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[Unknown Soldier]

How do you "set Prime95's priority to 9"?

Test menu -> Worker Windows... -> Priority

Don't set it to 10 as that will be higher than Windows itself and you'll find yourself unable to use the GUI anymore. Temperature monitoring programs like Core Temp also run at lower than 10 priority and you won't get temperature updates either if you've got it open to watch.

 

[·feist·]

This is the kind of post I was looking for



Yes I did haha, I browse in spurts. Also Yeah I missed it being being in the front panel, which I though was odd they didn't have something similar for the 650D when the 600T had it. I was thinking that was an e-sata port up top but, really couldn't tell for sure.

With that revelation and having watched the videos, I do believe I am sold on the 650D and will place a pre-order probably as soon as it's available. Only to have it sit around until AMD get their new CPUs and 7000 series video cards out >_>

You may not have to wait that long:

Rumour: AMD Plans to Start Making 28nm Graphics Chips in the Second Quarter.

AMD to Contract TSMC to Produce Southern Islands Graphics Chips in Q2 2011
[02/22/2011 09:55 PM]
by Anton Shilov

http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/video/...8nm_Graphics_Chips_in_the_Second_Quarter.html

Advanced Micro Devices is rumoured to be planning to start production of code-named Southern Islands graphics processing units (GPUs) using 28nm process technology at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company already in the second quarter of 2011.

According to China Economic News Service web-site, which most probably cites Commercial Times news-paper in Chinese, AMD “plans to exclusively contract TSMC to build its 28nm Southern Islands chip in the second quarter of 2012”. The source of the information does not elaborate any details about the volumes that AMD wants to get and which of the three 28nm process technology does it plan to utilize.

In Q1 2011 the world’s largest contract maker of semiconductors reportedly plans to supply five thousand wafers with chips for Altera and Xilinx made using 28LP process technology that relies on poly gate and silicon oxide nitrate, not more advanced high-k metal gate technology. It is generally unclear whether TSMC will be ready with its more advanced versions of 28nm fabrication processes that rely on HKMG in Q2 2011.

Not a lot is generally known about the Southern Islands (SI) family of graphics chips in general. Many believe that the SI resembles Northern Islands (NI, ATI Radeon HD 6000) in terms of architecture and feature-set, which means that the chips will support DirectX 11, ATI's latest universal video decoder (UVD) 3.0 engine and other enhancements. The first chip in the family is likely to be produced using 28HP or 28HPL process technology and will likely be used as a "pipe cleaner" that will allow AMD to learn maximum about volume manufacturing using the new fabrication process.

Given that TSMC expects wafers produced at various 28nm nodes to account for 2% - 3% of its revenue in the fourth quarter of the year, shipments of Southern Islands GPUs in Q2 - Q3 2011 will hardly be mass.

AMD and TSMC did not comment on the news-story.

 

[Jin34]

That seems to indicate that AMD will pull another 4770. Basically make a new 6000 series number card under the 28nm process to test the new node for the 7000 series cards.

 

[Curufinwe]

Alright, I know this is the "I need a new PC" thread, but I have a small question. My graphics card's been acting weird. I sent an RMA to PNY, and they accepted. However, I need to send them my card, and they didn't specify how. Should I just send it in any box?

Spoiler

I can't believe they're not going to pay for the shipping.

I assume that means the original box is long gone. Make sure you package it up nicely or they may not accept it.

 

[MisterAnderson]

Upping the voltage or bringing down the clock speed. If your temps allow it I'd try upping the voltage. 4ghz is nice.

I upped the voltage 1 notch and it was running stable for a few hours (was playing Crysis no problems and doing other things). Just took a shower, came back and it was frozen at the desktop again. With Load Line Calibration set to disabled, my vdroop had the voltage settings no higher on the Vcore when looking at cpu-Z. So by me upping the voltage 1 notch does that even have an effect? Or do I need to turn of load line calibration for that to take effect?

Edit: I moved it up two notches and that seemed to up the core voltage a bit. I'll see if it freezes now.

 

[antonz]

Heads up for potential GPU upgraders. I saw today that revised 6950s are starting to go out that remove the ability to flash to 6970. You can tell its the revised card by the lack of a bios switch on the card

 

[MisterAnderson]

Heads up for potential GPU upgraders. I saw today that revised 6950s are starting to go out that remove the ability to flash to 6970. You can tell its the revised card by the lack of a bios switch on the card

Shit. So I should buy one asap. Is there any consensus as to what brand is best? XFX? HIS? Sapphire? I have an XFX 4890 and it's treated me well, but it seems to be the most expensive one. I think it comes with a 2 year warranty though...

 

[antonz]

Shit. So I should buy one asap. Is there any consensus as to what brand is best? XFX? XIS? Sapphire? I have an XFX 4890 and it's treated me well, but it seems to be the most expensive one. I think it comes with a 2 year warranty though...

In many cases I think its personal preference. I went with HIS because 30 dollar rebate was nice and brought the card down to 560 TI price while offering 2GB of ram and the obvious performance boosts. Rebates only via Amazon,Newegg and a few other online places though and card must be bought by 28th.

My 6950 arrived from Amazon today so they still have Gen 1 Cards

 

[MisterAnderson]

Test menu -> Worker Windows... -> Priority

Don't set it to 10 as that will be higher than Windows itself and you'll find yourself unable to use the GUI anymore. Temperature monitoring programs like Core Temp also run at lower than 10 priority and you won't get temperature updates either if you've got it open to watch.

Isn't it not safe to run it without seeing the temp readings though?

In many cases I think its personal preference. I went with HIS because 30 dollar rebate was nice and brought the card down to 560 TI price while offering 2GB of ram and the obvious performance boosts. Rebates only via Amazon,Newegg and a few other online places though and card must be bought by 28th.

My 6950 arrived from Amazon today so they still have Gen 1 Cards

I know a lot of people have been saying that Crossfire is buggy and can run into a lot of compatibility issues and that it's pretty unnecessary unless doing Eyefinity or some such. But if I have an i7 920 OCed to 4GHz, 12GB DDR3 RAM, and if I end up getting the 6950 and flash it to 6970, do you think that will be enough to run Crysis 2 1080p with 60 FPS? If I plan to want to possibly play in 3D mode, would that justify getting two 6950's? I'd get one for sure and just see how it runs then get possibly get a second one down the line, but the fact that they are rolling out revised versions of it is making me want to go ahead and get two now...

 

[comrade]

Isn't it not safe to run it without seeing the temp readings though?



I know a lot of people have been saying that Crossfire is buggy and can run into a lot of compatibility issues and that it's pretty unnecessary unless doing Eyefinity or some such. But if I have an i7 920 OCed to 4GHz, 12GB DDR3 RAM, and if I end up getting the 6950 and flash it to 6970, do you think that will be enough to run Crysis 2 1080p with 60 FPS? If I plan to want to possibly play in 3D mode, would that justify getting two 6950's? I'd get one for sure and just see how it runs then get possibly get a second one down the line, but the fact that they are rolling out revised versions of it is making me want to go ahead and get two now...

Probably not at high settings.

 

[antonz]

Isn't it not safe to run it without seeing the temp readings though?



I know a lot of people have been saying that Crossfire is buggy and can run into a lot of compatibility issues and that it's pretty unnecessary unless doing Eyefinity or some such. But if I have an i7 920 OCed to 4GHz, 12GB DDR3 RAM, and if I end up getting the 6950 and flash it to 6970, do you think that will be enough to run Crysis 2 1080p with 60 FPS? If I plan to want to possibly play in 3D mode, would that justify getting two 6950's? I'd get one for sure and just see how it runs then get possibly get a second one down the line, but the fact that they are rolling out revised versions of it is making me want to go ahead and get two now...

You would probably get a minimum of 40 FPS with Gamer Quality and Enthusiast Shaders at 1080P. Havent reinstalled crysis yet to get a good test on my own hardware. I have my 6950 unlocked to 6970 and then 20% Power control boost and I am running a 920Mhz GPU clock and a 1450MHz Memory clock and perfectly stable. Havent bothered to try higher. Idles at abround 45 degrees with only 25% fan speed.

Honestly If I had the extra cash right now Id grab a 2nd card for the future proofing just because of how good a deal I feel the card is.

 

[MisterAnderson]

So with rebates it would cost me around $510 for two of the HIS cards on Amazon...would that be better spent on just 1 killer card like the GTX 580 or something? Or would 2 6950's (flashed to 6970) yield better performance?

 

[antonz]

So with rebates it would cost me around $510 for two of the HIS cards on Amazon...would that be better spent on just 1 killer card like the GTX 580 or something? Or would 2 6950's (flashed to 6970) yield better performance?

The 2 cards would greatly outperform the 580 in most cases though have things like more power usage etc as potential drawbacks. Its really just what direction you want to go. Andatech Benches says CF 6950 would net 87 FPS while unlocked to 6970 youd get 89 FPS in Crysis: Warhead - 1920 x 1200 - Frost Bench - Gamer Quality + Enthusiast Shaders + 4xAA . Neither are using overclocked specs

580 same settings nets 56.9 FPS
Single 5970 Speccd card will pull 51 FPS at above settings.

 

[MisterAnderson]

The 2 cards would greatly outperform the 580 in most cases though have things like more power usage etc as potential drawbacks. Its really just what direction you want to go. Andatech Benches says CF 6950 would net 87 FPS while unlocked to 6970 youd get 89 FPS in Crysis: Warhead - 1920 x 1200 - Frost Bench - Gamer Quality + Enthusiast Shaders + 4xAA . Neither are using overclocked specs

580 same settings nets 56.9 FPS
Single 5970 Speccd card will pull 51 FPS at above settings.

I have a Corsair 750w power supply... I'm assuming I should be good to go but I could be wrong. The only issue I can see is if two of these massive cards would fit in my case. Antec 900-2. I think they'd fit but I'd have to remove the 120mm fan mount near the bottom.

 

[comrade]

You would probably get a minimum of 40 FPS with Gamer Quality and Enthusiast Shaders at 1080P. Havent reinstalled crysis yet to get a good test on my own hardware. I have my 6950 unlocked to 6970 and then 20% Power control boost and I am running a 920Mhz GPU clock and a 1450MHz Memory clock and perfectly stable. Havent bothered to try higher. Idles at abround 45 degrees with only 25% fan speed.

Honestly If I had the extra cash right now Id grab a 2nd card for the future proofing just because of how good a deal I feel the card is.

How hot is it in the room your computers in?

My XFX 6950 running the same OC as you @ 1.15v idles at 37 degrees with 6% fan speed.

I have a Corsair 750w power supply... I'm assuming I should be good to go but I could be wrong. The only issue I can see is if two of these massive cards would fit in my case. Antec 900-2. I think they'd fit but I'd have to remove the 120mm fan mount near the bottom.

They'd definitely fit. My friend has 2 in his Antec 300.

 

[knitoe]

I upped the voltage 1 notch and it was running stable for a few hours (was playing Crysis no problems and doing other things). Just took a shower, came back and it was frozen at the desktop again. With Load Line Calibration set to disabled, my vdroop had the voltage settings no higher on the Vcore when looking at cpu-Z. So by me upping the voltage 1 notch does that even have an effect? Or do I need to turn of load line calibration for that to take effect?

Edit: I moved it up two notches and that seemed to up the core voltage a bit. I'll see if it freezes now.

LLC adds voltage to CPU. The amount depends on the setting (%). If you disable LLC, you need to make up the difference with the CPU voltage option set manually or by using the offset. CPU-Z voltage display fluctuates so use HWmonitor instead to see the min & max.

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

H50 is fake wannabe water-cooling. It doesn't have the reservoir or the radiator to come close to actual watercoolibg setups.

what cooler are you using now? h50 may not be real water cooling but there aren't many other cooling systems that beat it. I get fantastic temps with it. under 30c idle and at most 50c at full load. (couple of hours of crysis) where you using 1 or 2 fans with the h50?

 

[Nekrono]

I know a lot of people have been saying that Crossfire is buggy and can run into a lot of compatibility issues and that it's pretty unnecessary unless doing Eyefinity or some such. But if I have an i7 920 OCed to 4GHz, 12GB DDR3 RAM, and if I end up getting the 6950 and flash it to 6970, do you think that will be enough to run Crysis 2 1080p with 60 FPS? If I plan to want to possibly play in 3D mode, would that justify getting two 6950's? I'd get one for sure and just see how it runs then get possibly get a second one down the line, but the fact that they are rolling out revised versions of it is making me want to go ahead and get two now...

Probably not at high settings.

Ok first of all flashing a 6950 to a 6970 is not really worth it, performance gain is roughly ~2-5% with the shaders alone, which is the safe bet for not breaking your card. You'll get much more out of it just by overclocking it with it's own bios. Now as far as Crysis 2 goes according to reports from the leaked beta it seems that the 6950 on High can pull off ~50 fps average, now completely maxed out we are still unsure how the game will perform.

Overall I'd say you're pretty set for Crysis 2 man, don't worry about it, for 3D even I might dare to say, anyways Crytek said they discovered a way to pulling off 3D with minimal impact on performance, we'll have to see about that.

 

[MisterAnderson]

Ok first of all flashing a 6950 to a 6970 is not really worth it, performance gain is roughly ~2-5% with the shaders alone, which is the safe bet for not breaking your card. You'll get much more out of it just by overclocking it with it's own bios. Now as far as Crysis 2 goes according to reports from the leaked beta it seems that the 6950 on High or Hardcore which seems to be the name for it in the game can pull off ~50 fps average, now completely maxed out we are still unsure how the game will perform.

Overall I'd say you're pretty set for Crysis 2 man, don't worry about it, for 3D even I might dare to say, anyways Crytek said they discovered a way to pulling off 3D with minimal impact on performance.

Is that true? Why is everyone going crazy for the fact that it's unlockable to 6970? I thought people were having really good benchmark results after flashing. And under normal circumstances I probably wouldn't even think to get two of them, but I feel like getting two cards that can be unlocked to 6970 shaders, plus the fact that there's a $30 rebate (on each of them if I buy two) going until the 28th is making me wanna bite on two before I "miss my chance" since they are revising the chipsets.

 

[Nekrono]

Is that true? Why is everyone going crazy for the fact that it's unlockable to 6970? I thought people were having really good benchmark results after flashing. And under normal circumstances I probably wouldn't even think to get two of them, but I feel like getting two cards that can be unlocked to 6970 shaders, plus the fact that there's a $30 rebate (on each of them if I buy two) going until the 28th is making me wanna bite on two before I "miss my chance" since they are revising the chipsets.

Yeah man, at least according to this guy, which seems he did some pretty extensive testing, I have to admit that was a pretty interesting read and it opened my eyes and im sure a lot of people too.

I guess people went crazy about it because first of all it gave them the "illusion" of having a better more expensive card for "free", but as you can see there the performance gain is minimal with shaders only, now add in the fact that if you match core and memory speeds there's been reports of cards dying, I don't know man, whether it's a 100% chance of happening or not I sure wouldn't want to risk it, you're playing with fire there.

EDIT: If you want my advice MisterAnderson I'd wait for more info to come out on the 6990 or the 590, if you can't then I'd advice you to go for the two 6950's the 1Gb model tho, cheaper and performs the same as the 2Gb one, with 2 of these babies you'll be way over the 580, your power supply seems to be up for the task too.

 

[Shambles]

Yeah man, at least according to this guy, which seems he did some pretty extensive testing, I have to admit that was a pretty interesting read and it opened my eyes and im sure a lot of people too.

I guess people went crazy about it because first of all it gave them the "illusion" of having a better more expensive card for "free", but as you can see there the performance gain is minimal with shaders only, now add in the fact that if you match core and memory speeds there's been reports of cards dying, I don't know man, whether it's a 100% chance of happening or not I sure wouldn't want to risk it, you're playing with fire there.

I'm calling shenanigans. First he admits to not even using the 6970 BIOS, instead he just modifies the 6950 bios. Causing me to look closer he's a brand new account with 4 our of his 6 total posts in that thread. Also, other people are disputing his results as they have seen much larger improvements although I don't doubt that you'll see different results with different cards. Such a lengthy well groomed OP from a brand new account makes me suspicious but I could easily just be paranoid.

Lulz now look at this the exact same post showing up at techpowerups forums from a brand new account with the only 2 posts being in that thread.

I'm calling shill.

Edit: And again at overclock.net

Spoiler

I could still be crazy

 

[Nekrono]

I'm calling shenanigans. First he admits to not even using the 6970 BIOS, instead he just modifies the 6950 bios. Causing me to look closer he's a brand new account with 4 our of his 6 total posts in that thread. Also, other people are disputing his results as they have seen much larger improvements although I don't doubt that you'll see different results with different cards. Such a lengthy well groomed OP from a brand new account makes me suspicious but I could easily just be paranoid.

Lulz now look at this the exact same post showing up at techpowerups forums from a brand new account with the only 2 posts being in that thread.

I'm calling shill.

Edit: And again at overclock.net

LOL he's really trying to show the world his finds I guess haha, whether its's fake or not who knows man, all I know it's a pretty well written post with some extensive testing to back it up, but you are right it could be shenanigans, either way it's not motivating me to flash my card .

 

[Shambles]

LOL he's really trying to show the world his finds I guess haha, whether its's fake or not who knows man, all I know it's a pretty well written post with some extensive testing to back it up, but you are right it could be shenanigans, either way it's not motivating me to flash my card .

In all chances he's just really passionate about his research but I love a good conspiracy. Either way simply overclocking the 6950 will give you performance so close to a reliable unlock I wouldn't worry about it too much either. Better to lose a few fps than to destroy your card eh.

 

[MisterAnderson]

Yeah man, at least according to this guy, which seems he did some pretty extensive testing, I have to admit that was a pretty interesting read and it opened my eyes and im sure a lot of people too.

I guess people went crazy about it because first of all it gave them the "illusion" of having a better more expensive card for "free", but as you can see there the performance gain is minimal with shaders only, now add in the fact that if you match core and memory speeds there's been reports of cards dying, I don't know man, whether it's a 100% chance of happening or not I sure wouldn't want to risk it, you're playing with fire there.

EDIT: If you want my advice MisterAnderson I'd wait for more info to come out on the 6990 or the 590, if you can't then I'd advice you to go for the two 6950's the 1Gb model tho, cheaper and performs the same as the 2Gb one, with 2 of these babies you'll be way over the 580, your power supply seems to be up for the task too.

That article was a good read for sure. But it's my understanding that he didn't actually benchmark an unlocked one? He just overclocked it to match...I think. Someone reported seeing 15 FPS increase in Crysis Warhead after unlocking. Is it possible to "undo" the unlock? If I was to end up getting the 2GB, it might be nice to at least try it out and see if I see any noticeable difference myself. If not, I could switch it back? Or is that not possible.

Also, as for the 1GB vs the 2GB, after rebate the 2GB HIS 6950 is only 10 dollars more than the 1GB version... unless you know of a cheaper deal that I don't know about it seems to make sense just to get the 2GB.

 

[Nekrono]

But it's my understanding that he didn't actually benchmark an unlocked one? He just overclocked it to match...I think.

His resoning to this...

After reading several forum posts on many different sites I decided not to flash my HD 6950 using a HD 6970 bios. There seems to be a common agreement that problems could arise from using the HD 6970 bios as the memory voltage and timings are different. I don't have any data to back this claim up, but I still chose to go with the “safer” way of modifying my original bios to unlock the additional shaders. This method allowed me to keep the cards core speed, memory speed, timings & voltages totally stock while unlocking the additional shaders. Just a note, a friend of mine used the HD 6970 bios method and hasn't had any problems with it. Your mileage may vary.

He is playing it safe, which is what most of us should do

Spoiler

unless you're rich

If I was to end up getting the 2GB, it might be nice to at least try it out and see if I see any noticeable difference myself. If not, I could switch it back? Or is that not possible.

Technically you can do it, I mean you can definitely do it with the switch, however i've read about some people doing what you said and still experiencing issues with their cards a few weeks after so I really wouldn't advice it, again I like to play it safe, some people don't mind much.

Also, as for the 1GB vs the 2GB, after rebate the 2GB HIS 6950 is only 10 dollars more than the 1GB version... unless you know of a cheaper deal that I don't know about it seems to make sense just to get the 2GB.

In that scenario then yes man go for it, but it wouldn't hurt looking other places if you can get the 1Gb model cheaper and just buy two.

 

[MisterAnderson]

Yeah there does seem to be a few people who are having permanent issues crop up on them. My guess is it has something to do with the 6950 having two 6-pin power connectors while the 6970 has an 8-pin and a 6-pin. But who knows. I'm still trying to convince myself to take the leap into the dual 6950 setup. Shopping around, on newegg the HIS 2GB one is actually the exact same price as the 1GB model until the 28th with MIB. At the very least I think I'm going to get one.

Speaking of issues, after I increased my cpu voltage a tad my 4GHz overclock seems to be running stable (still waiting to see if it will freeze like it did last time, so far nothing and it's been on far longer). However, occasionally when I turn on the PC, it will sit at a blank screen, wait a couple seconds, then power off. It then re-powers on. I go into the BIOS and it tells me about how there was a possible problem due to overclocking/overvoltage settings. Then if I save and quit with those same settings, it reboots and goes into Windows no problem. Anyone know wtf the deal is with that? Am I possibly doing damage when it powers off suddenly like that?

I'm thinking I might need to update my BIOS or something, since I haven't since I built this thing almost two years ago...

It's a Gigabyte EX58-UD4P by the way.

 

[knitoe]

Speaking of issues, after I increased my cpu voltage a tad my 4GHz overclock seems to be running stable (still waiting to see if it will freeze like it did last time, so far nothing and it's been on far longer). However, occasionally when I turn on the PC, it will sit at a blank screen, wait a couple seconds, then power off. It then re-powers on. I go into the BIOS and it tells me about how there was a possible problem due to overclocking/overvoltage settings. Then if I save and quit with those same settings, it reboots and goes into Windows no problem. Anyone know wtf the deal is with that? Am I possibly doing damage when it powers off suddenly like that?

I'm thinking I might need to update my BIOS or something, since I haven't since I built this thing almost two years ago...

It's a Gigabyte EX58-UD4P by the way.

How long have your run Prime95 to test stability? Should test it for at least 1 hr, but 3-4 hrs is better.

 

[MisterAnderson]

How long have your run Prime95 to test stability? Should test it for at least 1 hr, but 3-4 hrs is better.

I did it for about 30 minutes then played 30 minutes of Crysis. I'm going to leave it on tonight when I go to sleep running Prime95.

Edit: I know this is probably a dumb question, but if I download the most recent BIOS update (not the beta one, fuck that) I will get all of the additions/features from the prior updates correct? I don't have to download each one? I'm 99% positive since that's usually how driver downloads work... but I've never done BIOS updates before and I know that it's risky so I want to make sure I'm covering my ass. Here's the site with the BIOS updates in question:

http://gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=2986&dl=1#bios

 

[knitoe]

I did it for about 30 minutes then played 30 minutes of Crysis. I'm going to leave it on tonight when I go to sleep running Prime95.

Edit: I know this is probably a dumb question, but if I download the most recent BIOS update (not the beta one, fuck that) I will get all of the additions/features from the prior updates correct? I don't have to download each one? I'm 99% positive since that's usually how driver downloads work... but I've never done BIOS updates before and I know that it's risky so I want to make sure I'm covering my ass. Here's the site with the BIOS updates in question:

http://gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=2986&dl=1#bios

You would want to run it for a few hours before going to sleep. Otherwise, your computer could crash an hour in, restart and you would have left your computer on all night for nothing.

Yes. The most recent bios should have the latest fix and optimization from all previous versions.

 

[MisterAnderson]

Sorry about the constant questions regarding my BIOS, I just want to get this out of the way. I'm reading the instructions and it says "1. If your system supports Intel Hyper-Threading technology, please kindly disable the function in the BIOS."

In my BIOS, under "Advanced CPU Features" There's an option to enable/disable "CPU Multi-Threading"... is that the same as "Hyper threading"?

 

[Swag]

Quick question for you guys.

Is there a difference in performance between a 6950 flashed to a 6970 and an actual 6970?

 

[lilltias]

Question!

If (when) I decide to CF my 6950, should i go with a 1GB one? The memory on the 2GB on would be used right?

 

[Rufus]

Is there a difference in performance between a 6950 flashed to a 6970 and an actual 6970?

Computerbase.de tested the PowerColor Radeon HD 6950 PCS++, a 6950 that comes factory flashed to 6970, here are the benchmarks:
http://www.computerbase.de/artikel/...or-radeon-hd-6950-pcs/3/#abschnitt_benchmarks

I'd say the differences are negligible.

 

[herod]

Yes. The most recent bios should have the latest fix and optimization from all previous versions.

and even if it didn't, the BIOS update usually completely wipes out the previous one anyway.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

You would probably get a minimum of 40 FPS with Gamer Quality and Enthusiast Shaders at 1080P. Havent reinstalled crysis yet to get a good test on my own hardware. I have my 6950 unlocked to 6970 and then 20% Power control boost and I am running a 920Mhz GPU clock and a 1450MHz Memory clock and perfectly stable. Havent bothered to try higher. Idles at abround 45 degrees with only 25% fan speed.

Honestly If I had the extra cash right now Id grab a 2nd card for the future proofing just because of how good a deal I feel the card is.

I have mine to the max on both. But I also have an aftermarket GPU cooler that has brought temps down to 33-34C at idle. Bare in mind that my idle temps were in the mid 40's as well with the 6950. I also flashed my bios if I wasn't clear enough in my first sentence.

How hot is it in the room your computers in?

My XFX 6950 running the same OC as you @ 1.15v idles at 37 degrees with 6% fan speed.

Did you bump up the 20% power as well? I find it hard to believe that it's 6% fan speed and idle at 37. You're other cooling and cable management must be great. My system temp is 30C at idle and maybe the upper 30's under load. For not being very well organized in the cable department, my CPU, GPU, and system temps are all damn good. I have really good air cooling for my 2 main components though.

Unlder load, my temps don't go higher than 53C with the Accelero. With the R212 for the 2500k, my 4480mhz OC caps at 65C under burntest stress tests.

 

[Omiee]

Is there a link for a site or post that show where every graphics card ranks to see what the difference is.
because from my understanding a 6950 is as powerfull as a 570 but the 6950 is 100 euro cheaper here.

 

[Felix Lighter]

I just noticed on New Egg their Shell Shocker Deal until 10:00 Pacific Time is a 2GB 5870 for $179.99 after a $20 MIR. Is that a great deal or have I just lost track of pricing recently.

I've considered crossfiring my 5850 with a 5870 before but I decided against it. It's always tempting but I think I'll pass again.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

In the DA2 demo I don't have the option for DX10. If I find a DL I assume this would remedy this? Why is it so hard to find a 10 DL though?

 

[Swag]

Computerbase.de tested the PowerColor Radeon HD 6950 PCS++, a 6950 that comes factory flashed to 6970, here are the benchmarks:
http://www.computerbase.de/artikel/...or-radeon-hd-6950-pcs/3/#abschnitt_benchmarks

I'd say the differences are negligible.

So no point in buying a 6970 then I guess

 

[LiquidMetal14]

So no point in buying a 6970 then I guess

LOL that's basically true.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

In the DA2 demo I don't have the option for DX10. If I find a DL I assume this would remedy this? Why is it so hard to find a 10 DL though?

I found the one for XP, is this ok?

NVM, just found it wasn't possible. At least in the demo.

 

[Littleberu]

Hey, I have a question about the Sandy Bridge recall again.

I don't keep up to date with all that jazz, but I have to buy a new computer soon. And I want it to be a i5 2500k CPU.

However, I don't know what kind of motherboard is okay, and what kind of chipset is okay, or whatever.

I can't really wait until April, however.

What are my options (I want to stay with Intel)?

 

[knitoe]

Hey, I have a question about the Sandy Bridge recall again.

I don't keep up to date with all that jazz, but I have to buy a new computer soon. And I want it to be a i5 2500k CPU.

However, I don't know what kind of motherboard is okay, and what kind of chipset is okay, or whatever.

I can't really wait until April, however.

What are my options (I want to stay with Intel)?

All currently available sandy bridge MBs have defective Intel sata chipset. The defective ports are on 4X3GB/s connectors. If you only use the 2X6GB/s, you wont have any problem. And, since the MBs are on recall, they will be hard to find at retail. The fix MB won't be available in mass at retail until probably April.

 

[The Elite]

All currently available sandy bridge MBs have defective Intel sata chipset. The defective ports are on 4X3GB/s connectors. If you only use the 2X6GB/s, you wont have any problem. And, since the MBs are on recall, they will be hard to find at retail. The fix MB won't be available in mass at retail until probably April.

Yeah, I ordered on the day that they announced the recall and I still haven't received my custom computer build. Didn't stop them from taking my money.

 

[mclaren777]

OCZ Vertex 3 Preview: Faster and Cheaper than the Vertex 3 Pro

Link

 

[Salaadin]

Old?

Newegg sale, good for the next 63 hours:
http://promotions.newegg.com/neemail/feb-0-2011/72hour24/index-landing.html

 

[Littleberu]

All currently available sandy bridge MBs have defective Intel sata chipset. The defective ports are on 4X3GB/s connectors. If you only use the 2X6GB/s, you wont have any problem. And, since the MBs are on recall, they will be hard to find at retail. The fix MB won't be available in mass at retail until probably April.

So what are my options? Can I use another MBs?

 

[knitoe]

So what are my options? Can I use another MBs?

No. 2500K only runs on sandy bridge MBs. Your options are to either get a different CPU/MB, buy a defective sandy bridge MB or wait for fix MBs around April.

 

[Littleberu]

No. 2500K only runs on sandy bridge MBs. Your options are to either get a different CPU/MB, buy a defective sandy bridge MB or wait for fix MBs around April.

I read that not all the MBs are defective, but only those with a chipset by FOXCONN. Is it true? Is there a way to know who made the chipset?

 

[xero273]

I read that not all the MBs are defective, but only those with a chipset by FOXCONN. Is it true? Is there a way to know who made the chipset?

SATA ports using the intel chipset. All Sandybridge motherboard right now use intel chipset. Some motherboards will have additional ports that use the marvell chipset. Those are not affected.