Choosing a GPU

[Codeman4033]

I'm looking to upgrade my GPU so it can run VR games better.

Current specs:

GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 12GB

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800 8-Core

RAM: 48 GB, and I don't remember how fast it is, but windows says 2133 MT/s

Power supply: 650W

 

And you know what, heck it, I'm going to put a link with all the parts used in my rig, so y'all can do your own thing.

https://pcsupport.lenovo.com/us/en/products/desktops-and-all-in-ones/legion-series/legion-t5-26amr5/90rb/90rb002aus/parts/display/model

 

And I'm not sure if this matters, but my case is 15 inches long.

 

I can afford to get a 5090, but I most certainly prefer something cheaper.

Thanks in advance

[Codeman4033]

Oh wait...I forgot to say what games I want to be able to play.

Minecraft VR
REPO VR (runs at 20 FPS in the shop)

[Tetras]

If you have a proprietary PSU with only a single PCIE 8-pin (is that right?), then maybe a used 4070 (not FE).

[Codeman4033]

I'm fairly certain it's proprietary, but according to an ebay listing, it has:

"SATA I, 6 Pin PCI Express, 4+4 CPU, 24 Pin, 8 Pin 12V, 4 Pin 12 V, 6+2 Pin PCI Express, 8 Pin PCI Express, 4 Pin Peripheral"

[Tetras]

13 hours ago, Codeman4033 said:

I'm fairly certain it's proprietary, but according to an ebay listing, it has:

"SATA I, 6 Pin PCI Express, 4+4 CPU, 24 Pin, 8 Pin 12V, 4 Pin 12 V, 6+2 Pin PCI Express, 8 Pin PCI Express, 4 Pin Peripheral"

If you have 2x 8-pin then it gives you more options to choose from, since you can use cards that need 2x 8-pin, or when they need 2x just for the 16-pin adapter (like a 5070).

 

The PSU is a concern though, which is part of why I suggested a used 4070.

 

I don't know if Blackwell has any limitations for more niche VR uses, due to nvidia dropping 32-bit support for some APIs/libraries.

 

I don't use those apps, but from a google, they appear to be fairly CPU heavy, did you monitor your usage with something like Afterburner to verify the GPU is the bottleneck?

 

14 hours ago, Codeman4033 said:

I can afford to get a 5090, but I most certainly prefer something cheaper.

You'd have to replace the PSU for that and would likely have some trouble with cooling and fitting it into an OEM case.

 

For a rough guide, TPU's GPU database has the 4070 as 92% faster than a 3060 12GB.

[Codeman4033]

4 hours ago, Tetras said:

I don't use those apps, but from a google, they appear to be fairly CPU heavy, did you monitor your usage with something like Afterburner to verify the GPU is the bottleneck?

Sadly, I can't test repo in vr because the current version of the mod it requires doesn't work with the latest repo update, but in minecraft vr, my CPU was at 34% and my GPU was at 100% (I have several optimization mods I should mention, like C2ME and Sodium)

[Tetras]

2 hours ago, Codeman4033 said:

my CPU was at 34% and my GPU was at 100% (I have several optimization mods I should mention, like C2ME and Sodium)

Ahh, okay, sounds conclusive then.

 

A review like this can give you an idea where the current cards sit relatively:

https://www.techpowerup.com/review/nvidia-geforce-rtx-5070-founders-edition/33.html

 

From what you have, anything equivalent to or faster than a 4070 would be my goal.

 

With the PSU, I don't know if an upgrade is even possible (if it is proprietary), so that's why I suggested a 4070, because the power usage is not that much different from your 3060 and most cards use a single 8-pin PCIE which would be easy (unplug, plug, done).

 

5070 and 9070 (not sure AMD would play nice anyhow) are both north of 200 watts. 5070 Ti/5080 would be more like 300.

 

It is hard to recommend anything that goes much beyond 200, due to the potential for power spikes to trip the PSU.

[Codeman4033]

51 minutes ago, Tetras said:

From what you have, anything equivalent to or faster than a 4070 would be my goal.

If a 4070 is good, what brand(s) do you recommend?

[Tetras]

53 minutes ago, Codeman4033 said:

If a 4070 is good, what brand(s) do you recommend?

I'm not sure which cards were higher/lower regarded from back then, though buying used you'd probably not have much choice anyway.

 

What's the price of a used 4070 like where you are, compared to a 5070 or 9070?

 

You could check similarly performing cards in this list (scroll down to relative performance chart), also:

https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/geforce-rtx-4070.c3924

 

I'm assuming nvidia is better than AMD GPU for what you're doing.

 

[Codeman4033]

53 minutes ago, Tetras said:

What's the price of a used 4070 like where you are

A used 4070 goes from $350 to $530 where I am

[Tetras]

17 hours ago, Codeman4033 said:

A used 4070 goes from $350 to $530 where I am

I see. Well, it would depend on the price of the new parts, I guess. $530 sounds like a lot, because in my region you could have a new 5070 or 9070 for that money.

 

$350 is more reasonable, though they're not hugely faster than a 5060 Ti 16GB, so if that is priced close to the 4070, it would make it a tougher decision.