AMD is one of the leaders in the global graphics card market. This brand produces adapters in a variety of price segments. Among the most famous premium models of video cards from AMD is the Radeon HD 7950 device. It belongs to the category of single-processor solutions, however, it is often regarded as quite high-performance even against the background of many dual-processor devices. Due to what resources is the HD 7950 able to withstand competition in its segment?
Device Basics
The AMD Radeon HD 7950 is a device equipped with a Tahiti GPU, which consists of 4.31 billion transistors and is produced as part of the 28 nm process technology. The structure of the graphics adapter has 28 computing units. In each of them - 4 vector components, and in them, in turn, 16 shaders. It can be estimated that the graphics core has 1792 processors. The frequency of the main chip installed on the Radeon HD 7950 graphics card is 800 MHz. Peak processor performance is 2.87 teraflops. In this graphics adapter there are 8 rasterization units, which allows the device to carry out 32 raster operations in 1 cycle. 6 controllers of 64-bit type are connected to them. The amount of RAM on the Radeon HD 7950 is 3GB, the memory modules operate at a frequency of 1250 MHz. The adapter RAM bus is 384-bit.
Tessellation
We will study how productive the device is in terms of tessellation. It can be noted that for its measurement it is optimal to use benchmarks of the HAWX 2 type, in which, in particular, there is an option to disable the function in question - out of correlation with other video card performance settings. The most objective assessment of the speed of the adapter when tessellation is enabled can be obtained by probably comparing the corresponding indicator in the tests with those results that show competing solutions, primarily from NVIDIA. According to the results of testing the device, the Radeon HD 7950 showed performance with tessellation turned on approximately 82% higher than when measuring when this function was deactivated. The marked indicator is higher than when testing the speed of competing cards from NVIDIA, and in 2 modes - with tessellation turned on and off.
Sound
It can be noted that AMD is considered the first brand to introduce high-definition audio audit technology in its devices, in particular, in formats such as Dolby True HD, as well as DTS-HD Master Audio. Most importantly, the program used to play multimedia files, provides the conversion of sound from compressed format to linear, and also can transmit a signal to the device on which the melody is played through the HDMI interface. Among the most notable features of the AMD Radeon HD 7950 in terms of sound is the ability to simultaneously play different audio streams.
Overclocking
The graphics adapter in question lends itself well to overclocking. True, the compatibility of devices produced by different brands with this option may vary. So, the main companies that supply the graphics card to the market are Sapphire, ASUS, Gigabyte, XFX, Powercolor. Radeon HD 7950, which has optimal overclocking compatibility, according to many IT-specialists, releases the brand XFX. This is largely due to the fact that the device in this modification is equipped with a special cooling system.
So, instead of one fan located on the edge of the video card, as in other models, 2 coolers are involved in the device in question. They form cross-air currents directly above the GPU, while an aluminum heatsink removes heat. Air is discharged from the device through the rear panel. A significant amount of heated air is dispersed within the computer case. As some IT experts, as well as, in fact, the brand manufacturer of the modification of the HD Radeon 7950 video card under consideration, such a cooling system has a much lower noise level than that installed in the standard version of the graphics adapter.
It can be noted that the device from XFX also has other characteristics in terms of performance. The core of the graphics processor installed in this modification of the card operates at a frequency of 900 MHz, memory modules - at 1375 MHz. The best utility for overclocking video cards is AMD Overdrive. It is equally optimal, in principle, for any version of the device - be it, for example, Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 or, for example, a device from ASUS. As for the modification of the video card from XFX, it can be overclocked on the condition that it will maintain stability - up to about 1025 MHz in terms of the graphics core and 1450 in terms of RAM modules.
As tests conducted by IT specialists show, an overclocked device works significantly faster even than the flagship graphics adapter in the same line - Radeon HD 7970. The device’s temperature in full load mode is about 75 degrees. The noise level emitted by the XFX graphics card is around 37.3 dB.
Optimal PC configuration
Video card Radeon HD 7950 will be able to show optimal performance only if the computer is equipped with hardware components with the necessary level of speed. A recommended PC configuration that meets this criterion should include:
- processor level Intel Core i7, operating at a clock frequency of about 4 GHz, having a level 3 cache in the amount of 15 MB and supporting Hyper-Threading technology;
- motherboard level Gigabyte X79-UD5, equipped with the chipset X79 Express, as well as having a BIOS in version F8;
- RAM modules of the DDR3-1600 type with a volume of about 16 GB;
- a hard drive using SATA technology, which provides data exchange at a speed of about 6 Gb / s.
The optimal operating system for the marked PC configuration is Windows 7 in the 64-bit version. The platform, assembled on the basis of the above hardware components, is able to provide high-performance graphics cards in almost any modification, be it an ASUS Radeon HD 7950 graphics adapter, or, for example, a device from Gigabyte.
Video card performance in tests
We will now study the test results of the device in question. Among the most common programs for measuring the speed of video cards is 3DMark 11. According to the results of testing with this software, the video card, in particular, was ahead of the competing solution from NVIDIA - the GeForce GTX 580 graphics adapter. True, it is inferior to the dual-processor device Radeon HD 6990.
In the Sandra 2012 test, you can, in particular, measure the performance of video cards in 32-bit floating-point and 64-bit with double precision. As part of the corresponding testing, the Radeon HD 7950 graphics card is significantly ahead of the competing solution from NVIDIA - the GTX 580 graphics adapter, but inferior to the leading model of its lineup, as well as the dual-processor device HD 6990.
Another popular test in this program involves measuring the bandwidth of the data transfer channel between the graphics processor and RAM modules. The HD 7950 video card is quite predictably inferior to dual-processor solutions in this respect.
Another popular test in Sandra involves measuring the speed of data exchange between the GPU and the PCI-E interface. Cards supporting the higher-speed standard - PCI Express in version 3.0 are leading in it. These, in particular, include the graphics adapters of the line, which includes the Radeon HD 7950 graphics card. The corresponding devices can transmit data within the specified communications at speeds up to 9 GB / s. In turn, outdated PCI interfaces operate at a speed of about 6 GB / s.
In MediaEspresso tests, you can visually examine the quality of acceleration in video adapters. According to IT experts, in some cases, the corresponding software does not provide optimal compatibility with AMD graphics adapters. So, you may need to disable some important functions of devices. Another aspect that is useful to pay attention to: at the time of the release of the HD 7950 graphics card, AMD did not introduce full support for hardware acceleration in the framework of Video Codec Engine technology. In this regard, the performance of the device during testing in this program is expressed in modest indicators.
In turn, in OpenCL mode, the speed of the HD 7950 graphics adapter is fixed at a very high level. So, in the framework of tests in the LuxMark program, the performance of video cards is measured in the number of samples per 1 second. According to these indicators, the graphics adapter in question looks very competitive.
Many IT professionals prefer to measure the performance of hardware not in games and synthetic tests, but in real applications. So, for example, to assess the speed of the device in this way, you can use the vReveal program, which belongs to the category of video editors. Using this software, it is possible to identify how the hardware acceleration function of the Radeon HD 7950 graphics card affects the efficiency of video stream processing algorithms.
Some IT professionals, for example, tried to measure the device’s performance by playing back a high-resolution movie and at the same time using the quality optimization function supported by vReveal. As the tests showed, the HD 7950 graphics adapter successfully coped with the task - as well as its direct competitors and similar solutions from the AMD brand in terms of functionality and capabilities. However, the performance of the tested devices turned out to be dissimilar in terms of processor load. It turned out that AMD graphics adapters require less computational resources of the main PC chip than with competing solutions from NVIDIA.
Video card performance in games
In the Battlefield 3 game, the Radeon HD 7950 also runs faster than the NVIDIA GTX 580 in various resolutions. In the non-smoothing mode in this game, as well as when testing the performance of graphic adapters in 3DMark 11, the HD 6990 device is in the lead. But if the corresponding option is activated, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590 shows a higher operating speed.
In Crysis 2, the device in question does not show the most outstanding results. In particular, it is inferior to the previous model - the HD 6950 graphics adapter. Experts explain this by the fact that in the device architecture of the newer line, which includes the AMD Radeon HD 7950 graphics card, technologies are implemented that do not have the most optimal compatibility with the DirectX 9 standard.
AMD is among the leaders in the Skyrim game. In particular, it is ahead of the competing solution from NVIDIA. In turn, these devices are swapped in DiRT 3, despite the fact that the brand manufacturer of video cards Radeon is participating in the development of the game as part of the AMD Gaming Evolved project. A noticeable increase in the speed of the device HD 7950 in the game Radeon is observed relative to the previous model - HD 6950. However, the flagship device in the line to which the video card belongs to, wins in performance when testing in the game DiRT 3.
Checking the speed of graphics cards in World of Warcraft: Cataclysm shows that the HD 7950 device is lagging behind a competing solution manufactured by NVIDIA. In the Metro 2033 game, the device's performance is at a level higher than that which is fixed during testing of the GTX 580, but lower than that which the older model of the line has. At the same time, as IT specialists note, the comfort of the gameplay when using the HD 7950 graphics card is provided at a sufficient level even with the highest screen resolution and picture detail.
Prices
How much does the Radeon HD 7950 graphics card cost? The price of the device now largely depends on the particular seller. Due to the fact that the graphic adapter in question was discontinued in 2013, it is difficult to find on the shelves of modern retail chains. Most likely, you will have to buy it through ads or at an online auction. If you can find the Radeon HD 7950 in the appropriate catalogs, the price of the device will be about 11 thousand rubles. You may also have to pay for shipping. Another aspect of the acquisition of an AMD Radeon HD 7950 graphics card: the price of the device will largely depend on the dollar. Almost guaranteed - in cases where the goods are purchased in foreign online stores. However, the spread between different modifications of the video card - Gigabyte Radeon HD 7950 or, for example, the version of the device from ASUS, will be small.
Reviews
We will now study the opinions of users of the considered graphics adapter based on reviews found on thematic portals. These can be classified into the following main categories:
- opinions regarding the performance of the device in normal mode;
- feedback on the results of overclocking the video card ;
- reviews reflecting the assessment of the graphics adapter in terms of the stability of its work.
We will study them in more detail.
The device works as usual: reviews
In reviews that reflect the performance of the video card in normal mode, that is, without overclocking, users note the ability of the graphics adapter to display a high-quality picture on the screen in different modes and in a wide range of resolution settings. The Radeon video card, thus, provides equally high working comfort regardless of the characteristics of the monitor used or system parameters.
Overclocking the video card: reviews
The reviews reflecting the graphics card performance rating in overclocking mode are also quite positive. Users, in principle, do not call the device noisy, although much in this case depends on its specific modification. The main thing when overclocking a video card, as fans of experiments in the corresponding field note, is to choose the settings under which the graphics adapter works stably. Actually, this aspect of functioning is reflected in a separate category of reviews.
Reviews about the stability of the device
Indeed, it happens that even the most powerful video card freezes, processes a picture with distortions, and causes malfunctions in the operating system. For graphics adapter Radeon HD 7950, according to users and IT experts, such features are not peculiar. The video card functions stably without provoking system failures. It is important at the same time, of course, that the latest drivers for the device are installed in the OS. The presence of appropriate software is among the main conditions for ensuring the stability of any device. Especially - a video card, which is one of the key hardware components that determine the performance of a PC.