GPU for Dummies

[eth_jones]

Okay, so I'm not a complete dummy, but I don't really know what to look for when I'm thinking of upgrading my graphics card. I know that a 1060 is better than a 1050. But that's about it. What are the main stats and specs I should look at? What's the real noticeable difference between a 1060 3gb and a 1060 6gb? Can you overclock a GPU like a CPU? I just have so much to learn.

[minibois]

Just look at benchmarks for games, especially the ones you want to play.

That is best practice when comparing GPU's. 

 

I could tell you the 1060 6GB is stronger because it has more CUDA cores, but the specs didn't tell the full story; the benchmarks did.

Also, some games just seem to favor team red over team green or vice versa, which is why it is important to look at games you're playing.

 

Otherwise the cooler (e.g. GTX 1060 6GB with an MSI cooler.. Asus cooler, etc.) are not huge differences; just some difference in speed (better cooling is better performance.. Little bit, but mostly less noise) and of course noise.

[LukeSavenije]

well, cooling differs per card. I'll help you with that.

just to add some amd here

580=1060 6gb

570=1050 ti/1060 3gb

560=1050

vega 56=1070

vega 64=1070 ti/1080

Edited December 6, 2018 by LukeSavenije

[.Apex.]

2 minutes ago, LukeSavenije said:

well, cooling differs per card. I'll help you with that.

just to add some amd here

580=1060 6gb

570=1050 ti

560=1050

vega 56=1070

vega 64=1070 ti/1080

Correction
RX 570 = 1060 3gb

 

[ShadowChaser]

And the higher tiered a GPU is, the more power it requires.

A 1080Ti has a rated TDP of 180W, a 1060 only uses 120W iirc

Between team red and green, unless your psu is an issue, both are real good. AMD has freesync and generally better price, so bonus point for that, but nvidia holds the high end currently, so anything above a 1070 seems to fall in their favor, though they are not making 1080Tis anymore.

 

RTX prices are a scam, honestly. Tech is cool and all but I wouldn't pay for a 2070.

[LukeSavenije]

1 minute ago, syn2112 said:

Correction
RX 570 = 1060 3gb

 

edited a bit

[Dedayog]

9 minutes ago, ShadowChaser said:

And the higher tiered a GPU is, the more power it requires.

A 1080Ti has a rated TDP of 180W, a 1060 only uses 120W iirc

Between team red and green, unless your psu is an issue, both are real good. AMD has freesync and generally better price, so bonus point for that, but nvidia holds the high end currently, so anything above a 1070 seems to fall in their favor, though they are not making 1080Tis anymore.

 

RTX prices are a scam, honestly. Tech is cool and all but I wouldn't pay for a 2070.

The prices are nuts but it seems the most recent drivers for BF5 are increasing performance.  They may get this thing working sooner than a lot speculated.

[LukeSavenije]

Just now, Finwillwin said:

RX 570 > 1060 3gb

 now I'm confused. 

[germgoatz]

2 minutes ago, Finwillwin said:

RX 570 > 1060 3gb

RX 570 > RTX Titan

[LukeSavenije]

1 minute ago, germgoatz said:

RX 570 > RTX Titan

RX 570 = 4×Quadro RTX6000? 

[eth_jones]

37 minutes ago, Minibois said:

Just look at benchmarks for games, especially the ones you want to play.

That is best practice when comparing GPU's. 

Thanks man, will do. What are CUDA Cores?

 

31 minutes ago, ShadowChaser said:

And the higher tiered a GPU is, the more power it requires.

Will definitely bear that in mind, thank you. Do I need an AMD Processor to use an AMD Graphics card?

[Dedayog]

Just now, eth_jones said:

Thanks man, will do. What are CUDA Cores?

 

Will definitely bear that in mind, thank you. Do I need an AMD Processor to use an AMD Graphics card?

CUDA cores process some info somehow.  Youtube your afternoon away, just watch the next recommended video after video.

 

No, you can use any with any.  

[minibois]

3 minutes ago, eth_jones said:

Thanks man, will do. What are CUDA Cores?

Keep in mind CUDA cores wont be exactly indicitive of performance (directly).

CUDA cores are Nvidia's way of kind of saying how much processors a GPU has, AMD calls these stream processors (of course those are the same concepts, not the exact same thing).

[pstarlord]

Might not be universally correct all the time, but there is a page called game-debate where you can get a good idea of how all the cards stack up head to head, or just see how they "could" perform with certain titles based mainly off of theoretic data.  

 

Some things to note, a graphic card's cooling solution can make it outperform a "better" card.  While the actual GPU inside the card may be the same, they are not always equal once a 3rd party manufacturer gets ahold of one.  For instance, all Vega 56 GPUs are technically the same, but when you compare bench marks between all the Vega 56 based graphics cards, the Asus Strix and the Sapphire Nitro+ consistently out perform the others because their cooling solution is much better.  They even find themselves performing at Vega 64 stock levels when over clocked properly.