Hey, sorry if this is the millionth time this has been asked, but I'm torn between these 2-3 cards, and browsing here has made it no easier. I was about settled on the msi 670 power edition 2 gig for physx(I know I know, barely any games, but I like the visuals, and I play most of the games supporting it), but I'm again considering the 7970 for price and more vram. Money is a bit of an issue, but not down to the last dollar. I've currently set my budget to be ideally in the mid to high 300's. Using one 1080p monitor for now, might go to 2 monitors later, but not for gaming, just browsing. So, in short, I have 3 questions to ask.
1. Is not having physx going to slow an amd card while playing a physx game? I heard some of this in reviews, and I'd like to get a solid answer on this.
2. Is 2 gigs of vram on the 670 enough? I know more is better, but for only one monitor while gaming, is it really necessary?
3. Based on my budget and usage, which card do you believe will better suit my needs?
Thanks for your time if you reply; sorry for my lack of knowledge, this is my first build.
1. No, you just won't have the full physx feature set, but the game will still look insanely good and run at a higher fps.
2. Yes it's more than enough for the single monitor at 1920x1080. I am currently using a EVGA 670 FTW on a 27" 1080p monitor and it is smooth as butter in every single game at max settings (physx included)
3. Again, it depends on what games you are playing... also how important is Physx to you? I love the 670 and am very pleased with its performance. I think that if you the price is within 20-30 bucks of a 7950, then the 670 is the better choice. But a 7970 (especially one of the new ones with a custom heatsink) would be a great card if found within the price range.
My vote: 670, unless you find a great price on a 7970 (non-stock).
For your usage the 670 is fine unless you can get the 7970 with an aftermarket cooler for a similar price because you'll get more preformance. Like MurderousTroll said it all depends on how important Physx is to you on whether or not you want to go with the 670. If you want to save some money you could also go with the MSI 660 Ti power edition. With some overclocking they preform close to a 670.
Well, physx isn't going to be a huge deal, it's just nice to have, at least that's what I have. And thanks to you both, I was second guessing because of the 7970s higher cram and bus speed.
Can i throw it out there that for your usage solution I'd be looking at a 660Ti OC edition, will perform really well in all games and a good 660Ti OC can eclipse 670 performance.
My 2c
I was looking at the 660 ti, however I figured the 670 would be more appropriate for comparison with the 7950/70, as the 660ti seems significantly lower in bus speed.