re: PC Discussion - Gaming, Performance and Enthusiasts

The only important consideration is price/performance. It doesn't matter if AMD doesn't have a single GPU solution that performs as well as NVidia's fastest single GPU. It also doesn't matter how old or new they are either, to a reasonable extent. It's simply a matter of determining your budget, knowing the performance you want, and choosing the best value in that range. If, after the fricking cards actually start shipping and we start seeing real performance tests across multiple review sites in numerous games at numerous resolutions with a multitude of overclock tests, it's determined that a $700 GPU on the market outperforms a $1,000 GPU that's also currently on the market, the $700 card clearly demonstrates the better value. It doesn't matter why the $1000 GPU is $1000. If you need more performance than the $700 card offers, you will need to spend more money, regardless of brand.

But, having said that, if the 290x is only a little faster than the 780, and the starting price for a reference model is really going to be $729, then that's a terrible value based on what else is available. The 780 isn't exactly a good value either. I have no loyalty to either brand. In fact, AMD pulls the same sort of gimmicky bullshite as NVidia. AMD just isn't as successful at it. It just happened that, for the past 9 years, every time I was in the market for a GPU upgrade, AMD always offered a better value for the performance I wanted at the time.

Clearly, it's going to be a while before there is anything out there to tempt me to upgrade. As it stands, the market value of my cards, if sold new, is $600. There is no other GPU solution even close to that price range that offers any significant advantage.

After about 40 hours I beat gta, I can be a pc gamer again

quote:

---

Why are dead pixels such a hot issue with 1440p monitors? Is it just because there are more pixels so the odds are up?

---

The reason being is because non warranty or guarantee is involved. You are buying from an unknown Korean source and return cost are the same as investment cost. That on top of the market exists from a rejected batch of LG IPS panels.

I have 4 1440 monitors in 3 different "brands" from 2 different supplies off eBay. The pixel perfect was not purchased and I DO NOT HAVE A SINGLE DEAD PIXEL. I have had more dead pixels on non-Korean 1080 models than those rejected 1440 panels.

I am about to have some WC gear for sale once I finish the sysprep cycle on the parts.

240mm XSPC slim rad
240mm XSPC thick rad

(using my phone so I need to look up exact model names later)

120mm swiftech mcr-qp
Xspc razor 7970 block
Xspc rasa CPU block
D5 vario pump with xspc dual bay res top
Sunbeam Rheosmart PWM fan controller

What do you all think about the 7970 at this price point ($229). I'd like to purchase a single card now, and in a few years consider dual cards. I assume this will be around for a few years?

7970


Also, I was interested in the 770 when this deal starts later this month: LINK

That's absolutely stupid cheap. If I had that same card I would buy it instantly to xfire

quote:

---

What do you all think about the 7970 at this price point ($229). I'd like to purchase a single card now, and in a few years consider dual cards. I assume this will be around for a few years?

---

Definitely the lowest price I've seen for a 7970 that isn't a stripped down cheapo non-reference version that hits 90C while gaming.

But as Bruce said, these cards won't around much longer. They'll be discontinued at the end of the month, and buying them used will quickly become the only way to get one (not that used is a bad thing, though). The R9-280x is essentially a reflashed, overclocked 7970, perhaps on a souped-up PCB for more power draw, max stability at the higher clocks.

You can get a 280x and crossfire it with a 7970 later, but no guarantees how the different bioses with interact. Crossfire is not a set-it-and-forget-it configuration, even though it's getting closer to being that way.

When I'm in the market for a new card, I always buy current gen, but that 7970 price is very tempting. If you're gaming at 1080p, I still might suggest the 280x simply because it will last you long enough that you may even consider selling it for a new single-GPU solution sometime down the road, rather than crossfire. And the 280x might be easier to sell than the 7970, which is already close to 2 years old.

But I dunno. Maybe buy a used 7970 on ebay if you can get one even cheaper than that XFX. By the time you're ready to upgrade, you can either get another dirt cheap 7970 used, or sell your 7970 for dirt cheap and go with something else, like another flagship card that has had some time to be on the market and go down from its initial "OMG-it's-new-gotta-have-it" premium price.

It is baffling that the 290X might actually cost over $700, when spending ~$600-$640 on two 280x's would significantly outperform it, as well as the Titan and 780.

Nvidia announces 780ti
Nvidia also announces new Gsync in monitors.
The article on Gsync fell in love with the demo they saw and used the phrase game changer. It's a very interesting concept.

I'm not so interested in the 780ti since it is way out of my price range but that gsync is going to be interesting to watch.

eta: also along the lines of batman. Steam has them all 75% off this weekend plus GFWL has been removed from all of them. There is a way on their forums to transfer save games but I'm not really attached to mine.

Don't hold back. Tell us how you really feel!