RTX 2080 or GTX 1080Ti for i7-6700?

ptrthgr8

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Hi, everyone!

I'm currently running the following:

  • i7-6700 (BX80662I76700, not the K version)
    Gigabyte GTX 1080 G1 Gaming
    32 GB G.SKILL Ripjaws V (F4-3200C16D-32GVK)
    ASRock ATX DDR4 FATAL1TY Z170 GAMING K4
    EVGA SuperNOVA 850 G2 PSU

I'm using a ~3 year old ASUS ROG Swift PG278Q in 1440p. I've really enjoyed the GTX 1080 card for the last couple of years, but now I'm running into games where I can't play with all the settings maxed out. Games still look great, but I would like them to look even better and at higher frame rates (though using G-Sync has helped).

I'm trying to figure out the best bang for the buck. Obviously, the RTX 2080Ti would be overkill for my system - and I'm not keen on spending ~$1200 on a card right now. So I guess I'm mainly looking at the RTX 2080 or the GTX 1080Ti. Will the i7-6700 cause any bottle-necking issues with either of those? Also, since performance between the 1080Ti and 2080 seems to be pretty even, does it make more sense to go with the older and less expensive 1080Ti, or does it make more sense to spend a bit more (~$100 or so), but have a card that's ready for DLSS and ray tracing, once game devs have had time to do their thing?

Thanks in advance for opinions and input!
 
Solution
We don't have any idea on the potentials of the 2080 because not one game supports it. Go cheap for now. Buy a used 1080ti for a good price. Plan on hanging on to the 1080ti for a year or so and then look at making the "big" upgrade to the next gen GPU. By that time you will know if RTX is going to be a thing and you would not have broken the bank.

ptrthgr8

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Do you think there's much of a difference between either in terms of efficiency, fan noise, heat, etc? I've got a HAF 932 case, and 6 fans of various sizes, so I don't have issues with cooling at all. (Even took off my water cooler when I realized I I didn't need it for the i7-6700 since I don't do any OCing.) And I'm guessing they're both pretty comparable in terms of size, unless looking at one of the EVGA Ultra cards.

 

ptrthgr8

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Your logic is definitely sound. All things being otherwise equal, it makes complete sense to go for the 1080Ti. I guess I was just wondering about potential for the 2080's capabilities to be better exercised in 3-6 months down the road. But if it's unlikely that we're going see much development in games to support DLSS and ray tracing within even a year, then it makes sense to get the 1080Ti now and worry about upgrading to the 2080Ti and a 4K monitor in the next year or two.

 
We don't have any idea on the potentials of the 2080 because not one game supports it. Go cheap for now. Buy a used 1080ti for a good price. Plan on hanging on to the 1080ti for a year or so and then look at making the "big" upgrade to the next gen GPU. By that time you will know if RTX is going to be a thing and you would not have broken the bank.
 
Solution

ptrthgr8

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That's a really good point. I hadn't even thought about it in those terms. Who knows? Maybe those new capabilities will end up being lackluster or somehow disappointing. At least the 1080Ti is an absolutely known commodity, so it's not like I'll get burned by that. And if my system can run a 1080 without any issues, I don't see why it can't also run a 1080Ti without any issues.

Thanks!

 


Here is the problem with Ray Tracing. Consoles. Consoles wont support Ray Tracing in games. Maybe the next gen consoles will, but AMD will have to pull a rabbit out of their hat for that to happen and I would not hold my breath on that one.

Consoles drive AAA game sales and therefore drive game development. I think RTX will struggle to take off in games. It maybe the next big thing in games, but it may take 10 years for it to get there. Game developers are not going to spend a bunch of energy (money) on implementing Ray Tracing in their games if only a few pc gamers can take advantage of it. Instead they are going to focus on their largest demographic because that is where their money is.

Its like commercials. Ever see a tampon commercial during a football game? Nope. Only beer and pizza. Because the demographic that watches football buys more beer and pizza than tampons. Go to the hallmark channel, and it is a different story. So tampon companies don't waste their advertising dollars on commercials during football games.