980ti or 1070 - 1080p Gaming.

BeadyRoller · 5 Jul 2016 at 09:59

So I'm due an upgrade and am torn between both these cards, 1070 is a little bit out of my price range but if it's really that much than the 980ti I wouldn't mind paying a little more.

My question is I only play at 1080p so is a 1070 over kill? Is the 2GB extra RAM going to really give me that much difference in frames at 1080p?

Appreciate any help, cheers.

Zethor · 5 Jul 2016 at 10:02

At 1080p I'd say they are both overkill.

The 480 from AMD and the upcoming 1060 can handle max details at much lower prices.

nemtizz · 5 Jul 2016 at 10:04

Gregster · 5 Jul 2016 at 10:04

You can't really go wrong with either. Both are as fast as each other really but the 980Ti will run hotter and use more power, whilst the 1070 will run much cooler and use less power. Neither are overkill and at 1080P, you want to be able to use as much AA to get rid of the jaggies as possible but things like MSAA are a real draw on frames.

razorpakk · 5 Jul 2016 at 10:10

IMO it's overkill in the sense that by buying a lesser card (970/480/1060) you'd still potentially have spare money for a 1440p monitor.
Unless you're above 60Hz, 1440p and reduced settings would still give you a better experience than 1080p.

BeadyRoller · 5 Jul 2016 at 10:10

I play mainly games like DayZ and Arma and both aren't greatly optimized although DayZ has just had a great update which has improved the frames a lot. I just want a card that will guarantee me 60fps+ in main cities because at the moment I only get about 30 on lowish settings.

Is a 970 really that much of an upgrade from a 7970? And Razor I have a 144hz monitor.

Thanks.

beany_bot · 5 Jul 2016 at 10:12

I personally wouldn't get a card with less tha 6GB VRAM now. Certainly wouln't buy a 970.

I've seen my VRAM often go over 4GB in GTAV, Shadow of mordor and Skyrim with high res texture packs.

razorpakk · 5 Jul 2016 at 10:14

BeadyRoller said:
I play mainly games like DayZ and Arma and both aren't greatly optimized although DayZ has just had a great update which has improved the frames a lot. I just want a card that will guarantee me 60fps+ in main cities because at the moment I only get about 30 on lowish settings.

Is a 970 really that much of an upgrade from a 7970? And Razor I have a 144hz monitor.

Thanks.

Well then a 1070 or 980Ti (with a decent discount) is the way to go

(and no, 6 or 8GB doesn't matter)

Gregster · 5 Jul 2016 at 10:15

BeadyRoller said:
I play mainly games like DayZ and Arma and both aren't greatly optimized although DayZ has just had a great update which has improved the frames a lot. I just want a card that will guarantee me 60fps+ in main cities because at the moment I only get about 30 on lowish settings.

Is a 970 really that much of an upgrade from a 7970? And Razor I have a 144hz monitor.

Thanks.

Those 2 games you mention are very CPU heavy. What CPU do you have?

beany_bot · 5 Jul 2016 at 10:16

BeadyRoller said:
I play mainly games like DayZ and Arma and both aren't greatly optimized although DayZ has just had a great update which has improved the frames a lot. I just want a card that will guarantee me 60fps+ in main cities because at the moment I only get about 30 on lowish settings.

Is a 970 really that much of an upgrade from a 7970? And Razor I have a 144hz monitor.

Thanks.

Sadly you won't get 60+ fps in main cities in DayZ, not with things cranked at all. Arma and DayZ are CPU bound games. So if looking for better FPS in these then ironically your going to need a better CPU. However these games don't use more than 4 cores... so an X99 platform isn't going to help you here. You want the "fastest" (Ghz) CPU you can really. Get a 6700K, stick it under water and overclock the bejesus out of it. Only way to get faster frames in DayZ. Sure a better GPU will help to some extent but you would be dissapointed. Even with a 1080. They are just badly optimised.

BeadyRoller · 5 Jul 2016 at 10:20

I have an i5 3750k still at 3.4ghz as I have never overclocked before and am not confident in putting a new cooler on as it looks a daunting task haha! I have 8GB RAM and a 550W XFX Pro Core Edition 80PLUS Bronze Power Supply.

beany_bot · 5 Jul 2016 at 10:23

For DayZ, get a 980/390 or even a second hand 290 would be good. And use the money you saved on the 1070 to buy a better CPU or defiantly overclock your CPU. I originally built my rig with DayZ in mind.
fitting one of these is so easy. Dont need access to the back of the mobo. https://www.arctic.ac/uk_en/freezer-13.html And I've found it cools very nearly as well as the famous Hyper Evo 212. Couldnt be easier to fit.

TNA · 5 Jul 2016 at 10:23

If you plan on keeping the card long term, then get the 1070 I would say. If only for a year or two, 980Ti is fine.

Also what is overkill or not depends on one's preferences. Do play fast twitch games? Do you play online competitively?

I do not play online much for example and I like my graphics and IQ. Therefore I have a 2160p monitor and happy to play 30-60fps which is a lot more important to me than having 1440p and minimum 60fps which a lot here prefer.

Gregster · 5 Jul 2016 at 10:26

BeadyRoller said:
I have an i5 3750k still at 3.4ghz as I have never overclocked before and am not confident in putting a new cooler on as it looks a daunting task haha! I have 8GB RAM and a 550W XFX Pro Core Edition 80PLUS Bronze Power Supply.

Get a new cooler and get it overclocked. Very simple and many vids out there that show you how to do it. It is criminal to not OC a CPU at least

BeadyRoller · 5 Jul 2016 at 11:00

Would an i7 be a big upgrade from an i5 in terms of gaming do you think?

Gregster · 5 Jul 2016 at 11:04

BeadyRoller said:
Would an i7 be a big upgrade from an i5 in terms of gaming do you think?

Not really and best off buying a decent cooler and overclocking your CPU. Don't be scared of doing it, as it is honestly very easy. Get a decent cooler or even a AIO cooler and 4.4Ghz will see you well and save you a few quid.

beany_bot · 5 Jul 2016 at 11:08

BeadyRoller said:
Would an i7 be a big upgrade from an i5 in terms of gaming do you think?

Nope. DayZ doesn't use hyper threading. You need clock speed.

Wucked · 5 Jul 2016 at 11:10

Both will destroy 1080p gaming and should give you a good few years of service at that resolution.

BeadyRoller · 5 Jul 2016 at 11:11

Gregster said:
Not really and best off buying a decent cooler and overclocking your CPU. Don't be scared of doing it, as it is honestly very easy. Get a decent cooler or even a AIO cooler and 4.4Ghz will see you well and save you a few quid.

What cooler would you recommend? Unsure on what I need to be looking for.

Thanks.

beany_bot · 5 Jul 2016 at 11:15

BeadyRoller said:
What cooler would you recommend? Unsure on what I need to be looking for.

Thanks.

I would happily recommend the Arctic Freezer 13. Keeps my chip nice and cool. Affordable, extremely easy to fit (no need to access back of mobo) and looks nice.

If you want to go under water then someone will recommend you a good AIO.

For your first OC I would probably stick to air.