ATI 7970 - Gigabyte, Asus and XFX Comparison Review

Introducing the latest 7 Series cards from ATI. 

Up today we have something very special straight out of our offices. We have in our hands 7970 cards from XFX, Gigabyte and Asus. Straight off the manufacturing conveyer belt we get the opportunity to test out these cards for our Centre Com and worldwide fans!

These cards have managed to be kept quite secretive up to latest point in time as possible, our suppliers weren’t even able to provide any sort of tech specs for the cards but we have them right here for you:

7970 GPU
PCI-Express 3.0
3GB GDDR5 Memory
925MHz Core Clock
384-bit Memory Interface
2x Mini-DsplayPort
1x HDMI
1x DVI
DX-11

For testing we have gathered and built our system with the following parts and components:

Intel Core i7 2700k (Stock Speeds)
Corsair Vengeance DDR3 8GB (2x 4GB) 1600MHz
Asus P8Z68-V/GEN3
Corsair HX-1050 PSU
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo CPU Cooler
OCZ Agility 3 Series 120GB SSD
Cooler Master HAF-X

Features

The packaging of the items is in direct reflection of their prices. The XFX, cheapest of the three offers basic packaging for the card with just a single display port adapter within the box. Asus on the other hand have beefed it up featuring moulded foam and boxed paper which includes all the accessories and includes 2 display port adapters and a power extension cable, just in case yours doesn’t reach or you are intricate about your wiring.

The XFX Core Edition supports up to 3 simultaneous displays with independent resolutions and controls with support for stereoscopic 3D gaming. Support for 4k resolutions via HDMI and DisplayPorts. Up to 2560x1600 via DVI output. XFX have also added in their own Hydrocell Thermal Solution for improved cooling for those who like to overclock their cards.

The Gigabyte model supports up to 4 simultaneous displays via AMD Eyefinity and doesn’t feature any extra features of the card on the box.

The Asus card features its own GPU Tweak utility allowing you to monitor and optimize your graphic details.

Design

All the cards in our hands today are your basic reference models straight out of the factory, but don’t worry; you can get yourself overclocked editions of these cards (not to say you can’t overclock them yourself)

 

Looking at the cards in detail, we really could not find any different between the brands. Apart from the obvious branding stickers and logos, the cards are almost identical from tip to end. The only real difference we could spot was different colour power sockets. The cards are quite lengthy and are about the same length as the 6990 so make sure you have good space to allow room for the cards. In our Cooler Master case, the cards fit pretty well and left enough room for decent airflow.

 

The cards come with a single fan located towards the end of the case so ensure good airflow is happening beneath the card and you don’t have other cards blocking its airway.

Performance

Let’s face it; we all want to know how these bad boys perform. First problem or issue we encountered was ATI’s way of presenting its driver software. The catalyst centre provides a very mixed view of high school graphics and tech specs for the I.T experts. The views between simple and advanced could not be any larger of a difference and the simple view almost provides no decent ability to play around with settings.

One of the frustrating things was VSync and ATI’s own way to describe it as ‘Wait for Vertical Refresh’. Basically it’s called VSync. Turning it off doesn’t seem to also work all the time. Even with our game settings VSync turned off, we were seeing limits still enforced by the driver. After Googling around for individual games we needed to change a few config files we were able to get it running. With that note, we used the same driver versions for all the cards (not that you can get any other at the time of testing as the card did not exist yet)

With the 28nm architecture within the card we expected it to draw a bit less power. Voltage consumption came in at 1.170v during full load and about .935v during idle. bit higher than expected but it definitely puts out that power consumption in terms of performance.

For testing purposes we ran benchmarks including a spec-heavy selection of games, Cinebench, OCCT, 3dMark11 and Heaven.

For our selection of games we had:
Crysis 2
Modern Warfare 3
Skyrim
Battlefield 3
Metro 2033

All our games were played at 1920x1080 with max settings on all available options. For consistency purposes we played the same levels on all cards for equal length of time. Our results consisted of minimum, maximum and the average FPS of the games. At the same time we were recording the temperature of the card and system in general.

Check out our results for the games.

The cards as expected performed well and equally, with minor differences not worthy of a clear cut winner, yet the GTX 580 seems to continue to hold its thrown on single-monitor gaming setups.

Our Cinebench tests proved some interesting results with the OpenGL results as follows:

FPS Result

XFX: 76.18fps
Gigabyte: 77.38fps
Asus: 79.16fps

The XFX and Gigabyte performed evenly with the Asus slightly edging out the two with a mere 2fps. Sounds like an extremely tiny difference which many will agree will have no difference in the real world.

Our Heaven benchmarking software was set at Full HD resolution with maxed setting and extreme tessellation. After all, these cards are marketed as having very good capabilities with high tessellation models. The cards performed as below (Scored in Points):

XFX: 807
Gigabyte: 806
Asus: 831

Somehow the Asus managed to cream the other two with its result. As cards that are supposed to be identical (which is shown with the XFX and Gigabyte) the Asus pulled out a rabbit from the hat. 

Lastly, we ran the popular 3dmark11 software to see how each of these would perform. As expected there were no surprises in results from card to card as each gave a good and consistent result. Our tests were done with extreme settings and at Full HD resolution.

XFX: X2346

 











Gigabyte: X2340

 











Asus: X2339

As you can see each card performed quite evenly in the Extreme category.

Temperatures on the cards were pretty much on par with each other with a few differences at times which could be blamed on fluctuating room temperatures. However with the 28nm chips within these cards, we were expecting a slightly better performance in temps. Logic dictates smaller chip equates to less heat production. Temperatures we noted ranged between 60 degrees on idle up to 80 degrees on full load, so it is quite the warm card so be sure to have good cooling within your case or you could potentially damage these cards. we hope to see non-reference cards greatly improve on these temperature results in the future.

To finish up, these cards provide very good graphical power, but the true power of these cards will show with EyeFinity displays and higher resolutions than Full HD screens. I can’t imagine anybody complaining when owning one of these cards, if not two of them as they offer the end user great current-gen gaming performance with good proofing for tomorrow’s games.
Each brand offers good cards in relation to their price points. In the end it will fall on the end users which model they would prefer to go with.

 

Centre Com now have these cards in stock!

By Sahin Selvi
sahin.s@centrecom.com.au
And Matthew Simunec
matthew.simunec@centrecom.com.au

The benchmark results may differ from user to user depending on what background software you are running and versions of benchmark software. These results aren’t portrayed to be seen as exact performance figures but merely as a rough estimate on the performance of the machine. These results are in no way bias to any company or person and are here to provide the end user in depth details and to provide extra assistance of potential purchases. All information on this page is subject to copyright. Please do not copy any parts of this article.

Edifier Aurora 2.1 Speaker System Review

2.1 Multimedia Speaker System from Edifier!
http://www.centrecom.com.au/catalog/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=edifier

Today we have in our hands a nice little review on the Edifier Aurora MP300Plus speakers. The Aurora speakers come in a 2.1 format with nice circular shaped speakers and a dedicated subwoofer in a tube shape. Before I get into the details, let’s take a look at the tech specs!

Model Number: MP300 Plus
Total power output: RMS 3.5W x 2 + 15W x 1
THD + N (testing level): 10%
Signal to noise ratio: ≥85dBA
Frequency response: Satellites: 230Hz - 20KHz | Subwoofer: 45Hz - 200Hz
Distortion: ≤0.5%
Input sensitivity: Intelligent Sensitivity Adjustment (I.D.C)
Audio Input Type: 3.5mm Stereo line-in
Adjustment: Master volume control
Subwoofer / bass unit: 2 inch, Magnetically shielded, 4Ω
Midrange / high unit: 1½ inch, Magnetically shielded, 4Ω
Dimension: Satellite: 59mm x 67mm x 59mm | Subwoofer: 280mm x 87mm x 59mm (W x H x D)
Weight: 1.00Kg (Net) | 1.30Kg (Gross)

What impressed me by these specs are the fact the speakers and subwoofer have their own dedicated frequency response range. This is good because it ensure the subwoofer will only output good sub levels while the speakers will give you all your mid and high range sounds you need.

The system has a nice low profile design which means it occupies little desk space. Its design encourages you to sit the subwoofer behind the monitor with each speaker on the corners of your monitor. On the left side speaker, there are two rounded buttons which are your volume control for the system. There are no signs or labels around the buttons so it’s up to the user to figure it out (let’s face it, it won’t be that difficult) But the buttons definitely feel cheap and very unpolished off compared to the rest of the unit. I would have liked the volume to a bit better designed and better built.

The speakers are powered and are connected to the main unit with their own S-Plug type cable. It has a Line Input plug to connect your computer or other audio device to the speakers. What is good is that it comes with multiple cables that let you plug up devices instantly. No need to rush around your drawers and cupboards trying to find that one cable, Edifier has made it easy for us by including the wiring with the package. The magnetic shielding on the system works a treat and my mobile phone didn’t cause any interference which was great.

The sound of the speakers is surprisingly very loud and powerful. It packs a massive punch and lets everyone know you’re around. Music sounded great on the speakers but was a bit bass heavy and higher sounds were muffled out though it was disastrous and still provided good entertaining sound.

Movies were great on these speakers. The extra bass helps this out a bit and gives it a more cinematic feel to the sound. Vocal parts and action sequences gave it a good punch to the feel.
For those who like a bit of extra style in their computer lives, the Aurora's also is available in a range of colours .

Conclusion

Overall, these speakers don’t have many faults in any. They provide a solid and clear sound in a simplistic and elegant design with easy connectivity and portability. Priced in around $88, you can’t go wrong with them. Now for the good part, keep your eyes open on these speakers over the next few days as it will be part of a massive upcoming sale. You won’t be finding the price of these anywhere else!

By Sahin Selvi
sahin.s@centrecom.com.au

The benchmark results may differ from user to user depending on what background software you are running and versions of benchmark software. These results aren’t portrayed to be seen as exact performance figures but merely as a rough estimate on the performance of the machine. These results are in no way bias to any company or person and are here to provide the end user in depth details and to provide extra assistance of potential purchases. All information on this page is subject to copyright. Please do not copy any parts of this article.

Lenovo Y560P (4397M2M) Laptop Review

Lenovo Y560P (4397M2M)
Powerful & Slick Notebook 
http://www.centrecom.com.au/catalog/y560p4397m2m-lenovo-y560p-4397m2m-before-cash-card-redemption-p-50917.html?sort=2a 

Features       

               

Today I have my hands on a Lenovo Y560P. This 2^nd Gen Core i7 laptop is quite beefy in the specs department and sits very competitively in the market, priced at $899. Before I get into it, let’s take a look at what’s under its hood:

Model: Y560P (4397M2M)
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit
CPU: Intel® Core™ i7-2630QM (2GHz Quad Core)
Memory: 8GB DDR3 (1066MHz)
Hard Drive(s): 750GB 5400RPM
Optical Drive(s): Super Multi DVD R/W
Networking: Gigabit Ethernet
Graphics: ATI Capilano XT 6570M 1GB DDR3
Display: 15.6” HD LED Glossy (1366x768 Resolution)
Audio: JBL Stereo Speakers
Coms: 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth
Inputs: 3x USB2.0,  1x Microphone, SD/MMC Card Reader, eSATA
Outputs: 1x Headphone Out, 1x VGA
Battery: 6 Cell

Quite decent looking machine! Opening the box I was equally impressed! Accessories and power cables come in its own white box with pockets for each item. I was quite impressed with it. While other manufacturers tend to stick with cardboard moulds to hold the laptop inside the box, Lenovo have gone one better and made it foam! Maybe I’m getting a little too excited over foam, but it sure does add a bit more unique feeling to it, it’s as if your opening a brand new 60” television, except it’s a 15.6” laptop.

The laptop comes with a one key recovery placed on top of the power button. Even though it’s quite small, I could imagine little kids coming and pressing it repeatedly. However, if you did want to restore your unit, the One Key feature provides a very simple and effective solution. Its menus are also easy to understand, so even new computer users can easily restore their laptops without external support.

The track pad feels solid and nice. It is quite smooth and responsive and supports multi-finger gestures.

Above the keyboard there’s some sort of track which I figured out to be shortcuts to simple things. Running your finger along the extruded lines you get a menu come up with different applications linked to the progress of your finger on the bar. Swiping your finger across the length of the bar locks up your screen in a unique zipper fashion. Quite impressive but will it be a popular feature to use? Not so sure.

Design

The laptop looks fantastic. The screen lid has a brushed look but feels smooth as can be. Opening the lid I was exposed to its shiny casing, matte keys and larger than normal laptop speaker. Besides the left hand side of the Keyboard you have your power button and recovery ley slightly above it. On the opposite side there are handy volume control buttons (Up, Down, Mute). This can be quite useful and I found myself pretty fond of the buttons and used it regularly. I think, having simple volume buttons directly on the unit itself is a big feature to have. Using a laptop is more hands on, so you want to be able to do simple things, with your hands!  Even brightness controls would be quite handy feature to have.

 

The keyboard is quite easy and comfortable to use. All the keys have inner bevels which let your fingers sit in nicely with each keystroke. The keys are tightly packed in together so you won’t have y our fingers clipping the corners of others, although they do have tiny gaps in between them which for crumbs is the perfect hideout place.

The notebook is your standard 15.6” Screen sized laptop, although due to the keyboard being so tightly packed in together, the extra space on either side of it makes it feel a bit larger than normal. It weighed in at 2.7Kg, might be a bit of a workout for some people, but it is quite normal for a unit of its specs.

The inputs and outputs on the unit are all placed wisely and conveniently. You have you VGA, HDMI, Network, 2x USB and audio jacks on the left hand side of the unit, on the right hand side you have your power plug, a DVD drive, eSATA port and your 3^rd USB port. On the front bevel you’ll find a SD card slot, with a dummy SD card sitting in the slot to give the unit a nice unified design and protect the slot from dust and other small annoyances. I found this to be a pleasant layout. I didn’t have any power cable issues like the previous laptop I reviewed, there no interferences or distractions. It was all quite easy to use. 

Performance

Packed into the unit is a 2^nd Generation Core i7-2630QM running at 2GHz and massive 8GB of memory. This combination is pretty good on paper. The fast quad-core processor with large RAM puts this laptop up to be quite the performer in power hungry applications.

Booting the unit came in at 45s, which is a fantastic result. I do think though with a bit of tinkering could bring that down even more.

The display of the unit is very sharp and clear. Playing back 1080p MKV files, the videos looked crisp and very well coloured. The unit had no issues scrubbing and 10GB video files.

Sound is fantastic. The stereo JBL speakers put out a decent sound which is very handy. Majority of laptops will make your ears bleed when listening to music, but the Y560P seems to do quite the opposite and is very pleasant experience. Watching the 1080p videos, the sound was amazing. I could put up the volume with no discomfort what so ever.

Photoshop on the unit ran like a breeze. The powerful CPU coupled with plenty of memory is very useful for multimedia applications and users.

My 700MB test file opened within 20secs and was comfortable to work throughout. File saving was no issues as it took roughly the same time to save it. For a laptop with a slower hard drive, it performed fantastically, and as a Multimedia Designer, I found it to be surprising and welcoming.

Call of Duty Black Ops

The game played absolutely flawlessly. Throughout the gaming I experienced no lag. I was averaging 43fps which is more than acceptable for smooth gameplay.

Crysis 2

Though it was still playable, the cut scenes suffered a bit and were occasionally laggy. The gameplay itself was more than playable though and though it did struggle a bit during heavy action scenes, overall, this laptop produced pretty impressive results. With a bit of graphic tweaking, I’d imagine most gamers would be able to improve its performance. Our Crysis 2 averaged 27fps

Our Cinebench software gave us the following test results:

CPU: 4.83pts
OpenGL: 33.81pts

The CPU performs more than double the amount of an i3 processor which is quite big difference. It was only .17pts slower than a desktop Intel i7 860 CPU.
OpenGL on the other handed absolutely creamed all other previous tests and blitzes its competitors.

Our PCMark07 benchmark gave a result of 2189 PCMarks.
Our 3DMark11 benchmark produced a result of P1217 3DMarks.

Temperatures were very impressive for the unit. Though it produced pretty warm results, at no time was the heat radiating through the keyboard area, so I felt no discomfort in using the unit. This could be due to the fact it has vents scattered all over the bottom of the unit, and quite powerful exhaust on its left hand side. So if you are intending to use this laptop on your lap, while performing CPU heavy tasks like 3D simulations and gaming, you’ll probably end up cooking your legs quite regularly, not only that, but using a laptop while its warm, and sitting on a bed or something that smothers the exhausts, can shorten the lifespan of your unit and cause damage. So, get a laptop cooler, or use it on a flat desk!

The unit was on the loud side a bit. During idling it was very comfortable and barely audible, but as soon as anything heavy begun, you really could hear the unit working up its fans. 

Conclusion

This is a brilliant unit overall. It has powerful features, gorgeous display and an amazing sound system. If you’re after a desktop replacement, this could be one to have a look into. It offers power at an unbelievable price. There are really no bad points that come directly to mind with this unit, it hasn’t let me down with whatever I’ve chosen to do with it. Even with gaming, it managed to perform remarkably well.  I used it for an entire day and was very happy to have it on my desk.

sahin.s@centrecom.com.au