580M SLI vs (1) 7970m?

[ZombiePikmin]

Which is better? Obviously 7970m Crossfire >>> 580M SLI, but how does a single 7970m fare against a 580m SLI setup?


*debating what to get for me AW*

[Bendak]

The GTX580M SLI is only marginally better than a single 7970M which is why I'd probably opt for the single 7970M.

[DarkSkies]

The GTX580M SLI is only marginally better than a single 7970M which is why I'd probably opt for the single 7970M.

I am not particularly an AMD fan, but performance offered by 7970M cannot be debated. It's a fast card. If I were you, the OP, I'd wait for 680M, but if you want to pull the trigger now, go for 7970M. 580M are last year/gen cards. You can always add second 7970M later and go crossfire.

[Rokasbillon]

HD7970 for sure. without a doubt

[steviejones133]

You can get an idea of the power of the 7970m by having a look at this thread: M18x-R1 with 7970M CrossFire

Although its in a M18x R1, the last few pages show what the card is capable of as a single or in CFX configuration. These figures are likely to be improved upon when better driver support comes out.

So, yes. a CFX 7970m setup should be far superior in terms of benchmarks to that achieved by the GTX 580m SLI setup.

The only thing to factor in would be driver support - I had AMD cards for a while and hated the poor driver support - I havent had that problem since going Nvidia....kind of a gamble if AMD's driver support continues to be of poor quality.

Saying that, if AMD do release and support these new cards with good drivers, they would be the pick of the crop and by far the fastest mobile gpu solution we have EVER seen.......maybe until Nvidia release the 680m anyway

[Mr. Fox]

I agree, Steve and DarkSkies.

ZombiePikmin - don't cripple yourself buying a laptop that cannot support SLI or CrossFire. I have not seen an M18x offered with one 7970M. The fact that one 7970M is about as powerful, or maybe a bit more so, than GTX 580M SLI is only relevant for those that want a laptop with only one GPU and no capability to upgrade to CrossFire or SLI.

Those that can be patient and wait for GTX 680M SLI may be glad they did. While the 7970M is a beast, it's not ready for prime time due to poor driver support and there is no way to predict how much faster GTX 680M will be until we see it. If the GTX 680M actually materializes before long, we can get a better comparison of performance and perhaps the 7970M will have decent driver support by then.

At this point in time, I am not sure that giving up the better NVIDIA driver and gaming support, and Cuda, is the best option for me. As tempting as the 7970M beast is looking, I'm waiting and watching to see what happens a little bit longer.

[ZombiePikmin]

Thank you for your very helpful responses guys. I fully understand the situation with the awesomeness of the 7970m's being dependent on AMD's driver support...so right now it really seems like a gamble.
'
But im aware that though last gen, 580m SLI still packs quite a hell of a punch.

...now onto my next question...

say I get a laptop with 2820qm and 580m SLI...on a m18x R1 of course...will I be able to easily upgrade it to any Ivy Bridge CPU and the inevitable 680M SLI? ...or are the 680m SLI only going to be compatible with the m18x R2's?

[Mr. Fox]

Correct, the GTX 580M SLI setup is extremely powerful and it's very stable. It will handle all the current games and should handle new game releases for the next couple of years without any problem.

You would have to install an M18x R2 motherboard in the M18x R1 to have Ivy Bridge. Our Sandy Bridge chipset does not support Ivy Bridge processors. The cost to do that would be excessive considering that Ivy Bridge offers very little benefit over Sandy Bridge. If you want Ivy Bridge, you would be better off buying a new M18x R2 if you don't already own an M18x R1.

The GTX 680M (if and when it is released) should be backward compatible with the M18x R1 and M17x R3. There is no reason for it not to be that we know of.

[ZombiePikmin]

Awesome!!

Im not too concerned with the SB > IB upgrade. Researching more into it, as far as gaming as concerned (which is what im about...not too much concerned with benching), the difference is neglible. Could definitely live without. I guess a 2820qm would still be a viable choice today as far as gaming is concerned.

Good to know that upgrading from a 580m SLI setup to a 680M SLI setup on an M18x R1 will most likely be possible. So I guess i'll upgrade to those when I feel the need to.

I dont know why, but I have a feeling that the 680m will be better than the 7970m...and im not just talking about driver support.

*orders 'discounted' AW setup*
(i7 2820qm, 580m SLI, 16gb RAM, 750gb hdd x2, killer)
heres hoping it arrives this time around lol

[Mr. Fox]

I dont know why, but I have a feeling that the 680m will be better than the 7970m...and im not just talking about driver support.

There are a number of us that suspect the same. It has been NVIDIA's M.O. to release a more powerful GPU on the heels of a AMD/ATI flagship product. What remains to be seen is how the cost will compare. Assuming it is released, and it is more powerful than 7970M, I would gladly pay and extra $100 per GPU to have the features NVIDIA offers (Cuda and PhysX) in addition to better game and driver support.