[O/C] AMD HD6970 Graphics Card Review

vixro · 12-16-10, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hokiealumnus

For what it's worth, the drivers given to us were pre-release press drivers that happened to be 10.11 with the 69xx added to them. I tried the pre-release 10.12 we were given and it didn't get along with the card for whatever reason. Haven't had time to try the official 10.12 yet.

I agree it would have been very nice to have better comparison cards. It's just one of those things...you can only bench what you have. Thankfully we have AMD's current top dog, so now all we need to do is obtain NVIDIA's high-end for comparison. With each review, the comparison chart grows (until the next generation test rig comes into play, then I just have to re-bench those cards still in my office

).

This is true, thanks for the hard work regardless.

Brolloks · 12-16-10, 09:14 PM

My 6970 was supposed to arrive today but UPS did not play nice. Here are some benchmarks that will be used to compare the 6970 to.

GTX 580 - 900/1100 (262.99 drivers)

GTX 570 - 950/1100 (263.09 drivers)

CPU - W3680 at 200 x 22 (4.4 Ghz)

OS - Win 7 (64)

prpz · 12-16-10, 10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brolloks

My 6970 was supposed to arrive today but UPS did not play nice. Here are some benchmarks that will be used to compare the 6970 to.

GTX 580 - 900/1100

GTX 570 - 950/1100

CPU - W3680 at 200 x 22 (4.4 Ghz)

Those are some very nice numbers....Im testing the 6970 atm and I now have something to compare with......

I.M.O.G. · 12-16-10, 10:24 PM

Brolloks, can you post the drivers you are running also for reference with your results? What you have is a nice start, hope your 6970 gets there tomorrow.

EarthDog · 12-16-10, 10:33 PM

Anyone see the 'possible' reason for delay in these things?

Supposedly the 8 pin connectors are hand shaved as they didnt fit under the fan or something???????

Oops someone got it here already...: http://www.overclockers.com/forums/s...1&postcount=21

Hokie, does this one have it?

hokiealumnus · 12-16-10, 11:06 PM

This is the best photo of the connector I have. It does look like a little chip missing from the 8-pin on the left, but it's nowhere near as severe or noticeable as the ones linked from the post you're linking to.

Name: 6970-connector.jpg
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Name: 6970-connector.jpg
Views: 512
Size: 173.3 KB

Very interesting.

I.M.O.G. · 12-16-10, 11:07 PM

I heard about that earthdog then looked a bit closer at the picture hokie provided. It definitely appears to have a corner of the power connector polished down, though not as much as in other pictures I've seen:
http://www.overclockers.com/wp-conte...AMD6970-13.jpg

Seems silly for AMD to not mention something like that to the press, and leave it to reviewers to find. Why not be forthcoming with physical design issues on review samples? Sort of a shame... When something trivial is discovered like that, its a lot more distracting than it would have been if it was announced up front.

hokiealumnus · 12-16-10, 11:16 PM

When my brilliant self realized that started as a much larger file, I cropped it down for a better view.

Name: 6970-connector-close.jpg
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Name: 6970-connector-close.jpg
Views: 511
Size: 130.7 KB

Definitely looks similar to the others but with more care than some of the example photos. I'll email AMD to see if they want to comment.

EarthDog · 12-16-10, 11:20 PM

Almost looks like they didnt notice, turned the fan on and they all got hit by the fan and cracked off!

hokiealumnus · 12-16-10, 11:24 PM

Emailed AMD. Will let you know what they say.

EarthDog · 12-16-10, 11:25 PM

Great!

ON a serious note, can you tell if its the fan that needed clearance?

hokiealumnus · 12-17-10, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EarthDog

Great!

ON a serious note, can you tell if its the fan that needed clearance?

I have no idea without taking it apart again and it's in use awaiting voltage control (fingers crossed that someone, somewhere finds software for that) right now.

More importantly than my card, word is in from AMD. Here is their take on the situation, verbatim:

Quote:

The modification to the power connector seen on some Radeon HD 6900 series cards was a conscious development decision.

The reference boards use both fan and heatsink designs from multiple vendors and it was discovered some material produced on initial designs required adjustment.

As a result we modified the PCIe power connector for a very small number of boards using affected components. These were mostly used for samples, as the most time and cost efficient solution to bringing the product to market in volume.

This minor modification to the connector in no way affects the operation of the card and our partners have designed solutions which do not require this modification.

So, there you have it!

I.M.O.G. · 12-17-10, 10:26 AM

Nice, thanks Hokie!

EarthDog · 12-17-10, 11:03 AM

Excellent. Thanks for the follow up. It looks like they are all HAND modified as well. Interesting.

Dave65 · 12-18-10, 05:19 AM

Excellent review as usual ..thanks much

Dave65 · 12-18-10, 05:24 AM

Im really struggling between a GTX580 and the 6970 to replace my 5870.

hokiealumnus · 12-18-10, 07:26 AM

Thank you.

It really depends on how much money you want to spend. For the money, the 6970 is a very solid card. If you want the absolute best single GPU card on the market, go with the 580. You'll pay for the privilege though.

Brolloks · 12-23-10, 10:22 PM

HD 6970 - 950/1450 (Cat 10.12a drivers)

GTX 580 - 900/1100 (262.99 drivers)

GTX 570 - 950/1100 (263.09 drivers)

HD 5970 - 950/1200 (Cat 10.9 drivers)

CPU - W3680 at 200 x 22 (4.4 Ghz)

OS - Win 7 (64)

hokiealumnus · 12-23-10, 10:24 PM

Excellent comparison Edmund, thank you very much! Looks like the 5970 is still king, even if it takes two GPUs to do it, but just barely in 06.

I bet things would change if we could get some software that controlled voltage on the 6970!

Brolloks · 12-23-10, 10:42 PM

Yes, drivers still a bit green on the 6970 plus I don't really think these old benchmarks do the card justice IMO.

As for 3DM06 I was really CPU bound at 4.4 Ghx...more speed will make the cards fly.

12-16-10, 09:14 PM	#22
Brolloks Benching Senior on Siesta Premium Member #8 Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Land of Long Horns	My 6970 was supposed to arrive today but UPS did not play nice. Here are some benchmarks that will be used to compare the 6970 to. GTX 580 - 900/1100 (262.99 drivers) GTX 570 - 950/1100 (263.09 drivers) CPU - W3680 at 200 x 22 (4.4 Ghz) OS - Win 7 (64) Attached Images __________________ Should I get a Quad- or Dual-Core? - How about joining us in the Benching Lounge for some secrets - Want to bench sub-zero...take a look. Heatware 280-0-0 HWBOT Profile Last edited by Brolloks; 12-16-10 at 10:40 PM.
	QUOTE Thanks

12-16-10, 10:24 PM	#24
I.M.O.G. Glorious Leader Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Rootstown, OH	Brolloks, can you post the drivers you are running also for reference with your results? What you have is a nice start, hope your 6970 gets there tomorrow. __________________ The OC Forums Way We are a team. We are a community. We are a fellowship made strong by mutual respect and shared dedication to the task of enriching all who come here. The OC Forums Thank You Thread Put your computer to work for our OC Forum Teams! Try out our POST TEMPLATES, they save you time answering common questions! I spend half my money on CPUs, GPUs, and Liquid Nitrogen. The other half I waste.
	QUOTE Thanks

12-16-10, 10:33 PM	#25
EarthDog Senior PITA Member Overclockers.com Editor Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Stuck in Maryland...	Anyone see the 'possible' reason for delay in these things? Supposedly the 8 pin connectors are hand shaved as they didnt fit under the fan or something??????? Oops someone got it here already...: http://www.overclockers.com/forums/s...1&postcount=21 Hokie, does this one have it? __________________ C2D/C2Q Overclocking Guide / i3/i5/i7 (s1366/1156) Overclocking Guide/Info / SandyBridge/ Ivybridge Overclocking Guide / AMD Overclocking Guide / Power Supply Guide SSD Reliability/Write Endurance / JOIN THE BENCHING TEAM! / Bulldozer Overclocking Guide / Forum Etiquette Want to see your writing featured on the overclockers.com Front Page? PM me, I can help! "We have more information and more ways of accessing it than ever, yet seem increasingly less inclined to do so."- Michael Wilbon
	QUOTE Thanks

12-16-10, 11:06 PM	#26
hokiealumnus Water Cooled Moderator Overclockers.com Lead Editor Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Raleigh, NC	This is the best photo of the connector I have. It does look like a little chip missing from the 8-pin on the left, but it's nowhere near as severe or noticeable as the ones linked from the post you're linking to. Very interesting. __________________ Enjoy benchmarks? Join the benching team! \| New to water cooling? Read the Beginner's Guide to Water Cooling Your PC. xsuperbgx - "As a wise man once said: "Less talky. More clocky."" \| cyberfish - "When overclocked, it's undefined behavior." I.M.O.G. - "Vaseline on Ivy Bridge is a bad idea. But not so bad of an idea that it can't be fixed with a torpedo heater, a dishwasher, an oven, and a few hours. " \m/ OverClockers mATX L33T Club \m/ - Join Now! - My mITX Build
	QUOTE Thanks

12-16-10, 11:07 PM	#27
I.M.O.G. Glorious Leader Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Rootstown, OH	I heard about that earthdog then looked a bit closer at the picture hokie provided. It definitely appears to have a corner of the power connector polished down, though not as much as in other pictures I've seen: http://www.overclockers.com/wp-conte...AMD6970-13.jpg Seems silly for AMD to not mention something like that to the press, and leave it to reviewers to find. Why not be forthcoming with physical design issues on review samples? Sort of a shame... When something trivial is discovered like that, its a lot more distracting than it would have been if it was announced up front. __________________ The OC Forums Way We are a team. We are a community. We are a fellowship made strong by mutual respect and shared dedication to the task of enriching all who come here. The OC Forums Thank You Thread Put your computer to work for our OC Forum Teams! Try out our POST TEMPLATES, they save you time answering common questions! I spend half my money on CPUs, GPUs, and Liquid Nitrogen. The other half I waste.
	QUOTE Thanks

[O/C] AMD HD6970 Graphics Card Review

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Tech Hardware

12-16-10, 11:16 PM	#28
hokiealumnus Water Cooled Moderator Overclockers.com Lead Editor Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Raleigh, NC	When my brilliant self realized that started as a much larger file, I cropped it down for a better view. Definitely looks similar to the others but with more care than some of the example photos. I'll email AMD to see if they want to comment. __________________ Enjoy benchmarks? Join the benching team! \| New to water cooling? Read the Beginner's Guide to Water Cooling Your PC. xsuperbgx - "As a wise man once said: "Less talky. More clocky."" \| cyberfish - "When overclocked, it's undefined behavior." I.M.O.G. - "Vaseline on Ivy Bridge is a bad idea. But not so bad of an idea that it can't be fixed with a torpedo heater, a dishwasher, an oven, and a few hours. " \m/ OverClockers mATX L33T Club \m/ - Join Now! - My mITX Build
	QUOTE Thanks

12-16-10, 11:20 PM	#29
EarthDog Senior PITA Member Overclockers.com Editor Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Stuck in Maryland...	Almost looks like they didnt notice, turned the fan on and they all got hit by the fan and cracked off! __________________ C2D/C2Q Overclocking Guide / i3/i5/i7 (s1366/1156) Overclocking Guide/Info / SandyBridge/ Ivybridge Overclocking Guide / AMD Overclocking Guide / Power Supply Guide SSD Reliability/Write Endurance / JOIN THE BENCHING TEAM! / Bulldozer Overclocking Guide / Forum Etiquette Want to see your writing featured on the overclockers.com Front Page? PM me, I can help! "We have more information and more ways of accessing it than ever, yet seem increasingly less inclined to do so."- Michael Wilbon
	QUOTE Thanks

12-16-10, 11:24 PM	#30
hokiealumnus Water Cooled Moderator Overclockers.com Lead Editor Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Raleigh, NC	Emailed AMD. Will let you know what they say. __________________ Enjoy benchmarks? Join the benching team! \| New to water cooling? Read the Beginner's Guide to Water Cooling Your PC. xsuperbgx - "As a wise man once said: "Less talky. More clocky."" \| cyberfish - "When overclocked, it's undefined behavior." I.M.O.G. - "Vaseline on Ivy Bridge is a bad idea. But not so bad of an idea that it can't be fixed with a torpedo heater, a dishwasher, an oven, and a few hours. " \m/ OverClockers mATX L33T Club \m/ - Join Now! - My mITX Build
	QUOTE Thanks

12-16-10, 11:25 PM	#31
EarthDog Senior PITA Member Overclockers.com Editor Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Stuck in Maryland...	Great! ON a serious note, can you tell if its the fan that needed clearance? __________________ C2D/C2Q Overclocking Guide / i3/i5/i7 (s1366/1156) Overclocking Guide/Info / SandyBridge/ Ivybridge Overclocking Guide / AMD Overclocking Guide / Power Supply Guide SSD Reliability/Write Endurance / JOIN THE BENCHING TEAM! / Bulldozer Overclocking Guide / Forum Etiquette Want to see your writing featured on the overclockers.com Front Page? PM me, I can help! "We have more information and more ways of accessing it than ever, yet seem increasingly less inclined to do so."- Michael Wilbon
	QUOTE Thanks

12-17-10, 10:26 AM	#33
I.M.O.G. Glorious Leader Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Rootstown, OH	Nice, thanks Hokie! __________________ The OC Forums Way We are a team. We are a community. We are a fellowship made strong by mutual respect and shared dedication to the task of enriching all who come here. The OC Forums Thank You Thread Put your computer to work for our OC Forum Teams! Try out our POST TEMPLATES, they save you time answering common questions! I spend half my money on CPUs, GPUs, and Liquid Nitrogen. The other half I waste.
	QUOTE Thanks

12-17-10, 11:03 AM	#34
EarthDog Senior PITA Member Overclockers.com Editor Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Stuck in Maryland...	Excellent. Thanks for the follow up. It looks like they are all HAND modified as well. Interesting. __________________ C2D/C2Q Overclocking Guide / i3/i5/i7 (s1366/1156) Overclocking Guide/Info / SandyBridge/ Ivybridge Overclocking Guide / AMD Overclocking Guide / Power Supply Guide SSD Reliability/Write Endurance / JOIN THE BENCHING TEAM! / Bulldozer Overclocking Guide / Forum Etiquette Want to see your writing featured on the overclockers.com Front Page? PM me, I can help! "We have more information and more ways of accessing it than ever, yet seem increasingly less inclined to do so."- Michael Wilbon
	QUOTE Thanks

12-18-10, 05:19 AM	#35
Dave65 Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Michigan	Excellent review as usual ..thanks much __________________ Roswill THOR II-ASUS Maximus V Formula-Intel 3770K @ 4.6GHZ-Corsair H100i-Corsair Force GT 120 X 2 in RAID 0-Windows 7 Ultimate X64-16GB Corsair Vengeance 1866-ASUS 660s OC SLI-SILVERSTONE ST85F-P 850W/ Folding for TEAM 32
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12-18-10, 05:24 AM	#36
Dave65 Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Michigan	Im really struggling between a GTX580 and the 6970 to replace my 5870. __________________ Roswill THOR II-ASUS Maximus V Formula-Intel 3770K @ 4.6GHZ-Corsair H100i-Corsair Force GT 120 X 2 in RAID 0-Windows 7 Ultimate X64-16GB Corsair Vengeance 1866-ASUS 660s OC SLI-SILVERSTONE ST85F-P 850W/ Folding for TEAM 32
	QUOTE Thanks

12-18-10, 07:26 AM	#37
hokiealumnus Water Cooled Moderator Overclockers.com Lead Editor Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Raleigh, NC	Thank you. It really depends on how much money you want to spend. For the money, the 6970 is a very solid card. If you want the absolute best single GPU card on the market, go with the 580. You'll pay for the privilege though. __________________ Enjoy benchmarks? Join the benching team! \| New to water cooling? Read the Beginner's Guide to Water Cooling Your PC. xsuperbgx - "As a wise man once said: "Less talky. More clocky."" \| cyberfish - "When overclocked, it's undefined behavior." I.M.O.G. - "Vaseline on Ivy Bridge is a bad idea. But not so bad of an idea that it can't be fixed with a torpedo heater, a dishwasher, an oven, and a few hours. " \m/ OverClockers mATX L33T Club \m/ - Join Now! - My mITX Build
	QUOTE Thanks

12-23-10, 10:22 PM	#38
Brolloks Benching Senior on Siesta Premium Member #8 Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Land of Long Horns	HD 6970 - 950/1450 (Cat 10.12a drivers) GTX 580 - 900/1100 (262.99 drivers) GTX 570 - 950/1100 (263.09 drivers) HD 5970 - 950/1200 (Cat 10.9 drivers) CPU - W3680 at 200 x 22 (4.4 Ghz) OS - Win 7 (64) Attached Images __________________ Should I get a Quad- or Dual-Core? - How about joining us in the Benching Lounge for some secrets - Want to bench sub-zero...take a look. Heatware 280-0-0 HWBOT Profile
	QUOTE Thanks

12-23-10, 10:24 PM	#39
hokiealumnus Water Cooled Moderator Overclockers.com Lead Editor Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Raleigh, NC	Excellent comparison Edmund, thank you very much! Looks like the 5970 is still king, even if it takes two GPUs to do it, but just barely in 06. I bet things would change if we could get some software that controlled voltage on the 6970! __________________ Enjoy benchmarks? Join the benching team! \| New to water cooling? Read the Beginner's Guide to Water Cooling Your PC. xsuperbgx - "As a wise man once said: "Less talky. More clocky."" \| cyberfish - "When overclocked, it's undefined behavior." I.M.O.G. - "Vaseline on Ivy Bridge is a bad idea. But not so bad of an idea that it can't be fixed with a torpedo heater, a dishwasher, an oven, and a few hours. " \m/ OverClockers mATX L33T Club \m/ - Join Now! - My mITX Build
	QUOTE Thanks

12-23-10, 10:42 PM	#40
Brolloks Benching Senior on Siesta Premium Member #8 Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Land of Long Horns	Yes, drivers still a bit green on the 6970 plus I don't really think these old benchmarks do the card justice IMO. As for 3DM06 I was really CPU bound at 4.4 Ghx...more speed will make the cards fly. __________________ Should I get a Quad- or Dual-Core? - How about joining us in the Benching Lounge for some secrets - Want to bench sub-zero...take a look. Heatware 280-0-0 HWBOT Profile
	QUOTE Thanks

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