Posts: 230
Threads: 4
Joined: Aug 2015
(09-18-2015, 10:27 PM)Captain_Harlock Wrote: One more question is it better to get 2x 7950 or 1x 7970 ?
Again, define "better".
2 X 7950 has more compute power than 1 X 7970 but will also use more power and probably cost more to buy. So which is better? Only you can answer that.
Look, you said you'd be up for spending up to $400 on this project. Just get a GTX 970 and be done with it. It's "better" in all regards to the 79xxs.
Some theoretical benchmark numbers for reference.
Posts: 12
Threads: 1
Joined: Sep 2015
Great. Thanks for your answer and the guidance you are providing.
Regarding the GTX 970 what is your opinion about the following card?
http://www.amazon.com/Palit-Nvidia-GeFor...B00NPRH3P0
Posts: 230
Threads: 4
Joined: Aug 2015
09-19-2015, 11:24 AM
(This post was last modified: 09-19-2015, 11:35 AM by rico.
Edit Reason: price - omg
)
(09-19-2015, 10:54 AM)Captain_Harlock Wrote: Great. Thanks for your answer and the guidance you are providing.
Regarding the GTX 970 what is your opinion about the following card?
http://www.amazon.com/Palit-Nvidia-GeFor...B00NPRH3P0
No opinion, I'm not a hardware expert. Seems to have a reference cooler though.
EDIT: That card is $612.70! Now I
do have an opinion - get a different 970!
Posts: 2,301
Threads: 11
Joined: Jul 2010
970 with reference design are very rare. If you're not running a cracking cluster with multiple cards go for a oem design card. Heat will likely not be your main issue with one single gpu. If you're will to pay that much money you could go for a 980 reference design though.
Posts: 12
Threads: 1
Joined: Sep 2015
09-19-2015, 07:04 PM
(This post was last modified: 09-19-2015, 07:06 PM by Captain_Harlock.)
Well actually i have provided you a link for this card because in my country is even cheaper than the OEM ones
. I have found it in an online shop for about 370$.
Posts: 2,936
Threads: 12
Joined: May 2012
It's not a reference design card. As I said before, not all cards with closed shrouds and centrifugal blowers are reference design cards. It's definitely an OEM design card, IIRC the design is based off of the old GTX 760.
But as undeath said the actual reference design GTX 970 is incredibly rare, especially in the US. If you're lucky to find the reference design, then definitely get it. Otherwise you kind of have to go with an OEM design. The one you've linked to is not bad and should work well for you, but there are better (MSI GTX 970 4GD5 OC, ASUS TURBO-GTX970-OC-4GD5.)
Posts: 12
Threads: 1
Joined: Sep 2015
09-20-2015, 07:35 AM
(This post was last modified: 09-23-2015, 05:22 PM by Captain_Harlock.)
Great! Thank you all for your enlightening and precise answers. I am currently between a used design reference HD 7970 and a new MSI GTX 970 4GD5 OC. Since this is kind of an investment that one may not replace any time soon, i think i am going to choose the MSI. Also as far as i am concerned it must have a better analogy on Hashing/Power.
Posts: 12
Threads: 1
Joined: Sep 2015
By the way is the PCI express bus speed relevant to the performance of the card? More specifically if i install this card in a PCIe x4 will it be slower than a PCe x16?
Posts: 344
Threads: 2
Joined: Aug 2011
For hash cracking it will have no impact.
Posts: 12
Threads: 1
Joined: Sep 2015
10-02-2015, 08:45 PM
(This post was last modified: 10-02-2015, 08:46 PM by Captain_Harlock.
Edit Reason: Added info about the Timeout Patch
)
I've just got the MSI GTX 970 4GD5 OC. It is amazing! Excellent hashing speeds and stays cool during high load. Haven't seen it overcome the 46C degrees. The fact that is also power efficient makes it a good choice. Although to make it work i have used the following timeout patch in Windows 7 -->
https://hashcat.net/wiki/doku.php?id=timeout_patch
