7970 x 2, 7990, 780 or wait?? Help!

[tkm16]

Hi guys,

Im in the middle of building a new pc, spec is as follows:

I7 4770k
Gigabyte Z8716-OC
16gb kingston hyperX 2133mhz
xfx pro 850W psu

Its mainly going to be used for gaming for the next few years so I will need a card that will last 3-4 years gaming on high/ultra at 1080p.

I have a Gigabyte 7970 from my last system which I have sold (buyer still hasn’t payed (he has until 6pm tomorrow)) but I’m now not sure which route to go down... The way I see it, I have 4 options

1. Sell the 7970 and purchase a 7990
2. Sell the 7970 and purchase a 780
3. Keep the 7970 and buy another and run crossfire
4. Wait for the new range of AMD cards

I’m more in favour of option 1, mainly because the 7990 is a good price for the performance and I know they will go up once the new stuff is released.

What do you guys think?

 

[arc@css]

Since they are only around the corner, you may as well wait for the new cards.

 

[teppic]

The new card won't be as powerful as 2x7970s or a 7990. If you want it to last 3-4 years, those might be your best option.

 

[Jumper118]

crossfire 7970 if you psu will handle it.

 

[tkm16]

crossfire 7970 if you psu will handle it.

My XFX 850W should be enough right? Iv been looking at getting another gigabyte 7970 but all I can find are the overclocked versions! Will they need the same bios to run crossfire? Would it be possible to flash my non OC gigabyte card to a OC version?

 

[teppic]

You can even run a 7950 and 7970 in Crossfire. They don't have to be the same speed/make.

 

[tkm16]

You can even run a 7950 and 7970 in Crossfire. They don't have to be the same speed/make.

Ah, that I didnt know. I thought they had to be exactly the same card (and bios). Iv been out of the loop for too long

 

[teppic]

It's best to have the same GPU and roughly the same speed. The Asus 7970 is a brilliant deal, but being 3 slots, it needs a suitable motherboard to take two.

850w is plenty for 2x7970 by the way.

 

[=XDC=FluphyBunny]

I would wait. Daft buying when new cards are just around the corner. A second 7970 might still be the best bet but I would still wait and at least see whats on offer.

 

[swiftmetal]

the new range will not beat 2 x 7970 in cf and you will be paying atleast 10 to 15% more to get only a slight bit of an improvement. Take a look at the last 2 nvidia ranges they are pretty much the same cards just more expensive.

p.s. at the prices these cards at the minute on here you will be kicking yourself when there not on sale any more

 

[d_brennen]

I'd wait, the 7970 is hardly a slouch

 

[rolypolyman]

Go xfire 7970 or 7990, both will be way ahead of any single new Amd card, no point in waiting, I've just bought a 7950 to crossfire for £185 (His IceQ Boost), cheapest option with best bang for buck.