AMD Radeon HD 7970 3 GB

[W1zzard]

Theres no way a 6970 can lose 25% performance in a benchmark(heaven), in a couple of months.

hd 6970 2560x1600:

catalyst 11.12: 21.0 fps
catalyst 11.2: 31.1 fps

can someone try to verify please? (should be visible at lower resolution, too)

 

[TheMailMan78]

hd 6970 2560x1600:

catalyst 11.12: 21.0 fps
catalyst 11.2: 31.1 fps

can someone try to verify please? (should be visible at lower resolution, too)

Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't the 11.2 drivers done with the old driver team? That could explain it right there.

 

[cadaveca]

hd 6970 2560x1600:

catalyst 11.12: 21.0 fps
catalyst 11.2: 31.1 fps

can someone try to verify please? (should be visible at lower resolution, too)

I can test with 6950 2 GB only. But I can tell you that yes, current drivers are slower than just after launch. At the same time, image quality changed a bit too, that I could tell. The 11.4 driver, when they introduced the new "CCC" at the time, I think was when the performance drop occurred, and was there for nearly all apps. There's probably some complaints on the forums from back around then about poor performance...

Now, with 3DMark 2011, the most recent patch gives lower scores overall than previous versions, so there should be a drop there now too.

Now we have yet another newer CCC, so I expect things to maybe stabilize after 6 months, as per the norm.

The only thing for me is that at the time, I was using multi-GPU and multi-monitor, and had other issues that still exist, like flicker on secondary monitors and such, that made the performance loss seem like not a big deal. When did SP1 come out? Is that potentially a factor as well?

 

[buggalugs]

hd 6970 2560x1600:

catalyst 11.12: 21.0 fps
catalyst 11.2: 31.1 fps

can someone try to verify please? (should be visible at lower resolution, too)

I installed 11.12 and I got 45.5 in heaven(@1080p), Every driver is around 45 ever since I got the 6970 when it first came out. Even my old 5870 got around 32fps in Heaven. Something is wrong with your system, because my hardware is almost identical to the test system. The only difference is 1080p/1200 res.



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I think you have a software problem and I think I know what it is. After driver 11.7(or maybe 11.8) There was a C+ error that screwed up CCC. If you are changing from 11.2 to 11.12 drivers you would be affected by it.

Try this, uninstall all AMD software and reboot, go into control panel and uninstall Microsoft C+ Redist 2010 x64 and reboot. Now Install driver 11.12(C+ is included) and reboot. (Then Load factory defaults in CCC)


Problem solved. Your low scores for the 6970 arent consistent with your previous reviews.

Anyway Wizzard I love your work, I hope the fix works.

I can test with 6950 2 GB only. But I can tell you that yes, current drivers are slower than just after launch. ?

I dont agree, my scores have been pretty consistent. EVen Wizzards reviews are consistent except for the 7970 review. We're talking about a 25% difference in performance, if AMD have lost 25% performance there would be world wide outrage and it would be front page news.

Other reviews around the net dont show any significant drop in performance on AMD cards. Wizzards review is the odd one out, and I'm pretty sure its a software error.


This is Wizzards last graphics card review (before the 7970) for Zotac GTX 560, it was done only 6 weeks ago(Nov 29th) and the 6970 scores 45.3 in Heaven benchmark@1920x1200.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zotac/GeForce_GTX_560_Ti_448_Cores/24.html

So the 6970 has lost 25% in 6 weeks? Doesnt make sense

Edit: just to add the 11.12 driver isnt a good driver overall, and its not recommended by AMD to use.

This is what AMD say about 11.12:

The AMD Catalyst™ 12.1 Preview includes all of the features found in AMD Catalyst™ 11.12 and also includes all of the latest optimizations found in the AMD Catalyst 11.11c performance drivers (AMD Catalyst 11.12 does not include the latest 11.11c optimizations). It is highly recommended that all gamers use the AMD Catalyst 12.1 Preview driver.

I know the preview driver doesnt work with the 7970 so thats a problem, but if you're using a driver thats not recommended (11.12)thats a problem too. I think Wizzard will have to rerun the tests when the official 12.1 driver is released in a few days because the results arent accurate.

 

[W1zzard]

I think you have a software problem

the current vga rig is a complete reinstall with only 11.12 ever being installed.

for testing i went back to the old installation, same results with 11.12.

i tried 11.2 on both installations and got the same (higher) results, suggesting it's not an installation problem on my side

to downgrade catalyst you have to uninstall the newer drivers first.

please uninstall your ati driver, reboot, install 11.2, run the bench and report back

but if you're using a driver thats not recommended (11.12)thats a problem too

amd recommends their latest WHQL driver, and most people use it, that's why I use WHQL only.
if amd can't get their WHQL drivers working right, SOL AMD.

 

[buggalugs]

amd recommends their latest WHQL driver, and most people use it, that's why I use WHQL only.
if amd can't get their WHQL drivers working right, SOL AMD.

Usually thats the case, but 11.12 is the first time they recommend not to use it. Probably because they have a new card with new CCC features they didnt want to waste time on the old one that will be obsolete.

Anyway this is 11.2. , I had an install error "C+ failed to load" as I described in my previous post. But I fixed it and results are about the same.

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My 6970 has improved a little since 11.2. If you installed drivers from scratch it must be just 11.12 is a bad driver for you but the difference is too big to ignore.

Maybe you can use 12.1 preview this time(or wait for 12.1WHQL) and rerun the tests.




..

 

[dj-electric]

I have tested Heaven 2.5 with HD6970. 1920X1200 4XAA the rest is default. 36.3FPS
(3960X @ 4.2Ghz)

Kinda similar to the performance you got w1zz.
BUT something weirder happend. you used 16 Dec driver, i used the updated 20 Dec one and got only 55.1FPS with HD7970 on that screnario

 

[W1zzard]

I have tested Heaven 2.5 with HD6970. 1920X1200 4XAA the rest is default. 36.3FPS
(3960X @ 4.2Ghz)

check catalyst 11.2 vs. 11.12

also check if heaven 2.0 makes any difference. i'm using heaven 2.0 because they want me to buy the pro version for automation @ $495, vs. free with 2.0

 

[dj-electric]

Y U Make me waste time on older graphics cards when i need to work on new ones ლ(ಠ益ಠლ)

Alrighty. Heaven 2.0 - HD6970
1920X1200 4XAA

Cat 11.2 - 40.7FPS
Cat 11.12 - 31.8FPS

There's definitely a problem and heaven 2.0 performance have dramatically decreased

 

[W1zzard]

Cat 11.2 - 40.7FPS
Cat 11.12 - 31.8FPS

There's definitely a problem and heaven 2.0 performance have dramatically decreased

thanks

 

[buggalugs]

Cat 11.2 - 40.7FPS
Cat 11.12 - 31.8FPS

There's definitely a problem and heaven 2.0 performance have dramatically decreased

But your heaven 2.5 score was low too with driver 11.12.

I just ran heaven 2.0 and got 42.9 fps , pretty much the same. My min/max fps was a little lower though.

So with all the drivers and heaven 2.0/2.5 I get between 42.9-45.5fps.

Maybe you guys can try 12.1 preview, and make sure you have the C+ and .net updates from windows update.

@ Wizard I dont understand how to use the automation thingy. Do you put the commands in the cfg file or something?

 

[pokazene_maslo]

The only thing I don't like about this card is the multi-monitor power consumption. Otherwise it's PERFECT.

 

[Laki747]

Gigabyte X58A-UD3R
i7 950 3.06
3x2gb Patriot Viper 1600mhz
HD 7970
Asus XONAR XD/DX/A
CFT 700W

I bought the card and had it installed today...i tried SC2 1920x1080 all maxed out and BF3 1920x1080 4AA all maxed out...both games were set on highest resolution and details possible

SC2 worked the same as it worked on HD6950 2GB that i had until today...Even with HD7970 when 1v1 big fight comes up FPS drops even to 25fps but usually it is between 50-60fps ( FRAPS )...86 fps seems impossible on my rig

BF3....i also expected this game to run better...FPS drops to 35-40fps too often...

 

[buggalugs]

I bought the card and had it installed today...i tried SC2 1920x1080 all maxed out and BF3 1920x1080 4AA all maxed out...both games were set on highest resolution and details possible

SC2 worked the same as it worked on HD6950 2GB that i had until today...Even with HD7970 when 1v1 big fight comes up FPS drops even to 25fps but usually it is between 50-60fps ( FRAPS )...86 fps seems impossible on my rig

BF3....i also expected this game to run better...FPS drops to 35-40fps too often...

That doesnt sound right. Run 3D mark11 and Heaven to see if your scores are ok.

 

[Laki747]

I downloaded some free version of 3dmark 11 and i could only perform some basic test since better and more complex tests are not free...result is P7264...at the end of the benchmarking it says :

Your Score is Low Compared to Similar Systems.
There may be a problem.

I downloaded Unigine from techpowerup site and i was also able to perform some basic standard test...

Powered by Unigine Engine
Heaven Benchmark v2.5 Basic
FPS:
67.1
Scores:
1689
Min FPS:
10.2
Max FPS:
147.3
Hardware
Binary:
Windows 32bit Visual C++ 1600 Release Mar 1 2011
Operating system:
Windows 7 (build 7600) 64bit
CPU model:
Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU 950 @ 3.07GHz
CPU flags:
3103MHz MMX SSE SSE2 SSE3 SSSE3 SSE41 SSE42 HTT
GPU model:
AMD Radeon HD 7900 Series 8.921.2.0 3072Mb
Settings
Render:
direct3d11
Mode:
1920x1080 fullscreen
Shaders:
high
Textures:
high
Filter:
trilinear
Anisotropy:
4x
Occlusion:
enabled
Refraction:
enabled
Volumetric:
enabled
Tessellation:
normal


Are those scores normal or something is not right...maybe drivers are not right.

Catalyst control center info

Driver Packaging Version : 8.921.2-120104a-131222E-ATI
Catalyst Version : 11.12
Provider : Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
2D Driver Version : 8.01.01.1215
2D Driver File Path : /REGISTRY/MACHINE/SYSTEM/ControlSet001/Control/CLASS/{4D36E968-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}/0001
Direct3D Version : 7.14.10.0890
OpenGL Version : 6.14.10.11331
Catalyst Control Center Version : 2012.0104.2210.39734
AMD Audio Driver Version : 7.12.0.7704

 

[eidairaman1]

ill wait for a 6144 MB edition

 

[Laki747]

Is it normal that i have lower minimum FPS with 7970 then you with 6970 in Unigine?

 

[Xaser04]

Gigabyte X58A-UD3R
i7 950 3.06
3x2gb Patriot Viper 1600mhz
HD 7970
Asus XONAR XD/DX/A
CFT 700W

I bought the card and had it installed today...i tried SC2 1920x1080 all maxed out and BF3 1920x1080 4AA all maxed out...both games were set on highest resolution and details possible

SC2 worked the same as it worked on HD6950 2GB that i had until today...Even with HD7970 when 1v1 big fight comes up FPS drops even to 25fps but usually it is between 50-60fps ( FRAPS )...86 fps seems impossible on my rig

BF3....i also expected this game to run better...FPS drops to 35-40fps too often...

SC2 could be down to your CPU bottlenecking in this case both cards. Try with the CPU at or near 4GHZ to see if things improve.

BF3 sounds about right considering your are running the 4xAA deffered option and you say they drop to 35-40.

Get that HD7970 clocked and watch it fly (not literally of course).

 

[Laki747]

I have never overclocked any of the components so i dont think i know how to do it the right way...

 

[Xaser04]

I have never overclocked any of the components so i dont think i know how to do it the right way...

In this case I would google for some i7 - 920/930/950 clocking guides before trying anything.

Basically they are clocked using the base clock (previously known as the FSB in older processors). You will be increasing this to increase the overall core clock of the CPU (worked out by combining the built in multiplier with the base clock). From what I remember of the Nehalem i7's (had a i7 920) you should be able to do 3.8-4GHz without a massive increase in core (Vcore) voltage (important as they can run hot), anymore than that is very much down to how good a clocker the chip is.

What CPU cooler are you running? If it is the stock Intel one you will want to change that pronto before clocking as it simply can't handle the heat generated.

In terms of clocking the HD7970 it is a simple case of either increasing the clocks in CCC overdrive or using a program like MSI afterburner to increase the clocks. You will have to "unlock" Afterburner to get the true clocking potential of the GPU (google for how to do this as I can't recall the message you need to input into the config file off of the top of my head).

The main advantage to overclocking through Afterburner is that you can monitor your voltages and temperatures in real time. You can also set custom fan profiles to keep things either nice and quiet - at the expense of heat, or loud but cool.

If in doubt ask in the relevant section of the forum or do a google search before trying anything. In addition you may find helpful videos guiding you through the process on Youtube (note - your MB may be slightly different to the ones featured but the general idea is the same).

 

[Laki747]

Thank you very much...i will research a little bit more about it but TBH CPU clocking is a little bit confusing to me...

On the other hand GPU clocking in CCC overdrive seems a lot easier...I just need to find what numbers should i put instead of stock ones to perform safe clock...

 

[Laki747]

If i decide to go with CCC clocking...

High performance GPU clock settings: 925Mhz ( max select 1125 )

High performance memory clock settings : 1375Mhz (max select 1575 )

What numbers instead of those are safe to put so the card is clocked and still be on the safe side?

 

[Laki747]

I set it up via Sapphire TRIX ( I have Sapphire HD7970 ) to 1075/1715.The same clock that showed stable work of the graphic card that can be found in HD7970 review on techPowerUp review...I hope my card is safe with this Heaven showed nice improvement btw...

 

[dj-electric]

Dude, please do not triple\double post.

 

[twicksisted]

Thank you very much...i will research a little bit more about it but TBH CPU clocking is a little bit confusing to me...

The HD7970 should be able to chew through any game maxxed out making overclocking unneccessary for normal use. If youre not familiar with overclocking this is quite an expensive graphics card to be learning on (unless you have buckets of cash hehe).

I set it up via Sapphire TRIX ( I have Sapphire HD7970 ) to 1075/1715.The same clock that showed stable work of the graphic card that can be found in HD7970 review on techPowerUp review...I hope my card is safe with this Heaven showed nice improvement btw...

Overclocking is fun but make sure you do a bit of research into overclocking video cards and understand what you are doing when changing voltages and clock speeds or you could end up with an expensive paper weight
Every graphics card is slightly different and will run at different temperatures and speeds.