** ATI RADEON 7950 OVERCLOCKING & HEAVEN RESULTS!! **

[straxusii]

I think this thread highlights the missed opportunity AMD had with these cards.

My 480 SOC @ 840/2000 gets 47 compared to the stock 7950 score of 55, it's a nice improvement (~17%) but you wouldn't upgrade for it. Now if these cards were clocked higher as stock you could get that figure up to 30-40% faster.

 

[MissChief]

650W is plenty for these, even if your run Crossfire.

So a single card on a 550w corsair should be fine you think?

 

[Gibbo]

So a single card on a 550w corsair should be fine you think?

yup.

 

[J.D]

650W is plenty for these, even if your run Crossfire.

So you think I could get away with my overclock and what I have in sig with 2x 7970s?. I'm only interested in one btw but for future reference plus to make sure I'm reading that right.

 

[Biffa]

I think this thread highlights the missed opportunity AMD had with these cards.

My 480 SOC @ 840/2000 gets 47 compared to the stock 7950 score of 55, it's a nice improvement (~17%) but you wouldn't upgrade for it. Now if these cards were clocked higher as stock you could get that figure up to 30-40% faster.

Yeah but you are quoting a last ditch-effort-OC-ninja-edition of the 480 that came out right at the end of its life after almost a year of hardware tweaks and just a week or so before the 580 against an first release 7950.

And even then you have overclocked it a bit more 820 (std 700) / 3800 (std 3696) MHz

Compare it against a 480 at stock 700/3696

I'm sure some labels will come out with ninja-oc versions sooner or later

 

[Menty]

Never flashed a bios on a gfx card before although I have oc'd them.

What would be the effect of using the factory bios just a lower maximum oc?

Btw thanks for this thread I'm sold on it unless the GTX580 drop to ludicrous prices

 

[ALXAndy]

Never flashed a bios on a gfx card before although I have oc'd them.

What would be the effect of using the factory bios just a lower maximum oc?

Btw thanks for this thread I'm sold on it unless the GTX580 drop to ludicrous prices

TBH It's so easy to do you'd be mad not to try.

The first bios on a card is ROM. IE - read only, you can't flash it.

So you switch to the second one, flash, and if it goes wrong simply shut down and switch back to bios 1.

 

[Menty]

TBH It's so easy to do you'd be mad not to try.

The first bios on a card is ROM. IE - read only, you can't flash it.

So you switch to the second one, flash, and if it goes wrong simply shut down and switch back to bios 1.

Ah OK thanks.

Well I'm willing just not able (would not have a clue) so when I get my upgrade a few pointers would be cool unless there is a thread here somewhere already.

I will search a little when I have more time

 

[insejn]

650W is plenty for these, even if your run Crossfire.

Thank you kindly sir!

Ah OK thanks.

Well I'm willing just not able (would not have a clue) so when I get my upgrade a few pointers would be cool unless there is a thread here somewhere already.

I will search a little when I have more time

The sticky with "unlocking 6950 to 6970" has all the theoretical info of flashing a GPU I think, it's what I read for my current card.

You then just need to find (prolly google )the asus bios mentioned here earlier afaik.

 

[tommybhoy]

You then just need to find (prolly google )the asus bios mentioned here earlier afaik.

http://www.techpowerup.com/vgabios/113309/Asus.HD7970.3072.120104.html

 

[Guru]

I wonder how much this will affect the GTX 570 prices.

 

[J.D]

I wonder how much this will affect the GTX 570 prices.

Computer says NO! / NVIDIA SAYS NO!!!

It should lower pricing but as the prices of the 6950/6970 are competing with Nvidia cards (560/570) then pricing might not change much at all until Kepler arrives. You might see a mark down in GTX 580s though (well I hope so).

 

[madtoady]

I have been looking forward to this card for quite some time and as it gets closer to the release date, I'm getting more and more nervous on whether my machine will bottleneck the card. Ill be upgrading from my trusty 4890 which is well over due it's best before date

System:

AMD Phenom II X4 955 @ 3.8Ghz
4GB Corsair XMS3 CM3X2G1600C9DHX
Gigabyte GA-MA790XT-UD4P Motherboard
700W Storm Modular power supply.

I personally don't think it will, would be nice to hear other peoples opinions tho.

 

[Biffa]

Depends on the game I think, some benchmarks might give lower scores because of the cpu tests in them, but there are definitely some games that benefit from a faster CPU:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4083/...core-i7-2600k-i5-2500k-core-i3-2100-tested/20

And

http://www.guru3d.com/article/radeon-hd-7970-cpu-scaling-performance-review/1

 

[Guru]

Computer says NO! / NVIDIA SAYS NO!!!

It should lower pricing but as the prices of the 6950/6970 are competing with Nvidia cards (560/570) then pricing might not change much at all until Kepler arrives. You might see a mark down in GTX 580s though (well I hope so).

Surely if the price of the 580 drops the people who would have got a 570 will get a 580 instead unless the reduce both?

 

[w1lliam]

Depends on the game I think, some benchmarks might give lower scores because of the cpu tests in them, but there are definitely some games that benefit from a faster CPU:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4083/...core-i7-2600k-i5-2500k-core-i3-2100-tested/20

And

http://www.guru3d.com/article/radeon-hd-7970-cpu-scaling-performance-review/1

There goes my plan of upgrading the cpu!

 

[dave_beast]

The utility on this post will unlock 7970 to Asus bios, which unlocks the clocks, so would think it would work on 7950's also http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18362066

 

[Jono8]

*delete*

 

[Jono8]

Hm, i still think that unless you really need a new card right now, it is worth waiting till April to see what Nvidia brings to the table.

7950 looks like a nice card though.

 

[duddbudda]

Dimensions?

I'm sold on a 7950 if it will fit my case.

My reference design (10.5") 6950 fits with enough room for an SATA cable to pass through.

I was gonna get a 7970 but at 11" I'd need a new case :/ which puts the 7970 out of my price range.

So is the 7950 11"?

Are there any 7970 or 7950 models soon to be released that are 10.5" or less?

And does anyone want a Powercolour 6950 that clocks up to 920MHz on stock volts and can make a clean 1000MHz with some bonus power for say £125?

oh, and is the 7950 as likely to hit 1200+ core as the 7970?