ATI 5970 vs Nvidia GTX 480

[-=ShockTrooper=]

So I just Bought a computer on ebay and the PC was described as having an ATI 5970 GPU installed. But After I paid, the seller contacted me and says that he got the GPU wrong and that it is in fact a Nvidia GTX 480. He says I can get a refund if i'd like.

The PC is a Maingear PC with:

i7 980x
12 Gbs ram
1000w PSU
160 GB intel ssd
Asus rampage II mobo
windows 7 installed

now I paid $1100 for the thing which I thought was a good deal with the 5970. Should I just get my money Back or am i getting ripped off here?

thanks a lot guys.

i guess another question would be just how much better is the 5970?

[HL2-4-Life]

There is a big difference between a GTX480 and a HD5970....as to whether it'd be still worthwhile to hang on to the system or get a refund, best leave it to your compatriots to advise since I'm not from the US.

[TheNoseKnows]

Well, I'd say the i7 980x and the 5970 are like white elephants nowadays. Not state of the art, but still extremely expensive and rare. For $1100, it is a pretty good deal, but since the 5970 isn't included, ask for a refund. By the way, is it new or used?

[-=ShockTrooper=]

it's used. I buy all my PCs used because it saves some money and i really dont mind the risk. This is actually the worst thing thats happened in my used pc buying history

Im pretty sure I'll ask for a refund but id like to get some opinions 1st. he worded his email like its not a big difference when it clearly is

[rotNdude]

The CPU alone sold for $1000 when still available. That's a six-core extreme edition, if that makes a difference to you for the apps you run and the overclocking potential.

If it doesn't have the 5970, I would try to get the price reduced from the seller.

[dosbox]

A used Intel SSD? I'd be very careful if it's one of the original X25-M's. They've been around for almost four years now, so the remaining lifespan may not be that great.

[-=ShockTrooper=]

Originally Posted by dosbox

A used Intel SSD? I'd be very careful if it's one of the original X25-M's. They've been around for almost four years now, so the remaining lifespan may not be that great.

it's a gen2 SSD from intel. Is SSD failure a common thing? I thought that with no moving parts they were rock solid

[venomblade89]

480 vs 5970

[-=ShockTrooper=]

Originally Posted by venomblade89

480 vs 5970

wow, thanks a lot. i couldnt find any direct comparisons

[HottspittaJr]

Originally Posted by dosbox

A used Intel SSD? I'd be very careful if it's one of the original X25-M's. They've been around for almost four years now, so the remaining lifespan may not be that great.

The rated MTBF of most SSD's is longer then the average human lifespan by far...

I wouldn't be extremely worried, unless it looks like it has decay. lol

[joemtnbike]

Originally Posted by -=ShockTrooper=

it's a gen2 SSD from intel. Is SSD failure a common thing? I thought that with no moving parts they were rock solid

The Intel SSD Toolbox will tell you what percentage of the NAND flash lifespan is used/remaining.

[dosbox]

Originally Posted by -=ShockTrooper=

it's a gen2 SSD from intel. Is SSD failure a common thing? I thought that with no moving parts they were rock solid

The flash memory in SSD's can only take a certain number of writes. Once they hit the limit, the drive is effectively read only.

This isn't a problem for most people, but who knows how much life is left in a four year old drive.

[sfade]

Originally Posted by HottspittaJr

The rated MTBF of most SSD's is longer then the average human lifespan by far...

That's component operation, but he's referring to NAND wear. Even though the MTBF for the components is huge a drive can be 'worn out' because the NAND flash that stores the data can only change states a finite number of times.

Thus, due to the way current NAND storage functions, something called write amplification occurs. It's generally managed by firmware, garbage collection and TRIM commands from the OS (which has improved drastically since the first generations), but it is entirely possible to use up a significant portion of the write cycles in 4-5 years of fairly heavy use.

It's unlikely the drive was so heavily written, but it's still a consideration depending on how it was used.

[-=ShockTrooper=]

Originally Posted by sfade

That's component operation, but he's referring to NAND wear. Even though the MTBF for the components is huge a drive can be 'worn out' because the NAND flash that stores the data can only change states a finite number of times.

Thus, due to the way current NAND storage functions, something called write amplification occurs. It's generally managed by firmware, garbage collection and TRIM commands from the OS (which has improved drastically since the first generations), but it is entirely possible to use up a significant portion of the write cycles in 4-5 years of fairly heavy use.

It's unlikely the drive was so heavily written, but it's still a consideration depending on how it was used.

thanks, good to know.

i just got the system anyway. I had him upgrade me to airmail for free lol. truth be told i was worried about heat in a small form factor with a 5970 anyway.

thanks guys

[YahooElite]

Honestly, u should be worried about the heat of the 480 instead, 5970 most likely runs cooler whereas the 480 is known for heat.