Best Performance/ Dollar, best cooling and noise. Who wins?

[Xilo]

Hi,

For my new PC, I'm deciding on wether to go with the Nvidia GTX 770 SLI, or the Radeon 7990. The 770 SLI is about $100 cheaper than the 7990 and has a good reputation when it comes to SLI.

As for the 7990, it is sometimes faster, quieter (at least the advertisments say that), and has a decent temperature range. However, it has a bad reputation, and was discontinued. Most of the people I've seen have gotten duds, have cooling issues or noise issues, and some people hate the new 13.11 drivers.

Which is better? Which has better cooling? Which has the best performance? Performance to price ratio?

 

[IAMEXTREME]

The GTX 770 is slightly faster, better stock cooler,and far greater performance to price ratio. & I simply love the NVIDIA drivers.

 

[Avro Arrow]

You're not really comparing apples-to-apples here. In the performance area you're describing, the HD 7990 is not the card you want. The best price/performance in that category is two HD 7970 (or R9-280X) cards in crossfire. As far as noise and cooling is concerned, if the GTX 770 and the HD 7970 have the same cooler (Gigabyte Windforce for instance), they will have roughly the same temps and noise. I run two HD 7970s myself and I'm perfectly happy with them. If you factor in the rebates, I spent $510 on the two of them. That is an absolute bargain.

 

[Xilo]

You're not really comparing apples-to-apples here. In the performance area you're describing, the HD 7990 is not the card you want. The best price/performance in that category is two HD 7970 (or R9-280X) cards in crossfire. As far as noise and cooling is concerned, if the GTX 770 and the HD 7970 have the same cooler (Gigabyte Windforce for instance), they will have roughly the same temps and noise. I run two HD 7970s myself and I'm perfectly happy with them. If you factor in the rebates, I spent $510 on the two of them. That is an absolute bargain.

I'm not one for rebates, but that's still a good bargain. However, isn't a 7990 a suited up 7970 in crossfire? I'm figuring similar issues will come about. But if you're right about this, do major issues like "coil whine", "micro stuttering", and bad driver support still occur? I'm still concerned about heat and power though. I've seen statistics that put me away from getting a CF 7970 (OC if you will). If you need to know prices, the 770 SLI comes at about $670 with EVGA.

 

[IAMEXTREME]

You're not really comparing apples-to-apples here. In the performance area you're describing, the HD 7990 is not the card you want. The best price/performance in that category is two HD 7970 (or R9-280X) cards in crossfire. As far as noise and cooling is concerned, if the GTX 770 and the HD 7970 have the same cooler (Gigabyte Windforce for instance), they will have roughly the same temps and noise. I run two HD 7970s myself and I'm perfectly happy with them. If you factor in the rebates, I spent $510 on the two of them. That is an absolute bargain.

I'm not one for rebates, but that's still a good bargain. However, isn't a 7990 a suited up 7970 in crossfire? I'm figuring similar issues will come about. But if you're right about this, do major issues like "coil whine", "micro stuttering", and bad driver support still occur? I'm still concerned about heat and power though. I've seen statistics that put me away from getting a CF 7970 (OC if you will). If you need to know prices, the 770 SLI comes at about $670 with EVGA.

Go for the GTX 770 SLI without a doubt.
AMD cards still have a lot of driver issues unlike Nvidia.

 

[Avro Arrow]

Go for the GTX 770 SLI without a doubt.
AMD cards still have a lot of driver issues unlike Nvidia.

I must completely disagree with this statement. My two HD 7970s run perfectly with no driver issues whatsoever. They do everything perfectly with no stutter, no artifacts, perfect system stability, low noise, low temps and amazingly high framerates. I'm very thankful to say that whatever driver issues ATi had in the past are just that, in the past. Believe me, if these cards didn't work perfectly, I'd be the first one here complaining about them but instead I am glad to be able to recommend them to anyone with a perfectly clear conscience. Initially, I tried using two Powercolor PCS Radeon HD 7870XTs but those things absolutely hated crossfire. That wasn't a driver issue either, it was the cards themselves and I did say that. These HD 7970s run as flawlessly as my old HD 4870s that they replaced and I am not just satisfied with their performance and behaviour, I am elated.

 

[IAMEXTREME]

Go for the GTX 770 SLI without a doubt.
AMD cards still have a lot of driver issues unlike Nvidia.

I must completely disagree with this statement. My two HD 7970s run perfectly with no driver issues whatsoever. They do everything perfectly with no stutter, no artifacts, perfect system stability, low noise, low temps and amazingly high framerates. I'm very thankful to say that whatever driver issues ATi had in the past are just that, in the past. Believe me, if these cards didn't work perfectly, I'd be the first one here complaining about them but instead I am glad to be able to recommend them to anyone with a perfectly clear conscience. Initially, I tried using two Powercolor PCS Radeon HD 7870XTs but those things absolutely hated crossfire. That wasn't a driver issue either, it was the cards themselves and I did say that. These HD 7970s run as flawlessly as my old HD 4870s that they replaced and I am not just satisfied with their performance and behaviour, I am elated.

I'm happy for you. Lucky lad.
On the other hand, the 7950's Xfire had so much stuttering that I had to get rid of them, selling them in loss. Currently I'm running GTX 660 Ti 2-way SLI, and they are working like a charm.

 

[Xilo]

-_- This is exactly why I made the post in the first place, to solve this. Anyway, from my view, I see that consistent models are a bit lacking on AMD's side. Some people get a shining gem whilst others get a dud. For NVIDIA, I haven't seen that yet, and they are more consistent in their models. Avro, you probably got the lighter end of the spectrum from AMD's side. As for the "other issues", I'm going to need more recommendations. I'm not trying to put AMD down, I'm just worried.

 

[Avro Arrow]

Go for the GTX 770 SLI without a doubt.
AMD cards still have a lot of driver issues unlike Nvidia.

I must completely disagree with this statement. My two HD 7970s run perfectly with no driver issues whatsoever. They do everything perfectly with no stutter, no artifacts, perfect system stability, low noise, low temps and amazingly high framerates. I'm very thankful to say that whatever driver issues ATi had in the past are just that, in the past. Believe me, if these cards didn't work perfectly, I'd be the first one here complaining about them but instead I am glad to be able to recommend them to anyone with a perfectly clear conscience. Initially, I tried using two Powercolor PCS Radeon HD 7870XTs but those things absolutely hated crossfire. That wasn't a driver issue either, it was the cards themselves and I did say that. These HD 7970s run as flawlessly as my old HD 4870s that they replaced and I am not just satisfied with their performance and behaviour, I am elated.

I'm happy for you. Lucky lad.
On the other hand, the 7950's Xfire had so much stuttering that I had to get rid of them, selling them in loss. Currently I'm running GTX 660 Ti 2-way SLI, and they are working like a charm.

I'm very sorry to hear that. It's a real shame that people suffered with that. If I had the same experience as you, I'm certain I'd be saying the same thing that you are. You are correct, I am lucky that way. I got my two HD 7970s just as they released the beta driver that fixed all the problems. I can assure you that if I had the same problems that you did, I would have returned both cards. I don't think I would have been able to afford two GTX 770s right away but it would have definitely been an option because my board does support SLI. As it stands now however, with the driver issues having been solved, the two HD 7970/R9-280X combo is the better deal. Somehow, I managed to completely miss the bad days of stuttering and the like because the HD 4870s never had that problem. I think it started in the HD 6xxx series and wasn't solved until now. By sheer chance, I managed to sidestep all of it. I can certainly understand people's trepidation when it comes to Radeons considering all that they've been through with them.

 

[IAMEXTREME]

-_- This is exactly why I made the post in the first place, to solve this. Anyway, from my view, I see that consistent models are a bit lacking on AMD's side. Some people get a shining gem whilst others get a dud. For NVIDIA, I haven't seen that yet, and they are more consistent in their models. Avro, you probably got the lighter end of the spectrum from AMD's side. As for the "other issues", I'm going to need more recommendations. I'm not trying to put AMD down, I'm just worried.

Exactly!
Although AMD offers a better card for a lesser price, BUT there is chance of a fault in it.
Nvidia has no such issues with equally powerful cards ( a little over priced though) but it's worth the investment

 

[IAMEXTREME]

Go for the GTX 770 SLI without a doubt.
AMD cards still have a lot of driver issues unlike Nvidia.

I must completely disagree with this statement. My two HD 7970s run perfectly with no driver issues whatsoever. They do everything perfectly with no stutter, no artifacts, perfect system stability, low noise, low temps and amazingly high framerates. I'm very thankful to say that whatever driver issues ATi had in the past are just that, in the past. Believe me, if these cards didn't work perfectly, I'd be the first one here complaining about them but instead I am glad to be able to recommend them to anyone with a perfectly clear conscience. Initially, I tried using two Powercolor PCS Radeon HD 7870XTs but those things absolutely hated crossfire. That wasn't a driver issue either, it was the cards themselves and I did say that. These HD 7970s run as flawlessly as my old HD 4870s that they replaced and I am not just satisfied with their performance and behaviour, I am elated.

I'm happy for you. Lucky lad.
On the other hand, the 7950's Xfire had so much stuttering that I had to get rid of them, selling them in loss. Currently I'm running GTX 660 Ti 2-way SLI, and they are working like a charm.

I'm very sorry to hear that. It's a real shame that people suffered with that. If I had the same experience as you, I'm certain I'd be saying the same thing that you are. You are correct, I am lucky that way. I got my two HD 7970s just as they released the beta driver that fixed all the problems. I can assure you that if I had the same problems that you did, I would have returned both cards. I don't think I would have been able to afford two GTX 770s right away but it would have definitely been an option because my board does support SLI. As it stands now however, with the driver issues having been solved, the two HD 7970/R9-280X combo is the better deal. Somehow, I managed to completely miss the bad days of stuttering and the like because the HD 4870s never had that problem. I think it started in the HD 6xxx series and wasn't solved until now. By sheer chance, I managed to sidestep all of it. I can certainly understand people's trepidation when it comes to Radeons considering all that they've been through with them.

Very true.

 

[Xilo]

Go for the GTX 770 SLI without a doubt.
AMD cards still have a lot of driver issues unlike Nvidia.

I must completely disagree with this statement. My two HD 7970s run perfectly with no driver issues whatsoever. They do everything perfectly with no stutter, no artifacts, perfect system stability, low noise, low temps and amazingly high framerates. I'm very thankful to say that whatever driver issues ATi had in the past are just that, in the past. Believe me, if these cards didn't work perfectly, I'd be the first one here complaining about them but instead I am glad to be able to recommend them to anyone with a perfectly clear conscience. Initially, I tried using two Powercolor PCS Radeon HD 7870XTs but those things absolutely hated crossfire. That wasn't a driver issue either, it was the cards themselves and I did say that. These HD 7970s run as flawlessly as my old HD 4870s that they replaced and I am not just satisfied with their performance and behaviour, I am elated.

I'm happy for you. Lucky lad.
On the other hand, the 7950's Xfire had so much stuttering that I had to get rid of them, selling them in loss. Currently I'm running GTX 660 Ti 2-way SLI, and they are working like a charm.

I'm very sorry to hear that. It's a real shame that people suffered with that. If I had the same experience as you, I'm certain I'd be saying the same thing that you are. You are correct, I am lucky that way. I got my two HD 7970s just as they released the beta driver that fixed all the problems. I can assure you that if I had the same problems that you did, I would have returned both cards. I don't think I would have been able to afford two GTX 770s right away but it would have definitely been an option because my board does support SLI. As it stands now however, with the driver issues having been solved, the two HD 7970/R9-280X combo is the better deal. Somehow, I managed to completely miss the bad days of stuttering and the like because the HD 4870s never had that problem. I think it started in the HD 6xxx series and wasn't solved until now. By sheer chance, I managed to sidestep all of it. I can certainly understand people's trepidation when it comes to Radeons considering all that they've been through with them.

So this is what I'm getting so far:

AMD = Risk and Reward
NVIDIA = Pay Premium for safety

Well?

 

[IAMEXTREME]

Go for the GTX 770 SLI without a doubt.
AMD cards still have a lot of driver issues unlike Nvidia.

I must completely disagree with this statement. My two HD 7970s run perfectly with no driver issues whatsoever. They do everything perfectly with no stutter, no artifacts, perfect system stability, low noise, low temps and amazingly high framerates. I'm very thankful to say that whatever driver issues ATi had in the past are just that, in the past. Believe me, if these cards didn't work perfectly, I'd be the first one here complaining about them but instead I am glad to be able to recommend them to anyone with a perfectly clear conscience. Initially, I tried using two Powercolor PCS Radeon HD 7870XTs but those things absolutely hated crossfire. That wasn't a driver issue either, it was the cards themselves and I did say that. These HD 7970s run as flawlessly as my old HD 4870s that they replaced and I am not just satisfied with their performance and behaviour, I am elated.

I'm happy for you. Lucky lad.
On the other hand, the 7950's Xfire had so much stuttering that I had to get rid of them, selling them in loss. Currently I'm running GTX 660 Ti 2-way SLI, and they are working like a charm.

I'm very sorry to hear that. It's a real shame that people suffered with that. If I had the same experience as you, I'm certain I'd be saying the same thing that you are. You are correct, I am lucky that way. I got my two HD 7970s just as they released the beta driver that fixed all the problems. I can assure you that if I had the same problems that you did, I would have returned both cards. I don't think I would have been able to afford two GTX 770s right away but it would have definitely been an option because my board does support SLI. As it stands now however, with the driver issues having been solved, the two HD 7970/R9-280X combo is the better deal. Somehow, I managed to completely miss the bad days of stuttering and the like because the HD 4870s never had that problem. I think it started in the HD 6xxx series and wasn't solved until now. By sheer chance, I managed to sidestep all of it. I can certainly understand people's trepidation when it comes to Radeons considering all that they've been through with them.

So this is what I'm getting so far:

AMD = Risk and Reward
NVIDIA = Pay Premium for safety

Well?

Nvidia= Pay premium for safety without compromising performance.

 

[Xilo]

Go for the GTX 770 SLI without a doubt.
AMD cards still have a lot of driver issues unlike Nvidia.

I must completely disagree with this statement. My two HD 7970s run perfectly with no driver issues whatsoever. They do everything perfectly with no stutter, no artifacts, perfect system stability, low noise, low temps and amazingly high framerates. I'm very thankful to say that whatever driver issues ATi had in the past are just that, in the past. Believe me, if these cards didn't work perfectly, I'd be the first one here complaining about them but instead I am glad to be able to recommend them to anyone with a perfectly clear conscience. Initially, I tried using two Powercolor PCS Radeon HD 7870XTs but those things absolutely hated crossfire. That wasn't a driver issue either, it was the cards themselves and I did say that. These HD 7970s run as flawlessly as my old HD 4870s that they replaced and I am not just satisfied with their performance and behaviour, I am elated.

I'm happy for you. Lucky lad.
On the other hand, the 7950's Xfire had so much stuttering that I had to get rid of them, selling them in loss. Currently I'm running GTX 660 Ti 2-way SLI, and they are working like a charm.

I'm very sorry to hear that. It's a real shame that people suffered with that. If I had the same experience as you, I'm certain I'd be saying the same thing that you are. You are correct, I am lucky that way. I got my two HD 7970s just as they released the beta driver that fixed all the problems. I can assure you that if I had the same problems that you did, I would have returned both cards. I don't think I would have been able to afford two GTX 770s right away but it would have definitely been an option because my board does support SLI. As it stands now however, with the driver issues having been solved, the two HD 7970/R9-280X combo is the better deal. Somehow, I managed to completely miss the bad days of stuttering and the like because the HD 4870s never had that problem. I think it started in the HD 6xxx series and wasn't solved until now. By sheer chance, I managed to sidestep all of it. I can certainly understand people's trepidation when it comes to Radeons considering all that they've been through with them.

So this is what I'm getting so far:

AMD = Risk and Reward
NVIDIA = Pay Premium for safety

Well?

Nvidia= Pay premium for safety without compromising performance.

Well, I'm going to need some benchmarks. Got any?

 

[IAMEXTREME]

Go for the GTX 770 SLI without a doubt.
AMD cards still have a lot of driver issues unlike Nvidia.

I must completely disagree with this statement. My two HD 7970s run perfectly with no driver issues whatsoever. They do everything perfectly with no stutter, no artifacts, perfect system stability, low noise, low temps and amazingly high framerates. I'm very thankful to say that whatever driver issues ATi had in the past are just that, in the past. Believe me, if these cards didn't work perfectly, I'd be the first one here complaining about them but instead I am glad to be able to recommend them to anyone with a perfectly clear conscience. Initially, I tried using two Powercolor PCS Radeon HD 7870XTs but those things absolutely hated crossfire. That wasn't a driver issue either, it was the cards themselves and I did say that. These HD 7970s run as flawlessly as my old HD 4870s that they replaced and I am not just satisfied with their performance and behaviour, I am elated.

I'm happy for you. Lucky lad.
On the other hand, the 7950's Xfire had so much stuttering that I had to get rid of them, selling them in loss. Currently I'm running GTX 660 Ti 2-way SLI, and they are working like a charm.

I'm very sorry to hear that. It's a real shame that people suffered with that. If I had the same experience as you, I'm certain I'd be saying the same thing that you are. You are correct, I am lucky that way. I got my two HD 7970s just as they released the beta driver that fixed all the problems. I can assure you that if I had the same problems that you did, I would have returned both cards. I don't think I would have been able to afford two GTX 770s right away but it would have definitely been an option because my board does support SLI. As it stands now however, with the driver issues having been solved, the two HD 7970/R9-280X combo is the better deal. Somehow, I managed to completely miss the bad days of stuttering and the like because the HD 4870s never had that problem. I think it started in the HD 6xxx series and wasn't solved until now. By sheer chance, I managed to sidestep all of it. I can certainly understand people's trepidation when it comes to Radeons considering all that they've been through with them.

So this is what I'm getting so far:

AMD = Risk and Reward
NVIDIA = Pay Premium for safety

Well?

Nvidia= Pay premium for safety without compromising performance.

Well, I'm going to need some benchmarks. Got any?

Sure

G3D Mark Relative to Top 10 Common Videocards (As of 4th of November 2013 - Higher results represent better performance) +
Videocard Value (G3D Mark / $Price )
As of 4th of November 2013 - Higher results represent better value
GTX 770 VS 7990
http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu.php?gpu=Radeon+HD+7990

 

[Xilo]

Go for the GTX 770 SLI without a doubt.
AMD cards still have a lot of driver issues unlike Nvidia.

I must completely disagree with this statement. My two HD 7970s run perfectly with no driver issues whatsoever. They do everything perfectly with no stutter, no artifacts, perfect system stability, low noise, low temps and amazingly high framerates. I'm very thankful to say that whatever driver issues ATi had in the past are just that, in the past. Believe me, if these cards didn't work perfectly, I'd be the first one here complaining about them but instead I am glad to be able to recommend them to anyone with a perfectly clear conscience. Initially, I tried using two Powercolor PCS Radeon HD 7870XTs but those things absolutely hated crossfire. That wasn't a driver issue either, it was the cards themselves and I did say that. These HD 7970s run as flawlessly as my old HD 4870s that they replaced and I am not just satisfied with their performance and behaviour, I am elated.

I'm happy for you. Lucky lad.
On the other hand, the 7950's Xfire had so much stuttering that I had to get rid of them, selling them in loss. Currently I'm running GTX 660 Ti 2-way SLI, and they are working like a charm.

I'm very sorry to hear that. It's a real shame that people suffered with that. If I had the same experience as you, I'm certain I'd be saying the same thing that you are. You are correct, I am lucky that way. I got my two HD 7970s just as they released the beta driver that fixed all the problems. I can assure you that if I had the same problems that you did, I would have returned both cards. I don't think I would have been able to afford two GTX 770s right away but it would have definitely been an option because my board does support SLI. As it stands now however, with the driver issues having been solved, the two HD 7970/R9-280X combo is the better deal. Somehow, I managed to completely miss the bad days of stuttering and the like because the HD 4870s never had that problem. I think it started in the HD 6xxx series and wasn't solved until now. By sheer chance, I managed to sidestep all of it. I can certainly understand people's trepidation when it comes to Radeons considering all that they've been through with them.

So this is what I'm getting so far:

AMD = Risk and Reward
NVIDIA = Pay Premium for safety

Well?

Nvidia= Pay premium for safety without compromising performance.

Well, I'm going to need some benchmarks. Got any?

Sure

G3D Mark Relative to Top 10 Common Videocards (As of 4th of November 2013 - Higher results represent better performance) +
Videocard Value (G3D Mark / $Price )
As of 4th of November 2013 - Higher results represent better value
GTX 770 VS 7990
http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu.php?gpu=Radeon+HD+7990

Ouch! Any more sources, for confirmation?

 

[Xilo]

Go for the GTX 770 SLI without a doubt.
AMD cards still have a lot of driver issues unlike Nvidia.

I must completely disagree with this statement. My two HD 7970s run perfectly with no driver issues whatsoever. They do everything perfectly with no stutter, no artifacts, perfect system stability, low noise, low temps and amazingly high framerates. I'm very thankful to say that whatever driver issues ATi had in the past are just that, in the past. Believe me, if these cards didn't work perfectly, I'd be the first one here complaining about them but instead I am glad to be able to recommend them to anyone with a perfectly clear conscience. Initially, I tried using two Powercolor PCS Radeon HD 7870XTs but those things absolutely hated crossfire. That wasn't a driver issue either, it was the cards themselves and I did say that. These HD 7970s run as flawlessly as my old HD 4870s that they replaced and I am not just satisfied with their performance and behaviour, I am elated.

I'm happy for you. Lucky lad.
On the other hand, the 7950's Xfire had so much stuttering that I had to get rid of them, selling them in loss. Currently I'm running GTX 660 Ti 2-way SLI, and they are working like a charm.

I'm very sorry to hear that. It's a real shame that people suffered with that. If I had the same experience as you, I'm certain I'd be saying the same thing that you are. You are correct, I am lucky that way. I got my two HD 7970s just as they released the beta driver that fixed all the problems. I can assure you that if I had the same problems that you did, I would have returned both cards. I don't think I would have been able to afford two GTX 770s right away but it would have definitely been an option because my board does support SLI. As it stands now however, with the driver issues having been solved, the two HD 7970/R9-280X combo is the better deal. Somehow, I managed to completely miss the bad days of stuttering and the like because the HD 4870s never had that problem. I think it started in the HD 6xxx series and wasn't solved until now. By sheer chance, I managed to sidestep all of it. I can certainly understand people's trepidation when it comes to Radeons considering all that they've been through with them.

IAMEXTREME is providing evidence. Do you have any evidence against his side?

 

[IAMEXTREME]

Go for the GTX 770 SLI without a doubt.
AMD cards still have a lot of driver issues unlike Nvidia.

I must completely disagree with this statement. My two HD 7970s run perfectly with no driver issues whatsoever. They do everything perfectly with no stutter, no artifacts, perfect system stability, low noise, low temps and amazingly high framerates. I'm very thankful to say that whatever driver issues ATi had in the past are just that, in the past. Believe me, if these cards didn't work perfectly, I'd be the first one here complaining about them but instead I am glad to be able to recommend them to anyone with a perfectly clear conscience. Initially, I tried using two Powercolor PCS Radeon HD 7870XTs but those things absolutely hated crossfire. That wasn't a driver issue either, it was the cards themselves and I did say that. These HD 7970s run as flawlessly as my old HD 4870s that they replaced and I am not just satisfied with their performance and behaviour, I am elated.

I'm happy for you. Lucky lad.
On the other hand, the 7950's Xfire had so much stuttering that I had to get rid of them, selling them in loss. Currently I'm running GTX 660 Ti 2-way SLI, and they are working like a charm.

I'm very sorry to hear that. It's a real shame that people suffered with that. If I had the same experience as you, I'm certain I'd be saying the same thing that you are. You are correct, I am lucky that way. I got my two HD 7970s just as they released the beta driver that fixed all the problems. I can assure you that if I had the same problems that you did, I would have returned both cards. I don't think I would have been able to afford two GTX 770s right away but it would have definitely been an option because my board does support SLI. As it stands now however, with the driver issues having been solved, the two HD 7970/R9-280X combo is the better deal. Somehow, I managed to completely miss the bad days of stuttering and the like because the HD 4870s never had that problem. I think it started in the HD 6xxx series and wasn't solved until now. By sheer chance, I managed to sidestep all of it. I can certainly understand people's trepidation when it comes to Radeons considering all that they've been through with them.

So this is what I'm getting so far:

AMD = Risk and Reward
NVIDIA = Pay Premium for safety

Well?

Nvidia= Pay premium for safety without compromising performance.

Well, I'm going to need some benchmarks. Got any?

Sure

G3D Mark Relative to Top 10 Common Videocards (As of 4th of November 2013 - Higher results represent better performance) +
Videocard Value (G3D Mark / $Price )
As of 4th of November 2013 - Higher results represent better value
GTX 770 VS 7990
http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu.php?gpu=Radeon+HD+7990

Ouch! Any more sources, for confirmation?

The performance will vary game to game for both the cards.

 

[Xilo]

Go for the GTX 770 SLI without a doubt.
AMD cards still have a lot of driver issues unlike Nvidia.

I must completely disagree with this statement. My two HD 7970s run perfectly with no driver issues whatsoever. They do everything perfectly with no stutter, no artifacts, perfect system stability, low noise, low temps and amazingly high framerates. I'm very thankful to say that whatever driver issues ATi had in the past are just that, in the past. Believe me, if these cards didn't work perfectly, I'd be the first one here complaining about them but instead I am glad to be able to recommend them to anyone with a perfectly clear conscience. Initially, I tried using two Powercolor PCS Radeon HD 7870XTs but those things absolutely hated crossfire. That wasn't a driver issue either, it was the cards themselves and I did say that. These HD 7970s run as flawlessly as my old HD 4870s that they replaced and I am not just satisfied with their performance and behaviour, I am elated.

I'm happy for you. Lucky lad.
On the other hand, the 7950's Xfire had so much stuttering that I had to get rid of them, selling them in loss. Currently I'm running GTX 660 Ti 2-way SLI, and they are working like a charm.

I'm very sorry to hear that. It's a real shame that people suffered with that. If I had the same experience as you, I'm certain I'd be saying the same thing that you are. You are correct, I am lucky that way. I got my two HD 7970s just as they released the beta driver that fixed all the problems. I can assure you that if I had the same problems that you did, I would have returned both cards. I don't think I would have been able to afford two GTX 770s right away but it would have definitely been an option because my board does support SLI. As it stands now however, with the driver issues having been solved, the two HD 7970/R9-280X combo is the better deal. Somehow, I managed to completely miss the bad days of stuttering and the like because the HD 4870s never had that problem. I think it started in the HD 6xxx series and wasn't solved until now. By sheer chance, I managed to sidestep all of it. I can certainly understand people's trepidation when it comes to Radeons considering all that they've been through with them.

So this is what I'm getting so far:

AMD = Risk and Reward
NVIDIA = Pay Premium for safety

Well?

Nvidia= Pay premium for safety without compromising performance.

Well, I'm going to need some benchmarks. Got any?

Sure

G3D Mark Relative to Top 10 Common Videocards (As of 4th of November 2013 - Higher results represent better performance) +
Videocard Value (G3D Mark / $Price )
As of 4th of November 2013 - Higher results represent better value
GTX 770 VS 7990
http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu.php?gpu=Radeon+HD+7990

Ouch! Any more sources, for confirmation?

The performance will vary game to game for both the cards.

If you want to know what games I'll be playing, Here's the list:
-DmC
-Bioshock Infinite
-Far Cry 3 + Blood Dragon
-Crysis 3
-Hitman: Absolution
-Battlefield 3 and 4
-Orange Box Games
-and some others

 

[IAMEXTREME]

Go for the GTX 770 SLI without a doubt.
AMD cards still have a lot of driver issues unlike Nvidia.

I must completely disagree with this statement. My two HD 7970s run perfectly with no driver issues whatsoever. They do everything perfectly with no stutter, no artifacts, perfect system stability, low noise, low temps and amazingly high framerates. I'm very thankful to say that whatever driver issues ATi had in the past are just that, in the past. Believe me, if these cards didn't work perfectly, I'd be the first one here complaining about them but instead I am glad to be able to recommend them to anyone with a perfectly clear conscience. Initially, I tried using two Powercolor PCS Radeon HD 7870XTs but those things absolutely hated crossfire. That wasn't a driver issue either, it was the cards themselves and I did say that. These HD 7970s run as flawlessly as my old HD 4870s that they replaced and I am not just satisfied with their performance and behaviour, I am elated.

I'm happy for you. Lucky lad.
On the other hand, the 7950's Xfire had so much stuttering that I had to get rid of them, selling them in loss. Currently I'm running GTX 660 Ti 2-way SLI, and they are working like a charm.

I'm very sorry to hear that. It's a real shame that people suffered with that. If I had the same experience as you, I'm certain I'd be saying the same thing that you are. You are correct, I am lucky that way. I got my two HD 7970s just as they released the beta driver that fixed all the problems. I can assure you that if I had the same problems that you did, I would have returned both cards. I don't think I would have been able to afford two GTX 770s right away but it would have definitely been an option because my board does support SLI. As it stands now however, with the driver issues having been solved, the two HD 7970/R9-280X combo is the better deal. Somehow, I managed to completely miss the bad days of stuttering and the like because the HD 4870s never had that problem. I think it started in the HD 6xxx series and wasn't solved until now. By sheer chance, I managed to sidestep all of it. I can certainly understand people's trepidation when it comes to Radeons considering all that they've been through with them.

So this is what I'm getting so far:

AMD = Risk and Reward
NVIDIA = Pay Premium for safety

Well?

Nvidia= Pay premium for safety without compromising performance.

Well, I'm going to need some benchmarks. Got any?

Sure

G3D Mark Relative to Top 10 Common Videocards (As of 4th of November 2013 - Higher results represent better performance) +
Videocard Value (G3D Mark / $Price )
As of 4th of November 2013 - Higher results represent better value
GTX 770 VS 7990
http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu.php?gpu=Radeon+HD+7990

Ouch! Any more sources, for confirmation?

The performance will vary game to game for both the cards.

If you want to know what games I'll be playing, Here's the list:
-DmC
-Bioshock Infinite
-Far Cry 3 + Blood Dragon
-Crysis 3
-Hitman: Absolution
-Battlefield 3 and 4
-Orange Box Games
-and some others

I executed all of these with the Nvidia card with 80+ fps @1080p.

 

[Xilo]

Go for the GTX 770 SLI without a doubt.
AMD cards still have a lot of driver issues unlike Nvidia.

I must completely disagree with this statement. My two HD 7970s run perfectly with no driver issues whatsoever. They do everything perfectly with no stutter, no artifacts, perfect system stability, low noise, low temps and amazingly high framerates. I'm very thankful to say that whatever driver issues ATi had in the past are just that, in the past. Believe me, if these cards didn't work perfectly, I'd be the first one here complaining about them but instead I am glad to be able to recommend them to anyone with a perfectly clear conscience. Initially, I tried using two Powercolor PCS Radeon HD 7870XTs but those things absolutely hated crossfire. That wasn't a driver issue either, it was the cards themselves and I did say that. These HD 7970s run as flawlessly as my old HD 4870s that they replaced and I am not just satisfied with their performance and behaviour, I am elated.

I'm happy for you. Lucky lad.
On the other hand, the 7950's Xfire had so much stuttering that I had to get rid of them, selling them in loss. Currently I'm running GTX 660 Ti 2-way SLI, and they are working like a charm.

I'm very sorry to hear that. It's a real shame that people suffered with that. If I had the same experience as you, I'm certain I'd be saying the same thing that you are. You are correct, I am lucky that way. I got my two HD 7970s just as they released the beta driver that fixed all the problems. I can assure you that if I had the same problems that you did, I would have returned both cards. I don't think I would have been able to afford two GTX 770s right away but it would have definitely been an option because my board does support SLI. As it stands now however, with the driver issues having been solved, the two HD 7970/R9-280X combo is the better deal. Somehow, I managed to completely miss the bad days of stuttering and the like because the HD 4870s never had that problem. I think it started in the HD 6xxx series and wasn't solved until now. By sheer chance, I managed to sidestep all of it. I can certainly understand people's trepidation when it comes to Radeons considering all that they've been through with them.

So this is what I'm getting so far:

AMD = Risk and Reward
NVIDIA = Pay Premium for safety

Well?

Nvidia= Pay premium for safety without compromising performance.

Well, I'm going to need some benchmarks. Got any?

Sure

G3D Mark Relative to Top 10 Common Videocards (As of 4th of November 2013 - Higher results represent better performance) +
Videocard Value (G3D Mark / $Price )
As of 4th of November 2013 - Higher results represent better value
GTX 770 VS 7990
http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu.php?gpu=Radeon+HD+7990

Ouch! Any more sources, for confirmation?

The performance will vary game to game for both the cards.

If you want to know what games I'll be playing, Here's the list:
-DmC
-Bioshock Infinite
-Far Cry 3 + Blood Dragon
-Crysis 3
-Hitman: Absolution
-Battlefield 3 and 4
-Orange Box Games
-and some others

I executed all of these with the Nvidia card with 80+ fps @1080p.

Setting? Resolution? Anti- aliasing?

 

[IAMEXTREME]

As i mentioned earlier, I'm running a 2-way Overclocked GTX660 Ti sli (which outperforms any existing single graphic card till date), so cranked my settings to ultra with everything set to max except Vsync remained off and AA to 4 in BF4.

 

[Avro Arrow]

IAMEXTREME is providing evidence. Do you have any evidence against his side?

He and I are on the same side, believe it or not. We're both telling you what we think is the best route for you. We would both agree that both paths will bear fruit, there's just a few small differences based upon our respective experiences. From what I can tell, he and I both have a plethora of experience. As far as evidence that the problems with crossfire are gone, other than my own experience every day with my two HD 7970s in Crossfire, I think I can dig some stuff up.
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/AMD-Catalyst-13.8-beta-microstutter,23776.html
13.8 is actually an older version. The current version is actually 13.9 (13.11 is the beta) so the microstutter issues were fixed awhile ago. I can attest to the fact that I experience no microstutter at all in my games. In fact, as was stated before, I am fortunate to have never experienced microstutter. In fact, I don't even know what it looks like. That 13.8 driver that ATi released uses special frame-pacing which completely eliminates microstutter and since I got my new cards after 13.9 was released, I never saw it. I'll be perfectly honest with you, if you go the GeForce route, you will have no problems. I would never say otherwise. All I'm saying is that if you go the Radeon route, you will also have no problems and you will pay a good deal less. That's pretty much the long and short of it.

 

[IAMEXTREME]

IAMEXTREME is providing evidence. Do you have any evidence against his side?

He and I are on the same side, believe it or not. We're both telling you what we think is the best route for you. We would both agree that both paths will bear fruit, there's just a few small differences based upon our respective experiences. From what I can tell, he and I both have a plethora of experience. As far as evidence that the problems with crossfire are gone, other than my own experience every day with my two HD 7970s in Crossfire, I think I can dig some stuff up.
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/AMD-Catalyst-13.8-beta-microstutter,23776.html
13.8 is actually an older version. The current version is actually 13.9 (13.11 is the beta) so the microstutter issues were fixed awhile ago. I can attest to the fact that I experience no microstutter at all in my games. In fact, as was stated before, I am fortunate to have never experienced microstutter. In fact, I don't even know what it looks like. That 13.8 driver that ATi released uses special frame-pacing which completely eliminates microstutter and since I got my new cards after 13.9 was released, I never saw it. I'll be perfectly honest with you, if you go the GeForce route, you will have no problems. I would never say otherwise. All I'm saying is that if you go the Radeon route, you will also have no problems and you will pay a good deal less. That's pretty much the long and short of it.

+1 Totally agreed.

 

[Xilo]

IAMEXTREME is providing evidence. Do you have any evidence against his side?

He and I are on the same side, believe it or not. We're both telling you what we think is the best route for you. We would both agree that both paths will bear fruit, there's just a few small differences based upon our respective experiences. From what I can tell, he and I both have a plethora of experience. As far as evidence that the problems with crossfire are gone, other than my own experience every day with my two HD 7970s in Crossfire, I think I can dig some stuff up.
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/AMD-Catalyst-13.8-beta-microstutter,23776.html
13.8 is actually an older version. The current version is actually 13.9 (13.11 is the beta) so the microstutter issues were fixed awhile ago. I can attest to the fact that I experience no microstutter at all in my games. In fact, as was stated before, I am fortunate to have never experienced microstutter. In fact, I don't even know what it looks like. That 13.8 driver that ATi released uses special frame-pacing which completely eliminates microstutter and since I got my new cards after 13.9 was released, I never saw it. I'll be perfectly honest with you, if you go the GeForce route, you will have no problems. I would never say otherwise. All I'm saying is that if you go the Radeon route, you will also have no problems and you will pay a good deal less. That's pretty much the long and short of it.

Thanks!