2560x1600, or most games released in late 2012/2013 with "ultra" settings if you want 1080p60 consistently. The card is also sufficiently powerful to tackle 4K easily.
although a year late to the game (GTX 690 was released 04/29/2012) this card is quieter (even more so than 7970CF) and includes $400 in free games. now if/when they fix the micro-stuttering....
Frame Latency and micro-stutter There’s been a lot of discussion lately about ditching frames per second as a standard for how “smooth” a game runs on given hardware, and instead examining frame latency or frame times instead. The reason why is that sometimes frames per second can be misleading, as we all equate anything over 30fps to be “smooth” when in fact a game can be run at even 50fps and still be somewhat choppy if the frames aren’t being delivered on a consistent schedule. For example, if the GPU alternatively sends frames to the system at 20ms and 100ms or higher throughout a test, it’s possible to still have an average framerate above 30fps, but to have it feel like you’re dropping frames. This is not usually something that you notice when running a single GPU, but it’s more prominent in multi-card setups since both cards are sending individual frames to the system, hopefully in concert with one another. This has been a bee in AMD’s bonnet lately, and when we sat down for the briefing on this card in particular AMD mentioned it, and acknowledged it. They called it “micro stutter,” which is fitting, as it’s an almost imperceptible stutter/lag that you can feel but barely see when playing certain games on specific configurations of GPUs and CPUs.
As far as the HD 7990 goes, here is the situation. Yes this card and the latest drivers we used (13.5 beta 2) suffered from micro stutter, but it was imperceptible in most games with one major exception — Far Cry 3. We’re not sure what it is about Far Cry 3, but it runs like crap on this setup at 2560x1600 with 4xAA. We mean it feels like you are running through molasses the whole time, and when examining the frame time output from FRAPS it is easy to see why, as the latency between frames fluctutates wildly. When examining the frame time charts from other games the delivery times look pretty consistent, with only Crysis 3 showing some anomalies. AMD has told us it is working on a fix for this situation, but the remedy will most likely be a software implementation rather than a hardware fix. We have yet to receive and test a final software fix for this issue, and will sure to update you when we have tested it.
although a year late to the game (GTX 690 was released 04/29/2012) this card is quieter (even more so than 7970CF) and includes $400 in free games. now if/when they fix the micro-stuttering....
Frame Latency and micro-stutter There’s been a lot of discussion lately about ditching frames per second as a standard for how “smooth” a game runs on given hardware, and instead examining frame latency or frame times instead. The reason why is that sometimes frames per second can be misleading, as we all equate anything over 30fps to be “smooth” when in fact a game can be run at even 50fps and still be somewhat choppy if the frames aren’t being delivered on a consistent schedule. For example, if the GPU alternatively sends frames to the system at 20ms and 100ms or higher throughout a test, it’s possible to still have an average framerate above 30fps, but to have it feel like you’re dropping frames. This is not usually something that you notice when running a single GPU, but it’s more prominent in multi-card setups since both cards are sending individual frames to the system, hopefully in concert with one another. This has been a bee in AMD’s bonnet lately, and when we sat down for the briefing on this card in particular AMD mentioned it, and acknowledged it. They called it “micro stutter,” which is fitting, as it’s an almost imperceptible stutter/lag that you can feel but barely see when playing certain games on specific configurations of GPUs and CPUs.
As far as the HD 7990 goes, here is the situation. Yes this card and the latest drivers we used (13.5 beta 2) suffered from micro stutter, but it was imperceptible in most games with one major exception — Far Cry 3. We’re not sure what it is about Far Cry 3, but it runs like crap on this setup at 2560x1600 with 4xAA. We mean it feels like you are running through molasses the whole time, and when examining the frame time output from FRAPS it is easy to see why, as the latency between frames fluctutates wildly. When examining the frame time charts from other games the delivery times look pretty consistent, with only Crysis 3 showing some anomalies. AMD has told us it is working on a fix for this situation, but the remedy will most likely be a software implementation rather than a hardware fix. We have yet to receive and test a final software fix for this issue, and will sure to update you when we have tested it.
The eight game bundle justifies the added cost over 7970's in crossfire. Single card = better airflow, lower power draw, and a cleaner looking build. If I were building a power gaming PC fresh, this is exactly what I would consider. Heck, all this power on a single card, in the right case with removable lower bays, you could build the most bitchin lan box / micro ATX build EVER! Do want!
Out of curiosity, Cliff, what case would you select for that build? I have a Thermaltake Armor A30 that would work well with the CF 7970s, but I'm not sure it'd hold a 7990...just depends on the card's length.
Dual GPU products, without exception, have been slightly slower and more expensive than two graphics cards. It's the price of flexibility that such a design provides: QuadFire in almost any decently-sized case, CrossFire in damn near anything, including several mATX chassis. Also, it's is the first time there's ever been a game bundle. And it's worth $335, with every major game in the last 6 months, basically. It's also the fastest thing out there for 2560x1600 gaming, and there's a certain audience of gamers that will fall all over themselves to get it.
Dual GPU products, without exception, have been slightly slower and more expensive than two graphics cards. It's the price of flexibility that such a design provides. Also, it's is the first time there's ever been a game bundle. And it's worth $335, with every major game in the last 6 months, basically.
In every review I've seen on the 7990, nobody has stated any overclocking results. Can you provide any insight on how well it'll overclock and just how far it can be pushed?
That's a good question @mertesn - I need to do a little math on the length and find something ideal. I'd love to pack this into something semi portable.
I wish crossfire worked in windowed/fullscreen windowed mode :/. I like being able to alt tab out of games without killing them (depending on the games) and also being able to click in a second monitor.
Out of curiosity, Cliff, what case would you select for that build? I have a Thermaltake Armor A30 that would work well with the CF 7970s, but I'm not sure it'd hold a 7990...just depends on the card's length.
mertesn
I am Bobby MillerYukon, OK Icrontian
Comments
I think you bolded the wrong part: but it was imperceptible in most games with one major exception
http://silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=303&area=en