Testurteil: "4.5 out of 5 stars"
Test: Einzeltest: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 OC (GV-R797OC-3GD)
Zitat: Pro: + Fastest single-GPU card we´ve tested
+ Lots of overclocking headroom
+ Quieter than reference
+ Cooler than reference
Con: - It´s a hugely-expensive proposition
If you´re a die-hard PC gamer, start saving as the Gigabyte HD 7970 OC is a top-end card that ought to be on every enthusiast´s radar. Gigabyte clearly knows how to make a finely-tuned graphics card, and by applying a custom-designed WindForce cooler to AMD´s finest 28nm GPU, it has created a solution that´s better than reference in just about every regard. The card´s shorter and lighter than AMD´s standard design, it runs comfortably cooler - to the tune of around 15 per cent - it´s quieter in use, and to top it all off, it´s factory overclocked to give that extra ounce of performance. It is the best HD 7970 we´ve seen thus far, but despite our high praise, it´s worth echoing an earlier proviso; this is a card that´s only really suited to die-hard PC gamers. When it arrives at retail, Gigabyte´s range-topping powerhouse will likely cost more than an Xbox 360, a PlayStation 3 and a Nintendo Wii combined, and unless you´re gaming at mega-high resolutions, the HD 7970 OC clearly won´t represent the best value for money. Furthermore, if you are a PC gamer at heart, it won´t have escaped your notice that a pair of lesser graphics cards can be teamed up in SLI or CrossFire for what´s likely to be superior performance at a lower price point. Though, this one isn´t really about delivering value, is it? It´s about living on the bleeding edge of graphics technology, and to that end, we´ve seen no single-GPU solution as potent as Gigabyte´s HD 7970 OC. Bottom line: cooler, quieter and faster than reference? There will no doubt be others, but right now, this is probably the best Radeon HD 7970 money can buy.