290/290x VS 970

[Winky_The_Winking_Turtle]

Hi,

I'm sure this question gets asked a lot around here 'cause they're both decent cards competing around the same price point, but I just need some advice to decide which one.

A 290/290x would cost less by itself, but it would mean I would have to upgrade my PSU (since some 290x's are very power hungry and I don't think my 600w is enough...)

A 970 (the card itself) would cost more, but overall it would technically cost less as I don't believe it required a 600w+ PSU.

However, I plan to also pick up a new monitor sometime soon, and 1440p is looking like a nice sweet spot.

Does the whole "3.5gb" really make that much of a difference? I'm just worried as I know that higher res needs more VRAM, and I don't want to suffer as a result. Both cards are typically listed as 4GB however. (Even then, can these cards push 1440p, or should I just get a really high quality 1080p panel?)

Also in regards to drivers/DX12, do Nvidia cards get the same supposed "boost" that AMD cards are getting? I've only owned AMD so I don't know what their drivers are like personally, I'm guessing their good and the cards are supported for a long time?

Also is now the best time to pick up a 970? 290's have come down in price 'cause of 3xx series, but as far as I know no new batch of Nvidia cards are coming anytime soon.

Thanks for any advice

 

[Winky_The_Winking_Turtle]

My current PSU is a Corsair CX 600W

I've heard that Corsair is a reliable brand, and 600w should be enough, but I don't know if it's enough.

 

[Winky_The_Winking_Turtle]

CX600 isn't great, but it should be fine for a 290X

If you do upgrade, most-all current Corsair PSUs are overpriced for what they are, and the lower end one's are quite mediocre

It should be more than fine with a 970 then?

It's basically 290x with new PSU.
or
970 with current.

 

[Winky_The_Winking_Turtle]

Might get a 970 then. Would rather be on the safe side with my PSU and works out cheaper then.

Only concern now is deciding whether or not to go 1440p. It's really nice but the whole "3.5gb" puts me off slightly, and I'm guessing 970 is more than enough/will last longer @ 1080p?

 

[Winky_The_Winking_Turtle]

290x 2nd hand can be had for a bargain. Probably a few to be had too after the fury x release

edit

 

[Winky_The_Winking_Turtle]

Well right now it's really a toss up between a AMD 390 and a NVIDIA 970. Both looks great for the £250 or so price point, but I'm slightly leaning towards the 390 for the 8GB VRAM (as I'm also looking to get a Dell U2515H/1440p monitor). It really seems like the only choice since of the 970's 3.5 limit, or am I exaggerating?