New PC Build. Add another GTX 960 or upgrade the card??

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
P

pumpjockey77

Reputable
Mar 27, 2015
15
0
4,510
I'm currently researching and scouting prices for a new build almost solely for gaming purposes. A year ago I attempted to prolong the life of my existing rig by pairing an older i7-860 with a gtx 960 and CORSAIR Vengeance Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3 1866. My question is whether to keep the 960 and add another 960 for the new build, or simply start over. The two cpu's I'm leaning towards would be either a i5-6600k or i7-6700k. My total budget is around 1500 - 1700 not including the monitor. So...

1. Would two gtx 960s be under powered when paired with either of cpu I chose above?
2. I wish to run all games at very high / ultra setting at 1920X1080 resolution at a minimum without any issues.
3. Given the budget should I just start over?
 
Solution
Eggz


Yes, if you meant "960" where you wrote "plug and play with the 860 until the next round of GPUs . . . ." You just need to have a solid foundation for a high end graphics setup, and building around the 6700k will give you a base system that will likely be fast enough for any single GPU (or any dual GPU) set that will come into existence for the next several years.

CPUs don't get the same kind of performance increases each year that GPUs do, and games don't need the best CPUs. So buying the best CPU now will mean that your chip will remain...
Sort by date Sort by votes
Eggz

Eggz

Distinguished
Sep 3, 2013
2,052
1
20,460
It's a difficult time to make those kind of purchases right now. The top of the line Nvidia and AMD cards are almost due for a refresh, so waiting to see what the GPU market offers next will likely be your best bet for now.

As for the CPU, Intel's Skylake is still current. It will also remain current longer than a GPU. So I'd suggest springing for the 6700k with a solid motherboard, plenty of RAM, and a good storage solution (e.g. Samsung 950 Pro paired with either a high-capacity SSD or an HDD for mass storage).

A setup like that would put you in a good position. You'll wait out the GPU market either way, but you could still choose to hang on with your current 960 or score another one on eBay. In either scenario, you'd just be making a stop-gap solution to hold you over until the next flagship. During that time, you'll be able to save some extra money as well, and you won't feel the computer cost as much because you're not going to spend the full budget at once.

In sum, I'd say to make a solid foundation now, one that will last a few GPU upgrades. Then when the time is right, spring for the best GPU your wallet can justify.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
P

pumpjockey77

Reputable
Mar 27, 2015
15
0
4,510


So to add to the sum just a bit, your saying go for the 6700k or even the next level, piece together the new build, and plug and play with the 860 until the next round of GPUs are released?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Eggz

Eggz

Distinguished
Sep 3, 2013
2,052
1
20,460


Yes, if you meant "960" where you wrote "plug and play with the 860 until the next round of GPUs . . . ." You just need to have a solid foundation for a high end graphics setup, and building around the 6700k will give you a base system that will likely be fast enough for any single GPU (or any dual GPU) set that will come into existence for the next several years.

CPUs don't get the same kind of performance increases each year that GPUs do, and games don't need the best CPUs. So buying the best CPU now will mean that your chip will remain fast enough for quite a while. Yeah, it'll be more than you need for most (but not all) games that are currently out. But you'll want to buy new games in the future without worrying about your CPU. Getting the best one allows that as much as possible.

As for the GPU, get the 1080 ti (or whatever they call the next flagship) when it comes out - if you have the budget. The 6700k will have more than enough speed to run one (or ever two) of those cards.

The point is to give yourself upgrade options, and I think that's what my recommendation does.

That said, it's just a recommendation. You can, and should, adjust things according to what is important to you. Whatever you decide, I hope you have fun - both with the build and then using it afterwards!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Solution
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom