The XFX R7770 makes an average card better. While HD7770 can game at 1920x1080 (just), the R7770 Black Edition enhances this experience a little thanks to the pre-overclocks applied to the card and of course, the custom cooler which not only runs pretty much silent but also has the minerals to keep the graphics card's temperatures well under control, even when placed under the highest stress.
The packaging and presentation of the XFX R7770 Black Edition is second to none. While the exterior may seem diminiutive compared to some of the oversized boxes used by some manufacturers, the product is crammed full of near everything you could want from a graphics card package. Perhaps the only additional item I would have liked to have seen would be a 6pin PCIe to twin Molex connector for those who still have an older PSU.
Aesthetically, the card is a stunner of that there can be no doubt. The Double Dissipation cooler is not over the top nor is it discreet, instead it oozes quality and craftmanship most graphics card manufacturers can only dream of. Think of this as the LianLi of GPU's and you won't be too far off the mark.
The one issue I take with the XFX R7770 Black Edition is the price. Much the same as the reference HD7770, the pricing of the XFX card is too high. Compared to the HD7770 it is most certainly worth the extra money but when the HD7770 is overpriced to begin with, the additional cost of the XFX R7770 Black Edition only compounds the issue. For a similar price you could buy a last generation HD6850 which will out strip todays review sample in terms of raw performance. The Cape Verde technology cannot compete with the green teams GTX560 so despite how much polish and glamour your add to the HD7770, it still will not offer good value for money because bang per buck, there are better solutions available. If AMD drop the prices of Cape Verde by some £30, then I forsee the HD7770's popularity will begin to rise somewhat however, at its current price, I fear people may look elsewhere for their performance hit which is a shame as despite mediocre FPS figures, the Cape Verde has some great features.
This of course is not a fault of XFX for they can only work with what they are given and in the R7770 Black Edition, they have truly done a fantastic job. It's great looking, cool running, it overclocks extremely well (despite the already large overclocks present) and is presented in a class leading package so for that they should be applauded. So if you can see past the inflated price and you are in the market for a HD7770 then look no further than the XFX card as you won't be disappointed in what it has to offer.
Click here for an explanation of our awards at Vortez.net. Thanks to XFX for providing today’s review sample.
The packaging and presentation of the XFX R7770 Black Edition is second to none. While the exterior may seem diminiutive compared to some of the oversized boxes used by some manufacturers, the product is crammed full of near everything you could want from a graphics card package. Perhaps the only additional item I would have liked to have seen would be a 6pin PCIe to twin Molex connector for those who still have an older PSU.
Aesthetically, the card is a stunner of that there can be no doubt. The Double Dissipation cooler is not over the top nor is it discreet, instead it oozes quality and craftmanship most graphics card manufacturers can only dream of. Think of this as the LianLi of GPU's and you won't be too far off the mark.
The one issue I take with the XFX R7770 Black Edition is the price. Much the same as the reference HD7770, the pricing of the XFX card is too high. Compared to the HD7770 it is most certainly worth the extra money but when the HD7770 is overpriced to begin with, the additional cost of the XFX R7770 Black Edition only compounds the issue. For a similar price you could buy a last generation HD6850 which will out strip todays review sample in terms of raw performance. The Cape Verde technology cannot compete with the green teams GTX560 so despite how much polish and glamour your add to the HD7770, it still will not offer good value for money because bang per buck, there are better solutions available. If AMD drop the prices of Cape Verde by some £30, then I forsee the HD7770's popularity will begin to rise somewhat however, at its current price, I fear people may look elsewhere for their performance hit which is a shame as despite mediocre FPS figures, the Cape Verde has some great features.
This of course is not a fault of XFX for they can only work with what they are given and in the R7770 Black Edition, they have truly done a fantastic job. It's great looking, cool running, it overclocks extremely well (despite the already large overclocks present) and is presented in a class leading package so for that they should be applauded. So if you can see past the inflated price and you are in the market for a HD7770 then look no further than the XFX card as you won't be disappointed in what it has to offer.
Pros:
+ Class leading packaging
+ Great GPU overclocking
+ Excellent cooling performance and looks
+ Very Quiet
+ Black PCB
Cons:
- Expensive at this performance level
- Barely playable framerates above 1920x1080 with filters applied
- 1GB GDDR5 may not be enough for some
+ Class leading packaging
+ Great GPU overclocking
+ Excellent cooling performance and looks
+ Very Quiet
+ Black PCB
Cons:
- Expensive at this performance level
- Barely playable framerates above 1920x1080 with filters applied
- 1GB GDDR5 may not be enough for some
Click here for an explanation of our awards at Vortez.net. Thanks to XFX for providing today’s review sample.
