Best GPU for Dual 1440x900 Setup

[sws21710]

Ive been looking to build a new desktop, and the main problem I'm having is picking a graphics card. I am specifically looking at a Geforce 970 or R9 290 in the 250 - 350 dollar price range. I know the 970 is a much better card but not sure if I really need that much power. I'm not sure what would be best for me, especially if I plan on getting a new monitor sometime soon. I'm going for a gaming build that can run anything I throw at it pretty easily, but doesn't break the bank. Any suggestions or ideas would be greatly appreciated!

 

[clutchc]

I'd go with the GTX 970. Much less power demand (145W vs 300W). Much cooler running. Nvidia drivers have less overhead than AMD drivers. At 1440x900 you will be able to max out any game as long as you have a CPU that can keep up with the card w/o bottleneck.

 

[sws21710]

I'd go with the GTX 970. Much less power demand (145W vs 300W). Much cooler running. Nvidia drivers have less overhead than AMD drivers. At 1440x900 you will be able to max out any game as long as you have a CPU that can keep up with the card w/o bottleneck.

Thanks for the input! I've been doing a lot of looking over the last couple hours, and read that an r9 280x would be enough to do what I need. I know its more power, but the price point is my main thing. Also, I am planning to use an i5 4690K, much like your build. I guess it's not so much about which is better, but would it be a good alternative to drop the extra $100 and get the 970. Or, instead of worrying about the graphics, get an r9 280x and match with an i7 4790. Sorry for the roundabout questions!

 

[clutchc]

I don't know if I can answer that. It's a bit of a subjective question. Which is better...
Since you will be gaming on the main monitor and using the 2nd for desktop use (I presume), you really don't need the extra performance of the GTX 970. The R9-280X will max out any game at max/near max settings @ 1440x900. On the other hand, you won't gain anything by going to the i7 over the i5 for gaming. The i5-4xxx is already more CPU than the R9-280X will ever need to max it out at 100% usage.

As long as you stay at 1440x900 rez, the R9-280X/i5-4690K will run any game at max/near max settings. So upgrading to the i7 will not show up as something you will notice.

 

[ZeroGravity780]

Its a touch choice because of now the i5 is the king of gaming. But more game developers are beginning to utilize hyper-threading in their games. Since games still utilize a GPU more than a CPU id go for the i5 and 970.