GTX 870m (6GB) to 980m (4GB) upgrade worth $150?

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kazmer81

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I currently use Clevo P150SM-A with 4810mq CPU and 870m (6GB version) GPU. I do a lot of graphic design, Photoshop with huge images, video editing and some 3D rendering with autocad and Realtime Landscape Architect. I would like to upgrade, but I'm on a budget and can't afford to drop $1,400 to get a laptop with a GTX 1060 or better.

So, I'm the meantime, would it be worth while to buy a 980m (4GB version) for $450? I should be able to sell my 870m for an easy $300. That's where I'm getting the approximate of $150 for the upgrade cost.

Theoretically the difference between the two cards seems significant, but I know from experience that higher benchmark scores don't always translate into real world gains the way you think they should

My other question about this is if my system would be inhibiting the 980m in any way?

I'm worried I'll do the upgrade, but still be limited by the other hardware I have. I currently get a perf cap due to my power limitations, but the 980m draws less power than the 870m.

Thoughts on this and advice will be greatly appreciated.
 
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Well, the 1060 is 40% faster than the 980m, if you think that's worth $1500+, go for it.
Now, I haven't done any high workload 3D or photoshop stuff, but if you are maxing your GPU right now, you will see improvements if you upgrade.
By my opinion, the 1060's not worth it $1500+, when you already have a beast of a laptop.
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kazmer81

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Essentially, what I'm trying to get help deciding is if I would be better off saving up for a VR capable machine with a GTX 1060. The computer I'm using now is fully capable of my work flow, it's just not as fast as I would like. Especially with video encoding.

Not sure how much it matters, but I'm also using an 850 evo 500GB as my main drive. My storage drive is a 750GB WD Scorpio Black. Chipset is Intel HM87.
 
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kazmer81

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Thank you for the reply. I am currently maxing out my GPU when rendering videos, autocad drawings, large photoshop stitched images from my Canon 5D, and VizTerra 3D landscape designs. I don't play games too often, and that's what most of the comparisons are for that I have found. If anyone who does this kind of work can tell me from experience what kind of improvements they noticed, I will greatly appreciate it.

I'm just trying to figure out if it's worth the money, or if I'd be better off to save for a machine with a GTX 1060+. I haven't ever used a 980m for this stuff and without real world experience it's tough to gauge this.
 
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lakimens

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Well, the 1060 is 40% faster than the 980m, if you think that's worth $1500+, go for it.
Now, I haven't done any high workload 3D or photoshop stuff, but if you are maxing your GPU right now, you will see improvements if you upgrade.
By my opinion, the 1060's not worth it $1500+, when you already have a beast of a laptop.
 
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kazmer81

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Are you saying that my machine is a beast? I'm not saying it's slow, but it doesn't feel like it's a beast. Maybe I'm assuming the 980m, or even 1060 for that matter are better than they are. My PC gets the job done. I might just go for the 980m for the sake of curiosity. It might help me better gauge future upgrades.

Thank you for the reply.
 
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kazmer81

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Thank you for helping me make the decision to upgrade to the 980m. With the 980m I will also be able to upgrade my system BIOS to the v2 prema mod. With a modded vBIOS, upgraded cooling system and 230 watt power brick, I should see a significant improvement in speed. I already have 32GB of 1600 MHz RAM and a 500GB 850 Evo SSD, so I'm good in that department. I will post back here about my thoughts once I start using it. My current Firestrike benchmark with the 870m overclocked is 7834 overall score.
 
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lakimens

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Well, I didn't expect a mobile GPU to be overclockable. Almost 8000 is pretty good for a laptop. As far as I know the 980M is equal to a desktop 970, which scores around 9000 with an i5, so you should reach that score with your new GPU.
 
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kazmer81

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I did the upgrade and it's not quite what I thought it would be. The reason why is because it's not getting enough power. The 180w power supply simply doesn't cut it. I'm only at 56% TDP. Unfortunately, my options seem to be very limited with the plug size I need. I'm trying to get a 230w adapter for around $50, which should be possible, but most of them have a 7.4mm x 5mm plug, which is far too large for my 5.5mm 2.5mm socket. I thought this could be easily remedied with my soldering skills and a new plug, but sourcing a high current plug with these specs is seemingly not possible. I do not feel like cutting the plug off my perfectly good 180w adapter, so here I am...

All help with this matter will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you
 
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kazmer81

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I'm sure I will figure it out eventually. However, if someone could possibly help me find a plug, I would appreciate it very much.

Requirements:
- 5.5mm (outer diameter) x 2.5mm (inner diameter)
- Needs to handle 19+volts at 8 amps [minimum]
- A ring angle plug is preferred, but a straight barrel plug will also work.

Thank you!
 
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kazmer81

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I know, it makes me feel like it doesn't exist, meaning the one on my 180 watt brick is not even properly rated for the amount of power it's supposed to be providing. I am beginning to feel like the jack on my laptop is where the mod needs to happen... Or, I will just cut the cord on my current power brick, and attach it to a 230-330w brick using a ferrite choke. I was hoping to avoid all mods, but I will do what I must if I cannot resolve this another way soon.

Thank you again for the replies
 
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