GTX 1070 Vs GTX 980ti (Upgrading)

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
T

TehHamburger

Reputable
Dec 13, 2015
2
0
4,510
So about a year ago I was able to upgrade my gpu from a 270x to a 780 for $150 and have decided to upgrade again. But I'm conflicted, should I wait for the 1070 to go back in stock or purchase a GTX 980ti for $340 that I planned on buying this week? Would it be worth it to wait, or just get the 980ti now And ride it out.

P.S. I also typically only play at 1080p, and don't plan on switching to 1440p or 4k anytime soon, but my monitor is a 144hz
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
FaZ1095

FaZ1095

Commendable
Mar 21, 2016
100
0
1,710
Get the 980Ti, especially for 1080p. You'll never run out of VRAM and the performance increase to a 1070 is almost nothing. The price to performance ratio and especially for one at $340 is FAR better than the 1070.

Just came across this page of tons of 980Ti performance videos to give you an idea of the FPS you should expect. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTLW-NE1XjRASuXGzciXDtazYJ82Flq5h
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Solution
photonboy

photonboy

Titan
Jun 20, 2006
21,567
13
85,015
Do NOT get the GTX980Ti.

Raw performance in current titles is only one aspect. The GTX1070 also offers:

1) DX12 asynchronous support (dynamic load balancing, preemption etc)

*This isn't just for increasing FPS, it can help make the game smoother. Many games stutter due to a lack of this feature.

2) VR support:
Up to 1.6X higher FPS using a single-pass render approach for both images. Meaning if the GTX1070 and GTX980Ti were both tied at 60FPS normally, the GTX1070 would get 106FPS now in this case.

This is pretty critical for VR since GTX980Ti isn't too far above the GTX970 minimum VR Ready capability.

3) Much less heat output->
It's not just the power, those extra Watts can make a big difference to room temperature.

4) HEVC, HDR, higher DP/HDMI bandwidth (mainly for future monitor and encoding techniques. HDR means High Dynamic Range for much better color reproduction on coming monitors).

Higher bandwidth allows high resolution, high bandwidth and HDR (all add to the bandwidth requirement).

5) Ansel:
2D and 3D snapshots. Cool feature.

6) Triple-monitor, audio feature (sound bounces off objects), VR don't apply to current titles (though some may get plugins... such as Fallout 4 which is getting VR support).

7) 8GB vs 6GB

Summary:
Most of the is for the future, but some of the features like DX12 are very, very important for the long-term.

I advise you to do more research.

Yes, I would WAIT and get a good non-reference card like the MSI version or similar with great cooling to minimize thermal throttling.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Chugalug_

Chugalug_

Titan
Jan 28, 2016
16,502
4
74,965

I disagree with this somewhat.
Although statistically the 980ti will give better performance if OC'd (5-10% typically), the 1070 is still a valid option if you plan on going VR in the future due to all the technologies Nvidia has implemented to improve the VR experience and optimize it
.
In addition, with the emergence of DX12 as an upcoming standard, the 980ti will have lower frame rates in DX12 due to its poor support and maximum compatibility of DX 12.1.
The HB or high bandwidth SLI bridge will also improve SLI scaling with 1070s, offering better performance than 980tis should you choose to go 1440p 144hz in the future or want to push higher frame rates maxed on your 1080p monitor.
I think that going with the 1070 will offer a better experience in the long run, and will be well worth the $50 premium to give yourself that extra safety net and upgradability.

It is your choice however, and I want to give an unbiased view of both of the cards so you can make the choice which best suits you.
Feel free to ask if you have any other questions.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
photonboy

photonboy

Titan
Jun 20, 2006
21,567
13
85,015
Other:
For 144Hz monitors (if not GSYNC), then I suggest you learn how to use Adaptive VSYNC, and the "HALF" version of that.

The feature can be applied per game (NCP-> manage 3D settings->...) and basically turns VSYNC ON and OFF. For example:

Assassin'c Creed Brotherhood->
I played this and kept getting bad STUTTER. It turned out that it happened every time I dropped below 60FPS (60Hz monitor). It's due to different frame times because i keep missing monitor refresh updates.

Thus the fix is to disable VSYNC. However, that causes screen tearing.

NVidia came out with the Adaptive VSYNC option. I setup the game with VSYNC OFF then aim for achieving 60FPS at least 90% of the time (adjust later as needed if screen tearing is too often).

*Using the HALF version caps you to 72FPS which is fine for many games. You may never even drop below 72FPS anyway. Trying to get 144FPS is problematic. You are forced often to disable VSYNC and get screen tearing, or enable it and get stuttering. If you can't guarantee 144FPS the entire experience, enable Adaptive VSYNC, or Half Adaptive VSYNC depending on how easy it is to maintain 144FPS.

Other:
A few titles like Fallout 4 (and other Bethesda games) require a 60FPS cap to work properly. I'm not sure how to enforce that for a 144Hz monitor.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Chugalug_

Chugalug_

Titan
Jan 28, 2016
16,502
4
74,965


This is essentially what I mean, except in more detail. :)
I'd like to point out that a 980ti is essentially the same performance as 970 SLI, so hence about 170% of the min VR spec, so in that regard you should be fine.
The extra support and features provided by the 1070 are crucial in achieving the best possible experience and long term relevance as photonboy has stated with DX12.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
jtk2515

jtk2515

Distinguished
Nov 30, 2013
749
27
19,190
If your going to pay 110$ less for the 980ti I would get the 980ti. I have no desire for VR or any other features other then FPS's. I also upgrade my Hardware every 2-3 years. So by the time these features maybe meaningful to me I will be upgradeing anyway. You will have to balance out the Cost/Noise and Features for your own requirments.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
C

chenw

Honorable
Oct 25, 2014
1,665
0
12,460
It depends on how often you plan on upgrading.

If you are going to upgrade again within 1~2 years, then 980ti would be ok, any longer I would choose 1070, as inevitably game based optimisations for Maxwell will be placed on the backburner sooner than Pascal.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
FaZ1095

FaZ1095

Commendable
Mar 21, 2016
100
0
1,710


The ONLY thing that is even relevant for 90% of gamers is the DX12 support and that is a big IF the numbers greatly increase from Maxwell to Pascal. VR performance and support is almost pointless to mention as it is such a small niche market that it applies to the minuscule minority. 8GB VRAM will offer NOTHING more at 1080p for the foreseeable future and the OP even said that he has no plans to upgrade his monitor to 1440p let alone 4k. The other mentions about heat and HDR are also non-issues for the vast majority of gamers. About everything you've mentioned leads me to believe you've fallen prey to marketing media. Bottom line is that if you want the best bang for your buck get the 980Ti for $340. If money isn't an issue then why waste your time with the 1070? Just get the 1080.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
O

ObelixThe

Reputable
Jul 5, 2015
192
0
4,710
At this point and for the "forseeable future" VR is just a gimmick. I would advocate an upgrade from 980Ti only to a GTX 1270 whenever the hell it comes out.

+2GB... please! Even the 6Gb isn't maxxed out by any games I have played so far and that includes this year's titles so far.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom