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Looking for $300 video card to play Crysis 3 on maximum settings.

post #1 of 32
2/12/13 at 12:25am
Thread Starter 
Firstly, if I can wait a bit longer this year I can stretch my budget to $350.

Secondly, I know Crysis 3 hasn't been officially released yet and AMD drivers haven't been fully optimized for the game. That being said, Google search showed GTX 680 or Radeon 7970 is needed for optimal or high-performance settings. Will either card safely run on Antec NEO 620C with overclocked CPU and RAM? How much OC headroom would I have for the card using my current PSU?

Third, which brand and model/variant would you recommend?

Fourth, what is the difference between the Sapphire 7970 Dual-X and Vapor-X?

My system specs:
Antec 300 Illusion Case
Antec NEO ECO 620C
Asus M5A88-V EVO
Phenom II X4 960T OC'd @ 4.2GHz / 6 cores @ 4014Mhz
CPU/NB @ 3038Mhz
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB 1736Mhz CL9 1T
MSI R7850 Twin Frozr 2GD5/OC
Asus Xonar DX & Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro 80 Darth'd w/ O2 Desktop Amp
Crucial M4 128GB, WD Caviar Green 1TB/2TB, WD Passport 2TB x 5
Microsoft Digital Media Pro Keyboard & Logitech G500
Dell 2740L LED IPS 27" Monitor
Windows 7 Ultimate x64 Service Pack 1
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post #2 of 32
2/12/13 at 4:26am
I doubt you will see either of those cards at that price until Christmas when the 8xxx and 7xx series come out.
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post #3 of 32
2/12/13 at 5:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by macks View Post

I doubt you will see either of those cards at that price until Christmas when the 8xxx and 7xx series come out.
Word is, neither AMD nor nVidia will be releasing new GPUs in 2013. Only perhaps minor revisions to existing products. Tough to know what (if any) affect this will have on prices.
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post #4 of 32
2/12/13 at 7:58am
I have trouble remembering a time when you could get a current top-tier card for $300.
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post #5 of 32
2/12/13 at 11:59am
Thread Starter 
When those retail prices do drop, eventually, do you think the resale price of any game coupon codes that come with the 7970 would also drop similarly? or still be worth the same in the future as it is now? i.e. Crysis 3 and Bioshock Inf

After considering that and crunching some numbers, currently, I can get a 7970 for less than $200 after MIR and selling the 7850 and the 2 game coupons.

But how much lower the 7970 retail price will go down versus how much the resale price of the game coupon codes will also drop by the same time is what I'm wondering if it's worth waiting for. This is a conundrum.
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post #6 of 32
2/12/13 at 12:17pm
http://www.ebay.com/itm/AMD-Never-Settle-RELOADED-Bundle-Bioshock-Infinite-Steam-Crysis-3-Origin-/170989238749?pt=Video_Games_Games&hash=item27cfc0b9dd

$22 you won't get much selling the game coupons.

Edit: I think I misunderstood you. smile.gif
Edited by macks - 2/12/13 at 12:22pm
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post #7 of 32
2/12/13 at 1:42pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by macks View Post

http://www.ebay.com/itm/AMD-Never-Settle-RELOADED-Bundle-Bioshock-Infinite-Steam-Crysis-3-Origin-/170989238749?pt=Video_Games_Games&hash=item27cfc0b9dd

$22 you won't get much selling the game coupons.

Edit: I think I misunderstood you. smile.gif
I looked at the sold listings for that bundle of two game coupons, FWIW, it seems to show their current resale value is around $70, more or less.
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post #8 of 32
2/16/13 at 4:57pm
AMD is offering Bioshock Infinite AND Crysis 3 with purchase
NVIDIA is offering in game money in free-to-play games as a promo

check out Newegg.
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post #9 of 32
2/17/13 at 8:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by macks View Post

I have trouble remembering a time when you could get a current top-tier card for $300.


What do you consider top tier ?


Reason I'm asking, part of me is thinking about skipping the consoles this Xmas, and instead getting a video card. Problem is, I don't want to do SLI and liquid cooling and all that crazy stuff. What card would I be wanting to get it I had around $400 to spend ?
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post #10 of 32
2/18/13 at 4:27am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Anthony1 View Post

What do you consider top tier ?

Right now it would be the 680 or the 7970. Pick your poison. Come Christmas time this very well may change.

Liquid cooling is actually very good in a htpc environment b/c of how quiet it is. There are better alternatives now than when I went down the liquid route years ago. Video cards don't lift your htpc off the ground anymore. smile.gif
Edited by macks - 2/18/13 at 6:05am
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post #11 of 32
2/18/13 at 5:30am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Anthony1 View Post

What card would I be wanting to get it I had around $400 to spend ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by macks View Post

Right now it would be the 680 or the 7970. Pick your poison. Come Christmas time this very well may change.

I wouldn't consider the 680 to be "around $400" right now. But prices always drop, so who knows.
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post #12 of 32
2/18/13 at 6:06am
Quote:
Originally Posted by DaverJ View Post


I wouldn't consider the 680 to be "around $400" right now. But prices always drop, so who knows.

I was answering the top tier question. I edited to make it more clear. $440 AR at newegg that isn't too far off. smile.gif
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post #13 of 32
2/19/13 at 6:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by macks View Post

Right now it would be the 680 or the 7970. Pick your poison. Come Christmas time this very well may change.

Liquid cooling is actually very good in a htpc environment b/c of how quiet it is. There are better alternatives now than when I went down the liquid route years ago. Video cards don't lift your htpc off the ground anymore. smile.gif

On sale at Tiger Direct this week:
AMD XFX Radeon HD 7970 with a four game bundle (3 Free and Medal of Honor @ 20% off) for $349. If you want it...grab it. Several other 7970 brands are on sale there too around the same price...including Gigabyte, and Diamond. Several of the Nvidia's mentioned in this thread are also on sale there.
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post #14 of 32
2/20/13 at 7:06am
Quote:
Looking for $300 video card to play Crysis 3 on maximum settings

Not possible. I own 680SLI and it can barely hold the game at max settings with 60+FPS. AT $300? It's just not possible.
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post #15 of 32
2/20/13 at 7:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by JukeBox360 View Post

Not possible. I own 680SLI and it can barely hold the game at max settings with 60+FPS. AT $300? It's just not possible.

Thanks for posting, I was curious about this.

Interesting graph:



The 690 is equal to 680 in SLI, right? Also, is "very high" settings the maximum in Crysis 3, or is there a level(s) above that?
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post #16 of 32
2/20/13 at 8:13am
My EVGA 670 FTW is currently playing Crysis 3 at near 680 framerates. Just for the fun of it I cranked the settings on Crysis up all the way. It was actually playable but no where near as smooth as just setting everything on "High".
Make sure you get the latest nvidia driver that came out a day before crysis was released. This game looks gorgeous. I need to learn console commands so that I can see actuall framerates.
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post #17 of 32
2/20/13 at 8:18am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arcadia88 View Post

I need to learn console commands so that I can see actuall framerates.

I have FRAPS running all the time, just to verify I'm displaying 60fps on all games.

It loads up at Windows boot-up, and I'm so used to it now it would drive me crazy not to have those little yellow numbers in the upper left. smile.gif
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post #18 of 32
2/20/13 at 5:14pm
Why should anyone care to throw money at hardware for a game who's campaign lasts 4-5 hours?

Better to re-play Crysis or Crysis 2 with your $300 video card and pick this one up in 2014 when the new GPU's are out and this game is $9.99 on STEAM.
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post #19 of 32
2/21/13 at 8:32am
Quote:
Originally Posted by DaverJ View Post

I have FRAPS running all the time, just to verify I'm displaying 60fps on all games.

It loads up at Windows boot-up, and I'm so used to it now it would drive me crazy not to have those little yellow numbers in the upper left. smile.gif

I installed FRAPS last night to see what it's all about and wished I hadn't. It showed that running Crysis 3 on my 670 ftw at maximum settings I was able to run around 25 to 32 FPS. Playable but noooooooo. Turn on Vsync and it stays about the same.
High settings with only 1XAA vsync off I was averaging 80FPS. Turn on Vsync and I get 60. The 1XAA and 4XAA high looks the same to me so I just keep it at 1X. High settings with 1xAA and vsync turned on. The 670FTW is close to 350 bucks too.
Now if I can just get past the room with the new alien monster thing that I can't see with the nano vision I'll be able to progress through the game and see more stuff.
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post #20 of 32
2/21/13 at 10:05am
Before you installed FRAPS were you running the game and enjoying it at the same settings?

Just because you see the number doesn't mean it's bad.

People laud 60fps here, but I've never played a game at max settings with under 60fps and then had to go on a murderous rampage as it seems everyone else does.

I enjoy my visual fidelity over FPS.
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post #21 of 32
2/21/13 at 10:24am
Pretty much yes, the super duper high settings and actually being playable was suprising to me. But Fraps ruined that for me, seeing the number dip below 30 FPS. smile.gif
I'm just going to keep it set to High settings with vsync on and be happy.
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post #22 of 32
2/23/13 at 2:08pm
For what its worth, Crysis 3 on my dual overclocked 670's (they are clocked at or above 680 stock speeds) and my 4.8Ghz i7, everything set to VERY HIGH including textures, I get above 60fps everywhere. Also using only FXAA

Until you go outside...then boom, at least on the first level I'm down in the 30's...this is right after you acquire the bow, you step out onto the deck of a ship or a shipyard in the dark and rain and the framerate just tanks.

This is using the latest drivers for Nvidia.

SO...time to get comfortable with HIGH settings and enjoy it for what it is. From what I can tell, going from HIGH to VERY HIGH is almost imperceptible anyhow. You'll need a 690 or perhaps dual 690's or dual Titans to peg this game, and even then
when stuff starts blowing up, you'll be flirting with life below 60fps.

On the upside, this game looks perfectly playable at LOW settings if you had to.....
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post #23 of 32
2/26/13 at 12:10pm
This article says there is a bug in the first level that kills framerates. Something to do with ropes swinging in the wind. Rest of the game has steady frame rates. I can't beat the first big boss monster with the little things flying around it.

http://maldotex.blogspot.com.es/2013/02/performance-bug-in-crysis-3-first-level.html
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post #24 of 32
3/8/13 at 6:28pm
Thread Starter 
Now that the game has been officially released, to play the game on HIGH settings, as opposed to VERY HIGH settings, is the 670 better than the 7970, since the Crysis 3 website says a 680 or 7970 is needed for 'optimal' settings?
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post #25 of 32
3/8/13 at 8:28pm
So apparently, this is the best looking video game of all time. Do you guys agree ?
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post #26 of 32
3/8/13 at 9:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stealth3si View Post

Now that the game has been officially released, to play the game on HIGH settings, as opposed to VERY HIGH settings, is the 670 better than the 7970, since the Crysis 3 website says a 680 or 7970 is needed for 'optimal' settings?

Is the 670 better than the 7970..? No, while this can be debated back and forth to no end the 7970 is over-all the strongest card out there at the moment around $500 or less (and I am not being biased as I just recently purchased a 680). If you want the best single GPU solution around $500 grab a 7970 Ghz edition (there is one on the egg right now for $450).

Quote:
Originally Posted by Anthony1 View Post

So apparently, this is the best looking video game of all time. Do you guys agree ?

While there are aspects of Metro that appear on the same level (maybe even slightly better) I would have to say that Crysis 3 does offer the best over-all visuals of any game that I have seen/played (which has been most every AAA title, even the ones that I had no interest in). At this point it is in dire need of some optimization regardless of how stunning it may be to look at, it is still a game after all and not simply a tech demo (or is it wink.gif).

Jason


- - - - -
Edited by DaGamePimp - 3/8/13 at 10:50pm
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post #27 of 32
3/9/13 at 10:51am
In Crysis 3, the 670 is actually slightly better than the 7970 GHz at 1920 x 1080. At higher resolution, the 7970 GHz is slightly better.
http://www.techspot.com/review/642-crysis-3-performance/page5.html
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post #28 of 32
3/9/13 at 12:19pm
Indeed but a couple of frames is hardly worth concern when the 7970 is the stronger over-all card (of course that is assuming the added expense is not a factor for the buyer). wink.gif

Jason
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post #29 of 32
3/9/13 at 1:48pm
Yeah, too bad the game is so short, and isn't really that good.

I haven't played it myself, but I've heard plenty of talk about it on podcasts. Everybody talks about how when you shoot an enemiy with the crossbow, the guy will die, and then other bad guys will be like, "Hmm... Did you hear that? He's dead, I must go check on him ! ". And then you can easily shoot that guy, and so on,and so forth. Basically, I've just heard that the game is kinda lame, and that the 2nd one was actually better.

Of course, everybody says that on a really high end PC, this game is the most graphically impressive game of all time, and some people even wondered out loud if Crysis 3 looks better than the new Killzone on PS4. I'd love to see it running on a high end PC, but I'm not about to spend $400 on a video card, to play a crappy 5 hour single player campaign. If this game was considered a masterpiece, and had a 14 hour campaign, I'd be at Fry's picking up a new GPU.
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post #30 of 32
3/9/13 at 2:25pm
Yeah this game alone does not justify a higher end gpu, it's just a hint of things to come. If planning an upgrade anyway this is a wonderful bit of eye candy that is currently available and while it is far from an epic gaming experience I have played many games that are far worse (from a game play perspective). wink.gif

Jason
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