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Asus 7870

jimfowler_82

jimfowler_82

jimfowler_82

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Joined
5 Jun 2013
Posts
126
Hi guys,

I know you are forever getting these should i upgrade to x card threads :o but here is mine :)

I currently have a 5770 has been a good servant for 3 years but of course games like BF3 & Skyrim are a bit too taxing for it on the higher settings...

I was "thinking" about a 7970 or a 680 for a while as i could stretch to the price point for them but realistically for price v performance i dont think for what i do i would see a great return in value. Also it would mean i would need to upgrade my PSU which is a 500w Coolermaster that came with this case which seems to be doing the job "ok" at the moment.

Anyway so i have been looking at reviews recently and the ASUS 7870 seems to be jumping out at me its around the £200ish mark which seems reasonable for price etc & it only requires a 450w PSU.

I would also consider the similar Nvidia model at +-£30 more if there are any suggestions.

Im not worried about 150FPS to show off i just want a decent card that will run games on pretty high if not highest @ 1080p around the 60fps mark..

Any recommendation are welcome

Thanks in advance Jim
 
Welcome to the forums. :)

May I ask what cpu / overclock you are running?

Assuming it won't hold back a modern graphics card much, if I was in your shoes I'd look at these :

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-203-MS&groupid=701&catid=56&subcat=1673

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-013-VX&groupid=701&catid=56&subcat=411

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-185-MS&groupid=701&catid=56&subcat=411


According to the AMD website, a 500w psu is enough to power most 7950's.
 
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Is 7950 noticeably faster than a 7870 & should i just bite the bullet and get a decent PSU or would you say a 500w Coolermaster PSU with 40a over 2 12v rails is enough for a 7950
 
jimfowler_82 said:
Is 7950 noticeably faster than a 7870 & should i just bite the bullet and get a decent PSU or would you say a 500w Coolermaster PSU with 40a over 2 12v rails is enough for a 7950
Click to expand...

I haven't used either, but I would think that in some games there'll be a noticeable difference, while in others not so much. Perhaps someone with user experience can chime in here? :)

Re : the psu, here is a link to AMD's system requirements. Manufacturers usually over estimate what is required, so I 'think' you'd be ok. Some more fancy non-reference psb designs of other 7950's might warrant more juice, but in this instance you should be ok providing it's a decent psu, which I believe it probably is.

http://www.amd.com/us/products/desktop/graphics/7000/7950/Pages/radeon-7950.aspx#2


I will add, though, that if you're looking to save some money, and aren't too exact about performance expectations (as would seem from your first post), then a 7870 should more than fit the bill. The VTX one I linked has more stream processors - 1536 vs the usual 7870 1280. What the coolers are like on the VTX / MSI cards I've linked, I'm not sure. I would think they'll be quiet at idle, but more 'vocal' ~ 60% fan speed. It depends how sensitive you are to noise. The MSI 7870 is also a good option if you wish to save even further. I tend to avoid Asus, among other brands, because their customer service / rma procedure is poor. This is a great shame, as in my opinion they make some of the better quality products, though not always the most pleasing to the eye. However, as far as I know the retailer is responsible for the first twelve months, which is reassuring. :)
 
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Thanks for all the help :)

I am looking to keep my budget quite low but at the same time i dont wanna be disappointed that i didnt spend an extra few quid.. I was thinking about the Asus 7870 because there is some headroom for a little over clocking i believe & a 450w PSU seems to be recommended which leaves me some space on the power side.

I would like it to last me a few years i don't expect ultra settings in games but would like to see high.
 
Yes i have in the last hour actually changed my mind on the 7870 and now thinking about the EVGA 660ti Signature edition...

760ti will that be similar price range if so i need to wait a week or so :)

Cheers jim
 
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