16 replies to this topic

[p8ragon]

Hi everyone, I currently have a 7970 dc2 and I'm planning on selling it for ~$320 because of this bitcoin craze. I'm thinking of replacing it with a r9 290 dc2 once prices stabilize a bit (MSRP should be around $420). Any other video card suggestions you guys have? I'm looking for the best bang for my buck

I will be using a pair of gtx 570s while I wait (I'm in no rush for a new video card)

Should I consider the gtx 780 ACX as well? (It's currently $500) I heard Maxwell is right around the corner. Does anyone know when it's coming out?

Thanks for your help!

PS: I'm gaming @ 1080p.

[Catamount]

If you want more performance, the 780 isn't going to notable improve on what you have. A 290 really won't either. Modest performance differences are nothing you'll actually notice in the real world.

Why not keep your card, wait for the craze to die down, and then just get another 7970 for crossfire if you're not happy with your present performance? AT 1080P, one is enough, imo, but I can understand if you want more, say, for Star Citizen or something.

Edited by Catamount, 26 January 2014 - 12:19 PM.

[Barbaric Soul]

at 1080p, I agree with Catamount, no need to upgrade from a 7970 GHZ edition, or even a regular 7970 for that matter. That's from someone that just upgraded from a 7970 to a GTX 780ti, but then again, I game at 1600p. And honestly, the 7970 OC'ed to 1100core/1400memory was enough for 40-45fps at 1600p/very high settings(now I get 60-70fps).

[Summon3r]

Check this thing out:

http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814121839

only a couple of reviews on it right now. anyone know anything about it or using one? looks like some pretty nice performance there.

[p8ragon]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I'm planning on upgrading so that I can play other games as well. (Crysis 3, battlefield 4, etc. I was thinking of upgrading now since I paid $280 for the 7970, and I would actually make a bit from the sale). I don't really like the idea of SLI (that's why i moved away from the 570s actually). They're noisy, hot, and I get frequent microstuttering.

PS: that gtx 760 Mars looks pretty sweet. A tad expensive though

[Barbaric Soul]

my 7970 didn't have any major problems maintaining playable(+30) FPS with high settings in BF4 and Crysis 3 at 1600p. It's your choice if you want to sell the 7970 while it's prices are high, but I don't see you gaining any real performance benefits from the upgrade if you stay at 1080p

[POOTYTANGASAUR]

7970 is plenty for 1080p only reason to upgrade ur gpu at this point is for 120hz monitors or for higher res. But my 7970 clocked at 1150 core 1600 ram runs my 1440p monitor fine on any game.

EDIT: Btw that mars 760 is utter garbage. It doesnt perform any better than a single mildly overclocked 780ti. Hell my other rig has a water cooled r9 290x that probs outperforms the mars 760. The price is unwarranted and the whole thing was a bad idea. I actually miss my 7990 because that is still the most powerful card.(until r9 290x x2 or 790/790ti)

Edited by POOTYTANGASAUR, 29 January 2014 - 09:25 AM.

[p8ragon]

Hi everyone,

thanks for your input. Quick update. Purchased a MSI R9 290 the other day (backorder for $470 on amazon)

http://www.amazon.co...0?ie=UTF8&psc=1

According to Amazon, the earliest i will be getting it is March. In the meantime, I guess I will use my 570s

@pooty. Generally, I try to stay away from dual gpu solutions, simply because you're screwed if one of those chips dies on you. Also, drivers for quad sli and crossfire are supposed to be utter ****

Edited by p8ragon, 30 January 2014 - 12:31 AM.

[Summon3r]

POOTYTANGASAUR, on 29 January 2014 - 09:22 AM, said:

EDIT: Btw that mars 760 is utter garbage. It doesnt perform any better than a single mildly overclocked 780ti. Hell my other rig has a water cooled r9 290x that probs outperforms the mars 760. The price is unwarranted and the whole thing was a bad idea. I actually miss my 7990 because that is still the most powerful card.(until r9 290x x2 or 790/790ti)

good to know thx pooty

[v4skunk]

Keep the 7970 until next-gen cards come out in a year or so.

[p8ragon]

Hi,

just an update. I decided that for $470 i might as pay a bit more and get a gtx 780....so that's what i did lol

Does anyone know when the next gen cards are coming out? Snagged a gtx 780 dc2 for $500 the other day.

v4skunk, on 30 January 2014 - 10:16 AM, said:

Keep the 7970 until next-gen cards come out in a year or so.

I sold it for $400 already so that's not a choice

Edited by p8ragon, 01 February 2014 - 10:23 PM.

[darqsyde]

With the rumoured 750 and 790 still to come, along with the Titan Black, it would be reasonable to assume not before Q3/4 this year for the Maxwell cards. I'd bet Q4 myself.

[p8ragon]

darqsyde, on 01 February 2014 - 10:33 PM, said:

With the rumoured 750 and 790 still to come, along with the Titan Black, it would be reasonable to assume not before Q3/4 this year for the Maxwell cards. I'd bet Q4 myself.

Hopefully. I would be quite disappointed if my $500 graphics card was rended obsolete in a month or two

[Catamount]

Nah the days of that kind of obsolescence are long since past. Even the high end of the Radeon HD 5000 and Geforce 400 series aren't obsolete. I know people who do quite well on 5850s and 5870s, which are of about the performance level of the 7850/7870, and things at progressing even slower now than they were directly following those series back in, say, 2010/2011. Maxwell is going to be exactly what Volcanic Islands is: a small incremental hop in performance.

[Bad Karma 308]

You say it's a month old.....Throw it away man, it's an antique! JK


Good to see you again Cat. How've you been?

[Catamount]

Hey there. I suppose I could be a lot worse

You?

[Bad Karma 308]

Catamount, on 03 February 2014 - 06:34 PM, said:

Hey there. I suppose I could be a lot worse

You?

Eh' not bad, but dragging out. Started moving in March of last year only to have a research project I had submitted a year or soback to get funded on short notice. Had to drop everything and confine myselt to the labs for the last 10 months. Blah!