So, I've ran with my trusty old GTX 660 for quite some time, and while I appreciate what it's done so far I'd like to upgrade. At first I was considering getting another 660, but my PC case doesn't have infinite space, plus that would mean more heat, more power and less airflow. That's when I saw this little beauty. According to GPUBoss, it generally gets double the performance of a single 660, but would mean less power and more space. The question lies therein, should I get this GPU, a second 660, or take another route altogether? Which provides the best upgradability for the future? I know AMD has poorly optimized architecture, would that effect my performance in PS2 and if so, would it also effect performance in future games? Budget is 200$ for right now, and I'd like to eventually SLI whatever I get next.
I, not too long ago, changed over to a GTX 970 from a pair of HD5970s. I have been very happy with the card. That said, if you don't want to spend the extra 100$ for an 970 (they tend to hover right around $300 on Newegg) - I would atleast spend the extra 40$ to get the 960. The 960 should land you at less power/heat, with just a smidgen more performance. I believe the 950 will land actually a bit behind the 660 in actual in-game performance.
My advice? Save up more money. Why bother upgrading to a budget GPU? In six months you'll be right where you are now. And SLI doesn't seem to be worth it. Causes more problems and doesn't really give the FPS boost you would expect.
The general consensus is that multiple GPU setups are over rated. I myself ran a pair of Radeon HD7850s in CrossFire and the performance gain was disappointing. This is because a game needs to be specifically coded to make use of them, and not many are. Nvidia is releasing their next generation architecture this year, called Pascal. If you can wait then you might be able to find a midrange Nvidia card using that chip.
Wait until summer for the new Nvidia Pascal or AMD Polaris chips. They will have multiple times the performance per Watt of the current Nvidia/AMD GPUs (and performance per money(?)). This is due to a shrink from 28nm to 16nm FinFET and new technologies like HBM (High Bandwith Memory) The current Maxwell GPUs of Nvidia for example are literally 2 years old outdated garbage that has the same price as 2 years ago. (if you know Moore's law...)
To explain it even more simple: You will get a GTX 980 equivalent probably for the price and energy cost of a 960 (or cheaper) when you wait like 4-6 months. Until then, try to toverclock the sh** out of your GPU with MSi Afterburner.
Another thing I'd like to add: EVGA has the best Aftermarket GPU coolers for nVidia. Great price per Mhz, quite and good coooling, 3 years tranferable warranty (when you sell your GPU before the warranty ends, the warranty is valid for the buyer, too.) and some additional promotions from time to time (Cashback, even longer warranty for free, free backplate, free games...) Also I would wait for a nVidia promotion of one or multiple free games when buying a GPU. When there is nVidia Promo + EVGA Promo = epic win.
Nvidia: http://wccftech.com/nvidia-pascal-gpu-gtc-2015/ , AMD: http://wccftech.com/amd-polaris/ , http://wccftech.com/amd-unveils-polaris-11-10-gpu/
Many many people online will tell you that the current competition on the market is the NVidia GTX 970 vs Radeon R9 390 GPUs. Until the next generation of GPUs comes along, these are the best bang-for-your-buck GPUs on the market. Both cards outperform the GTX 660 in most/all respects and are in the same price bracket.
I'll likely be getting a Pascal when they come out anyway, but I just got a really huge job upgrade, so I was thinking of doing something a bit out of character and treating myself to a new GPU now(Normally I'm highly deliberate about this, I spend 6 months planning for my PC). For the time being, would it be worthwhile to get a 970? Or should I just suck it up and wait? Main issue is that I'd like a 144hz screen, but unless I can consistently get higher FPS there won't be any benefit.
Well, I have a GTX 960 on a 144hz Screen and yeah, it has ~50% more performance than the 660 and the 970 has ~50% more performance than a 960, so a GTX 970 would have roughly 200-225% the performance of a 660 (Depending on how overclocked both are and wether your CPU has the performance or not). A GTX 960 is already nice for having 60-120 FPS (on my settings), so a 970 should be around 80-150 FPS I guess. So, GTX 960 will be enough for a benifit from a 144hz screen in up to mid-sized fights, it's not worth to buy atm. due to 2GB RAM and for 50$ more than the 4Gb version of the 960, you can already buy the 970 with 3,5GB Is it worth it? Depends. A GTX 970 currently costs around 300$ (not sure about the price in your country) and when Pascal gets released, it will be worth the half I guess. The problem of the 970 is the RAM, it has only 3,5GB or performant RAM and 0,5GB of RAM causing Stuttering. That is not good for the used value I think. Well, you'll probably be paying around 150$ (Let's say 100-200$, depending on the pricing of the Pascals) for 4-6 months of having better FPS. You have to decide if it's worth it...
Also consider that if you don't buy a GTX 970 only for 4-6 months, you can spend more on a Pascal when they're out. Might be the difference between GTX 1070 and 1080 (or whatever the naming will be).
Get a 980 instead of 970 if you can, there is a problem with 970's that haven't been resolved as far as I know. http://wccftech.com/nvidia-geforce-gtx-970-memory-issue-fully-explained/ This only really applies if you pushing the card though, with stuff like 4k and such, otherwise you won't really notice it.
Depends on the rest of your PC actually if a 970 "makes sense" for you or not. Probably yes. Regarding Pascal: It could easily be, that the enthusiast flagship cards will only arrive in a year, and not in mid 2016.
Most of the time my performance is bottlenecked by my GPU. CPU is normally OCd' to 4.5GH'z for gaming, at WG I get like 130fps looking into the sky. But in larger fights when there are a lot of partical effects going off, my FPS starts to dip down, going as low as 40-50 in a 48v48 at Nanite Sub when I look down into the 2nd main chokehold that leads to the capture point floor. Also, I'd like to start recording more frequently, and I don't think my current GPU is really up for that. So two birds in one stone basically
Oh I wouldn't be going that far, 1080@144hz at max is what I'd go. I doubt I can even afford a 4k screen, let alone a build to run 4k
The GTX 970 is the best bang for buck around at the moment, but if it is worth it is just too subjective to answer. Although if you're looking at upgrading your GPU specifically for a new monitor I'd look carefully at monitors as well. I've been looking at new monitors recently and I've come to the conclusion that they don't actually make one that does everything I currently want (with the right display type, frequency and sync-type - I can get 2 out of 3, but not 3 out of 3). So if I bought one now I suspect I'd end up having to/wanting to buy another in 6-12 months when someone does bring out one will all that I want.
Well, if you want an Upgrade now, then buy it now. Theres no really bad choices on the market, everything starting at a Gtx 950/R7 370 and above are quite okay. Some more, some less. Nvidia cards really seem to perform better in Planetside 2 though. If I was you Id wait till AMD and Nvidia both got their new architectures on the market. (Even if you for whatever reason are only willing to buy a Nvidia, the AMD release will either not change the price if AMD screws it up or the NVidia cards get cheaper. Win-Win)
