# HD6950 vs. GTX 570 vs. 650 Ti/HD7850



## klmx (Nov 15, 2012)

Well, this is a hard decision. Hard enough for a lurker like me to create an account on here! I'm upgrading my GPU due to the purchase of a 2560x1440p monitor and these cards are more or less in the same price range. The HD6950 and GTX 570 will both be second hand. 

For the HD6950 I'm currently eyeing a 2GB MSI Twinfrozr, which is already shader unlocked. The HD7850 will be the Club3D RoyalKing 2GB version, just because it's the only 2GB version of the card that fits in this price range. With the Nvidea cards I don't have a specific model in mind yet. (The GTX 570 doesn't have a lot of nice deals from what I've seen, the GTX 650 Ti is the cheapest of the bunch so if I were to go for that it'd be one with 2GB and a quiet cooler) Don't know much about the different manufacturers, so any advice is welcome.

It's going to be used for gaming and not much else. I do some photo-editing, but even my old late-2009 Macbook is suffice for what I do. Will probably end up video-editing sometime in the near future, that could be a consideration though.

As for prices, both the 7850 and 570 are in the top-end of €200. The HD6950 and 650 Ti range from €120-150. So really, which will be the be the biggest bang for the buck and will last me a while? (with high-res. gaming in mind)


----------



## UbErN00b (Nov 15, 2012)

650Ti and 7850 don't compare to the 6950/570 so that wittles it down, from the prices you listed the 6950 is the handsdown winner at that res, and may well unlock to a 6970/6970 clocks.


----------



## Darkleoco (Nov 15, 2012)

klmx said:


> Well, this is a hard decision. Hard enough for a lurker like me to create an account on here! I'm upgrading my GPU due to the purchase of a 2560x1440p monitor and these cards are more or less in the same price range. The HD6950 and GTX 570 will both be second hand.
> 
> For the HD6950 I'm currently eyeing a 2GB MSI Twinfrozr, which is already shader unlocked. The HD7850 will be the Club3D RoyalKing 2GB version, just because it's the only 2GB version of the card that fits in this price range. With the Nvidea cards I don't have a specific model in mind yet. (The GTX 570 doesn't have a lot of nice deals from what I've seen, the GTX 650 Ti is the cheapest of the bunch so if I were to go for that it'd be one with 2GB and a quiet cooler) Don't know much about the different manufacturers, so any advice is welcome.
> 
> ...





UbErN00b said:


> 650Ti and 7850 don't compare to the 6950/570 so that wittles it down, from the prices you listed the 6950 is the handsdown winner at that res, and may well unlock to a 6970/6970 clocks.



6950 is the clear winner especially when overclocking is considered. I have a pair of Twin Frozr II 6950's in my desktop and they run at 940/1400 easily


----------



## UbErN00b (Nov 15, 2012)

Darkleoco said:


> 6950 is the clear winner especially when overclocking is considered. I have a pair of Twin Frozr II 6950's in my desktop and they run at 940/1400 easily



That's what I said, though the 6950 and 570 traded blows evenly and the 570 also overclocks 

I would say if you use HDMI then definately go Nvidia, if you don't care about HDMI then take your pick as they're fairly level on performance.


----------



## 3870x2 (Nov 15, 2012)

I am still not sure why people overclock the RAM.

My card does 1050/1550 or 1120/1400 depending on wether I prefer RAM clocks or GPU clocks.  Guess which one performs better?  And to tell you the truth, I didn't see any gains in FPS from overclocking just the RAM.

I am pretty sure I am missing the point of ram overclocks.

EDIT: its a 7950.


----------



## EarthDog (Nov 15, 2012)

7850 is about as fast as a 570 last I checked... epsecially since the last driver update. Personally, I would choose the newer 7850 over all those...

+1 to crad daddy below...at that res, you are going to need to bring more GPU to the table with all the eye candy on.


----------



## Crap Daddy (Nov 15, 2012)

This should give you some perspective as how those cards stand at that resolution. But you will have problems playing some games with the cards you picked.


----------



## UbErN00b (Nov 15, 2012)

EarthDog said:


> 7850 is about as fast as a 570 last I checked... epsecially since the last driver update. Personally, I would choose the newer 7850 over all those...
> 
> +1 to crad daddy below...at that res, you are going to need to bring more GPU to the table with all the eye candy on.



570 is 5% faster than a 7850 according to that.....


----------



## EarthDog (Nov 15, 2012)

"About" as fast is what I stated. 

I count 4%... I would still choose that over a 570...

1. More vram (1.5GB on the 570 vs 2GB on the 7850). The 570 will choke on more titles with a 'mere' 1.5GB at that res.
2. Noteably less power consumption.
3. Overclocking on the 7 series...





> I am still not sure why people overclock the RAM.
> 
> My card does 1050/1550 or 1120/1400 depending on wether I prefer RAM clocks or GPU clocks. Guess which one performs better? And to tell you the truth, I didn't see any gains in FPS from overclocking just the RAM.
> 
> I am pretty sure I am missing the point of ram overclocks.


 You are... sorry.

http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showthread.php?p=7285064#post7285064


----------



## 3870x2 (Nov 15, 2012)

the 7xxx series overclockability is extraordinary.  If you are into that, go for it.  If not, the 570 I guess.


----------



## klmx (Nov 15, 2012)

Exactly the answers I was looking for, thanks a bunch everyone. Yeah I'm aware that I'm not close to 60FPS at "I'm looking at a first-person docu on war" settings with these cards, it'd be a nice first step in the right direction. Hence the newer 650 Ti and 7850, which would mean easy upgradeability in the near future. (SLI/CF)

p.s I've been out of the hardware game for 2 years, I'm a bit rusty


BTW, I theoretically could save a bit more dough and wait till I can purchase a 7970 or a 680. It would mean I'm only able to play at negative frames per second for now though... (my current card is a GTS 240)


----------



## Crap Daddy (Nov 15, 2012)

UbErN00b said:


> 570 is 5% faster than a 7850 according to that.....



The 570 is the fastest out of the bunch but I wouldn't buy a used one for 200 Euro now. The 7850 overclocks better and can surpass it plus it has the 2GB VRAM. But I find it also too expensive at that price point.

Just saw your post. Forget the 650Ti.


----------



## UbErN00b (Nov 15, 2012)

EarthDog said:


> "About" as fast is what I stated.
> 
> I count 4%... I would still choose that over a 570...
> 
> ...



1: I came from a 570 and it did not choke at 1440p despite the lower vRAM, but hey there's a 4GB 9600 gt out there, that must be good? 
2: Power consumption flower monsumption, who really cares, we're talking bang for buck, I know it does come across as important but how many people on TPU list that high on priorities with their GTX 480's 7970's etc lol that's last on my list (sorry Al Gore)
3: GTX 570 can overclock too, so upto now all you have is power consumption at load, and like I said if he uses HDMI he needs to go NV as AMD can't do clean HDMI period.


----------



## EarthDog (Nov 15, 2012)

N00b.. Dont be a muppet.  

1. Depends on the title played and settings, but it sure does choke on BF3... guess what I had in my stable too. Guess what I JUST got done reviewing... a pair of 7850's... Guess what choked due to lack of Vram in BF3 @ Ultra 1440p? Not the 7850... at least not as bad anyway! LOL!
At 1920x1080 Ultra it already maxes out 1.5GB (BF3).
2. Just putting it out there. The difference is significant to the tune of "ABOUT" 80W IIRC. Power consumption, though a few dollars over a year, is still part of the bang for the buck conversation to me.
3. The GTX 570 overclocks well, but by in large, you dont see 300Mhz+ 24/7 stable on 570's last I checked. 

Point is, n00b, to give the OP all the information and for him to make an informed decision.


----------



## UbErN00b (Nov 15, 2012)

EarthDog said:


> N00b.. Dont be a muppet.
> 
> 1. Depends on the title played and settings, but it sure does choke on BF3... guess what I had in my stable too. Guess what I JUST got done reviewing... a pair of 7850's... Guess what choked due to lack of Vram in BF3 @ Ultra 1440p? Not the 7850.
> 2. Just putting it out there. The difference is significant to the tune of "ABOUT" 80W IIRC. Power consumption, though a few dollars over a year, is still part of the bang for the buck conversation to me.
> ...



Sorry Dog.... that is your name isn't it as you just decided to call me n00b knowing damn well what my name is lol oh and before I forget 

Wanna post your findings or want to act like everyone else on the interwebs acting like a mega tough dude and posting slap smilies? lol 
The 570 out performs the 7850 time after time at stock clocks even with AMD 12.11 drivers, so yes we know the 7850 can overclock but so does the 570, maybe power consumption is a consideration, you know what the OP hasn't specified this as a major concern, and if that's the case then the 570 may well be a winner, especially if he wants to use HDMI, have you anything to add on AMD HDMI performance, cause I can tell you first hand as an AMD GPU consumer that they have issues, why would I lie? I like the best performance for my money and the 7950 seemed to be the best bang for the buck performer though it definately has its drawbacks


----------



## klmx (Nov 15, 2012)

The 7850 is going to be the 1GB version, the cheap 2GB card I was looking at is no longer on that store's website... Power consumption is a concern, as when I go for CF/SLI I don't want to upgrade my PSU. Would a dual set-up still work on 530w?


----------



## Crap Daddy (Nov 15, 2012)

klmx said:


> Would a dual 570 set-up still work on 530w?



No.


----------



## EarthDog (Nov 15, 2012)

You definitely do not want a 1GB card at that resolution. 



> Sorry Dog.... that is your name isn't it as you just decided to call me n00b knowing damn well what my name is lol oh and before I forget
> 
> Wanna post your findings or want to act like everyone else on the interwebs acting like a mega tough dude and posting slap smilies? lol
> The 570 out performs the 7850 time after time at stock clocks even with AMD 12.11 drivers, so yes we know the 7850 can overclock but so does the 570, maybe power consumption is a consideration, you know what the OP hasn't specified this as a major concern, and if that's the case then the 570 may well be a winner, especially if he wants to use HDMI, have you anything to add on AMD HDMI performance, cause I can tell you first hand as an AMD GPU consumer that they have issues, why would I lie? I like the best performance for my money and the 7950 seemed to be the best bang for the buck performer though it definately has its drawbacks


Why are you being such a dick to me? I'm not offended by you calling me dog though... not sure why you are offended with n00b, since that is your name too... 

Moving on.. not sure what 'findings' you are talking about. I posted links to the vRAM use for you to see. I certainly understand you dont know who is talking jive and who isnt so I already supported the vram thing.  

Yep, it does.. at an overall rate of 4%. Cool. 

Looks like power consumption IS a concern.. certainly seems like my post mentioning that was worth it!! 

No clue on HDMI, I use DVI (I also never said you lied..) I have never heard of that issue, not using it and all, but I would be more than pleased to read a link from a reputable review/site on it so I can learn. That could be a deal breaker...

To conclude with you... Uber... not sure why you are on my jock, but chill out. The point is to help the OP, not blatently attack other users, perhaps its time for a lowball full of some top shelf product and relax a bit.


----------



## klmx (Nov 15, 2012)

Earthdog (or anyone else), would you consider a 2GB 7850 above a 2GB 6950 if it costs at least 40 bucks more? The GTX 570 price is fluctuating a bit, seen one for 160 euros now, which is quite close to the 6950.. Still, when performance is this close to each other I'd rather buy the cheaper one.

This is getting too confusing, made this thread a poll


----------



## DarkOCean (Nov 15, 2012)

7850 its your best bet, good oc, 2gb, low power usage and gcn arhitecture.


----------



## ZakkWylde (Nov 15, 2012)

Save up for a 7950, that 3gb of vram will be helpful. I got my gigabyte model for under $300 Canadian in August. If you have a screen that nice you may as well back it up with an adequate gpu! The extra cost of the 7970 just wasn't justified by the slight performance improvement. What are prices like where you are located?


----------



## UbErN00b (Nov 15, 2012)

EarthDog said:


> You definitely do not want a 1GB card at that resolution.
> 
> Why are you being such a dick to me? I'm not offended by you calling me dog though... not sure why you are offended with n00b, since that is your name too...
> 
> ...



You joking right? you proceeded to call me n00b before I said anything and you thought that was ok? 

Still acting like a smart ass who seems more concerned with making me look bad than proving a point, yea course I'm going to take you seriously bro....... 

Try talking facts instead of acting like a 15 yr old h4ck350r


----------



## Lionheart (Nov 15, 2012)

Hd7850


----------



## Nordic (Nov 15, 2012)

I would say 7850 because it is cooler. Cooler = quieter. It is newer with gcn. I bet it overclocks past the 570s overclock if you feel like doing that.


----------



## klmx (Nov 15, 2012)

ZakkWylde said:


> Save up for a 7950, that 3gb of vram will be helpful. I got my gigabyte model for under $300 Canadian in August. If you have a screen that nice you may as well back it up with an adequate gpu! The extra cost of the 7970 just wasn't justified by the slight performance improvement. What are prices like where you are located?



Financially something above 200 bucks just isn't liable to me. I'm just a poor student  Got this monitor from my cousin who upgraded to some 10-bit NEC beast of a thing. 

The HD7950 is going for 280 euros at the cheapest. I've seen a GTX 660 for 220,-. Still, I'm already going over budget if I'm going for the 7850


----------



## Iceni (Nov 16, 2012)

I'd go for that 6950 with the shader tweaks. 

None of the cards you have picked have a massive difference in performance gain. The graph crap daddy posted is a normalized graph. In that it means all speed differences are not based against each other, But rather just against the 7970 (100%). This is a common mistake by a lot of people browsing benchmarks. Also the lowest card on the Graph sets the scale and it is very rare that the bottom card is any good for actually playing games in the first place! They do this so you have a large apparent difference in the performance of the cards. The actual FPS difference in a 6970 and a 7850 is tiny.

Here's something to look at. Metro 2033 @ 2560x1440 4xMSAA, AFx16 Quality High.
link

You'll see that a stock 6970 scores 22.5Fps 
And an overclocked 7850 scores 20.4Fps.

Granted that i could have cherry picked that particular result, But the link is there for you to go browse the rest yourself. 

You'll also note that the bottom card on that table is a 6570 it only scores 2 fps, But the bottom card on the normalized graph is even weaker the 6450 lol 


When you look at real world benchmarks you actually see that the difference in the 6970 and the 570 are pretty marginal. I don't think the 7850 is a contender for you as you have to pay more for the card in the first place. Also you're set up for a sweet deal on the other 2 cards.

If the 6950 was not stable or not unlock able then the 570 would be the clear winner. But because the shaders are confirmed to be working unlocked then I would try barter the price down a little on the 6950.


----------



## EarthDog (Nov 16, 2012)

UbErN00b said:


> You joking right? you proceeded to call me n00b before I said anything and you thought that was ok?
> 
> Still acting like a smart ass who seems more concerned with making me look bad than proving a point, yea course I'm going to take you seriously bro.......
> 
> Try talking facts instead of acting like a 15 yr old h4ck350r


Nope not at all. I called you by the last part of your handle (second time I have said this)... it was quite innocuous to me. However you responded quite aggressively and I understand why knowing what n00b means. But make no mistake it was not meant to be insulting. Perhaps if that brings your hackles up for no reason, you may want to change your handle here thus if someone else calls you n00b again you may get just as fired up. Not sure what the answer is bro, sorry .

Anyway, I think I have defended my thoughts quite well through it all. I supported my vRAM statement prior to you asking for 'facts', and TDP's are just a google click away for power consumption numbers. Not sure what else needs to be proven that I said.... That said, I think we provided plenty of information for the OP to chew on. So through it all the OP should be in a better place to make his decision.


----------



## klmx (Nov 16, 2012)

That's as clear as an answer gets, thanks a lot. 

I've found a 7850 2GB for about the same price as a 6950 2GB, I think I'll go for that one if it comes trough. Newer hardware does sound like a good thing, and I'm reading good things about OCing it. Just not at 50 bucks more, which isn't the case right now. 

Still not sure if I've chosen the right thing, but I guess that's part of fun. At least it will be better than my current GTS 250.. (2009 sez hi)


----------



## Norton (Nov 16, 2012)

klmx said:


> That's as clear as an answer gets, thanks a lot. I've found a 7850 2GB for about the same price as a 6950 2GB, I think I'll go for that one if it comes trough. Newer hardware does sound like a good thing, and I'm reading good things about OCing it. Just not at 50 bucks more, which isn't the case right now.
> 
> Still not sure if I've chosen the right thing, but I guess that's part of fun



FYI- was able to overclock my 7850 easily to 1,000 (core)/1,350 (memory)- ran great at those clocks and only went up 5-10C from stock temps. Moved on to a 7870 since then but was very impressed with the performance I got from that little card


----------



## vawrvawerawe (Nov 16, 2012)

570 is a little better than 7850, but 7850 is a lot less money. So, I would recommend 7850. the 6950 should not be considered as it is a lot less powerful.

Anandtech benchmarks: http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/518?vs=549


----------



## Iceni (Nov 16, 2012)

vawrvawerawe said:


> 570 is a little better than 7850, but 7850 is a lot less money. So, I would recommend 7850. the 6950 should not be considered as it is a lot less powerful.
> 
> Anandtech benchmarks: http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/518?vs=549



You should read the thread. The 6950 has unlocked shaders making it a 6970. The 6970 Beats the 7850 due to the fact the OP was looking at a second hand card that was a good margin cheaper than a new 7850. The 6970 also beats the 7850 in all gaming benchmarks bar Civ5 and SCII at high resolution something that the OP specified. 

Link


----------

