Nardo_Grey

Ok that's reassuring, I meant Gaming 3

I have a R9 380 and I just found out that the card was running at 96 degrees C for at least 6 hours. I assumed the stuttering was due to ping rather than thermal throttling and I didn't bother checking temps until now. I don't care about potential damage incurred by the GPU as I will be upgrading it, but could the heat buildup damage to the motherboard (PCI slot, etc.) or reduce its lifespan? I have a Ryzen 1600 and Gigabyte AB350-Gaming 3 and I would much rather not upgrade them for another 4 years...

Thanks guys, I forgot to clarify my currency is CAD

Yeah actually I was originally intending to buy the Sapphire RX 580 8GB for $280 when it came with The Division 2 and World War Z, but that promotion has ended. The cheapest 1660 was $20 more and had a lower TDP so I figured I might as well get the newer card. *Edit: nvm the promotion is still going on

Hi guys I'm looking to upgrade to a GTX 1660 from my R9 380, and I'm wondering if it's worth spending extra for a better cooler. The cheapest models are the Zotac Gaming and Gigabyte OC 2x Windforce, both priced at $300 CAD. The Zotac doesn't have a backplate, while the Gigabyte has a useless plastic one. The next tier are the MSI Gaming X ($330), EVGA SC Ultra ($320) and EVGA XC Ultra ($325). Which is the best card in each price group (Zotac vs Gigabyte, and MSI vs the 2 EVGAs), and is the price premium of the latter three justifiable? Thanks