# MSI Radeon HD 7870 HAWK 2 GB



## W1zzard (Apr 30, 2012)

MSI's HD 7870 HAWK is the company's mid-range equivalent of the Lightning Series. The card uses a Twin Frozr dual-fan cooler and features increased clock speeds of 1100 MHz GPU and 1200 MHz. It also includes triple voltage control via MSI Afterburner.

*Show full review*


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## Wyverex (May 1, 2012)

As always, great review. And I LOVE the addition of comparison values for OC and Temperatures.

Thank you, W1zzard!


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## dj-electric (May 1, 2012)

W1zz, where the are voltage tweaks?
And another thing, MSI just MUST change the fan shapes into a less agressive shape. These things are noise monsters.


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## DarkOCean (May 1, 2012)

Glad to see you have changed to bf3 instead of cod4 for oc gain.


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## Frogger (May 1, 2012)

Dj-ElectriC said:


> W1zz, where the are voltage tweaks?.


would love to see this card pushed to the limit too

"Since voltage tweaking is an option with this model, you can push the GPU a little higher, 1200 MHz is very doable, we reached a 100% stable 1300 MHz with a bit of voltage tweaking. Overall we'd recommend 1150-1200 MHz really for a long term and safe overclock though. The overall result can boost your graphics performance another 10% to even 15% when compared to the reference products. During our overclock that extra voltage on the GPU did result in the GPU stress temperature rising to 77 Degrees C, that's still quite good but it did make the card much noisier. So noise will become a tradeoff once the GPU passes 70 Degrees C."
source


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## Delta6326 (May 1, 2012)

Eh do not want this card is laud and power hungry, uses more power than 680!


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## Casecutter (May 1, 2012)

Delta6326 said:


> Eh do not want this card is laud and power hungry, uses more power than 680!


While yes loud that I agree, I'm not sure on power... notice Peak power.  (I no longer use those Max numbers for the GTX680, as it limits TDP in Furmark.)  A card that's only 10% OC'd is consuming 36% more power? (GTX680 19% higher than that)  Something tells me that dual two fan/cooler might be the real culprit with those efficiency numbers.  It's weird because Hexus had both a Gigabyte OC and PowerColor PCS+ again playing Crysis II they're up like 19% in power. Sure the 7870 is shown to suck more power when OC's while perf/power starts getting wonky.   (basically why Nvidia went with the HG HkMG process)

I'd like to see the game titles that press this and other cards, say 5-7 titles that are in that 30-75Fps @1920x.  Then pull the watts that those cards use, while delivering that actual demand in gameplay.  That's a truer indicator of power needs and efficiency.  Using just one or averaging in a bunch of titles that play at 125-200Fps appears to me to skew the reality of true cutting edge demands.  While W1zzard has the GTX680 only 13% better on perf/watts, which is good it not earth shattering.  Especially if that number, I believe is the "Summary Average" divided against the "typical power"?  Is that the "Peak power" from CrysisII, or again an average of the "Average & Peak"? 

While I know I can't compare (1:1) the W1zzards' and Hexus results, but looking at noise/cooling of a single fan PCS+, the dual fan of the Hawk, and the three fan Windforce I have to take away that the MSI or at least W1zzards particular cooler wasn't up to snuff.  

While wouldn't say the 7870 isn't the card to OC if efficiency is on your mind.  Then if you want a card that get's you another 32% in performance a GTX680 at $500 equates as you'll plunk 32% more from your wallet. 


I normally don't go For MSI cards and this Hawk at $380 is a no go!  I'm not touting any of these 7870 as a good buy right now even at $330.  When there's 7950 that this price (one on Egg at $380) are only $20-30 more (compared to 7870 OC) then go with a 7950 and OC it 10%, you'll be much better served.


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## jihadjoe (May 2, 2012)

Being the same price as the 7950 really makes this card rather pointless.


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## Nortrop (May 2, 2012)

jihadjoe said:


> Being the same price as the 7950 really makes this card rather pointless.



That ^

And this thing is a bit on the hot side. I have a Sapphire 7870 which doesn't go over 65C, and remains completely quiet.


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## Casecutter (May 2, 2012)

jihadjoe said:


> Being the same price as the 7950 really makes this card rather pointless.


Well, pointless now, but these 7870 will be marched down... well as soon as AMD see’s what Nvidia brings to the field.  At $380 AMD and its partners are only challenging with themselves, consider by June cards like this could be at $300.




Nortrop said:


> And this thing is a bit on the hot side. I have a Sapphire 7870 which doesn't go over 65C, and remains completely quiet.


Exactly, why I'm hinting that there's an issue with the sample W1zzard got or it's just how MSI released it? Something tells me bad or crappy fan that add to the amp draw and noisy.


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## N3M3515 (May 2, 2012)

So . . . the lightning will be clocked at 1200Mhz?


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## eidairaman1 (May 3, 2012)

N3M3515 said:


> So . . . the lightning will be clocked at 1200Mhz?



Lightening is Held for the Flagship part, Hawk is the next line Down


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## N3M3515 (May 3, 2012)

eidairaman1 said:


> Lightening is Held for the Flagship part, Hawk is the next line Down



Meh...


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## SonDa5 (May 3, 2012)

Casecutter said:


> Well, pointless now, but these 7870 will be marched down... well as soon as AMD see’s what Nvidia brings to the field.  At $380 AMD and its partners are only challenging with themselves, consider by June cards like this could be at $300.
> 
> 
> Exactly, why I'm hinting that there's an issue with the sample W1zzard got or it's just how MSI released it? Something tells me bad or crappy fan that add to the amp draw and noisy.





The card isn't even available yet.  It would be nice if this card was valued at $300 but this card has alot of nice features that most HD79XX lack.  If any HD7870 card merited a $350 price tag at launch this card is it.


Anything could happen with the pricing when the laws of supply and demand are in effect along with troublesome "TSMC" problems lurking all the time.

I really like what MSI is doing for the HD 7870 and I hope MSI does the same or better for other new incoming NVIDIA cards.


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## Deo Domuique (May 4, 2012)

Why on Blu-Ray the AMD cards consume generally more power than Nvidia's ?


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## Delta6326 (May 4, 2012)

Deo Domuique said:


> Why on Blu-Ray the AMD cards consume generally more power than Nvidia's ?



I would say either drivers or the GPU isn't down clocking as much.


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## dj-electric (May 4, 2012)

W1zzard, please notice MSI has released a new bios for this card. I'd recommend another temperature\noise test with it.


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## Casecutter (May 10, 2012)

Guru ran tests for the same card and that wasn't doing any of the stuff W1zzard reports as to power, noise, or cooling. Sure you can't coralated data 1:1, but the Guru had a whole different walk-away. 
W1zzard got a Dud!
http://www.guru3d.com/article/msi-radeon-hd-7870-hawk-review/1


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## dj-electric (May 10, 2012)

I have no idea why they stopped at 1300MHZ core clock.


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## dj-electric (May 11, 2012)

I've just noticed a typo now, w1zz.
You wrote it uses the TF II instead IV


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## EarthDog (May 11, 2012)

Dj-ElectriC said:


> I have no idea why they stopped at 1300MHZ core clock.


It doesnt get MUCH higher, but was the best clocking 7870 I reviewed (not pub'd yet) by far. 1.25v got me 1380 core and 1528 on the memory (which didnt scale with voltage oddly enough...).

I dont think Wiz adds voltage to his overclocks?


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## dj-electric (May 11, 2012)

I got 1410Mhz, isn't that much higher? and why stop at 1.25V either? higher voltages have not prevented me to get higher clocks
BTW im using the latest BIOS for the graphics card witch MSI supplied me.


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## EarthDog (May 11, 2012)

As you know, every sample is different. The other 7870's I had hit 1300 and 1322 respectively. 

Higher voltages did prevent me from going further on ambient air. Once this thing hit 70C stability was in the crapper. So unless I got another fan on it, 1.3 was the most I could give it without it crapping out due to temperature issues.

YHPM for bios file.


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## SonDa5 (May 18, 2012)

HWbot has this card benchmarking 3dMark11 with core speeds over 1800mhz.  

At those speed score is barely breaking P11,000.


Going to be a tough sale for this card unless pricing is extremely attractive.  I like the over all design of this card but I wouldn't pay more than $300 for it.


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