Metro 2033
Metro has a knack for crippling some cards especially when it comes to using the sampling details. That said, I ran in to one random glitch in the benchmark’s DOF setting that affects performance varying from driver to driver.
AMD’s 12-8 Catalyst driver resulted in 44 average frames with DOF (depth of field) enabled. Disabling DOF resulted in 56 FPS falling only a couple behind the 670 OC. It’s very difficult to see the graphical differences between enabled and disabled. While I was hoping for better results, I do have to say that the DirectCU II beast renders some immaculate scenery throughout the benchmark especially compared to last generation GPU.
Batman Arkham City
There’s a big change in frame rates here. AMD GPUs have done well with the Unreal 3 engines which is why it does so well with Batman. Too bad more games don’t utilize the same or similar game engine technology. Batman AC looks down right vicious in the card’s renderings. And, the mapping details are very crisp.
Stalker Call of Pripyat
In this benchmark, the ASUS HD 7970 DirectCU II scores in between the GTX 660 Ti SC and GTX 670 OC. The graphics engine favors the NVIDIA cards just a bit more. Again, the picture quality is extremely detailed not to mention very contrast rich. I’m beginning to understand the massive appeal behind the Southern Islands HD 7000 series GPU.
Battlefield 3
It’s really nice to experience BF3 at 67 frames using ultra level settings . It’s bad enough that so many servers barely run the game, so extra frames to make it smooth will help save your kill-death ratio. It’s only a couple frames slower than the GTX 670 OC which is no big deal.
Aliens vs Predator
Again, the details in this benchmark simply look immaculate. The HD 7970 is perfect for the genre and atmosphere. The card offers up about 1 frame less than the GTX 670 OC. Additionally, if you overclock the card through GPU Tweak, the card can provide another expected 11 to 14 frames depending on the resolution.
Final Thoughts
One thing users will notice when gaming with the ASUS HD 7970 DirectCU II video card is how great looking the graphics are in all the different game environments. Granted, NVIDIA performance cards also look great but the HD 7970 just added a little something extra to the quality. We noticed this most in games like Batman Arkham City, Metro 2033, and Battlefield 3. While frame rates don’t quite top the similarly priced NVIDIA GTX 670, it still provides very smooth frame rates with great detail. It’s possible that AMD’s driver team can still increase performance.
The great stock clock and exemplary GPU Tweak overclocked performance was no match for the ASUS DirectCU II cooler. It kept the GPU in check managing 65C GPU temps at all times. This is a testament to the abilities of good cooling design. The impressive 12 phase DIGI+ VRM is an engineering work of art that all but guarantees double digit frame rate gains, which can easily last you another year of high end gaming.
The ASUS HD 7970 DirectCU II currently will cost you about $434.99 to $414.99 depending on some rebates which is only $20 more than a reference style card. With high quality components, top of the line AMD performance, exemplary DirectCU II cooling, great gaming experience, and a great end user experience that other HD 7970 cards just don’t provide, the ASUS HD 7970 DirectCU II exceeds expectations and easily earns our Editor’s Choice Award.
Pros
- Great DirectCU II design
- Exemplary cooling performance
- Impressive 12-phase DIGI+ VRM overclocking
- ASUS GPU Tweak overclocking software
- Immaculate graphics quality
- High quality SAP components
- Supports six active displays
- Fans turn off when the monitor sleeps
Cons
- Three expansion slots may limit CrossfireX on older boards
Overall Rating: 9.5/10
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