Conclusion
The HD 7790 may not prompt the excitement or eye-popping performance numbers of a flagship graphics card launch but it represents a noteworthy step forward for the Radeon lineup on a number of fronts. A move into the $149 price point is particularly important since previous AMD products failed to unseat the GTX 650 Ti from its commanding position within this popular segment. And the HD 7790 does just that.
Make no mistake about it, $150 buys you a lot of graphics horsepower these days, or at least enough to safely play every current DX11 title on high settings at 1080P. The HD 7790 takes this one step further by comfortably keeping framerates above the 30 mark with anti aliasing enabled in many games This is an impressive achievement and could be the tipping point for gamers looking to upgrade their lower end 400-series or HD 6000-series cards.
While the HD 7790 is intended to close the gap between AMD’s HD 7850 and HD 7770, its dual geometry engines and high clock speeds push actual performance closer to the Pitcairn architecture than its HD 7700-series sibling. That’s great to see from a card which costs some $50 or 25% less than a HD 7850.
Against NVIDIA’s entrenched GTX 650 Ti, the situation is a bit less defined. Both cards trade blows from one game to the next but the HD 7790 ultimately comes out on top. Either card would be a great solution for gamers on a shoestring budget but in our opinion, the HD 7790 is currently the one to beat, especially when that addition of a free $50 game is factored into the equation. Indeed, even without Bioshock Infinite coming along for the ride, the HD 7790 represents a phenomenal value.
AMD's performance against the current crop of NVIDIA offerings may be impressive but that situation is bound to change very soon. We can't tell you what's in store but let's just say that NVIDIA certainly isn't taking this challenge lying down and is poised to respond with a full scale broadside much sooner than you may think.
Sapphire’s Dual Fan OC model doesn’t add anything new to this equation since its clock speed increases don't lead to any noticeable effects on in-game performance. It does however provide an excellent heatsink which remained well behaved throughout testing and kept thermals under strict control. In our opinion, its $10 premium is money well spent.
AMD still has several fluidity issues Far Cry 3 and Hitman: Absolution but for whatever reason, the HD 7790’s penchant for stuttering is strangely reduced when compared against higher end Tahiti-based cards. This helps it maintain a more level footing against NVIDIA’s offerings than its compatriots while also giving AMD’s additional features some time to shine. Remember, both multi card and multi monitor support are rarities in the sub-$200 market so their addition grants future expansion capabilities to any system with an HD 7790.
When competing in the lower end markets, performance is only one small part of the picture. Power consumption and heat output play a huge role in the success or failure of a given design but the HD 7790 has these bases well covered. The efficiency granted by AMD's Bonaire core is nothing short of spectacular, at least in comparison against AMD’s own cards. The HD 7790 only consumes a few watts more than a HD 7770 GHz Edition and yet is able to thoroughly trounce its sibling on the performance front. But, while the performance per watt uplift against AMD’s lineup is impressive, the GTX 650 Ti provides an excellent counterpoint by posting a similar perf per watt ratio.
The HD 7790 is able to outgun NVIDIA’s similarly priced GTX 650 Ti and it gives gamers a well tailored, efficient AMD alternative in a hotly contested price segment while also introducing class-lead features into the entry level market. It is a near-perfect solution from nearly every perspective and should contribute towards lowering overall GPU prices for gamers who are looking for the best deal possible. To us, that’s a recipe for success.
Conclusion
The HD 7790 may not prompt the excitement or eye-popping performance numbers of a flagship graphics card launch but it represents a noteworthy step forward for the Radeon lineup on a number of fronts. A move into the $149 price point is particularly important since previous AMD products failed to unseat the GTX 650 Ti from its commanding position within this popular segment. And the HD 7790 does just that.
Make no mistake about it, $150 buys you a lot of graphics horsepower these days, or at least enough to safely play every current DX11 title on high settings at 1080P. The HD 7790 takes this one step further by comfortably keeping framerates above the 30 mark with anti aliasing enabled in many games This is an impressive achievement and could be the tipping point for gamers looking to upgrade their lower end 400-series or HD 6000-series cards.
While the HD 7790 is intended to close the gap between AMD’s HD 7850 and HD 7770, its dual geometry engines and high clock speeds push actual performance closer to the Pitcairn architecture than its HD 7700-series sibling. That’s great to see from a card which costs some $50 or 25% less than a HD 7850.
Against NVIDIA’s entrenched GTX 650 Ti, the situation is a bit less defined. Both cards trade blows from one game to the next but the HD 7790 ultimately comes out on top. Either card would be a great solution for gamers on a shoestring budget but in our opinion, the HD 7790 is currently the one to beat, especially when that addition of a free $50 game is factored into the equation. Indeed, even without Bioshock Infinite coming along for the ride, the HD 7790 represents a phenomenal value.
AMD's performance against the current crop of NVIDIA offerings may be impressive but that situation is bound to change very soon. We can't tell you what's in store but let's just say that NVIDIA certainly isn't taking this challenge lying down and is poised to respond with a full scale broadside much sooner than you may think.
Sapphire’s Dual Fan OC model doesn’t add anything new to this equation since its clock speed increases don't lead to any noticeable effects on in-game performance. It does however provide an excellent heatsink which remained well behaved throughout testing and kept thermals under strict control. In our opinion, its $10 premium is money well spent.
AMD still has several fluidity issues Far Cry 3 and Hitman: Absolution but for whatever reason, the HD 7790’s penchant for stuttering is strangely reduced when compared against higher end Tahiti-based cards. This helps it maintain a more level footing against NVIDIA’s offerings than its compatriots while also giving AMD’s additional features some time to shine. Remember, both multi card and multi monitor support are rarities in the sub-$200 market so their addition grants future expansion capabilities to any system with an HD 7790.
When competing in the lower end markets, performance is only one small part of the picture. Power consumption and heat output play a huge role in the success or failure of a given design but the HD 7790 has these bases well covered. The efficiency granted by AMD's Bonaire core is nothing short of spectacular, at least in comparison against AMD’s own cards. The HD 7790 only consumes a few watts more than a HD 7770 GHz Edition and yet is able to thoroughly trounce its sibling on the performance front. But, while the performance per watt uplift against AMD’s lineup is impressive, the GTX 650 Ti provides an excellent counterpoint by posting a similar perf per watt ratio.
The HD 7790 is able to outgun NVIDIA’s similarly priced GTX 650 Ti and it gives gamers a well tailored, efficient AMD alternative in a hotly contested price segment while also introducing class-lead features into the entry level market. It is a near-perfect solution from nearly every perspective and should contribute towards lowering overall GPU prices for gamers who are looking for the best deal possible. To us, that’s a recipe for success.
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