GPU Help GTX 770 vs 780 vs waiting on R9 290x

zz0zz0zz

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Oct 29, 2013
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It's been a long time since I have got into the whole PC gaming thing (We're talking 3Dfx Voodoo Banshee time). And I am now trying to get back into it. I just bought a pc for around $200 from a friend the specs are:

Thermaltek 600w PSU
GTX 570
I-7 2600 Sandy Bridge
Intel DP67BG
8GB of DDR3 1333

I was looking to up the RAM, get a SSD and get a new GPU as I have tried playing Rome 2 and BF4, with almost zero luck. BF4 lets me play on low windowed mode, but has constant game crashes and huge loading times, while Rome 2 is very low and takes about 5-6 minutes per turn of play. I am at a loss because for whatever reason I thought a GTX 570 would be enough, call it ignorance I guess!

I have looked around, I saw a used 7990 for $550 on Amazon, but have seen nothing good written about it anywhere. I have read about a thousand posts on this forum about the 770 vs 780 vs the waiting on the R9 290x which seems very hard to get hands on. So this is probably annoying or beating a dead horse, but how does a GTX 770 really compare to a GTX 780 is it worth the extra $200? I am not short on cash per se, but I really would like to minimize costs. I am playing at 1920x1200 and that will not change. I am led to believe that 770 is relatively future proof in that I could SLI later with price cuts etc.

I guess the root of my question is this:
How is the GTX 770 vs the 780? (is it at all future proof?)
Should I wait for further price cuts on the 780 and 770 when the R9 290x comes to stores in proper?

Thank you so much for reading thus far, and any help relating.
 
Solution
i kind of think getting some good ddr3 1600mhz or higher ram with a 7970 would be good for that, the 7970 is around 10% slower than the 770 but is a $100 dollars less, or for a couple more bucks the 280x is a slight bit faster and should be fine to run bf4. i think faster ram and a newer gpu should be fine. if you want the latest greatest than i would say buy the 290x since bf4 will support mantle which is said to massively improve frames although that has yet to be seen. also the 290x is faster in some cases than the 780 plus it has onboard hardware sound enhancement! i would still say get some new ram, at least 1600, 1866 if your motherboard supports it.

misfitkid86

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May 23, 2012
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i kind of think getting some good ddr3 1600mhz or higher ram with a 7970 would be good for that, the 7970 is around 10% slower than the 770 but is a $100 dollars less, or for a couple more bucks the 280x is a slight bit faster and should be fine to run bf4. i think faster ram and a newer gpu should be fine. if you want the latest greatest than i would say buy the 290x since bf4 will support mantle which is said to massively improve frames although that has yet to be seen. also the 290x is faster in some cases than the 780 plus it has onboard hardware sound enhancement! i would still say get some new ram, at least 1600, 1866 if your motherboard supports it.
 
Solution

zz0zz0zz

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Oct 29, 2013
27
0
10,530
Crucial Ballistix Sport XT 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) Desktop Memory Model
$144.99

GIGABYTE GV-R928XOC-3GD Radeon R9 280X 3GB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
$299.99

Kingston SSDNow V300 Series SV300S37A/120G 2.5" 120GB SATA III Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
$89.99

BYTECC Bracket-35225 2.5 Inch HDD/SSD Mounting Kit For 3.5" Drive Bay or Enclosure
$4.49

Order Total $539.46

I think I got a killer deal, also, thank you so much for pointing out my RAM I never would've guessed! Seeing the actual comparisons of the 280x vs the GTX 780 at HW Compare sealed the deal, granted that is a 'lab' environment, but still.

http://www.hwcompare.com/15840/geforce-gtx-770-vs-radeon-r9-280x/
 

misfitkid86

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May 23, 2012
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yeah i'd say you got great deals! that should be a pretty solid build for a couple years, or if it isn't you can add a second gpu (you can even crossfire a 7970 with the 280x!!) hope you love the new gear!