Is it time to upgrade my 2013 i7 3770K build for 1440p resolution?

Taironx · May 14, 2015

So back in 2013 I converted from Console to PC as soon as I saw those amazing graphics, and I went ahead and built:

Intel Core i7 3770K
Gigabyte GTX 680 4GB
Asus MAXIMUS V GENE Z77 Socket 1155
Kingston Hyper X 16GB 1600MHz DDR3
ASUS VE278

Now I want to move from 1080p to 1440p, maybe 4K but it's way too much money as that would require an entire very expensive new build.

I have considered to upgrade to the GTX 970 (then SLI later on) and get the Asus PB287Q 28 monitor or the Asus ROG Swift PG278Q - which I know is a more expensive option but it sounds so good with its G-Sync, 144Hz, 1ms... so complete that I might just buy it :pt1cable:

So the goal is, 1440p resolution (if not more) with 50 - 60 fps on a single monitor. I want performance but at a reasonable price. The budget is £1000 (USD 1577.39), not all at once! but over time because I am not rich although my taste for tech seems to be

What do you guys recommend? Could I just upgrade the motherboard so I can fit the extra card and not have to replace everything? Or just wait another year or two to build a new PC?

Thank you and I am sorry for the essay style multiple part question

Sergeant_Sneaky · May 14, 2015

The CPU wouldn't bottleneck at 1440p/60fps and your motherboard supports SLI so you could just buy another 4GB 680 to go with the one you have now.
You could, if you wanted more stable performance, sell your 680 and get a 980, to avoid SLI issues.

Taironx · May 15, 2015

Sergeant_Sneaky :

Thanks for helping me out.
SLI does seem to have issues. But for the sake of argument let say I do want to SLI, if I manage to find a bigger motherboard like the SABERTOOTH Z77 or equivalent - would they be capable of an SLI configuration?

RobCrezz · May 15, 2015

Single 970 is fine for 1440p, just dont max out the settings.

I play at 1440p on my gtx 680 just fine, you just have to be reasonable with the graphics settings.

maxalge · May 15, 2015

Taironx :

I play at 1440p as well, looking at your specs.

Drop in a gtx 980 man, thats all you need to start.

Make sure your power supply is good first though.

Taironx · May 15, 2015

maxalge :

Taironx :

I play at 1440p as well, looking at your specs.

Drop in a gtx 980 man, thats all you need to start.

Make sure your power supply is good first though.

I have an 850W gold+ standard power supply, it should be fine even in SLI

Taironx · May 15, 2015

RobCrezz :

So what avg. fps do you get and at what settings?

disturbed force · May 15, 2015

Do not buy a 980, they are not worth the money http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/1351?vs=1355 I don't see a big enough performance jump to justify $250+.

I would suggest you get a 970 and oc it with the gsync monitor, and grab another 970 for sli in the future.

Vitric9 · May 15, 2015

i cant say enough about Z77 and Ivy Bridge. Even some good things. ,,,
Just kidding, I like the 3770k and Z77 Combo. Everything has been so much easier ... Can't say the same for the Core 2 Quad I bought in 2012, yeah. Bit late.
I would want the PLS over TN at that size, even though i have heard good things about the ROG Swift. when i saw the GTA V benchmarks and Cars 2 Benchmarks I thought a GTX 780 won't be enough for 1080p 144hz for the rest of this years AAA titles.
If your not on a budget then go for the 980, more so when the price drops once AMD and Nvidia release their upcoming GPUs . While the 970 still is a great GPU even after reading about the VRAM re-spec , the 980 is just the top dog and really the highest binned Maxwell GPU for good reason.

Sergeant_Sneaky · May 15, 2015

Taironx :

Sergeant_Sneaky :

Thanks for helping me out.
SLI does seem to have issues. But for the sake of argument let say I do want to SLI, if I manage to find a bigger motherboard like the SABERTOOTH Z77 or equivalent - would they be capable of an SLI configuration?

The Z77 Sabertooth is SLI compatible yes, what PSU do you have though?

Taironx · May 15, 2015

Sergeant_Sneaky :

Taironx :

The Z77 Sabertooth is SLI compatible yes, what PSU do you have though?

OCZ ZX Series 850W 80+ GOLD

Sergeant_Sneaky · May 15, 2015

Taironx :

Sergeant_Sneaky :

OCZ ZX Series 850W 80+ GOLD

You're good there then

coozie7 · May 15, 2015

There's nothing too wrong with your current build TBH, and with AMD now finally due to announce their new top tier cards (E3 show, June 18th) I think it would be wise to hold off until they release before dropping any serious cash on the system.

However, if you're thinking about SLI, here's a little something I spotted earlier: http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-350-SP
Not as refined as the Nvidia cards, but then again it's also half the price of a TitanX.

Taironx · May 15, 2015

coozie7 :

HOLY GPU!!!

coozie7 · May 16, 2015

^ LOL!
It's just a suggestion, mate.

RobCrezz · May 18, 2015

Taironx :

Always tend to go 60fps. I tend to just use Geforce Optimization tbh, but its generally no MSAA (just FXAA), generally High settings unless its something that might push the vram over 2gb or hit the fps hard.

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Is it time to upgrade my 2013 i7 3770K build for 1440p resolution?

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