GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

Bradley Richardson41 said:Do I need to upgrade anything else if I want to pick up an Nvidia card?

Nah. Maybe the PSU, though. Just pop the side panel off and post a photo of the power supply here.

Robert Rodriguez2 said:No—unless it’s an issue with the power supply—which is why I’m telling you to just pop the side panel off and snap a photo of the PSU right here.

I haven't actually opened the case yet, but looking at the exterior, I can see it's a Fractal Design; it mentions something about 120mm fans, so I figured it had to be this.

EDIT: The case is a Fractal Design Define R3

What am I looking at here? Should I grab a 1080 or just hold out for something better?

Predator 360mm radiator
Intel i7-6700K processor
16GB Kingston RAM @ 3000 MHz
Asus Maximus 8 Extreme motherboard
EVGA G2 Supernova 850W power supply
Samsung EVO 250GB SSD

I think the monitor is an Acer Predator 4K

driftingdrifter88 said:What's the move here? Grab a 1080 or just wait?

Predator 360mm radiator
i7-6700K processor
16GB Kingston RAM at 3000 MHz
ROG Maximus VIII Extreme motherboard
EVGA G2 850W power supply
Samsung EVO 250GB SSD

Monitor is an Acer Predator 4K, I think

If you can't swing it right now, just hold out for the 1080 Ti...

I mean, who knows when we'll see another processor meltdown? Honestly, I wouldn't bother upgrading past a GTX 970 anyway... unless they actually give us an Extreme Edition with at least 6 cores/12 threads. Just a standard i7 doesn't really cut it for me anymore.

goldenotter9 said:I mean, when is the processor going to become obsolete again? Maybe in a year or two? Personally, I wouldn't bother upgrading past the GTX 970... unless it had at least an Extreme 6-core/12-thread setup. A standard i7 just doesn't cut it anymore for me.

🤣

driftingdrifter88 said:What should I go for here? Grab a GTX 1080 now or just wait?

Predator 360mm radiator
i7-6700K processor
16 GB Kingston 3000 MHz RAM
ASUS Maximus VIII Extreme motherboard
EVGA G2 850W power supply
Samsung EVO 250 GB SSD

Monitor is an Acer Predator 4K, I think

It’s obvious that budget isn't an issue for you, so the only real question is whether you're willing to wait or not.

You already know what performance looks like from a 1080 Ti; it's roughly comparable to the Titan X Pascal. The truth is, it's basically a slightly trimmed-down version of that same chip, but it'll come with superior coolers and higher clock speeds.

Timothy Kim60 said:🤣

Take my buddy, for example—he’s running an AMD Quad-Core with a 270 on his old rig. His GPU handled Assassin's Creed just fine, but man, that processor was absolutely struggling. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of those i7 chips either... In about four years, they're going to feel incredibly underpowered. GPUs are hitting insane levels, but CPUs just don't scale nearly as fast.

Look, an AMD Quad-Core just isn't in the same league as an i7. There isn't a single game or GPU out there right now that’s going to bottleneck an i7-6700K. Multithreading is more than enough for any title you throw at it, especially since those cores have unbeatable IPC. I honestly don't see how they "aren't the same thing."

And besides, what happens four years down the road? You think that's even on his radar? By then, he'll probably have swapped out two entire rigs, and worrying about a CPU or platform upgrade is a minor concern for someone with his budget.

goldenotter9 said:What's the point if the CPU is just going to choke again in a year or two? I wouldn't bother upgrading past a GTX 970... unless it at least had an Extreme 6-core/12-thread setup. A basic i7 just doesn't cut it anymore.

The guy is rocking a 4K monitor and you're telling him not to go higher than a GTX 970? 😬

We just finished putting two rigs together... my buddy basically built his entirely off-the-shelf (around here, you can't find half this stuff easily anyway)...
I mean, sure, an upgrade down the road in maybe four years makes sense, but right now I'm stuck wondering... how much of a massive leap is the GTX 1080 Ti actually going to be compared to the GTX 1080?
And let's be real, the budget is always the elephant in the room. 🙂

driftingdrifter88 said:How much stronger will the 1080 Ti be compared to the 1080?
And budget is always the issue.🙂

Like I mentioned earlier—just check out the Titan X Pascal reviews. The performance swings might be minor (maybe a tiny bit higher due to potentially higher clocks, or perhaps slightly lower because fewer CUDA cores won't be compensated by the clock speed), but that’s essentially the gist of it...

Regarding the price—one thing is 100% certain: it'll be more expensive than the 1080, but cheaper than the Titan X (P).😁

Hey everyone, hope you're all having a productive day! I wanted to pick your brains on something. Right now, my current setup is sitting there with an i7 4770k, 16GB of RAM, an ASUS Z87 Pro, a 700W power supply, a BenQ XL2430T monitor, and a Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 Dual-X OC Edition. To give you an idea of how I use it, about 90% of my time is spent diving into Call of Duty. I’m planning to pull the trigger on a ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1070 AMP Extreme Edition in about a month, but I’ve been wondering—is this actually a smart, worthwhile move to make right now? If you think it is, should I go with the ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1070 AMP Extreme Edition, maybe grab the ASUS ROG Strix GTX 1070 instead, or perhaps something else entirely? Thanks for the help!

Jack Alvarez said:Hey everyone, quick question... I've got a build sitting here with an i7 4770k, 16GB of RAM, an ASUS Z87 Pro, a 700W PSU, a BenQ XL2430T monitor, and a Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 Dual-X OC Edition. This rig spends about 90% of its time running Call of Duty. I'm thinking about picking up a ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1070 AMP Extreme Edition in about a month. Is that actually a smart, worthwhile move right now? If so, should I go with the ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1070 AMP Extreme Edition, the ASUS ROG Strix GTX 1070, or something else? Thanks.

Look, if you're sticking to 1080p, a GTX 1080 is total overkill unless you're chasing insane frame rates. Even an RX 480 or a GTX 1060 will push 80+ FPS on ultra settings. Only consider the upgrade if you're planning to swap to a 1440p monitor soon.

Since I've got a 144Hz monitor, I don't think a GTX 1080 would be overkill at all.😛

Honestly, I feel like there's no real need to go out and grab those high-end versions like the AMP! ...I'd probably just grab the cheapest one that still offers a 3-year warranty and call it a day.

The 1070 Ti is definitely the smartest buy here. My only advice is to avoid overpaying for those "ultra-premium" models just because they have a flashy brand name. Back when they first launched (if I recall correctly), the Palit GameRock and the Gainward Phoenix had some of the best cooling setups out there, and they were actually among the most budget-friendly options. The only downside—at least in terms of what we see in the US market—was that they often came with a shorter 2-year warranty compared to the 3-year coverage you get on other models.

If you’re looking to save some cash and don't mind a little DIY project, you should grab this (the price is unbeatable). Once it arrives, just reach out to EVGA directly to ask for thermal pads, since they occasionally miss them during assembly 😁. You can find them here and check out this tutorial here to help you out. Any issues specific to that series are effectively solved by doing this.

crimsonstag84 said:With a 144Hz monitor, a GTX 1080 isn't exactly overkill. It’s just right. 😛

I don't see the point in paying extra for those overbuilt versions like the AMP. Just grab the cheapest one you can find that still comes with a solid three-year warranty and call it a day.

So, what? An RX 480 pulls an AVG 98, and you're seriously claiming that card is going to struggle like hell on a 144Hz monitor and that a GTX 1070 is some kind of necessity? Fine. Like I said before, I’m sticking to my guns if... Don't expect some insane FPS. Running a GTX 1080 at 1080p on Ultra settings? That's just overkill. It's like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. ☕

There’s no such thing as overkill if money isn't an issue for him (which clearly it isn't here). A GTX 1070 is his most logical move, especially since it offers a much more significant jump than moving from an old HD 7970 straight to an RX 480 or a 1060.

Fair enough. 👍 If money isn't an issue, then "overkill" isn't even a thing. Otherwise, getting a GTX 1070 for 1080p is just total overkill. 😉

How can you even say that when there are games out there where even a GTX 1070 can't hit an AVG 98 of 60 FPS, let alone a minimum? And he's trying to run all that on a 144Hz monitor too...

I’m not really looking to swap out my monitor just yet since I picked it up only a few months ago, and honestly, 1080p still feels like the sweet spot for me. Right now, running Call of Duty on max settings with this HD 7970, I’m seeing somewhere between 70 and 90 FPS—usually hovering right around that 90-91 mark—but like you guys mentioned, since my monitor supports 144Hz, I’d love to push those frame rates even higher. For instance, the Gainward Phoenix is sitting at about $480, while the Palit GameRock is around $475, and then there's the ASUS ROG priced at about $515.

Edit: To be clear, money isn't exactly a huge hurdle for me; it's more about finding the right balance, especially since a GTX 1060 would save me a good $150 to $200. However, I’d much rather invest a bit more upfront right now so I can just relax and not have to worry about upgrades for a long time, if that makes sense. I’m definitely no expert in this field, but I've always heard the common wisdom that the 1070 is a fantastic choice for gaming enthusiasts.