GPU comparison: GTX 660 vs Radeon HD 7870

Hardware Hub GPU
1

I've looked at multiple sources to see which GPU is better but they all give contradictory answers.

I am aware if I go with the 660 I get PhysX which will help me on some games but from what I can understand the 7870 has better specifications.

So my question is when used purely for gaming (games like Battlefield 3/4, GTA4/5, Call of Duty, Assassin's Creed) which would give me the best performance overall? I am not too bothered about minute FPS differences. Also which card would allow me to play at higher settings?

2

For pure gamming a 7870 is best, and a 7870 Tahiti LE/XT eddition is even better. 

youtube.com/watch?v=fiM10G7UyOg

3

they're incredibly close, i'd get whichever is cheaper

battlefield is amd optimized, but I don't know about the rest

4

It's really a toss up.  In some games, the HD 7870 is better.  In others, the GTX 660 wins.  Here's a link to some benchmarks.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gtx-660-geforce-gtx-650-benchmark,3297-12.html

The only game I see that gains a significant improvement in performance is Skyrim...and that's with the HD 7870.  Its min FPS improves by 12.  The average improves by 14.  Dirt Showdown is another game that heavily benefits from the AMD GPU.  There is a 17 FPS difference between their minimums and a 18 FPS difference between the averages.

5

7870 is comparable to the 660ti. Typically, AMD beat Nvidia at each and every price point. I'd say the 7870 is the clear winner in most instances. Many future games will be optimised for AMD, making it the better choice in the long-run.

PhysX isn't an Nvidia-GPU-only technology. You can utilise your processor for PhysX, too.

6

There can be only one.

 

7

...highlander?

8

9

Just ran the Metro 2033 benchmark with my shiney new 7870. Hope this helps. http://puu.sh/469ot.jpg

Frame rate stayed above 30's for the most part. 

10

i'm currious, are you overclocked? to what? because my bench is quite a bit worse at stock, but i've been having a feeling i got a bad card i should've returned when i could've

11

760 is close to the 660 in price and preforms better.

12

The gtx 760 is around £50 more expensive than the 7870 in the uk from this website.

13

No, running stock clocks at the moment. Well, kinda. Facory overclock GPU @1050. Can push it up to 1100, but I see no need to, I just ran it at those clocks to see what it could do. 

Rest of my specs

i7 3770 @ 4.1

16 G RAM

MSi Z 77A-43 (Craptastic overclocker, can clock stuff higher, just have to spend more time on it)

I am happy with it. Might replace my psu though. Some of the cables are kinda short.