Should I go with two 680's SLI or one 780?

Apr 17, 2018
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I am building a budget gaming PC and found a 780 or two 680's for $100. Should I go with the 680's, the 780, or neither and get a more modern card?
 
Solution
That is going to depend a lot on the rest of your "budget" platform. The Z-series motherboard will have to be SLI-compatible. You would need a well-made 800W (min) PSU. And a case big enough to dissipate the heat build-up of both cards at near max load when gaming. SLI is not a budget proposition, even that old of a graphics card.

The single 780 would be better suited for a 'budget' gaming rig. But even it requires a good quality 575W or better PSU. The GTX 780 is about in today's GTX 1060 class. You'll never get that kind of performance for $100. Go for the GTX 780 if you have the PSU and a CPU that can keep up.

clutchc

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That is going to depend a lot on the rest of your "budget" platform. The Z-series motherboard will have to be SLI-compatible. You would need a well-made 800W (min) PSU. And a case big enough to dissipate the heat build-up of both cards at near max load when gaming. SLI is not a budget proposition, even that old of a graphics card.

The single 780 would be better suited for a 'budget' gaming rig. But even it requires a good quality 575W or better PSU. The GTX 780 is about in today's GTX 1060 class. You'll never get that kind of performance for $100. Go for the GTX 780 if you have the PSU and a CPU that can keep up.
 
Solution
Apr 17, 2018
3
0
10


Will the Intel Core i3-4170 be too much of a bottleneck? I found this CPU with a motherboard, ram, and a network card for only $80. I can find something better if it is too much of a bottleneck for the 780.
 

clutchc

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The 2C/4T i3 will be a bottleneck in many games, yes. Online gaming more-so than single-player. That may be a good price, tho. Hard to pass up. But a quad core in Tom's CPU Hierarchy chart that is in the top two tiers would be better.

Another option would be to go with the i3 now and find a quad core in that list later when funds are available. The i3 will still allow gaming at great frame-rates. But you may find yourself wishing for a little better response in heated battles online. Single player gaming won't be as noticeable.