Video Card dilemma

[PCBudgetSolutions]

So my next build I can budget about 600 possibly up to 1,000 on a GPU.  My issue is, my HD 7950 Vapor-X doesn't offer the performance I am looking for, it's loud and generates a ton of heat in crossfire (I did like the performance in CF when I was able to mess with it but now I have 1).  Ideally I'd like to stay around 600, but I need that HD 7950 CF solution, and if I go dual GPU they have to be pre-water blocked.  The HD 7990 has silence optimized fans from what I've read and wouldn't need to be waterblocked.  But AMD doesn't really make pre-water blocked GPU's and honestly I don't wanna mess with adding a second pump for 2 GPU's and waterblocking both myself.  So yes if for 800 I can get 2 GPU's already blocked and perform with 2x HD 7950's I am game.  Also, the swiftech Komodo full cover waterblocks, is it as simple as remove the shroud, reapply paste and put together? Or so I need like every other waterblock special aluminum fins for the VRM and Vram and such.

[ericlee30]

hmmm, if you are going to water cool 2 7950's, I would get the XFX 7950 DD editions,only because the have reference PCB's on them and a life time warranty, but if your going to use the fans, they are loud and produce more heat then the Sapphire card

[defunkt]

So my next build I can budget about 600 possibly up to 1,000 on a GPU.  My issue is, my HD 7950 Vapor-X doesn't offer the performance I am looking for, it's loud and generates a ton of heat in crossfire (I did like the performance in CF when I was able to mess with it but now I have 1).  Ideally I'd like to stay around 600, but I need that HD 7950 CF solution, and if I go dual GPU they have to be pre-water blocked.  The HD 7990 has silence optimized fans from what I've read and wouldn't need to be waterblocked.  But AMD doesn't really make pre-water blocked GPU's and honestly I don't wanna mess with adding a second pump for 2 GPU's and waterblocking both myself.  So yes if for 800 I can get 2 GPU's already blocked and perform with 2x HD 7950's I am game.  Also, the swiftech Komodo full cover waterblocks, is it as simple as remove the shroud, reapply paste and put together? Or so I need like every other waterblock special aluminum fins for the VRM and Vram and such.

You'll find on quite a few water cooling website's they will sale graphics card's fit with the water block of your choice :) If your in the UK Overclockers UK  is good for it.

 

CreepingMoth

[PCBudgetSolutions]

http://www.swiftech.com/komodo-hd7900.aspx#tab1

 

According to this actually, it looks very easy.  Now running 2 GPU's and 1 CPU, I would need 2 pumps correct?  

[samuel]

one word for you: titan. Sell that 7950 and....wel, if you have the money, a watercooled titan is a real beast. Or celebrate the new year on hawaii....if you know what I mean. Actually there is not a big improvement when you CF.... See frame times and such.

[Glenwing]

one word for you: titan. Sell that 7950 and....wel, if you have the money, a watercooled titan is a real beast. Or celebrate the new year on hawaii....if you know what I mean. Actually there is not a big improvement when you CF.... See frame times and such.

A Titan would be way over the budget, he said 600, maybe up to 1000.  A stock Titan is 1000 already, a waterblocked one is like 1200.

[G.Freeman]

one word for you: titan. Sell that 7950 and....wel, if you have the money, a watercooled titan is a real beast. Or celebrate the new year on hawaii....if you know what I mean. Actually there is not a big improvement when you CF.... See frame times and such.

Theres absolutly no reason to watercool modern hardware unless for epeen. The stock cooler on Titan is a quiet pimp !

[G.Freeman]

one word for you: titan. Sell that 7950 and....wel, if you have the money, a watercooled titan is a real beast. Or celebrate the new year on hawaii....if you know what I mean. Actually there is not a big improvement when you CF.... See frame times and such.

Ah the CF 7950 will shit all over that Titan but that's just imo.

[DaFirnz]

Depending on where you are geographically and what you have access to $800 probably wouldn't happen for 2 new cards, blocks and water cooling equipment. 

 

Your motherboard might allow you to move some stuff (cards) around for more space between them. Or you could try an Arctic Cooling cooler on the top card, as that would be the one screaming. 

 

I've never heard anyone complaining about the non-reference Sapphire coolers though. Are you sure you don't have a toasted fan or something?

 

Other that that you're looking at dropping a G for more performance than 7950s x-fired.

[samuel]

Ah the CF 7950 will shit all over that Titan but that's just imo.

...right :)

[tabuburn]

Theres absolutly no reason to watercool modern hardware unless for epeen. The stock cooler on Titan is a quiet pimp !

Not entirely. If you live in a region that has warm ambient temps, want to get more overclocks, or really stressing out a system, water cooling helps a lot. Try running a folding machine 24/7 with just air cooling or playing demanding games in a room with 35 C ambient air.

[G.Freeman]

Not entirely. If you live in a region that has warm ambient temps, want to get more overclocks, or really stressing out a system, water cooling helps a lot. Try running a folding machine 24/7 with just air cooling or playing demanding games in a room with 35 C ambient air.

It was +30c yeatsarday when I was bit coin mining and the Windforce HD 7850 was at a whopping 54c wow so hot not LOL. Modern GPUs don't get close to 100c like they used to and 75c is nothing for a 7970. Watercooling is a retarded waste unless thats the look and epeen status you are going for.

[tabuburn]

It was +30c yeatsarday when I was bit coin mining and the Windforce HD 7850 was at a whopping 54c wow so hot not LOL. Modern GPUs don't get close to 100c like they used to and 75c is nothing for a 7970. Watercooling is a retarded waste unless thats the look and epeen status you are going for.

You live in Canada. Try living here in the tropics or somewhere hotter. I have a 4-way Crossfire 7970's that are water cooled by a 480 radiator and they're reaching 50C load temps. And you're running a 7850, it's heat output is nothing compared to the higher end models.

[G.Freeman]

You live in Canada. Try living here in the tropics or somewhere hotter. I have a 4-way Crossfire 7970's that are water cooled by a 480 radiator and they're reaching 50C load temps. And you're running a 7850, it's heat output is nothing compared to the higher end models.

It actually gets hot here man and it's a dry heat like the desert not a humid heat we have already had many +30c days here this spring. 7970s run at 75c max which is nothing. My old GTX 275 hit 95c which is hot but still within spec.

[tabuburn]

It actually gets hot here man and it's a dry heat like the desert not a humid heat we have already had many +30c days here this spring. 7970s run at 75c max which is nothing. My old GTX 275 hit 95c which is hot but still within spec.

At least you've got seasons. Here, it's either hot with rain or very hot without rain all year long. Try folding with this weather. Also, sandwiching 4 GPU's pushes temps much higher and I've overvolted and overclocked all of mine. If I don't keep the heat output low, it'll kill the cards very fast. I've already killed several cards before I had them water cooled. 

[G.Freeman]

At least you've got seasons. Here, it's either hot with rain or very hot without rain all year long. Try folding with this weather. Also, sandwiching 4 GPU's pushes temps much higher and I've overvolted and overclocked all of mine. If I don't keep the heat output low, it'll kill the cards very fast. I've already killed several cards before I had them water cooled. 

It's not a big deal it's the core that runs at 75c not the exhast.

[tabuburn]

It's not a big deal it's the core that runs at 75c not the exhast.

MSI Afterburner showed 90C at full load on my overclocked/overvolted 7970's before I water cooled them. That may still be within their thermal thresholds they were rated for at stock but high heat + high voltage = bad for any electronic device.

[G.Freeman]

MSI Afterburner showed 90C at full load on my overclocked/overvolted 7970's before I water cooled them. That may still be within their thermal thresholds they were rated for at stock but high heat + high voltage = bad for any electronic device.

GPUs can run hot but still 90c is to high for an HD 7970 and I would RMA it.

[cYRoN]

Comparing 1 7850 to quad 7970's in terms of heat..
Well, you gents are comparing a lighter with a raptor engine..

 

Back to topic.

 

How about selling your existing graphic solution and take a pair of 7870s (Tahiti LE) watercooled. That should be ~600$.

 

BUT!

I would wait on the next gen cards now.

The GTX780 is rumored to be a titan GPU for just ~500$ (with less memory, but still...)

[G.Freeman]

Comparing 1 7850 to quad 7970's in terms of heat..

Well, you gents are comparing a lighter with a raptor engine..

 

Back to topic.

 

How about selling your existing graphic solution and take a pair of 7870s (Tahiti LE) watercooled. That should be ~600$.

 

BUT!

I would wait on the next gen cards now.

The GTX780 is rumored to be a titan GPU for just ~500$ (with less memory, but still...)

Whining about heat output from 4x GPUs is stupid but anyways the point is that the heat is not actually a bif issue like the noobs try and claim.

[cYRoN]

The heat at stockspeeds or slightly overclocked isnt a issue at all, thats right.
But watercooling gives you two advantages, better heatdissapation hence more headroom for higher overclocks and with enough radiatorsurface a silent computing experience.

It's not just for looks ;)

[G.Freeman]

The heat at stockspeeds or slightly overclocked isnt a issue at all, thats right.

But watercooling gives you two advantages, better heatdissapation hence more headroom for higher overclocks and with enough radiatorsurface a silent computing experience.

It's not just for looks ;)

The OCing myth that waterblocks support better or higher clock is a myth. The GPU hit's physical actectural limits long before it will hit it's thermal limit even on stock air cooling.

[tabuburn]

Comparing 1 7850 to quad 7970's in terms of heat..

Well, you gents are comparing a lighter with a raptor engine..

 

Back to topic.

 

How about selling your existing graphic solution and take a pair of 7870s (Tahiti LE) watercooled. That should be ~600$.

 

BUT!

I would wait on the next gen cards now.

The GTX780 is rumored to be a titan GPU for just ~500$ (with less memory, but still...)

Only way to get a point across to this guy has basically been bashing people that do water cooling by saying things like "noob, retarded, stupid etc". I haven't really liked how he comes off on his posts and acts like some people on other forums.

[G.Freeman]

Only way to get a point across to this guy has basically been bashing people that do water cooling by saying things like "noob, retarded, stupid etc". I haven't really liked how he comes off on his posts and acts like some people on other forums.

Well the point is that there is absolutly no reason to water cool at all unless you are going for a certain look or epeen. I live in a really hot climate and air cooling has never let me down even on the hottest of days.

[tabuburn]

Well the point is that there is absolutly no reason to water cool at all unless you are going for a certain look or epeen. I live in a really hot climate and air cooling has never let me down even on the hottest of days.

There is a point. With air cooling, you won't get as good over clocks as water cooling.

 

And where you live, it's not a hot climate. You basically live here 55.1667° N while I live around here 10.2833° N. I'm 10° from the equator.