1440p GPU upgrade

[enduro]

Hey everyone. I just picked up a QX2710 1440p monitor and have it OC'd to 102hz. Id like to get my system up to snuff to push 1440 at 100fps consistently, preferably at higher settings.

The games I play:

Rust, Dota2, BF4, GTA5 (when it comes out), metro 2033, grid 2, etc.

My current system:
FX8350 4.6ghz - 1.4v
Asus Sabertooth 990
8gb 1866
Sapphire R9 280 3gb
Samsung 840 evo 500gb
2x HDDs
1x DVD
Corsair TX750w

I can say with great confidence that its my GPU holding me back at this resolution. Id like to get away as cheaply as possible. My current idea is to pick up another R9 280 on cyber Monday and CF the two cards. I think that's going to give me the best bang for the buck. The only other option Id think would be a 970 or r9 290x for this resolution, but these options are much more money. The other concern I have is my PSU. I have a first gen Corsair TX750w. Is this going to be enough to power a pair of r9 280s on my current setup?

Let me know if you guys think I can get away with picking up a 2nd r9 280 with my current setup. If I have to buy a more expensive PSU, Id rather put the money into a better GPU.

Thanks

 

[spat55]

I'd crossfire. R9 290 @1440p @60fps is fine but anymore frames and it will struggle so you would want at least crossfire R9 290 or R9 280x.

 

[krumme]

Your ps should be ok so another 280 sounds good to me. Agree its a bit on the low side. But you get mantle in bf4 and thats nessesary for high low fps in the 100fps you are needing. So its also about your cpu then.

 

[guskline]

I have Crossfire R9 290s (1075core/1400 memory). Do you want me to bench BF4? My 2560 x 1440 is only 60hz but I'm sure you can extrapolate.

 

[toyota]

with that cpu you never going to stay over 100 fps in modern games no matter how much gpu power you throw at it. you cant even stay above 60 fps in a some cases.

 

[guskline]

I range from a low of 75fps to as high as 120 fps with most times hovering around 105. Can someone tell me how to log averages in BF4?

 

[RaistlinZ]

I don't think you're going to get 100fps average at 1440p even with crossfire R9 280's, especially with that CPU. Some games will likely eat all of your 280's VRAM at 1440p as well. 980 SLI would be my recommendation.


Oh wait... you said you want 100fps consistently? That means you want 100fps minimums, right? Yeah, no way you'll get that, sorry.

 

[toyota]

I don't think you're going to get 100fps average at 1440p even with crossfire R9 280's, especially with that CPU. Some games will likely eat all of your 280's VRAM at 1440p as well.

980 SLI would be my recommendation.

no way would 980 SLI be worth it over 970 SLI though. he will never see the difference anyway with that cpu. and again that cpu cant even stay above 60 fps in some games. heck it cant even average 60 fps in a couple of games.

 

[Termie]

Basically, OP, you're shooting a bit high here. You have an 8350/R9 280 system, and you want to jump from 1080p/60 to 1440p/100. That's more than a 100% jump in performance. A second 280 will not do it - it's twin 290s minimum, and as others have mentioned, you don't really have the platform for it.

Consider sticking with 1080p/100 for now, and wait until you can do a platform upgrade. Running dual 290s in that system just isn't going to be worth the investment. Furthermore, you need a new PSU. So again, you're just not going to get there with your planned upgrade.

 

[enduro]

Thanks for the info guys. I agree my goal of 100 fps constant is pretty lofty and likely not possible with my current system. I'm definitely not ready to shell out over $500 in cards let alone build a new rig. As long as my current PSU can handle the extra card, I think the CF 280's are my best bet for the lowest cost.

 

[enduro]

Basically, OP, you're shooting a bit high here. You have an 8350/R9 280 system, and you want to jump from 1080p/60 to 1440p/100. That's more than a 100% jump in performance. A second 280 will not do it - it's twin 290s minimum, and as others have mentioned, you don't really have the platform for it.

Consider sticking with 1080p/100 for now, and wait until you can do a platform upgrade. Running dual 290s in that system just isn't going to be worth the investment. Furthermore, you need a new PSU. So again, you're just not going to get there with your planned upgrade.

If I need to get a new PSU, It totally takes away from the overall value of the CF. I will do some more research on the power requirements here. Thanks for this info.

 

[Termie]

If I need to get a new PSU, It totally takes away from the overall value of the CF. I will do some more research on the power requirements here. Thanks for this info.

R9 280 CF does not need a new PSU, but R9 290 CF would. You are probably pulling 350-375W right now with that OC'd CPU and your single R9 280. A second card would add about 175W, making it a 550W system. No problem.

And just to give you some perspective, my 780 Ti SLI setup pulls about 120-130fps at 1440p in BF4, and it's about twice as powerful as R9 280 CF. So my guess is you'll hit around 65fps.