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970 to a 980ti Upgrade, or wait?

Soldato
Joined
15 Aug 2011
Posts
4,998
Should I wait for the new cards to come out, or upgrade just now?

I have a 3440x1440 monitor, i5 2500k at 4.4 and 16gig of 1600 ram.

I usually play iracing, but getting back into normal gamig as well.
The new tomb raider with everything at very high I can hit between 30 and 55 fps. For that type of game I can handle that. But I would prefer all the bells and whistles on as I'm not a fps whore, I don't need to constantly hit 60fps, I don't seem to see any problems running a lower fps.

Cheers
 
I'm not a fps whore, I don't need to constantly hit 60fps, I don't seem to see any problems running a lower fps.

Cheers

With the above in mind, I'd stick with what you have and tweak settings a tad as & when required.

Tbh, I'm much the same as you but with two old GTX580's in SLI, I run 5760x1080 (Surround over three monitors) and I get by just fine with tweaking.

I can't honestly say having to lower or turn off the odd setting here or there has made any noticable difference whatsoever.
 
This close to the release, you might as well wait.
I'm only on a 780, but it'd still be better bang for buck and longevity to wait... just a leeeeeeeeeeeeeeettle while longer...... or so they keep telling me!! :)
 
Definitely wait, the signs are that the new cards will be much more powerful due to the process shrink for the first time in 5 years.
 
in the same boat as OP..

i tweak a few settings and can get most games above 50+ FPS

i have acer x34 and gsync helps but im really looking forward to pascal as my 970 does struggle a little at 3440x1400
 
Should I wait for the new cards to come out, or upgrade just now?

I have a 3440x1440 monitor, i5 2500k at 4.4 and 16gig of 1600 ram.

I usually play iracing, but getting back into normal gamig as well.
The new tomb raider with everything at very high I can hit between 30 and 55 fps. For that type of game I can handle that. But I would prefer all the bells and whistles on as I'm not a fps whore, I don't need to constantly hit 60fps, I don't seem to see any problems running a lower fps.

Cheers

PCper bench of the new Tomb raider 1440p and 4K 970/980/980Ti vs 390/Nano/FuryX, link here
this should give you an idea of the fps Boost you might get with an upgrade and if it's worth it or not, beside OCuk selling the Nano for 349£, that might the thing that makes you see red.
 
The new cards will be out a week on Tuesday. :)

Seriously, you can always wait. There will always be something better on the horizon. Or you can spend your money now and enjoy your games now. No one here knows when the next cards will be out. It could be April, it could be June, it might be November. Nobody knows. Nobody knows whether the next cards will be winners or turkeys. Nobody knows if the launches will be paper or product.
 
Is there any point to waiting? At his screen resolution a 980 Ti will cope for the next couple of years. Sure Pascal / whatever will likely be faster but there may be teething troubles, it may be a paper launch, etc. Will it be available in 2 months or 10? Who knows.

You can always wait. The next GPU will be better. Or you can start having fun now.
 
Is there any point to waiting? At his screen resolution a 980 Ti will cope for the next couple of years. Sure Pascal / whatever will likely be faster but there may be teething troubles, it may be a paper launch, etc. Will it be available in 2 months or 10? Who knows.

You can always wait. The next GPU will be better. Or you can start having fun now.

If you paid £500 now, and in 6 months the same performance cost £350, would that bother you?

If "no", buy now.

If "yes", wait.

Simples.
 
We're right at the end of 28nm - a node we've been stuck on for at least 4 years. Why wouldn't you wait?

You mean like the amazing benefits we got from SandyBridge 32nm to Skylake 14nm ? Manufacturing process doesn't mean faster performance, more to do with the architecture being used.


Look at this way 28nm cards have gone threw many generations and each generation showed a decent increase in performance.


I have the same worry as with currently CPU's right now that a new manufacturing process isn't going to show a lot of gains right away until they learn to use it better over the generations as they did with 28nm and create architectures that can benefit from it, I think the days are long gone regarding massive upgrades because of a new manufacturing process.



So I say get the 980Ti and enjoy it, I have one for 3440x1440 too and it is great for that resolution and don't see me updating till either big pascal shows a decent % increase or wait for the next big generation and look again at the increase. The thing with computer hardware is there is always something new around the corner, but it doesn't mean it is a lot better than the previous generation as we have seen with CPUs.


I updated from a 780Ti a more powerful card than a 970 to a 980Ti for this resolution and can max out most of the games apart from the usual suspects that we all know if we had 4 graphics cards wouldn't make a big difference to them.


So get the 980Ti and enjoy it and sell your 970 while it's still worth something and it is a good upgrade that you see in real world use not some lame upgrade that doesn't show any real world gains and only in synthetics.
 
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You mean like the amazing benefits we got from SandyBridge 32nm to Skylake 14nm ? Manufacturing process doesn't mean faster performance, more to do with the architecture being used.

Last time I checked, this was the GPU forum (despite Gibbo's Skylake advert :p).

And besides, you're wrong about the improvements - you're looking in the wrong place. Yes the CPU side hasn't improved much, but the integrated graphics have. Intel is devoting more and more transistors to its graphics each gen.

Let's forget about CPUs, eh?

Look at this way 28nm cards have gone threw many generations and each generation showed a decent increase in performance.

Yes, and AMD at least have made lots of architecture improvements as well as the die shrink.

This is just more reason to believe the next gen will be worth waiting for.

I have the same worry as with currently CPU's right now that a new manufacturing process isn't going to show a lot of gains right away until they learn to use it better over the generations as they did with 28nm and create architectures that can benefit from it, I think the days are long gone regarding massive upgrades because of a new manufacturing process.

You're basing this on what?



So I say get the 980Ti and enjoy it, I have one for 3440x1440 too and it is great for that resolution and don't see me updating till either big pascal shows a decent % increase or wait for the next big generation and look again at the increase. The thing with computer hardware is there is always something new around the corner, but it doesn't mean it is a lot better than the previous generation as we have seen with CPUs.

I updated from a 780Ti a more powerful card than a 970 to a 980Ti for this resolution and can max out most of the games apart from the usual suspects that we all know if we had 4 graphics cards wouldn't make a big difference to them.

So get the 980Ti and enjoy it and sell your 970 while it's still worth something and it is a good upgrade that you see in real world use not some lame upgrade that doesn't show any real world gains and only in synthetics.

I'm happy that you enjoy your 980ti. No doubt it's a great card. But it's £500, will be EOL in the not too distant future, and really not a good purchase for someone who wants the best bang/buck and doesn't mind waiting a little.

The only exceptions are if either money is no object, or waiting 4-6 months is out of the question. If you're going to keep your card a couple years (perhaps that's not the "norm" here), then waiting a couple months is a good idea.

If you have the cash to change your card every year, then there's no point in waiting. But in that case you'd have a 980ti already. We have to assume that those who don't are not quite as loaded ;)
 
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