Need opinion on GPU upgrade

[Sbeeer]

Hi,

I have a GTX 660 oc and so far it served me well. I can still play all games (some just at min settings though) and I was planning to upgrade to the Pascal equivalent of the GTX 970.

To put you in perspective, when the 970 came out in USA at 330$ it was available here in Italy over a month later and at more than 400€. It finally went down to 350€ after more than 6 months and it still is at around that price, depending on the manufacturer. 

Yesterday I came across a Gigabyte 970 G1 on amazon.fr at 299€ (310 including shipping) and it's bugging my mind ever since, it might be a nice Christmas present to myself...

Now, the card it's just now a year old and my GPU is still fine to play just about everything but considering Pascal will not be released for at least 4-6 months, by the time it reaches a "reasonable" price (which means 350 to 400€ unfortunately) it will be already Christmas 2016. So I'll have to wait a year and spend 50 to 100€ to get Pascal... My question is: is it worth it?

 

I know everything they said about 3D memory, NVlink, etc., which will probably effect just server stuff. The gaming related improvements are speculation for now and I don't know if it's gonna be the same 15% or so improvement or more... Looking at release history, the "next generation 970" will probably be around the 980 performance, I think.

I stop here cause I could speculate for hours, so let me know if in your opinion I should wait or just buy now a 970 and enjoy games like Battlefront, Fallout  etc. in full glory (yes, I play almost all new tripleA titles and Ubisoft ones are especially annoying with my 660). 

P.S. Does the Gigabyte G1 gaming have any negative I should know about? I know it fits my case and system (you can check the specs below) and that unfortunately it has no 0-rpm mode (is noise gonna be an issue?)


i5-3570k at 4,3GHz
Maximus V Gene

16GB DDR3 Corsair at 1600MHz

GTX 660 OC

CoolerMaster V650 PSU

Corsair 350D

[SteamOverlay]

well by the time it comes out your reasonable price  may have risen to 500-600 anyway so just wait asd

[Shimejii]

pascal wont be here for 9 months Q3 2016 at least. Up to you if you want performance now or later

[Sbeeer]

well by the time it comes out your reasonable price  may have risen to 500-600 anyway so just wait asd

No, a 980 or future equivalent is just overkill for me. I play on a 1080p monitor (144Hz) so the 70 is more than enough. I don't think spending 600€ on a graphics card is reasonable for any normal person. And it's nice because when the GPU raw power gets obsolete it's about time to upgrade anyway due to new features etc. 

Just think that my plan was to do another year with this 660... If I didn't think it was enough (even if just barely) I would have already upgraded.

[Sbeeer]

pascal wont be here for 9 months Q3 2016 at least. Up to you if you want performance now or later

Is this confirmed by Nvidia? Damn, not even for next Christmas then...

[X99stattrak]

A 980 is definitely not overkill for 1080p, I have a 980ti heavily oc'd running 1080P so I can crank every game to maximum settings and play smoothly. Gta V runs at a constant 60 FPS maxed out.

[Sbeeer]

A 980 is definitely not overkill for 1080p, I have a 980ti heavily oc'd running 1080P so I can crank every game to maximum settings and play smoothly. Gta V runs at a constant 60 FPS maxed out.

It is overkill for my use and for my money. I don't mind tuning down msaa.

However, the point is: should I wait or just upgrade now?

[X99stattrak]

It is overkill for my use and for my money. I don't mind tuning down msaa.

However, the point is: should I wait or just upgrade now?

That depends if you're comfortable playing on the lowest settings, get a secondhand R9 290x for cheap and wait for pascal prices to drop.

[SteveGrabowski0]

The gaming related improvements are speculation for now and I don't know if it's gonna be the same 15% or so improvement or more... Looking at release history, the "next generation 970" will probably be around the 980 performance, I think.

 

You're underestimating how much a node shrink can matter. Last time Nvidia did one was the 600 series, where the $230 GTX 660 traded blows with the $500 GTX 580 and the GTX 680 blew the GTX 580 out of the water. That was a shrink from 40 nm in the 500 series to 28 nm in the 600 series. Pascal will be a shrink from 28 nm to 16 nm. Pascal's probably not going to be an ordinary series bump like Maxwell was, past history says it could end up being something big.

[Fgtfv567]

God yeah, it's worth it!

I have a reference 2gb 660 too, and I've been looking to get a 970

[Sbeeer]

That depends if you're comfortable playing on the lowest settings, get a secondhand R9 290x for cheap and wait for pascal prices to drop.

Unfortunately used market for single components is almost non existent (or not cheaper than new) here in Italy, apart from sketchy eBay sellers, I don't know why...

 

You're underestimating how much a node shrink can matter. Last time Nvidia did one was the 600 series, where the $230 GTX 660 traded blows with the $500 GTX 580 and the GTX 680 blew the GTX 580 out of the water. That was a shrink from 40 nm in the 500 series to 28 nm in the 600 series. Pascal will be a shrink from 28 nm to 16 nm. Pascal's probably not going to be an ordinary series bump like Maxwell was, past history says it could end up being something big.

That's what worries me. I don't know what to do T_T

[SteveGrabowski0]

Unfortunately used market for single components is almost non existent (or not cheaper than new) here in Italy, apart from sketchy eBay sellers, I don't know why...

  That's what worries me. I don't know what to do T_T

 

A 970 would be an enormous upgrade and I would be surprised to see Nvidia's 70 series before late 2016 (I imagine they'll lead off with a Titan). A 970 isn't so super expensive that you'd feel like a sucker in a year like you might with a 980 Ti should Pascal destroy Maxwell the way Kepler did Fermi. And 310 euro shipped is a hot price for a Gigabyte G1 Gaming GTX 970, it's the best overclocking GTX 970 on the market. I'd buy it for that price in your shoes. Who knows, maybe Nvidia rebrands the 980 into the next 70 series like they did with the 680 and 770 (though the 770 got a significant factory overclock over the 680 I think) and only sells Pascal at the high end. Or they could sit on the high end chip like they did with the 600 series when they first started releasing their upper midrange chips under the 80 series. Worst case maybe they have a 70 series chip in a year that demolishes the 970 and you have to sell your 970 for 150 euro if you want to keep cranking settings.

 

I have a 970, it's a seriously awesome GPU, and the Gigabyte G1 Gaming 970 is better than the one I have (EVGA GTX 970 SC ACX 2.0).

[i_build_nanosuits]

You're underestimating how much a node shrink can matter. Last time Nvidia did one was the 600 series, where the $230 GTX 660 traded blows with the $500 GTX 580 and the GTX 680 blew the GTX 580 out of the water. That was a shrink from 40 nm in the 500 series to 28 nm in the 600 series. Pascal will be a shrink from 28 nm to 16 nm. Pascal's probably not going to be an ordinary series bump like Maxwell was, past history says it could end up being something big.

not looking for an argument here, but maxwell WAS something big...here for example the fully fledged GK110 core of the titan black VS full maxwell GM200 core...+45% is pretty good IMHO!

http://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvidia-GTX-Titan-X-vs-Nvidia-GTX-Titan-Black/3282vs3158

Here, the mid-range GTX 970 giving this massive GPU core a run for it's money...

http://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvidia-GTX-970-vs-Nvidia-GTX-Titan-Black/2577vs3158

This is pretty nice if you ask me.. only 1664 cuda cores...less than 200W GPU...not bad at all!

If pascal prove to be head and shoulders above a GTX 980ti...with mid-range cards (GTX1070 or whatever they choose to call it) giving a run like that...they won't be cheap that's a given...nvidia is after money, they wont make gift...they never did and IMHO they never will.

OP: GTX 970 is a MASSIVE improvement over what you have, and they go for a very decent price right now:

http://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvidia-GTX-970-vs-Nvidia-GTX-660/2577vs2162

Also, the G1 is one of the best indeed, and the zero noise is a marketing gimmick a GPU like that on idle will have it's fans running at like 30% speed and even less and therefore will be silent...i have it on my card and i don't use it because i don't like my GPU idling in the 50c+ on the desktop.

[SteveGrabowski0]

not looking for an argument here, but maxwell WAS something big...here for example the fully fledged GK110 core of the titan black VS full maxwell GM200 core...+45% is pretty good IMHO!

http://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvidia-GTX-Titan-X-vs-Nvidia-GTX-Titan-Black/3282vs3158

Here, the mid-range GTX 970 giving this massive GPU core a run for it's money...

http://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvidia-GTX-970-vs-Nvidia-GTX-Titan-Black/2577vs3158

This is pretty nice if you ask me.. only 1664 cuda cores...less than 200W GPU...not bad at all!

If pascal prove to be head and shoulders above a GTX 980ti...with mid-range cards (GTX1070 or whatever they choose to call it) giving a run like that...they won't be cheap that's a given...nvidia is after money, they wont make gift...they never did and IMHO they never will.

OP: GTX 970 is a MASSIVE improvement over what you have, and they go for a very decent price right now:

http://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvidia-GTX-970-vs-Nvidia-GTX-660/2577vs2162

Also, the G1 is one of the best indeed, and the zero noise is a marketing gimmick a GPU like that on idle will have it's fans running at like 30% speed and even less and therefore will be silent...i have it on my card and i don't use it because i don't like my GPU idling in the 50c+ on the desktop.

 

Yeah, but look at the difference between the OG Titan and 580

 

http://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvidia-GTX-Titan-vs-Nvidia-GTX-580/2191vs3150

 

I know what you mean though, they might do like the 980 and 680 and release the full version of their upper midrange chip at $550-$650 or so as the initial flagship.

[i_build_nanosuits]

Yeah, but look at the difference between the OG Titan and 580

 

http://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvidia-GTX-Titan-vs-Nvidia-GTX-580/2191vs3150

 

I know what you mean though, they might do like the 980 and 680 and release the full version of their upper midrange chip at $550-$650 or so as the initial flagship.

exactly, and as i said nvidia make no gift...if you look at launch price for the GTX 780 and vanilla titan vs launch price for GTX 580 or GTX 680...the cards performed a lot better therefore the launch price was significantly higher.

[Sbeeer]

Update:
The model is not G1 Gaming, it's the other one: GV-N970WF3OC-4GD
Still really good for the price, considering it's lower than reference models, even if the OC is not quite that good. However it does not have a backplate and that makes me sad.

[i_build_nanosuits]

Update:

The model is not G1 Gaming, it's the other one: GV-N970WF3OC-4GD

Still really good for the price, considering it's lower than reference models, even if the OC is not quite that good. However it does not have a backplate and that makes me sad.

most 970 does not have backplates...it's not a big deal but i understand...the windforce is a great card as well.

[YoloSwag]

I remember my old GTX 660, it used to OC to 1212Mhz stable in Metro: Last Light   I miss that guy.

 

Anyway I think if you're planning to upgrade later to Pascal, you should consider how much you have left if you get a GPU right now.

But if you're some rich dude that can get a new GPU every month you can spend it however you like but if you're not here's my suggestion -

 

Get a GTX 680 if you can find one :lol: it shouldn't be expensive, I think even GTX 780Tis are going cheaper than GTX 970s and would perform generally better, well at least where I'm from they're cheaper (all sold out though).

[Sbeeer]

I remember my old GTX 660, it used to OC to 1212Mhz stable in Metro: Last Light   I miss that guy.

 

Anyway I think if you're planning to upgrade later to Pascal, you should consider how much you have left if you get a GPU right now.

But if you're some rich dude that can get a new GPU every month you can spend it however you like but if you're not here's my suggestion -

 

Get a GTX 680 if you can find one :lol: it shouldn't be expensive, I think even GTX 780Tis are going cheaper than GTX 970s and would perform generally better, well at least where I'm from they're cheaper (all sold out though).

Mine sits at 1202MHz, it served me well for 2 and a half years.

No, if I buy a 970 right now I'll be good for at least 3-4 years.

[YoloSwag]

Mine sits at 1202MHz, it served me well for 2 and a half years.

No, if I buy a 970 right now I'll be good for at least 3-4 years.

Are you sure you want to say that right now?

 

Pascal is less than a year away and we have no idea what their HBM-equipped cards could do.

 

I know it's holiday, but you could think about it longer if you're gonna buy this year end.

[Sbeeer]

Are you sure you want to say that right now?

 

Pascal is less than a year away and we have no idea what their HBM-equipped cards could do.

 

I know it's holiday, but you could think about it longer if you're gonna buy this year end.

Let me rephrase: if I spend 300+€ on a graphics card I will make it last 3-4 years. I'll tune down graphics options just like I'm doing now with the 660 until it won't be enough to decently play new games on medium-low settings. Then, I will upgrade. I figure the 970 will be up to the task since I have no plan to upgrade the monitor to a higher resolution.

Of course new cards would be able to last even more, forcing an upgrade maybe 4-6 years from now, but you have to consider that I'll be buying it at least a year from now and probably at a higher price.

I think I'm leaning more towards buying a 970 now and enjoying new games at max settings... Unity, Arkham knight and a few others made me suffer a little with this poor little 660.

[i_build_nanosuits]

I think I'm leaning more towards buying a 970 now and enjoying new games at max settings... Unity, Arkham knight and a few others made me suffer a little with this poor little 660.

be aware, those games you are mentionning are VERY demanding and if you run anti-aliasing anything other than FXAA you WON'T be able to run max graphics at 60+FPS...even the 980ti will bend to his knees if you want it to in those poorly optimised very demanding titles...but the GTX970 will offer a VERY good gaming experience at 1080p...and like i said and i,ve posted the link the GTX970 is 133% faster than your GTX660...so more than TWICE as fast...a very worthy upgrade it is:

http://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvidia-GTX-970-vs-Nvidia-GTX-660/2577vs2162

Arkhame knight just disable the interactive smoke, everything else you can turn on and you'll be good to go...here how it run at 1440p on a 980ti on my machine which is similar to running a GTX 970 @ 1080p (it show smoke to be ON, but it's not i forgot i had to restart the game for it to take effect, all the other settings are ON) (in game framerate is capped to 90FPS but in the benchmark run it's uncapped)