WC 390x vs 980ti vs 980 (lightly used)

Fumferknuckle · Jul 23, 2016

Hello all. I was wondering what graphics card to get next. I'm saving my amazon gift card money for the right purchase, and wanted to know what you thought.
Water/air cooled 390x by power color for $240 (used)
Air cooled 980ti $280-340 (lightly used most likely, depending on seller and model)
Air/maybe water 980? Don't know if it's relevant with the 1060 but availability is my big issue

I have a 29" 2560x1080 with free sync. I would go AMD, but I kinda like Nvidias features and support more (I use shadowplay every day almost every time I play for recording my games). Currently a fx 8300 and Gtx 960.
What do you think is the best buy?
I could get a 980ti for 250ish right now but it's been used for 8 months so I'd rather have a closer to new card. Need answer as soon as possible please. Thanks for reading.

JackNaylorPE · Jul 23, 2016

The 980 Ti is the fastest card ...

If you are overclocking, according to techpowerups test data 980 Ti > 9809 > 970 > 390x

Water doesn't provide any more performance on any of the nVidia cards... it will make it quieter and will make it cooler but as the air cooled AIB cards don't throttle, this is meaningless as far as performance goes.

To beat the 980 Ti , youd need a 1070... and that's $440ish. Pf course what 980 Ti matters .... if it's not an AIB card. I would avoid it.... MSI Gaming and Gigabyte G1 lead the pack

Fumferknuckle · Jul 23, 2016

So you would choose a roughly $70-110+ 980ti ($285-380) over a water cooled 390x for $240? I know the performance is much better on the 980ti, and all other benefits. The only reason I'm considering the 390x is the price, cooling for noise level and efficiency, and the LG ultra wide with free sync. Otherwise the 980ti is the clear winner but for a premium. I was curious if the performance and value of the card would be worth it long term, or save roughly $150 and get a 390x. I appreciate your feedback.

JackNaylorPE · Jul 23, 2016

Again...

I would choose an AIB 970 over a 390x (water cooled and gold plated) if I was going to use MSI afterburner because the 970 is faster. So is the 980, so is the 980 Ti.

I don't know why you have the impression about the 390x properties but they are incorrect...

1. The 390x is extraordinarily inefficient at 344 watts compared to the 980 Tis 211 watts

2. In OP, you said 980 Ti started at $280 and went to $340 ... that's a $40 - $100 difference, how did it grow to $150

3. If tou are talking water cooled via custom loop, OK... if we are talking hybrid cooling, I wouldn't bother.

Given the above, and your freesync monitor, I'd get a new AIB 480 and call it a day ... faster, quieter, cooler, and more efficient than the 390x. That's the Asus model .... I'd wait for the Sapphire and MSI models, all of which should be on shelves in the 1st - 3rd week of August

Fumferknuckle · Jul 23, 2016

Seems pretty wild to get a 970 over a 390x to me, but they are cheaper. That would be a pointless upgrade personally over my 960.
I never stated the 390 series was efficient. It's not by any means. But the cooler set up I'm looking at is efficient at cooling the card, a necessity for that series. (it is hybrid but it's better than strictly air imo)
Also, I'm giving extremely rough estimates for the 980ti pricing, because it's fluctuating like I said quite heavily if you are looking used across any model. I'd love to get one, just wasn't sure it was worth an estimated $50-150 more depending on condition and mode like I said. I may end up biting the bullet and going for it, but a 390x for $240 shipped seemed pretty solid to me so I had to ask.
I also would love a 480, but the chances of getting one within $50 of msrp is like winning the lottery practically.

JackNaylorPE · Jul 23, 2016

What wild about buying the faster card ? The 970 all by itself sold more than all 2xx and 3xx series combined by a factor of 2 to 1. Had to be a reason 1 card outsold the other 26

The hit on AMD is is the miniscule overclocking ability.... its around 6% whereas the 970 is 3 times that. So while the 390xx is faster out of the box, after you use Afteburner, the 390x comes in a distant 2nd at 1080p and a close 2nd at 1440p....but it was $100 more new... the 970 is $150 - $170 all over ebay... there's an MSI 390x which I'll bet will toast the hybrid for $202

Hybrid cooling on GPUs is as useless as it is on CPUs. There is no 390x in existence that gets better performance with a hybrid than it does on air.... just like there is no CPU that gets cooler and performs better on a CLC than it does on a high end but much cheaper air cooler. Hybrid cooling is like those car kits you put on a Volkswagon that are replicas for Ferraris, Lotus and other hi end sports cars. They look like the real thing but underneath, it's really just an assembly of parts that can hardly be described as "performance category". And, as OC is as oft limited by VRM temps as GPU temps, the fact that the hybrid cooler does not cool the VRM, performance can also be curtailed.

The AIB 480s start shipping on July 29 ... with the AIB 1060s being 24% faster than the AIB 480s with both cards OC'd to the max, prices on the 480 must come down to realistic levels. If ya can't wait, then I'd grab the air cooled 390x for $202.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MSI-Radeon-R9-390X-8GB-GDDR5-Twin-Frozr-V-/262532863159?hash=item3d202d94b7:g:BKEAAOSwsTxXjWUl
http://www.ebay.com/itm/MSI-AMD-RADEON-R9-390X-GAMING-8G-GDDR5-PCI-E-3-0-OC-Edition-Graphic-Card-/222193863665?hash=item33bbc94bf1:g:4QUAAOSwsTxXkMev

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