Double or Single GPU

[Nichols2724]

Hello,

Currently I am running a brand new system that I build myself using a single 1660 6 GB graphics card.

I would like to upgrade soon, and I was wondering which would be the best option for myself:

Upgrade to a better graphics card ~$400 or add an additional card of the same performance.

These are my current specs:

Intel I7 9700k

EVGA Geforce 1660 XC 6 GB

EVGA 850w 80+ gold

Corsair h100i platinum cooler

Corsair Dominator Platinum 3200 (2x8 GB)

MSI MPG Gaming Edge AC M/B

Samsung Evo 1 TB / 256 gb Nvme system ssd

Lian LI 011 Razer case

4x coolermaster fans (120mm)

Windows 10 OS

 

My question is - Would it be more cost-effective to add an additional EVGA Geforce GTX 1660 XC 6 GB, or should i simply upgrade to a better graphics card?

Also - If an upgrade is recommended, which would be the next step for around ~$400-$500?

[Levent]

SLI and Crossfire does not always scale well. You are %90 of the time for gaming you are better off with single GPU rather than dual gpu setup. 

[martward]

I would not add another GPU, especially since the 1660 doesn't support SLI, so you could not even utilize two GPU's (0 performance gain). In stead I'd sell the 1660 and buy a 5700XT or 2070 Super, or you could hang in there for a couple of months and see what Nvidia and AMD have in store for us in 2020.

[Princess Luna]

GTX 1660 like stated does not even support SLI... for 500 bucks you can get a RTX 2070 Super which will be a good upgrade.

[Alex Ushigome]

The golden rule is pretty much never SLI unles they are the best of the best, the 2080 Ti in this case, because it will always be better to sell what you own and upgrade, then to buy a second card. That and as stated, the 1660 doesn't support SLI, and you can't SLI cards that aren't the same chip.

[Mick Naughty]

Just upgrade. If you’re budget is around 1660 stuff sli isn’t a real option. 

Also don’t need the best cards to do it. Price wise a pair of 2080’s would be ideal. More than that cpu would handle. 

[Nichols2724]

Thank you everyone! Believe it or not, I had a hard time finding much detail about my 1660 XC online.

Having this solved, I have a Phillips 32" curved monitor 1920x1080@60hz.
Should I upgrade this monitor before I look into changing graphics cards?
I have heard from friends that my monitor would be the bottleneck for my system (graphics).

I purchased this monitor thinking it was decent for gaming. (I'm a noob)

[Mick Naughty]

Depends on the games you play really. 

If they don’t need it, I wouldn’t spend it right now. 

But when you are willing to try, go higher res or refresh. If you like it, which most do then get a better card if you feel like you want more. 

 

 

[Alex Ushigome]

45 minutes ago, Nichols2724 said:

Thank you everyone! Believe it or not, I had a hard time finding much detail about my 1660 XC online.

Having this solved, I have a Phillips 32" curved monitor 1920x1080@60hz.
Should I upgrade this monitor before I look into changing graphics cards?
I have heard from friends that my monitor would be the bottleneck for my system (graphics).

I purchased this monitor thinking it was decent for gaming. (I'm a noob)

Depends. Do the games you play drop below 60fps? What games do you play? I'd assume a 1660 can handle games at 1080p, since my 970 can play Overwatch at 210fps, so I would recommend upgrading the monitor first.

 

2160p60, 1440p144 or 1080p144hz are solid options, depending on your taste, games and budget.

[Alex Ushigome]

This is providing you decide to upgrade at all. If you currently have no issues, then it may be better to save money for later and get something even better down the road, or if you are craving the extra performance now, then I'd say a nice monitor is the first step. Up to you really.

[Nichols2724]

A monitor sounds like a solid upgrade to begin. I believe I'll go with something at least 30"+ and 144hz.

As far as games, I play a bit of a variety-

Borderlands 3

Starcraft 2

Warcraft 3

Skyrim

Dota 2

Smite

League of Legends

Looking forward to Diablo 4 and playing the Halo Master Chief collection on PC as well.

 

I know these games aren't exactly demanding. I can play Borderlands 3 on "Badass" settings and still get ~60 FPS.

I'm assuming I will need a nice monitor and GPU upgrade in the next year or 2.
(Assuming games become more demanding instead of appealing to the masses)

 

What kind of monitors do you gamers use ? I love my monitor, but I know I'm not getting the best visuals from it.

I'll most likely use a new monitor as my main display and have my Phillips monitor mounted above it. (Just to be overkill of course)

[Mick Naughty]

I use a 27” 1440 144hz 1ms acer and a 

24” 1080 240hz 1ms acer. 

 

My games dont really benefit going bigger. Not something I can sit back on couch and enjoy. 

1440 ultra wide is more you’re territory. 

[Nichols2724]

Sounds good @Mick Naughty

This is why I like forums, ya can't just google all of that too easily.

I wish it wasn't the equivalent of 2 months of rent for a 1440 ultra wide 1 ms lol.

[MadAnt250]

1 hour ago, Nichols2724 said:

This is why I like forums, ya can't just google all of that too easily.

I wish it wasn't the equivalent of 2 months of rent for a 1440 ultra wide 1 ms lol.

Give your GTX 1660 a chance, you should be fine for a bit, if you want more then upgrade.