video card help

[Lordraziel]

I built a new system but am having trouble figuring out what video card I wanna put in it. For right now I am going to run a single card but down the road will most likely add a second. I am running the Crosshair V with an AMD FX-8150 with 8 gigs of ram. Have been looking at the Sapphire Dual-X 7970 and the Asus Directcu2 7970 but have hear some problems with both. I am a noob at overclocking so something that can be easly done would be nice. Any comments on the ones I am looking at or other 7970 cards would be VERY helpful. Also I am willing to go with an Nvidia card but I can't find any in stock.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102982

and

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121499

[HiVizMan]

Both cards are good, but as you say there have been some mutterings about issues with both.

Myself I tend to use the reference cards - those without the fancy coolers and the fancy prices. Mainly because I overclock them myself. Regardless of what cooler you have your maximum overclock for 24/7 is going to be somewhere 1050 - 1200 I would imagine depending on case and local temps of course. And in game a difference of 25Mhz here or there is not going to make any difference.

[Lordraziel]

I was looking at those too but they are the same price as the ones with different coolers on them. Also I have read that the reference cards run at a much higher temp than the others with aftermarket coolers already on them.

[HiVizMan]

Much higher if you are a marketing person trying to sell a card yes. But 2 or 3 'c is not going to make the slightest difference at the end of the day.

Looks play a big part too. The reference cards look well ordinary. The ones you linked to are distinctive and certainly look heaps better.

[Lordraziel]

Well I am leaning toward the Asus one to keep with the red and black theme. I have seen some reviews on it that the vrm on the card can get very hot that leads to a less stable overclock if you go to high.

[HiVizMan]

I have heard that too but personally not having the card to test makes it all hearsay.