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Will a GTX 580 be able to last me 5 years?

At the rate at which things are improving in about 1 year my gtx 580 will struggle to max out some games in 1-2 years i will have to upgrade. Tbh it just depends on how much money you have and if u want to play everything maxed out all the time like i do!
 
Kasc said:
Considering computers twice as fast roughly every one and a half years - probably not.
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But we dont need the top of the range computers anymore, as their are no pc only games to really push our hardware. Thats good for me, as I dont have to upgrade so often now

My current system is the longest build Ive had, as its 3yrs old now and Im expecting it to last 1-2yrs more, depending how fast the game industry moves. All my other builds has lasted me about 2yrs max.
 
It's probably more likely to physically die than struggle within the next 5yrs, so make sure you get one with >5yrs warranty if any.

There's really no telling what the lifespan of the latest hot/power hungry GTX580/6970's is like.
 
trisp said:
At the rate at which things are improving in about 1 year my gtx 580 will struggle to max out some games in 1-2 years i will have to upgrade. Tbh it just depends on how much money you have and if u want to play everything maxed out all the time like i do!
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Na never,,, your having a laugh?
 
Not 5 years because there is going to be a big jump from 40nm to 28nm so there'll be a doubling of performance and new games coming out will try to take advantage of the peformance spike. However the fastest 28nm card might last you that long, though by the 4th and 5th year you'll probably be turning down the settings a fair bit. Take for example the GTX 280 released as a top-end card in 2008. Now it's been almost 3 years since it's release. It's still a decent card, slightly below a GTX 460 performance. It should run games fine for another 2 years but by that time you'd be really looking to upgrade.

I certainly think the 280 will be okay for gaming in aother 2 years because I expect the 460 should be okay for gaming in 2 years. By that logic I'd say buying a 28nm top end card when it comes out and then replacing in it 5 years is definitely doable.
 
xsistor said:
Not 5 years because there is going to be a big jump from 40nm to 28nm so there'll be a doubling of performance and new games coming out will try to take advantage of the peformance spike. However the fastest 28nm card might last you that long, though by the 4th and 5th year you'll probably be turning down the settings a fair bit. Take for example the GTX 280 released as a top-end card in 2008. Now it's been almost 3 years since it's release. It's still a decent card, slightly below a GTX 460 performance. It should run games fine for another 2 years but by that time you'd be really looking to upgrade.

I certainly think the 280 will be okay for gaming in aother 2 years because I expect the 460 should be okay for gaming in 2 years. By that logic I'd say buying a 28nm top end card when it comes out and then replacing in it 5 years is definitely doable.
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When do these 28nm cards come out ?
 
In terms of power, yea, it will last you 5 years as games scale in IQ.

However will it be out of date technology wise, yes. Im sure by 2013 we will be in the DX11.5 or Dx12 era, and already your super powerful 580 wont support the lastest and greatest DX version.

Thats why, really and Im a hypocrite when I say this, your probably better of getting a mid/high gpu and upgrading say every two years or so, than a super high gpu, as things move so fast, you dont get your money's worth out of the gpu really.

Also how much fun is it when you buy a gpu? Exactly.

Wouldnt you say rather have bought for example a 5850 in 2009 and then in November when BF3 is release upgrade to a 6970 or a cheap 480 etc etc etc....

Then in two years time sell of your gpu and buy another mid/high bang for buck gpu etc... it keeps you in the game so to speak.

You can make two gpu purchases rather than one on the GTX580, one now, and one in 2 years abouts...

I wish I could follow my own advise! ;)
 
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Opeth is right. IT's better to aim for the midrange and update more often than get 1 massive GPU and be stuck with it for years.

By upgrading more frequently you'll have better performance and will get to make use of the newest tech.

@Stolly, 28nm is on the map for Q3 2011 I believe. Latest by Q4 2011.
 
It depends on what you expect it to deliver. As you mentioned that you not too bothered about having all settings run up to the maximum, I don't see why it wouldn't be running games without any problem.
 
Depends what games u play.... I have only just upgraded my 9800gtx+ two weeks agothat was 4-5 years old ran all the games i played fine until il2 came out lol then i decided it was time and went for the 480 i will be happy if that lasts me two years and i spend the same again on a new gpu in two years
 
You'd be mad to blow £600 on video cards. Just buy a GTX480 for £200 which will run anything maxed out for the next couple of years, then use the money you saved to upgrade. Simple
 
Rroff said:
You really can't predict 5 years ahead with PC hardware.
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I don't think it is the PC hardware that will be the catalyst for change. I think the new console refresh that will happen in the next 2-3 years will lift the graphical ambitions & possibilities of developers, and thus PC gamers will have games which tax their CPU/GPU's more.

In my experience the first 12-18 months of a console launch can give similar performance to a mid-high end PC at a fraction of the price. Often consoles are sold at a loss too.

So in 5 years time the "Next next gen" of consoles will be hitting a level of maturity and games will look fantastic. PC gaming will have focus on super wide displays (Eyefinitity without bezels) 3D, and super HD. (2560x1600).

Therefore whilst the 8800GT has had a fantastic lifetime, it also has conincided with a very extended console lifecycle which in my opinion has stagnated the PC games market as devs have had to focus on multi-platform experiences.

In 5 years time games will demand a lot more of the hardware than today, due to the new consoles, and thus I think there will be a bigger argument for a GPU lasting max 3 years. The new console spec will give an unnatural spike in PC hardware requirements, so the linear usefulness of the GT8800 will not be repeated in the next 5 years.

From a gamers point of view, I can't wait until the new console refresh, I am sick to death of console ports based on 6 year old hardware.
 
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i would go for a 570 myself, save a bit of money, and not far behind the 580.
Can add a second 570 later on in time for that added boost or even replace it.
 
mast3r said:
i would go for a 570 myself, save a bit of money, and not far behind the 580.
Can add a second 570 later on in time for that added boost or even replace it.
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I would rather go for something with more VRAM as it is highly likely new games will need this.
 
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