Next upgrade from a GTX970??

StevieP · 15 Dec 2017 at 13:35

I've had my KFA2 GTX970 since March 2015 and it's always served me pretty well but I'm wondering whether there is a worthy upgrade out there for a decent price??

I don't game an awful lot bit when I do it's games like The Division, Rainbow Six Siege and Project Cars - all on my 1440p BenQ 27" monitor (rest of specs in my sig)

I saw a decent review of a Gigabyte GTX 1060 3GB the apparently can be had for around £200 - Is this a decent upgrade for me to game with at 1440p?

Thanks.....

Kirby Wurm · 15 Dec 2017 at 13:45

I went from a 970 to a 980 Ti when I moved up to 1440p and saw a hefty improvement. A 1070 would be a similar upgrade (or Vega 56 if prices are reasonable on AIB cards).

The 1060 is an upgrade but not much, and 3GB RAM would mean you'll be VRAM limited at 1440p. In that price bracket the RX580 is a much better buy, especially if you want to keep the card for longer. It's more expensive but will be worth it. I still say if you can push to a 1070 the extra performance is worth it at that resolution.

Danny75 · 15 Dec 2017 at 13:52

The 1060 3Gb will be worse than the 970 3.5GB more often than not, especially at 1440p but now also at 1080p in some games.

Has to be 1070 or over for an upgrade. Or with RX 580 8GB you at least get more memory for 1440p but not that many more frames in games, on average. Kind of like re-fuelling the tank but keeping the same car. So really, no, there's nothing new for £200 that is a real upgrade. Second-hand 980Ti if you can find a good deal.

Cooper · 15 Dec 2017 at 14:15

Unless you go for at least a 1070, it really isn't worth it.

wedrum · 15 Dec 2017 at 14:16

1070 at least.

MissChief · 15 Dec 2017 at 15:23

Second hand 980ti would also be an option for less than the 1070?

Danny75 · 15 Dec 2017 at 15:28

The GTX 970 launch and pricing was pretty special. You got the performance of GTX 780/780Ti, which cost over £500 at launch, for £250 on average at launch. Similar thing hasn't happened since, so it's hard to upgrade from it for the same price paid for it a few years ago.

james.miller · 15 Dec 2017 at 15:40

StevieP said:
I've had my KFA2 GTX970 since March 2015 and it's always served me pretty well but I'm wondering whether there is a worthy upgrade out there for a decent price??

Still got mine as well, albeit mine is Galax branded as i bought mine about 6 months earlier. It's no longer up to the job but it's been such a solid card.

Ideally, i want to pay £275 - £300 and double my framerates. We're not there yet haha.

Anyway yes, 1070 or above, or vega 56 if you fancy a change. Nothing lower is any real upgrade.

StevieP · 15 Dec 2017 at 15:41

Thanks for the replies guys - an RX580 is a possibility but I can't really justify £400+ for a 1070 with the amount of gaming I do right now!

Thanks for the info but I suspect I'll stick with the 970 unless I see a ridiculous deal for something miles better!

doodah · 15 Dec 2017 at 15:44

In similar boat (290 instead). Sell your 970 (no idea 2nd hand but at a guess £75-100) and buy a 980Ti second hand. It's not the ideal solution in terms of buying new tech but will be a decent boost and an OC'd 980Ti will be trading blows with a 1070 easily.

Or pray 1080Ti prices drop to a reasonable amount 2nd hand next year

mid_gen · 15 Dec 2017 at 16:52

Same boat here....no good value upgrades from a 970 yet.

Waiting for next year. The 970 is fine for now.

opethdisciple · 15 Dec 2017 at 17:45

1070/1070ti/1080 or Vega 56/64.

I went from a 970 to a 1080 and from 1200p to 1440p and I am getting double performance.

fastwunz · 15 Dec 2017 at 18:02

970 here to but I play at 1080p and it plays anything I chuck at it

bru · 16 Dec 2017 at 01:35

with my 970 msi still going strong at 1440 with gsync it will be NVidias next xx70 card for me, probably going to cost £400+ though. But hopefully it will be close to the current 1080ti in performance.

ver01@ · 16 Dec 2017 at 09:45

Only 1070 or 980ti from NVidia would be considered an upgrade.

nzaptx · 16 Dec 2017 at 10:58

970 is still decent. Anything 1070 and above would be an upgrade. I would wait for the next round of GPU's and go for whatever your budget can handle.

The 1060 3GB is more of a price-performance card for 1080p. The 6GB version more for lower setting 1440p or high texture 1080p. The 1060 card itself may not have the raw power for good 1440p performance so its not an ideal upgrade over a 970.

FishLicker · 16 Dec 2017 at 11:57

Interesting thread. I also have a 970. I've got a 1440p gsync ultra wide, and I would like to upgrade but honestly, with a bit of tweaking most games still run just fine. Not amazingly, but certainly good enough in most respects, 40-50 FPS even on busy sections.

I'll check out the 980Ti as I just don't think the current Pascal cards are worth the money for what I'd get in return. However if they are still super expensive then I'll just stick for now.

MissChief · 16 Dec 2017 at 12:32

FishLicker said:
Interesting thread. I also have a 970. I've got a 1440p gsync ultra wide, and I would like to upgrade but honestly, with a bit of tweaking most games still run just fine. Not amazingly, but certainly good enough in most respects, 40-50 FPS even on busy sections.

I'll check out the 980Ti as I just don't think the current Pascal cards are worth the money for what I'd get in return. However if they are still super expensive then I'll just stick for now.

You'll get a significant boost. https://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/1743?vs=1715

Reppyboyo · 16 Dec 2017 at 12:35

Look for a 1070 second hand?
I went from my 970 to a zotac 1070 for £300

FishLicker · 16 Dec 2017 at 12:59

Reppyboyo said:
Look for a 1070 second hand?
I went from my 970 to a zotac 1070 for £300

Hmm yes, all things considered the 1070 seems to be the way to go. Lower power consumption, more modern, a smidge quicker and very similar pricing to the 980 Ti.