GTX 1060 (6GB) at 144Hz or RX480 (8GB) w/ FreeSync

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Tiago_H_C

Tiago_H_C

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Nov 17, 2016
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I've purchased a 144Hz Monitor ( http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824160273 ) recently, and I'm about to buy a new graphics card.

Over here at my country both cards have similar prices, depending mostly of the aftermarket builder (an example would be ASUS: over here all of their cards are pretty expensive when compared to others).

Through my research, I've found that the GTX 1060 6GB is slightly better than the RX 480 8GB. However, if I choose AMD I'll be able to benefit from the FreeSync tech.

My question is: Is it worth it to get an RX 480 to benefit from the FreeSync, or the higher refresh rate of 144Hz alone would benefit the GTX 1060 to the point which it's way better than the AMD?

For further consideration: I mostly play WoW, and from time to time I play some Diablo 3 and Heroes of the Storm, besides some recent titles, like Watch Dogs 2 when it comes out for PC. Also, I want the new card to hold up to 3 to 4 years at 1080p, and maaaaaybe 1440p, but mostly 1080p.

Thanks in advance for all your help.
 
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king3pj


I agree with this. Normally I would recommend the 1060 because as of right now it performs better than a 480 in most games. The two cards are close enough in performance that I think it makes sense for you to go with AMD since you have a Freesync monitor.

Keep in mind that Blizzard games run better on Nvidia GPUs. You mentioned WoW, Diablo, and Heroes of the Storm so...
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pete_101

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Aug 2, 2014
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With a freesync monitor, it would be silly not to get an AMD.
As for the 1060 being better than the 480, that depends on the game and what API is used. The general opinion is the 1060 is better at DX11, about equal in DX12 and the 480 is better with Vulcan. The other issue is future drivers, AMD have a good record of updating drivers for old cards, NVidia don't.
 
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king3pj

king3pj

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Feb 19, 2013
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I agree with this. Normally I would recommend the 1060 because as of right now it performs better than a 480 in most games. The two cards are close enough in performance that I think it makes sense for you to go with AMD since you have a Freesync monitor.

Keep in mind that Blizzard games run better on Nvidia GPUs. You mentioned WoW, Diablo, and Heroes of the Storm so if those games are your main priority the 1060 might make more sense. That being said, I can't imagine a 480 having too much trouble with any of them at 1080p.

Edit: This is from Techspot's Review of the Asus Strix 1060 for reference. Here is the link if you want to read the full review and see all the individual benchmarks.

https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/ASUS/GTX_1060_STRIX_OC/

perfrel_1920_1080.png
 
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t99

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Jul 16, 2014
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The 480 is definitely the way to go. The fps you gain from a 1060 is a non factor here, it's minimal. If you were going straight into a 60hz display then yeah go with the 1060 for sure, but your going to benefit a lot from freesync. Unless I'm mistaken it doesn't matter what fps your at with freesync, it will always be smooth. You will hit around 90-100fps in most AAA titles with either card. The most demanding games will give you roughly 60-75fps with either card as well.
 
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zattack101

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Nov 28, 2016
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I had the same exact question. What's we have established is that unless you are getting above 144 fps, then the benefit of freesync will probably outweight a couple of frames gained by the 1060. But it depends on the games you play and if you want to lower the graphics to get the money out of the monitor you already bought.

Me for example, I only play Overwatch and CS:GO and less demanding titles, where according to some benchmarks the 1060 will never drop below 144 fps on ULTRA, rendering freesync useless (works at 40-144fps). If you can safely stay above 144fps at all times the freesync doesn't do anything and you can just limit the framerate to 144fps.

Since the rx 480 gets around 115-130 I guess that would be the sweetspot for the monitor to get the most value out of it.

TL;DR: rx 480 @ < 144fps. gtx 1060 @ > 144fps it just depends on what games you play and what graphics settings you can stoop to.
 
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