What GPU is needed for TWO 2560x1440 144hz monitors?

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joehep1

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Hi guys,

I am looking to upgrade from the 1080p 60hz life but I also need to upgrade my GPU as I have a pretty old one (660ti) at the mo.

I would like x2 1440 144hz monitors but I would only be using one for gaming. I was originally aiming to get a 1060 but I am not sure if I would reach 144FPS ? I play games like SC2, Overwatch and occasionally Dark Souls 3, nothing incredibly demanding so I would like to reach the max FPS.

My processor is i5 @ 4.2hz although it is also quite old and I have a 750W power supply.

As mentioned I would like to reach max FPS on most games but I don't play anything that requires ridiculous specs. I have budget of around about 1000GBP.

Thanks for reading, Joe
 
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Eximo
If your goal is 144hz, be prepared to spend. Between my GPU and monitor is about $1500.

300£ is a little high for a GTX1060 6GB. Plenty of models closer to 220£. Decent GTX1070 start around 320£

GTX1070 is 50% faster, plenty for 2560x1440 @ 60hz, and for games like overwatch, plenty for quite high frame rates.

I still say your best bet is the GTX1070Ti if you don't want to spend a lot. This model isn't bad at all for the money:
https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/jvwqqs/evga-geforce-gtx-1070-ti-8gb-sc-gaming-acx-30-black-edition-video-card-08g-p4-5671-kr

Mind that a 1070Ti is 19/20 SM units, but with the same memory as the 1070. A little overclocking and it is equal to a stock GTX1080.

SC2 I imagine is more CPU bound then GPU...
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neatfeatguy

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I'd probably get a GTX 1080 at a bare minimum, but if money wasn't an issue, I'd pick up a 1080Ti. You will find some games just won't hit those FPS even with a 1080Ti with all settings maxed. The 1080Ti can be upwards of 30% faster then a 1080.

 
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joehep1

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The 1080ti is pretty much double the 1060 but then again only 60/70 or so more than the regular 1080. Maybe I could get a 1080 and the one monitor and save for the next monitor.

How are the monitors when games are not hitting 144fps? I saw that G Sync helps with games around 50-130 FPS as monitors without G Sync have issues when games aren't hitting 144. Can you expand on this at all ?
 
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neatfeatguy

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Running multiple monitors on one GTX 1080 isn't an issue. With only two monitors you won't be gaming across both at the same time because the center of the image would be where the bezels meet and it would be really annoying. So as you said, you'd only game on one monitor. A GTX 1080 can give solid performance, but pushing the FPS high enough to 144 at that resolution would mean you'd have to adjust graphic settings in games. So, there'd be no need to pick up a second 1080.

Perhaps the use of a single 1080 would do you good enough until Volta releases (my guess would be 2nd quarter 2018). You could assess your situation then, maybe sell the 1080 and pick up a higher end Volta card that'll let you get the performance you need....just an idea.

I don't have any experience with Gsync. Folks that do use it, most that I've heard is that they won't go back without it. I'm not sure if that gives you much to by, but that's just what I've heard from people.

Even if you're not hitting max frame rate the monitors can support, it can vary for some people and hardware. Sometimes you won't notice anything and other times you'll notice tearing. It's hard to say for certain until you actually use the system.
 
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Eximo

Eximo

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To save a lot of money, why not get only a single 144hz monitor and a secondary 60hz?

Since you aren't targeting the cutting edge of gaming a decent alternative right now would be the GTX1070Ti.

A GTX1080 can average around 90FPS in the latest titles at 2560x1440 at very high to ultra settings. GTX1080Ti hits around 110-120 FPS on the average, depending on the exact game.
 
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joehep1

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I just meant one 144hz monitor and one 1080 till I can afford the second monitor sorry.



Yes I was thinking about just getting one 144hz, being honest I am not sure I would need two of them at all I just like to have matching monitors so I could probably just stick to having one 144hz monitor.

If I did just get a single 144hz and used a 60hz as well, do you think the nvidia 1060 would be enough to run the games I've mentioned at 144fps?

I get paid on black friday so I'm hoping to snap everything up then.
 
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Eximo

Eximo

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GTX1060 6GB is literally half as powerful as a GTX1080. 10 SM vs 20 SM, and the 1080 has more bandwidth on top of that. GTX1080Ti has 28 SM units and slightly faster memory over the 1080. That doesn't always equate directly to game performance because the system has more limitations then just the GPU, it gets harder and harder to go faster when the CPU starts getting involved.

Most people say that at very high refresh rate tearing becomes less of a problem. However, G-sync monitors are usually very high end, so the panel itself is better and the G-Sync module itself is a very good scalar with great latency. With Nvidia controlling the whole stack, they've done a good job of getting the most out of it.

I probably wouldn't go back, but not sure I would go forward either. 4K 120hz is pretty far off in terms of available, affordable, GPU performance. Not really looking forward to going back to SLI.
 
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joehep1

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Yeah I understand but I could get a 8GB 1060 for about £300 and a 1080 is around £650. I feel like a 1080 is a bit overkill for what I need? I could get a 1070 as that is only an extra £100 compared to the 1060.

Basically, would I be fine to run something like Starcraft 2 on 144fps with a 1070 at 2K resolution ?

Thanks for that, I see G Sync monitors are verrrry expensive though. I can see a lot of free-sync monitors that are a lot cheaper but I understand free-sync doesn't work with Nvidia cards. Do you think not going with a G Sync monitor is a bad idea, or something that probably won't make much of a difference?

Edit:

This is what I'm currently look at:
MONITOR:
https://www.scan.co.uk/products/27-acer-xg270hu-ultra-wide-2k-144hz-monitor-2560x1440-1ms-350cd-m-100m1-speakers-black-red-dp-hdmi-d

1070:
https://www.scan.co.uk/products/gigabyte-geforce-gtx-1070-windforce-oc-8gb-gddr5-vr-ready-graphics-card-1920-core-1556-mhz-gpu-1746-
 
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neatfeatguy

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I don't know if SC2 will reach those frames even with a 1080 or 1080Ti, but that's because I haven't taken the time to search for anyone posting results with such hardware.

I think this post here will give you an idea of what to expect running an i5 @ 4.2 and a 1070 on a 1440p resolution. The post says even if they OC their CPU (i7-5820) from 3.3 to 4.2, they still don't break past the 120-140fps.
 
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Eximo

Eximo

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If your goal is 144hz, be prepared to spend. Between my GPU and monitor is about $1500.

300£ is a little high for a GTX1060 6GB. Plenty of models closer to 220£. Decent GTX1070 start around 320£

GTX1070 is 50% faster, plenty for 2560x1440 @ 60hz, and for games like overwatch, plenty for quite high frame rates.

I still say your best bet is the GTX1070Ti if you don't want to spend a lot. This model isn't bad at all for the money:
https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/jvwqqs/evga-geforce-gtx-1070-ti-8gb-sc-gaming-acx-30-black-edition-video-card-08g-p4-5671-kr

Mind that a 1070Ti is 19/20 SM units, but with the same memory as the 1070. A little overclocking and it is equal to a stock GTX1080.

SC2 I imagine is more CPU bound then GPU, though I understand it can be punishing on graphics as well when you have a screen full of units.
 
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joehep1

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Okay so it's probably a bigger deal than I expected haha.

I think I may just reach out and buy a 1080 and a single monitor as Scan.co.uk offer a 1080 for only £80 more than the model you linked me.

Although my processor is a few years old I believe it's pretty good still.

Could you please quickly explain EVGA? The GPU's I have all bought in the past have been Gigabyte and I think my motherboard is as well, does this require me to get a Gigabyte model?

Thanks a lot mate.

Edit: Is there any websites that can emulate a test of some type that could help me determine if my CPU is ok? Just to double check
 
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neatfeatguy

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EVGA is a solid company. I tend to buy from them or Zotac - no issues from either company. I've had cards from both companies last for years without issues. You can get any model card for your system. If you wanted PNY or ASUS or whatever other company makes the card you're looking for, get it. You should have zero problems.

EVGA also has a Step-Up program. If you buy a card, we'll say a GTX 1080, and register it with them and if within the first 90 days of purchasing the card you feel it's not to your liking or giving the performance you need, you can use the Step-Up program to move up to a higher tier card. What they do is take the cost you spent on the current card and subtract it from the new card and you just pay the difference.

I used the program some years back when I purchased 8800 GTS 640MB cards. The faster, G92 model (8800 GTS 512) came out about 2 months after I bought the 640MB models. Since the cards were priced the same it was a wash for me and I didn't have to pay any extra out of pocket money for them.
 
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Eximo

Eximo

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You can mix and match manufacturers. About the only things you can't would be CPUs and CPU sockets. Everything else is pretty much intended to be modular.

EVGA has been my brand for a while. Their warranty is appealing to me. They don't care if you take the card apart as long as it isn't physically damaged and you return it in original condition with all parts. So me using a waterblock is okay by them.

I've also had a number of ASUS cards and motherboards, but I think they have lost their way. Riding on brand recognition and not really keeping up with the competition. They seem to be losing a lot of the round ups lately on both max overclocks and price. Also heard the most problems about them with some of their boards recently. A large part of their business is OEM components, so I don't think they have as much a reason as some of the more direct to consumer companies.

I've been buying Gigabyte motherboards of late as well. I can't recall the last Gigabyte GPU I had, perhaps an FX5200?
 
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joehep1

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Nov 22, 2017
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I'm honestly not sure the exact model name, I bought it about 5 years ago but I think it was one of the top i5k's you could get at the time and it's overclocked to 4.2ghz.


 
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joehep1

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Ah okay, so it doesn't really matter too much? I was just looking at 1070s/1080s and there was a few different types.

I think in the end I will get a 1080 and a single 1440p/144hz monitor. I think I should be able to get 144fps on the majority of games I play.
 
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