Replacement card needed. Buy now or wait it out?

[Aethelwulf]

Ahoy hoy, long time lurker here.

My trusty GTX480 recently conked out on me and I'm awaiting an RMA on the badger as it is still in warranty. However I feel it is high time for an update but I don't know what to go for. Gutted I missed that deal on the 280x due to work and can't have picked a worse time for wanting a new card with this Litecoin craze.

So I was wondering whether you chaps could decide for me and recommend a bang for buck card, or do you suggest I attempt to wait out this Litecoin madness and hope the custom cooled 290s are worth the price. My budget is ranging from 200-400 depending on the right card and future proofing.

My current specs are an i5-2500k clocked at 4.4GHz along with a Corsair HX 1000W PSU, overkill I know but it was borrowed from an old machine of my fathers. Any ideas from the hivemind?

 

[Sacrifice]

Well, I would say r9 290. Only because I own one, but at least I own one and am willing to still recommend it, which tells you something.

 

[Aethelwulf]

Coming from a very loud and very hot card I was dearly hoping to avoid stock R9 290s so I may just keep playing minesweeper for a bit and await the new coolers.

 

[thefogo]

If you're willing to wait, the Sapphire 290 looks excellent.

 

[smogsy]

Coming from a very loud and very hot card I was dearly hoping to avoid stock R9 290s so I may just keep playing minesweeper for a bit and await the new coolers.

have you thought you might get a free upgrade anyway as 480 is no longer sold and doubt still stocked?

when my 7970 died a few weeks ago i was offered a 280x not a huge bump but a nice bump (ghz speed 7970 rather than standard)

so you may get a free upgrade

list of rma for me
6600gt > 7600gt - upgrade!
2x 280gtx > 2x 570sgtxs - upgrade a hell
7970 > 280x

 

[Aethelwulf]

That thought never crossed my mind. Might be worth holding out on the comparable card.

 

[OvEr_KiLL]

wait until end of january and see what happens to the 290 custom coolers..if oc get them in etc. and you could always sell the replacement gfx card if you do want a 290

 

[arc@css]

I moved recently from a GTX570 SOC to a 7970 Matrix, and have found it to be very nice boost in performance. I would wait for your new card to come back, and then sell it and buy something like a non-reference 290 or GTX780. If you want to save a little, then a 280x / GTX770 would still be a very nice upgrade indeed.

 

[Aethelwulf]

Slight Necro, card is off for RMA on the morrow and just saw some GTX 780s go up on offer, would anybody recommend em instead of the current problem facing a lot of 290s?

For £360 I am tempted but I don't see the usual free games? Anybody know anything about that?

 

[thefogo]

I'd definitely recommend the GTX 780 Gaming Edition for that price over any of the 290s.
Under full load I remember it running at something like 1200rpm. Super quiet.