New card/s to replace 2 x GTX670s

Hi!

I used to have 2x Gigabyte GTX670s in SLI and damn me if they weren't just the sweetest and most stable little cards I ever did run. Bought them at the end of their generation for about 300AUD each and they were an excellent investment in future-proofing, outperforming most of the next generation's shiny new cards admirably.

Time makes fools of us all, however, and recently one of the cards went BSOD/red-line crazy (I'm not going to oven-bake it because I don't see the point in risking its already compromised integrity on a short-term expedient, and anyway I've resigned myself to a card funeral). I have the remaining card running happily along and meeting most of my graphics needs, but I really did like the little boost that two cards gave me, I'm sure you understand. Also, this card I bought earlier than the other, and its operational age is showing in a number of eccentric but adorable ways.

I guess what I'm saying is, what is the most affordable, stable card solution for replacing two Gigabyte GTX670s? I bought the two and ran SLI because they performed similarly to a GTX690 in that config, so if there is a single card in the nVidia stable that you think currently runs better than a 690 for a good cost, please let me know. Otherwise, I'm perfectly happy to SLI a couple of (admittedly mid-to-high-range) workhorse cards again for the price/performance trade-off.

Also let me know if you think it's worth waiting a month or two. I saw word somewhere or other (a touch sleepy and cbf scrolling right now) that nVidia were about to make a potential launch that would bring their range down in price, so that may be a factor in deciding which cards I get and when I get them.

Finally: The newest and most labour-intensive games I currently run are Arkham Asylum, Battlefield 3, Hitman Absolution and Far Cry 3. I haven't really bought new games in a looooooong-ass time. What I'm looking for in a card seriously is, as stated above, something that can perform similarly or slightly better than my old GTX670s. I'm not too stoked on many games that have come out since I built my rig.

Finally finally: Cards that could run Far Cry 4, GTAV and maybe the next run of triple-As well would be good, but to be honest I could do without.

Thank you so much, Hardwarers. You're amazing. Sorry I went off on a rather long one.

What resolution are you playing at or do you want to play at in the near future? If it is just 1080p, then you should be good to go with a single 970; however, if you can afford it, it is most always better to purchase the single most powerful card that you can budget for. I am always a fan of, if you want to SLI then SLI now instead of waiting until some point in the "future." This cycle keeps going and going... you get your next card and then are told, if you do not like it then SLI in the future. You never get around to adding that second card. The fun part comes when they discontinue the lineup and it becomes difficult to find a card that matches yours.