***AMD Radeon HD7970 GHZ Edition - Official Reviews Thread***

[Final8y]

Anandtech: http://www.anandtech.com/show/6025/radeon-hd-7970-ghz-edition-review-catching-up-to-gtx-680

[H]: http://www.hardocp.com/article/2012/06/21/amd_radeon_hd_7970_ghz_edition_video_card_review

HardwareCanucks: http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/foru...md-radeon-hd-7970-3gb-ghz-edition-review.html

Guru3d: http://www.guru3d.com/article/radeon-hd-7970-ghz-edition-review/

HotHardware: http://hothardware.com/Reviews/AMD-Radeon-HD-7970-GHz-Edition-Review/

ComputerBase: http://www.computerbase.de/artikel/grafikkarten/2012/test-amd-radeon-hd-7970-ghz-edition/

Hardware.Fr: http://www.hardware.fr/articles/869-1/amd-radeon-hd-7970-ghz-edition-test.html

TechReport: http://techreport.com/articles.x/23150

TechSpot: http://www.techspot.com/review/546-amd-radeon-hd-7970-ghz-edition/

TechPowerUp: http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AMD/HD_7970_GHz_Edition/

HardwareHeaven: http://www.hardwareheaven.com/revie...dition-graphics-card-review-introduction.html

HEXUS.net: http://hexus.net/tech/reviews/graphics/41329-amd-radeon-hd-7970-ghz-edition/

PC Perspective: http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Graphics-Cards/AMD-Radeon-HD-7970-3GB-GHz-Edition-Review-Taking-GTX-680

Tomshardware: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-7970-ghz-edition-review-benchmark,3232.html

Lab501: http://translate.google.co.uk/trans...a=X&ei=_IbkT6WpAqmm0AWUtLGnCQ&ved=0CF0Q7gEwAA

VR-Zone: http://vr-zone.com/articles/amd-rad...st-from-overclocking-and-drivers/16362-2.html

HT4U.net: http://translate.googleusercontent....iti_2/&usg=ALkJrhju1DpoACxVYQfIaZLlKySYKMLtnQ

Computerbase: http://translate.google.co.uk/trans...a=X&ei=SIvkT-HVJafE0QXrtLSHCQ&ved=0CFMQ7gEwAA

Tweaktown :http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/47..._ghz_edition_3gb_video_card_review/index.html

 

[Broken Hope]

Seems like a pointless release since we've had factory overclocked cards for ages now.

 

[Rusty0611]

6% on average better in multi-monitor, trading blows with a 680 single monitor with max OC but with an un-noticeable level of difference either way. Effectively factory overclocking the 7970 and placing a new sticker on it with the addition on boost technology.

Not an overwhelming release but pretty much solidifying the claim that the cards are even while running maxed out. Which we already knew.

The only thing I can't see is any comparison to an overclocked 680. Mine goes to 1280 but even a comparison at 1250 or something as the overclock on the 680 scales nicely.

 

[elrasho]

How did you manage yours to get to 1280? I can barely get 1100 on my EVGA 680

 

[straxusii]

Pointless if they aren't retaking the single GPU crown.

Anand summary:

The end result is that while AMD has tied NVIDIA for the single-GPU performance crown with the Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition, the GeForce GTX 680 is still the more desirable gaming card. There are a million exceptions to this statement of course (and it goes both ways), but as we said before, these cards may be tied but they're anything but equal.

 

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Pointless if they aren't retaking the single GPU crown.

Anand summary:

Anand summary:

Final Words

Bringing things to a close, before writing up this article I spent some time going through our archives to take a look at past GPU reviews. While AMD has routinely retaken the performance crown for a time by beating NVIDIA in releasing next-generation GPUs first – such was the case with the Radeon HD 5870 and Radeon HD 7970 – the typical pattern is for AMD’s flagship single-GPU card to trail NVIDIA’s flagship once NVIDIA has caught up. In a generational matchup AMD has not been able to beat or tie NVIDIA for the highest performing single-GPU card a very long time. And as it turns out the last time that happened was 6 years ago, with the Radeon X1950 XTX in 2006.

6 years is a long time to wait, but patience, perseverance, and more than a few snub moves against NVIDIA have paid off for AMD. For the first time in 6 years we can say that AMD is truly competitive for the single-GPU performance crown. The Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition isn’t quite fast enough to outright win, but it is unquestionably fast enough to tie the GeForce GTX 680 as the fastest single-GPU video card in the world today.

With that said there’s a lot of data to go through, so let’s dive in.

As far as pure gaming performance goes the 7970GE and the GTX 680 are tied in our benchmarks at the top single monitor resolution of 2560x1600. The 7970GE scores some impressive wins in Crysis and DiRT 3, while NVIDIA manages to hold on to their substantial leads in Battlefield 3 and Portal 2. Elsewhere we see the 7970GE win at some games while the GTX 680 wins at others, and only vary rarely do the two cards actually tie. Ultimately this is very much a repeat of what we saw with the GTX 670 versus the 7970, and the 6970 versus the GTX 570, which is to say that the 7970GE and GTX 680 are tied on average but are anything but equal.

Our advice then for prospective buyers is to first look at benchmarks for the games they intend to play. If you’re going to be focused on only a couple of games for the near future then there’s a very good chance one card or the other is going to be the best fit. Otherwise for gamers facing a wide selection of games or looking at future games where their performance is unknown, then the 7970GE and GTX 680 are in fact tied, and from a performance perspective you couldn’t go wrong with either one.

As an addendum to that however, while the 7970GE and GTX 680 are tied at 2560x1600 and other single-monitor resolutions the same cannot be said for multi-monitor configurations. The 7970GE and GTX 680 still trade blows on a game-by-game basis with Eyefinity/NVIDIA Surround, but there’s a clear 6% advantage for the 7970GE. Furthermore the 7970GE has 3GB of VRAM versus 2GB for the GTX 680, which makes the 7970GE all the better suited for multi-monitor gaming in the future. AMD may be tied for single-monitor gaming, but they have a clear winner on their hands for multi-monitor gaming.

With that said, AMD has made a great sacrifice to get to this point, and it’s one that’s going to directly impact most users. AMD has had to push the 7970GE harder than ever to catch up to the GTX 680, and as a result the 7970GE’s power consumption and noise levels are significantly higher than the GTX 680’s. It’s unfortunate for AMD that NVIDIA managed to tie AMD’s best gaming performance with a 104-series part, allowing them to reap the benefits of lower power consumption and less noise in the process. Simply put, the 7970GE is unquestionably hotter and uncomfortably louder than the GTX 680 for what amounts to the same performance. If power and noise are not a concern then this is not a problem, but for many buyers they're going to be unhappy with the 7970GE. It’s just too loud.

Of course this isn’t the first time we’ve had a hot & loud card on our hands – historically it happens to NVIDIA a lot – but when NVIDIA gets hot & loud they bring the performance necessary to match it. Such was the case with the GTX 480, a notably loud card that also had a 15% performance advantage on AMD’s flagship. AMD has no such performance advantage here, and that makes the 7970GE’s power consumption and noise much harder to justify even with a “performance at any cost” philosophy.

The end result is that while AMD has tied NVIDIA for the single-GPU performance crown with the Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition, the GeForce GTX 680 is still the more desirable gaming card. There are a million exceptions to this statement of course (and it goes both ways), but as we said before, these cards may be tied but they're anything but equal.

Noise issues aside, we’re finally seeing something that we haven’t seen for a very long time: bona fide, cut throat, brutal competition in the high-end video card segment for the fastest single-GPU video card. To call it refreshing is an understatement; it’s nothing short of fantastic. For the first time in 6 years AMD is truly performance competitive with NVIDIA at the high-end and we couldn't be happier.

Welcome back to the fight AMD; we’ve missed your presence.

Also,I think it is hardly "pointless" too. Now with both the GTX680 and HD7970 V2 having similar performance,hopefully there will be some price movement at the top single GPU level.

The HD7970 V2 seems to be better overall at high resolutions at stock clockspeeds,and the GTX680 probably seems a better balance at normal resolutions.

Can you add the following reviews too:

http://techreport.com/articles.x/23150/1

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AMD/HD_7970_GHz_Edition/1.html

http://hexus.net/tech/reviews/graphics/41329-amd-radeon-hd-7970-ghz-edition/

There are third party cards which are being released soon which should be quieter. Noise is the main issue it seems with the reference cooler. Power consumption could be lower,as it is pegged slightly below a GTX580 or slightly above,but since many people run GTX580 cards fine,I don't see it as an issue unless of course you have multiple cards,or a SFF PC like me.

 

[Rusty0611]

How did you manage yours to get to 1280? I can barely get 1100 on my EVGA 680

When did you buy yours? I got mine on release day and apparently according to Gibbo these clock better than the ones coming out now (for whatever reason).

Are you using EVGA Precision X to overclock? My settings are (from memory):

Power - 132%
Core offset - 180
Memory offset - 450

That's a guesstimate as I'm at work at the mo.

 

[Rusty0611]

double post

 

[Rusty0611]

Also,I think it is hardly "pointless" too. Now with both the GTX680 and HD7970 V2 having similar performance,hopefully there will be some price movement at the top single GPU level.

I think the point is that this is just a re-badged reference 7970 with a higher base clock speed which, going by the reviews, is extremely loud at full load.

I don't know what the market is like for factory OC cards but to me they're pointless unless they come with a good cooler as well. This card is no different to say dave_beast's 7970 which he has got a good level of overclocking out of it. I think it's a little pointless as well.

This whole round of cards are fairly uninspiring to be fair. I have a 680 and I love it but I came from 4850 crossfire and then a 6870 so the jump was huge.

But the actual margins of performance increase that we're talking are so miniscule it's almost pointless debating them. If we're talking the semantics of who is the faster GPU then we can debate until we're blue in the face.

I hope the next round offers more but I'm pessimistic.

 

[mmj_uk]

Simply put, the 7970GE is unquestionably hotter and uncomfortably louder than the GTX 680 for what amounts to the same performance. If power and noise are not a concern then this is not a problem, but for many buyers they're going to be unhappy with the 7970GE. It’s just too loud.

This is the main reason why I've just upgraded to a GTX680 from a 7970, I can happily accept minor differences in frame-rate for a much more peaceful gaming experience. I think too much emphasis is still put on benchmark scores when it comes to GPU's.

 

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

I think the point is that this is just a re-badged reference 7970 with a higher base clock speed which, going by the reviews, is extremely loud at full load.

I don't know what the market is like for factory OC cards but to me they're pointless unless they come with a good cooler as well. This card is no different to say dave_beast's 7970 which he has got a good level of overclocking out of it. I think it's a little pointless as well.

This whole round of cards are fairly uninspiring to be fair. I have a 680 and I love it but I came from 4850 crossfire and then a 6870 so the jump was huge.

But the actual margins of performance increase that we're talking are so miniscule it's almost pointless debating them. If we're talking the semantics of who is the faster GPU then we can debate until we're blue in the face.

I hope the next round offers more but I'm pessimistic.

So,its started again. Now its a rebadged,etc ! People were complaining the HD7970 was clocked too low. So,AMD now clocks it higher,and now its a rebadge.

The same arguments were held against the HD4890(technically this was a new chip though). This looks to be probably a re-validated stepping(or at least recent chip).

Like I said,hopefully pricing will drop a bit at the high end which is good for everyone one.

However,I am not saying which is faster overall though,am I?? The HD7970 is slightly better at high resolution it seems but consumes more power. The GTX680 is better at normal resolutions but consumes less power,so seems a better fit. Overclocking - I don't know as we don't know if the HD7970 V2 is any better. That is it really,so that is why it is a draw. Not sure about overclocking,but that is a lottery usually.

However, a GTX670 probably makes the GTX680 and HD7970 V2 look expensive anyway.

The whole noise argument is funny since,most people here would avoid reference designs anyway and go for ones with aftermarket cooling,or stick a different cooler on it. Unlike in the past,high end AMD cards now are easier to find with aftermarket coolers soon after launch,which was a major problem before.

For someone like me who has an SFF PC,lower power consumption and a need for lower noise blower type coolers is important. So in that sense a reference GTX680 would be better for me,if I were to justify £250+ on a GPU. I tend to go for reference blower type coolers.

However,for people with large modern desktop cases,I am not so sure. If you can spend £400 a graphics card,you probably could at least afford a £50 to £100 case!!

I remember the GTX480 thread a few months where people were taking the mickey of those who did not like the GTX480 for its noise and power consumption,saying a modern case should have no issue with it,etc. This was when compared to cards such as an HD7850 and GTX570 IIRC.

 

[Rusty0611]

So,its started again. Now its a rebadged,etc ! People were complaining the HD7970 was clocked too low. So,AMD now clocks it higher,and now its a rebadge.

That's because it is - my point is that it isn't any different to a users overclocked 7970 or factory OC'd 7970 already available. I don't see the point of it.

The same arguments were held against the HD4890(technically this was a new chip though). This looks to be probably a re-validated stepping(or at least recent chip).

It was a new chip so not really relevant. This is the same chip with boost tech added. I like boost tech so that is a nice addition but otherwise the same.

However,I am not saying which is faster overall though,am I??

Didn't say you were. It was a comment aimed at no-one in particular just a general thing.

The whole noise argument is funny since,most people here would avoid reference designs anyway and go for ones with aftermarket cooling,or stick a different cooler on it.

That's not the norm - even here.

I remember the GTX480 thread a few months where people were taking the mickey of those who did not like the GTX480 for its noise and power consumption,saying a modern case should have no issue with it,etc. This was when compared to cards such as an HD7850 and GTX570 IIRC.

My mate had a 480 and I know I couldn't live with the noise although it is mitigated if you play with decent headphones on.

If I was buying today, and if the HD7970 normal came down in price a touch more, I would buy a custom one and clock it up to 680 OC levels. This seeems the best thing to do IMO at this moment in time. But as you say overclocking levels are a lottery so there would be some risk in this.

 

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

That's because it is - my point is that it isn't much different to a users overclocked 7970 or factory OC'd 7970 already available. I don't see the point of it.

Unless of course this card replaces the current HD7970. We have no clue how far third party cards will be clocked ,or how much they will cost. Cost is going to be the other issue. So again you are pre-judging the whole issue. I am not.

It was a new chip so not really relevant.

The same arguments were made though - why get an HD4890 when there is an HD4870,etc. Plus you just repeated what I said. Moreover,we have no clue whether the Tahiti chips in the HD7970 V2 tend to clock better or not. Until reviews of non-reference cards are out and users get them. We cannot say for sure,if the production cards are just the same chips in every way,binned better or a newer stepping.

Didn't say you were. It was a comment aimed at no-one in particular just a general thing.

Yes you did,otherwise you would have mentioned it before quoting me.

That's not the norm - even here.

Really?? Then all the arguments I see in this section about people hating reference coolers never happened.

What I see(at least in the last few years as a member on here and other forums),is that people who want to water cool and add third party air coolers tend to want reference cards due to better compatability.

Those who want a quick fix after launch will probably get one and many probably will ditch the cooler if they feel the need. One reason is for overclocking and the other if a quieter 3rd party cooler is released.

Everyone else(looking at the advice given) will either buy a card with a non-reference cooler or advice people to buy such cards,even if they are £20 more than a normal card.

My mate had a 480 and I know I couldn't live with the noise although it is mitigated if you play with decent headphones on.

Look through the recent GTX480 thread when OcUK were selling cheap GTX480 cards. People who made comments about the GTX480 noise and heat were lambased by many OcUK forum members(some were accused of being tree-huggers). Don't believe me?? Look for the thread.

 

[straxusii]

Don't get me wrong Cat, I'm not an AMD basher, far from it.

It's pointless from our (enthusiast) point of view as it is absolutely nothing over a stock 7970, identical hardware, just clocked a touch higher.

If in time AMD confirm they use the highest possible binned chips and on here we see people getting higher overclocks with these then I guess it might be something.

 

[psychodil]

Well I'm a bit underwhelmed by these reviews, especially after leaks reporting lower default voltages. But I'm not interested in the reference cards, I never use reference coolers. The fact they seemed to easily hit 1200mhz with that poor cooling is impressive to me, with about 1.25v. For a watercooler it should be a good omen. Might get one to bolt my antec 620 to

 

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Don't get me wrong Cat, I'm not an AMD basher, far from it.

It's pointless from our (enthusiast) point of view as it is absolutely nothing over a stock 7970, identical hardware, just clocked a touch higher.

If in time AMD confirm they use the highest possible binned chips and on here we see people getting higher overclocks with these then I guess it might be something.

Also,I think it is hardly "pointless" too. Now with both the GTX680 and HD7970 V2 having similar performance,hopefully there will be some price movement at the top single GPU level.

The whole point I was making originally,is that now both cards are broadly equal in stock performance,there hopefully should be some price movement. Moreover,with third party cards being released,things like noise should not be an issue and the price probably will be similar to the GTX680 cards with third party coolers.With the GTX680 being the fastest card before,a price premium could be charged.

Moreover,the new third party cards based on the new specification,should be clocked higher than the old ones. Maybe we will get cards closer to 1200MHZ to compete with the uber clocked GTX680 cards? So you will probably have price movement on those cards too.

Retail pricing is not going to be based on how overclockable a GPU in a graphics card is - it will be based on performance at stock clockspeeds.

So,IMHO this is a good move. Look at GTX580 prices as opposed to the GTX570 and HD6970(GTX570 ended up being a tad cheaper IIRC).

The last part of what you said is important. Until cards enter retail and the hands of users on forums like OcUK,we can't say if the chips used are better or not.

People are just pre-judging the whole issue.

 

[Rusty0611]

Unless of course this card replaces the current HD7970. We have no clue how far third party cards will be clocked ,or how much they will cost. Cost is going to be the other issue. So again you are pre-judging the whole issue. I am not.

True it could replace it, especially as is looks to be essentially the same hardware. You would have thought AMD sent golden chips to reviewers though - AMD and nVidia generally do this.

The same arguments were made though - why get an HD4890 when there is an HD4870,etc. Plus you just repeated what I said. Moreover,we have no clue whether the Tahiti chips in the HD7970 V2 tend to clock better or not. Until reviews of non-reference cards are out and uses get them. We cannot say for sure,if the production cards are just the same chips in every way,binned better or a newer stepping.

I don't care if the same arguments were made, they should have been invalidated as they don't hold up.

No, we cannot say for sure, but going on the reviews which are out there at the moment we can draw a conclusion. To say otherwise is daft.

Yes you did,otherwise you would have mentioned it before quoting me.

Yes I quoted your post and replied to it and then started talking about something else which was clearly not aimed at you. Or are you going to argue that I didn't know who my post was aimed at? Come on - that's quite petty.

Really?? Then all the arguments I see in this section about people hating reference coolers never happened.

What I see(at least in the last few years as a member on here and other forums),is that people who want to water cool and add third party air coolers tend to want reference cards due to better compatability.

Not saying it doesn't happen a lot - I'm just saying I don't feel it is the norm. We're both guessing as this forum is not representative of all of OcUK's sales nor do we have any figures so I don't know why you feel the need to justify your point with loose evidence from the forum. I'm not having a go (I know it reads like that) but I just don't understand the point of debating the issue. You have your interpretation, I have mine. None of us have any real evidence. We'll agree to disagree

Look through the recent GTX480 thread when OcUK were selling cheap GTX480 cards. People who made comments about the GTX480 noise and heat were lambased by many OcUK forum members(some were accused of being tree-huggers). Don't believe me?? Look for the thread.

I don't doubt it - there are some true "nVidia till I die" folk around here. I didn't keep up with that thread as it was never going to be an option for me. Noise and heat are so subjective that I tend to look at it from an objective point of view by comparing db and .C/F

 

[kmax86]

Seems like GPU boost (first nv now amd) will be on all sides when the the next gen comes. shame i dont really like it unless they have a disable button or user-controlled points

 

[Rusty0611]

Seems like GPU boost (first nv now amd) will be on all sides when the the next gen comes. shame i dont really like it unless they have a disable button or user-controlled points

I have a 680 and I like it except for no voltage control. This ain't good at all. With proper voltage control I think it'll be a win/win for us.

 

[sand_dune]

I feel pity with people who went buying 680, because Nvidia fooled them with "fastest video card claim" after being factory overclocked. It was never faster than 7970 in 2560p and it sucks in calculations and has 2 gig memory LOL 2 gig memory!

Now it's even not a fastest card any more by any means.