GPU Upgrade.

[Deleted]

So I'm thinking about a GPU upgrade, but want to know what would be ideal budget wise.

My entire rig is pretty much top notch:
- i7-4790k with MSI gaming motherboard.
- 16GB of crucial ballistics memory.
- GTX 770 4GB
- Coolermaster cooling
- blablablabla

So it's all good really.

Yet I'm thinking about upgrading the GPU so I can live happily the next year or 2. The GTX 980 seems good, though a bit pricey. So theres the GTX 970 which is good too.

I got the budget for either one, but I'd just like the best bang for my buck. Don't want to spend another 200 euro's on the 980 if it isn't worth it really.

Also, since I'm generally a noob, does it matter whether I buy the MSI version or the Asus version or something? Hell, what's the difference?

[Deleted]

Unless you play over 1080p@60hz i would say its not worth to upgrade. Even some new AAA titles that make top gpu's like 980-titans not achieve high fps translates to one thing. Terrible game optimization. Reason i don't upgrade either.

[Deleted]

I currently have a 660 and play a1080p and wouldn't consider upgrading til next set of gpus are released next year. Seems pretty pointless upgrading from your 770.

[Deleted]

Wait until HBM is more mainstream, then upgrade would be my recommendation. The 770 is more than adequate for anything not stupidly-optimized (looking at you, Batman).

[Deleted]

Wait until HBM is more mainstream, then upgrade would be my recommendation. The 770 is more than adequate for anything not stupidly-optimized (looking at you, Batman).

And HBM would be?

Also, what's the difference in brands actually?

[Azurenys]

If the 970 is in your sweet spot, price range-wise, get that. 970 to 980 is not worth it at all.

If it was me, I would probably wait a bit, maybe price drops or even sales around Christmas? That 770 is a beast imho.

[mrgreenthump]

And HBM would be?

Also, what's the difference in brands actually?

In short.. HBM is a memory stacking technology that lets you stack multiple memory chips in a very small package. It enables you to do stuff like add graphics card memory right next to the core(same die), dramaticly decreasing distances and shrinking the overall space needed. Wiki link

And the difference between AMD and NVIDIA is price points mostly. For a good NVIDIA card you have to go up to a GTX 970 atm, while you can buy something from AMD for quite a bit less. Now NVIDIA is probably better than AMD for most people after 970, but for mainstream gaming it's a bit too pricy for my taste(currently). In the end it depends on your monitor more than anything else. 1080p, I would keep your 770 till next year, 1440p --> GTX 970 or higher.

If it was me, I would probably wait a bit, maybe price drops or even sales around Christmas? That 770 is a beast imho.

I would wait even a bit longer as next gen cards are coming next year.

[Deleted]

In short.. HBM is a memory stacking technology that lets you stack multiple memory chips in a very small package. It enables you to do stuff like add graphics card memory right next to the core(same die), dramaticly decreasing distances and shrinking the overall space needed. Wiki link

And the difference between AMD and NVIDIA is price points mostly. For a good NVIDIA card you have to go up to a GTX 970 atm, while you can buy something from AMD for quite a bit less. Now NVIDIA is probably better than AMD for most people after 970, but for mainstream gaming it's a bit too pricy for my taste(currently). In the end it depends on your monitor more than anything else. 1080p, I would keep your 770 till next year, 1440p --> GTX 970 or higher.

Well that was a shitload of Chinese to me. But thanks for the explanation anyway. In short, smaller GPU's or something xD.

About the brands, I didn't mean between Nvidia or AMD. More like why I can buy the 970 for example from 4 different vendors. Asus, nvidia, MSI, blablabla.
Just some minor differences I reckon?

[Azurenys]

Nvidia creates standard 970.

Different brands create different cooling systems/backplates and also factory clock it to higher speeds.

In the 970 case your best bet is the Gigabyte G1 Gaming Windforce edition or the Asus Strix. MSI is also good but the Gigabyte G1 is the highest clocked of them all and has 3 instead of 2 coolers.

[Artorius]

Well that was a shitload of Chinese to me. But thanks for the explanation anyway. In short, smaller GPU's or something xD.

About the brands, I didn't mean between Nvidia or AMD. More like why I can buy the 970 for example from 4 different vendors. Asus, nvidia, MSI, blablabla.
Just some minor differences I reckon?

AMD and Nvidia ship their GPUs (the chip itself) to their partners and a "reference design".

Video card partners can change the reference design, which is the "standard" card model designed by AMD/nvidia. The first thing you can clearly see different from the same card from different vendors will be the cooling system, some of them offer very good quality coolers which are leagues above the reference design ones.

That's the most obvious difference but not the only one, partners can also change the rest of the design which means they can change the PCB arrangement, the memory chips used, capacitors and so on.

You can have brand X making a 2gb reference card with 4gb for example. Brand Y overclocking the GPU or some other difference that makes their products different.