GPU Buying Advice, Is Now Just A Terrible Time?

Sittley · Feb 15, 2014

So I finally can upgrade my five year old computer and was planning on using a R9 290, but then the mining fad struck. It is getting completely ridiculous. I just want to be able to play my copy of BF4 without terrible stutter and 15fps!

I've been waiting since the second half of December and watched as prices just continue to rise. I'm stuck with my old GTX 260 SLI configuration and it's most definitely reached the end of it's life. I'd really like an Radeon card since I expect better optimization on future games as both next gen consoles are running AMD hardware, but I'm starting to wonder if it's really worth the wait. Does anyone with more knowledge of GPU cycles have any idea if and when the 290 might drop back down to it's $400 price point? Plus with my budget I'm starting to just consider buying a GTX 770 but now I've read quite a bit of speculation about new Nividia cards coming which might drop 780 prices. Any advice?! With a $450 budget what would you buy, or would you suck it up and wait out the fad?

OnkelCannabia · Feb 15, 2014

It's hard to say. I still can't believe that there are so many miners that it raises the costs of the AMD cards. I mean, is everybody and his mom just trying to mine now? And obviously not everybody can get rich. Now that it is popular profits will probably plummet.

Anyway, it would be easier if Nvidia announced something solid instead of rumors. With the Titan Black Edition, the GTX 790 and the 750 ti, I'd say there is enough going around to be a little patient.

AnEwG · Feb 15, 2014

The GTX 750/750ti should be released by 18th of this month according to this article http://www.tomshardware.com/news/gtx-750-ti-power-connector,26013.html. You can wait till the end of this week to decide, although you can't be sure that a price drop will happen right away or at all, especially with the way AMD cards prices are.
770 should be plenty to play at 1080p but like I said you can wait and see if the prices will change with the Maxwell cards release.

renz496 · Feb 15, 2014

I'd really like an Radeon card since I expect better optimization on future games as both next gen consoles are running AMD hardware,

actually you don't really have to worry about that. the console might use AMD hardware but it doesn't necessarily mean AMD will have the advantage when the title got port to pc. also it's not like nvidia going to stop working with game developer. just look at this as an example:

http://techreport.com/review/25995/first-look-amd-mantle-cpu-performance-in-battlefield-4/2

the thing is people expecting using nvidia hardware will put them at disadvantage because the console were using AMD hardware. yes it will give AMD the advantage because developer are familiar with their hardware but as i said nvidia isn't sitting still either. they still work with game developer as usual so the game will work on their hardware on the PC side.

Does anyone with more knowledge of GPU cycles have any idea if and when the 290 might drop back down to it's $400 price point?

no one know at this point.

I've read quite a bit of speculation about new Nividia cards coming which might drop 780 prices.

the latest one will be GTX750 Ti and GTX750. as both card are targeted towards entry level performance it will not going to move the price on the high end segment. right now most speculation suggesting new high end cards (utilizing 20nm process node) will come towards the end of year but i'd say both amd and nvidia could drag it further to 2015 depending on how they want to play it

coozie7 · Feb 15, 2014

Despite the mad prices there's really never been a better time to buy! No, really, I mean it.
Look at the kind of power you get for-say-$300 (US Dollar) these days and compare with the $300 cards of two or more years ago and things don't look so bad do they?
More rendering power, lower energy consumption and all for the same, or less, cash-to paraphrase an English politian: You've never had it so good.

OK, enough silver lining, down to brass tacks.
First, what is the system you're going to upgrade? It's obviously got plenty of PSU power if it can feed a pair of GTX260s, but what about the rest?
As for card, you've pretty well hit the nail on the head with the GTX770, right now its one of the better choices with Newegg selling some for just under $320 while the similar performing R9 280x is well over $100 more.
BTW, if the current rig has similar specs to mine and you're using a single 1080 display the GTX760 class of card will make more sense.

Sittley · Feb 15, 2014

coozie7 :

My rig is currently:
Antec TPQ-850 (850W)
8GB G.SKILL Ripjaws Series DDR3 1600
i5-4670K Haswell 3.4GHz
ASUS Z87-A

I am running a single 1080 display. That said I'd like to have the ability to run on a 4K monitor should I buy one in the next few years.

Sittley · Feb 15, 2014

coozie7 :

My rig is currently:
Antec TPQ-850 (850W)
8GB G.SKILL Ripjaws Series DDR3 1600
i5-4670K Haswell 3.4GHz
ASUS Z87-A

I am running a single 1080 display. That said I'd like to have the ability to run on a 4K monitor should I buy one in the next few years.

coozie7 · Feb 15, 2014

OK. Guess yours is bigger than mine.

Hard call with prices the way they are and with the rumours of Maxwell coming out fairly soon.
First choice would be to wait a little longer and see how things pan out, or at least until some concrete information on the high end Maxwell cards surfaces.
If you really can't wait I'd go for a 4Gb GTX770, it's an expensive option but carries enough VRAM to handle that 4K screen later on while easily being able to max out everything out there ATM.
For a little better value the 4Gb GTX760 is still damn fast if not quite in the 770s league and you can add a second to SLI in a year or so (along with that nice, big screen).
I would not recommend a 2Gb card, not with your current plans and not for such a new rig.

renz496 · Feb 15, 2014

how long can you wait? if you really need the upgrade now then just pick current offering. we might know more on maxwell during nvidia GTC on late march this year.

EDIT: i found this

http://wccftech.com/nvidia-maxwell-geforce-gtx-750-ti-gtx-750-official-specifications-confirmed-60watt-gpu-geforce-800-series-arrives-2014/

Sittley · Feb 16, 2014

renz496 :

Very useful article, thanks! Looks like the new cards have some serious potential, but I don't think I can stand to wait another year.

If you really can't wait I'd go for a 4Gb GTX770, it's an expensive option but carries enough VRAM to handle that 4K screen later on while easily being able to max out everything out there ATM.

A 4Gb GTX770 it is. That was the card I was originally considering, nice to hear I'm not way off base.

Thank you for all the advice and info. You've all been incredibly helpful.

Search

GPU Buying Advice, Is Now Just A Terrible Time?

Sittley

Reputable

coozie7

OnkelCannabia

Honorable

AnEwG

Honorable

renz496

Champion

coozie7

Champion

Sittley

Reputable

Sittley

Reputable

coozie7

Champion

renz496

Champion

Sittley

Reputable

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page