AMD Radeon HD 7970 3 GB

[ViperXTR]

Nice review!
Would love to see some Compute performance figures, its supposed to be one of GCN's defining improvements over the VLIW architecture

 

[DannibusX]

A couple of these to play what mate? Honestly!!! If we had those sexy pixel-dense OLED monitors available, it would have made some sense.

Minecraft.

 

[theJesus]

Ill tell ya I wanted a 4850 vs 5850 kinda jump over the 69xx series. To me the 7970 is over priced to play console ports and the performance is meh IMO. I guess I'm just hoping for to much anymore. I mean 550 bucks for a GPU is a lil steep in todays economy.

Anyways W1zz's review is top notch as always.

To be fair, all high-end GPUs are over-priced. This one is priced exactly where it should be relative to the 580. 10% more $ for 10% more performance.

 

[Damn_Smooth]

Nice review W1zz, but you forgot the obligatory "No support for CUDA / PhysX".

 

[buggalugs]

Nice review W1zz, but you forgot the obligatory "No support for CUDA / PhysX".

Now he can put "no support for GCN" on Nvidia card reviews. haha

ANyway the card looks great, noise is a concern though for me. Load temps are good so there could be room to slow the fan a little. Or just wait for non reference models.

 

[15th Warlock]

Thanks for the review W1zz, as always excellent work!

The card is a match for a GTX580, at 8% higher overall performance according to this review, but 10% higher MSRP price, or even more as you can find 580s for around $450 after rebates and I expect prices of 580s to fall further more after Jan 9.

One thing I noticed is performance may have been bottlenecked by the test rig, particularly at lower resolutions giving the 580 an edge on price/performance, although people who get this card will game at high resolutions (5760x1080 in my particular case) so this card may make more sense.

Another thing I noticed, but is totally unrelated to the review, is, the screenshot you used for Skyrim is almost the same as the one I submitted for your Skyrim screenshots thread, only yours was taken at a much better angle I feel honored

 

[dj-electric]

I'll go ahead and say that according to some benchmarks online the 11.12 software and the reviewer's software is one serious flop (look at BF3 25X16 result).In summery HD6990 from being the leader he switches place with GTX590. Hoping to see improvements over the next couple of months

 

[Super XP]

Great review Wiz, thank you.
I was hoping for more performance over the HD 6900 series, but this is what we get with new tech. With driver performing updates and new games to take full advantage of this new card, I can see it being worth the price AMD is asking. But right now I believe its approx: $100 too expensive. This is definitely on my TO GET list once price goes down unless I can find a good deal on another HD 6970 for a Crossfire setup.

 

[Vipeax]

W1zzard, I always use your performance summaries as a reference point, but you made a mistake this time.

The HD5970 has to be a "bit" off?

 

[Jstn7477]

Nice review!
Would love to see some Compute performance figures, its supposed to be one of GCN's defining improvements over the VLIW architecture

F@H numbers, definitely. If this thing folds like a GTX 580 on steroids, I bet lots of people will be happy including myself.

 

[Over_Lord]

awesome performance, at 499$ would make a perfect card. Even then, AMD wants to earn back all it risked with 28nm, and having come on top of nVidia again by atleast 1 Quarter, they deserve to price it high, and yet people will buy(somewhat like Intel with CPUs)

And CFx SCALING is AMAZING. It leaves the GTX580 Sli in the dust with 7600x resolution gaming.

Check hardwareheaven for the review.

 

[R_1]

Considering that Jen-Hsun Huang was pretending to hold in his hands 512 cores Tesla GPU back in September 2009, it doesn't look HD7970 to be some super-duper achievement.

 

[krisna159]

wow nice...great review like always Wizz
i cant wait to see this card coming to my country....its time to upgrade now...

 

[Zubasa]

Is it me or does it looks like the 32ROPs is whats holding the card back?

 

[1Kurgan1]

perf/$ it's -10%, -3%, -2%, 1% and 7% compared to the GTX 580. It's only "worth it" in 2560x1600.

At $50 more, 10% performance gain when using 1920x1080 is a pretty large gap, I would easily pay $50 for that. So I got to disagree. I don't see where you are getting negative performance vs a 580 from though? The performance summary shows it's higher at every single resolution (except 1024 where its tied). I see 0%, +6%, +7%, +10, and +15%.

 

[AsRock]

Nice review as always W1z..

Not worth the upgrade for me but expected that anyways. Those with a 6970 may as well get another 6970.

 

[DrunkenMafia]

Wow, great card, and you only gave it a 9.0 W1zz ..

Loving the power consumption but was surprised at how slow it is at lower res. It is definitely tuned for 1920 and up.

I guess it is roughly the same speed as my 5870 crossfire but with half the power consumption..

Great review, I have been waiting for ages for this!!

Maybe the bulldozer dept, should spend some time in the GFX dept. Lol

 

[R_1]

Man, some people just don't see any meaningful application for +500 Euro GPU, so it is useless for them. No matter how fast it is I will never buy Ferrari.

 

[BlackOmega]

Nice review wiz, what was the actual P score in 3dm11?

 

[1Kurgan1]

Nice review as always W1z..

Not worth the upgrade for me but expected that anyways. Those with a 6970 may as well get another 6970.

Not really, with those still being over $300. I'd sell the 6970 for $275 - $300 and buy a 7970. Buying another 6970 will get you the performance increase now, but will screw you down the line on an upgrade path, as a 3rd 6970 won't give you a large gain, but a second 7970 would.

 

[dj-electric]

Is it me or does it looks like the 32ROPs is whats holding the card back?

To me it seems like currently those are the drivers who are holding the card back :\

 

[Compelling]

It amazes me that you test this card with an intel cpu???? I personally would like to see new architecture with new architecture! Test the HD7970 with a Crosshair V Formula and a FX-8150 (Zambezi) and see what it does. I don't get it, the Bulldozer comes out and its tested mainly with an Invidia card and not an AMD which is totally backwards! Oh well, I guess your an Intel/invidia fanboy (no offense meant at all) or are being paid to run test setups weird! Then again your not the only site testing this way... Weird!

I'd like to see you put the new tech from AMD (8150 AM3/hd7970 and a AM3+ motherboard people actually use) together and then test or compare it to the old tech (1090T/HD6990/Motherboard people use) to see if the new tech is close to inline with the highest old tech from AMD! Don't include Invidia, reason is to see just how far AMD is taking off with the new architecture. I'f the new is inline or even close with the old from the get go, then AMD is taking off for sure! Test AMD with AMD and test Invidia with Intel, seams to be the way it should be! AMD's CPU, AMD's Chipset, AMD's Video card... That just makes sence...

As I mentioned, no offense with the Invidia Fanboy line but sites dogged the 8150-FX with mainly Invidia testing but if you read reviews with people who actually own them and paired it with the right stough the FX/Bulldozer/Zambezi etc... are great Cpu's!

AFTER that, take a matching Intel motherboard that people actually use, matching Intel cpu/Invidia gtx590 setup and get the true results! Then compare the prices between the 2 and see who's true'ly kickin who's butt atm!



To me, it's kinda like taking a Chevy and Ford (V-8) Similar type pickups and the engines being the cpu's while the transmissions are the video cards, the rest of the trucks being the motherboards and chipsets. Switch the engines (cpu's) and transmissions (Video Cards) between the trucks (motherboards and chipsets) and your either gonna see an improvement or lack there of! Bottom line here is, some things are meant to go together, computers are no exception... Again, just my opinion!

Thanks!

 

[Damn_Smooth]

It amazes me that you test this card with an intel cpu???? I personally would like to see new architecture with new architecture! Test the HD7970 with a Crosshair V Formula and a FX-8150 (Zambezi) and see what it does. I don't get it, the Bulldozer comes out and its tested mainly with an Invidia card and not an AMD which is totally backwards! Oh well, I guess your an Intel/invidia fanboy (no offense meant at all) or are being paid to run test setups weird! Then again your not the only site testing this way... Weird!

I'd like to see you put the new tech from AMD (8150 AM3/hd7970 and a AM3+ motherboard people actually use) together and then test or compare it to the old tech (1090T/HD6990/Motherboard people use) to see if the new tech is close to inline with the highest old tech from AMD! Don't include Invidia, reason is to see just how far AMD is taking off with the new architecture. I'f the new is inline or even close with the old from the get go, then AMD is taking off for sure! Test AMD with AMD and test Invidia with Intel, seams to be the way it should be! AMD's CPU, AMD's Chipset, AMD's Video card... That just makes sence...

As I mentioned, no offense with the Invidia Fanboy line but sites dogged the 8150-FX with mainly Invidia testing but if you read reviews with people who actually own them and paired it with the right stough the FX/Bulldozer/Zambezi etc... are great Cpu's!

AFTER that, take a matching Intel motherboard that people actually use, matching Intel cpu/Invidia gtx590 setup and get the true results! Then compare the prices between the 2 and see who's true'ly kickin who's butt atm!



To me, it's kinda like taking a Chevy and Ford (V-8) Similar type pickups and the engines being the cpu's while the transmissions are the video cards, the rest of the trucks being the motherboards and chipsets. Switch the engines (cpu's) and transmissions (Video Cards) between the trucks (motherboards and chipsets) and your either gonna see an improvement or lack there of! Bottom line here is, some things are meant to go together, computers are no exception... Again, just my opinion!

Thanks!

 

[dieterd]

new generation sux!

well - this is 1.st generation upgraide that in price/preformance sux to previos one!
I mean every strongest single GPU from AMD did cost around 350$ (since hd 2xxx) and every new generation left previos one preformance in smoke - the price preformance was real jump and real reason to celebrate new generation! for this one - obviously not the case. I mean would you care and be pleased in 2010. december about new(that time) hd6970 wich would somke hd 5870, beat gtx 480 and costed more than gtx 480 - NO, that would SUCK!!!! (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/HIS/Radeon_HD_6970/)
then why now are you (moust of you) celebrating this price/preformance regress???
you whant this to happen to every new generation? well - if this would be like that then now hd 7970 should cost x4 times hd 4870 and that would be >1000$ and if it would start from hd 2xxx then ... - I would not be playing/paying PC anymore!

 

[hrvoje]

Great job Wizz as always, as for a card, it will need some price cuts (at least for me), as for performance i think its satisfactorily