Asus Radeon RX 480 8GB ROG STRIX vs MSI GTX 1060 Gaming X 6Gb

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Armand_3

Armand_3

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Sep 13, 2016
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Hi,

I am in two minds at the moment. I am struggling to decide which GPU to go for. In the latest articles by tom's hardware (roundup's) from both side's it seems to me that the MSI GTX 1060 should be the better option according to both 1080p and even 1440p even with only 6Gb. I am planning to overclock my rig, but even with overclocking it looks like the GTX 1060 will give me better fps in most games even if it is only 4-15 fps on average.

I am planning to build my first gaming system and I am only struggling with the GPU.
The GPU will be used in the system below:
PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/6VdBYr
Price breakdown by merchant: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/6VdBYr/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-7600K 3.8GHz Quad-Core Processor ($234.79 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i v2 70.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($99.99 @ Jet)
Motherboard: Asus STRIX Z270-E GAMING ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($189.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($119.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($93.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA P2 650W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($107.88 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series AF140 Red 66.4 CFM 140mm Fan ($13.48 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series AF140 Red 66.4 CFM 140mm Fan ($13.48 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1206.36
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-04-05 08:30 EDT-0400
 
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S
Lets start with the RX 480.
In almost all current DX12 and Vulkan games the RX 480 outperforms the 1060, and we can see that the number of DX12 and Vulkan games will only increase in number in the future. The Rx 480 also has an extra 2GB Vram so it might be a little more future proof than the 1060.The other point is that drivers for Radeon cards seem to mature a lot better so you will only see an increase in performance from where it is currently.
Now lets move on to the Gtx 1060.
Currently in DX11 games the GTX 1060 seems to have an advantage. Most 1060 also overclock really well and the power consumption is also lower than the RX 480.
Now after looking at the advantages for both it really depends what you want the most. If you want...
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CRO5513Y

CRO5513Y

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How long do you plan on keeping the card? That is the main reason i would suggest someone going the RX 480 8GB over the GTX 1060 6GB, but as you seem to already know the 1060 is generally the stronger card all round as well as being more efficient with cooling and power usage. Either will make for a great build with the parts you have listed and yes the 1060 Overclocks much better than the RX 480 in most cases. So it seems the 1060 6GB is the clear choice for your build, however if you are keeping this GPU longer than 2.5-3ish years or more i would then re-consider the RX 480 since it will more than likely be the stronger card in the long run due to 2GB extra VRAM, currently better performance in most Vulkan and DX12 games, CrossFire support (if that is something you would consider doing in the future) and Radeon are known for having better long term driver support with older cards. But if you are not going to horde this card for a long time then i see no other reason not to grab the GTX 1060 6GB. But you may want to consider waiting for the RX 500 series coming out soonish. Hope this helps :)
 
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Armand_3

Armand_3

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Great, thanks for the help and advice!!
It is a hard decision, because I will be looking at SLI/Crossfire within 3-4 years. I am leaning more towards the GTX 1060, but am probably going to keep the GPU for longer than 4 years so I am in a dilemma.
I will wait and see what the new RX series delivers on performance and hopefully they won't have a shortage like the RX 480 had when it was released last year.

Thanks again!
 
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Armand_3

Armand_3

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Thanks for the update DRagor, will wait and see what the RX 500 delivers.
 
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Sintruder

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Lets start with the RX 480.
In almost all current DX12 and Vulkan games the RX 480 outperforms the 1060, and we can see that the number of DX12 and Vulkan games will only increase in number in the future. The Rx 480 also has an extra 2GB Vram so it might be a little more future proof than the 1060.The other point is that drivers for Radeon cards seem to mature a lot better so you will only see an increase in performance from where it is currently.
Now lets move on to the Gtx 1060.
Currently in DX11 games the GTX 1060 seems to have an advantage. Most 1060 also overclock really well and the power consumption is also lower than the RX 480.
Now after looking at the advantages for both it really depends what you want the most. If you want a card to last you long, then the Rx 480 is the card for you. If you want a card that is currently performing better and has lower power consumption, then the GTx 1060 is for you.
Now since you said you wanted to overclock, when it comes to overclocking most GTX 1060 overclock well but almost all end at similar Clockspeed, while an RX 480's range is quite big. If you get an Rx 480 and can hit around 1450mhz, it will outperform a max overclocked GTX 1060, so it depends on how good of a card you get.
 
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