2GB vs 4GB single 770

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DragonSage

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Nov 6, 2013
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I'm finalizing specs for a compact build inside of a Bitfenix Prodigy, but I keep coming back to the amount of VRAM for the GTX 770. I play at 1080p on a single display, and have no intentions of upgrading for at least three years. I do, however, want to max out my games(BF4 being the most significant). I guess what I want to know is the 4GB version worth the extra $50? Or are factors such as the cards overall processing power going to impact me more on future games more than the VRAM?

The specs for my build:
PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/23QNl

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($225.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H90 94.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler (Purchased For $49.99)
Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VI IMPACT Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($223.97 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($79.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk (Purchased For $0.00)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (Purchased)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($339.99 @ Microcenter)
Case: BitFenix Prodigy (Black) Mini ITX Tower Case ($79.98 @ OutletPC)
Power Supply: Rosewill Hive 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply (Purchased For $59.99)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro - OEM (64-bit) (Purchased For $0.00)
Total: $1059.90
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-18 21:32 EST-0500)

General feedback on the build is welcome, and if anyone here has experience building with either the Prodigy or Phenom, I have some questions regarding airflow.

Thanks in advance!
 
Solution
leeb2013
an example; BF4 doesn't use more than 2GB at 1080p, at 4k it went up to 2.7GB vram (but frame rate dropped to about 30fps). I've not found any other recent games which use more than 2GB at 1080p.

Future games might do, however the level of graphics quality or resolution required to need more than 2GB would probably mean a single GTX770 wouldn't have enough grunt to play the game (at 60fps).

Personally, I had an awesome GTX680 2GB, but changed to two 7950 3GB, mainly because DICE recommended 3GB for BF4, but turned out to be a bit of a lie as 98% of people game at 1080p which needs <2GB.
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rolandzhang3

rolandzhang3

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Sep 28, 2013
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You wouldn't need the 4GB at all unless you're gaming at a higher resolution at 1080p, stick with the 2GB version and you should be fine.

You could also wait for the aftermarket r9 290s which should still cost around $400 for much better performance over the 770.
 
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nikoli707

nikoli707

Splendid
Jan 4, 2012
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4gb for sure. in two years when youd want to sli the 680/770 you will have a very very powerful graphics and 2gb's is on its way out. plus after two years it will have a much better resale value. go look at the resale value for 1gb 5xx/6xxx cards compared to the 2gb 5xx/6xxx cards, its as much as $50 more for a used 2gb 6970 or 2.5gb 570 compared to their 1gb and 1.25gb counterparts.
 
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DragonSage

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Nov 6, 2013
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You have a good point about the resale value. I am actually building in a Bitfenix Prodigy so SLI is out of the question though(yes, I considered the Prodigy M, but its airflow sucks). I also won't be upgrading for at least 3 years.
 
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leeb2013

leeb2013

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Aug 5, 2013
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an example; BF4 doesn't use more than 2GB at 1080p, at 4k it went up to 2.7GB vram (but frame rate dropped to about 30fps). I've not found any other recent games which use more than 2GB at 1080p.

Future games might do, however the level of graphics quality or resolution required to need more than 2GB would probably mean a single GTX770 wouldn't have enough grunt to play the game (at 60fps).

Personally, I had an awesome GTX680 2GB, but changed to two 7950 3GB, mainly because DICE recommended 3GB for BF4, but turned out to be a bit of a lie as 98% of people game at 1080p which needs <2GB.
 
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iam2thecrowe

iam2thecrowe

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Jul 4, 2010
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i have had reports that bf4 does use quite close to 2gb vram. i was playing crysis 2 the other day on ultra and it was at 1900mb. so i'd say it wont be too long before games start to break the 2gb barrier at 1080p. i would get the 4gb card to be safe. or just get a 7970/280x which performs the same but has 3gb vram.
 
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DragonSage

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Nov 6, 2013
32
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10,530
Newegg has the EVGA 770 dual SC for $330 right now, so I think I will go with that. I will be going to college so its probably not worth the extra money considering the time I will have.
 
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revolution2718

revolution2718

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Apr 8, 2012
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Don't worry about the 4GB version, the 770 can't use the full 4GB anyway due to a narrow memory bandwidth and the benchmarks i have seen attest that the 4GB version is a waste of money. Get the 2GB and be happy.
 
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