11 and doing some performance runs, even for the relatively low resolution it can be quite taxing.

A card is only faulty if defects appear at stock speeds.
 
Yes, I have BF3 running with everything maxed no problem @ 1300 MHz core clock. It may just be a problem with the Heaven?

I've just realised that Afterburner won't allow me to go over 1600 MHz memory clock. Is there any way to increase this?
 
New Lightening on the way to me.

BE is taking too long and am gonna bench Matrix and lightening 7970 in one go now. I will report back how it goes.
 
pgi947 said:
Enable unofficial overclocking, check ltmatts thread, alternatively flick over to the ln2 bios.
Click to expand...

Do you mean the switch near the CF connection?

I've done a bit more fiddling about and found that I get more artifacting when I increase the voltage while I keep the frequency the same.

@ 1240 MHz / 1250 mV I get no artifacts
@ 1240 MHz / 1300 mV I get significant artifacts

My temps stay bellow 70'C for both settings. Has anybody noticed this with their tests before?
 
8 Pack said:
New Lightening on the way to me.

BE is taking too long and am gonna bench Matrix and lightening 7970 in one go now. I will report back how it goes.
Click to expand...

!!!

I noticed Rossi asked you for some 2nd/3rd timings for the Samsung 30nms. I got a few sticks last week and I've been playing with them since but haven't touched #2/3 timings, not even in mem tweakit.

If you could help me that would be so sweet ;p I want my RAM to be tight, real tight.

Never got the polygons you speak of G-Sharp for me it was either vanishing objects or driver crashes. If it is a Heaven bug then those are great clocks at that voltage!
 
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I just ordered my second Lightning, I couldn't resist!

My AX1200i was taking it too easy feeding a single 7970. :D

Now to get used to value baked beans for the next month or so.
 
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If it's related to voltage increases then your vrms might be getting a little too warm...

BE's been delayed again 8 pack? Was hopeful of having one by the end of next week.

Just a slight word of warning on a second lightning, both with heavy overclocks might (depending on clock speed) slightly bottleneck a 3570k in games like bf3, could be an idea to plan a minor upgrade to an 8 thread chip :)
 
1220 core seems to be the highest I can go unless I increase the voltage, not sure I want to go much higher than I already have. I did get the memory up to 1800.
 
pgi947 said:
If it's related to voltage increases then your vrms might be getting a little too warm...

BE's been delayed again 8 pack? Was hopeful of having one by the end of next week.

Just a slight word of warning on a second lightning, both with heavy overclocks might (depending on clock speed) slightly bottleneck a 3570k in games like bf3, could be an idea to plan a minor upgrade to an 8 thread chip :)
Click to expand...

About 14 days to here apparently.
 
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