Question 2k Class GPU

lifeblood

Senior member
Oct 17, 2001
999
88
91
Remember the curse, may you live in interesting times? Yea, I think someone cursed me.

I need a new GPU. I’m looking at a new display and have decided on an ultra-wide 2560x1080 or widescreen 2560x1440, with freesync. I need a new GPU to drive it. The only question is which one. I’m not a big fan of the 2060 as you pay too much for features that aren’t ready for prime time yet. I was mulling the RX 590 but looking more seriously at a standard Vega 56 like the PowerColor Red Dragon. I want new card as I use GPU’s for around 5 years.

But then we started hearing serious rumors about the GTX 1660. Even if I don’t particularly like Nvidia and their business practices, the 1660 sounds very enticing. If it costs $250 like rumors claim, it will definitely push the RX 590 prices down and possible pull the Vega 56 prices down as well.

I will not make a decision until the 1660 goes on sale and the reviews go live. But to pass the time while we wait for the 1660 to appear I can at least answer one question. Is the RX 590 capable of playing games at 1440p, either 2560x1440 or 2560x1080 at max details with minimum 60fps? Or is it really a 1080p card and I should settle on a Vega 56/gtx 1070 class card (and possibly gtx 1660)? I’m particularly interested in 2560x1080 as so few reviews discuss that resolution.
 

Mopetar

Diamond Member
Jan 31, 2011
7,797
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Honestly, I don't think the market is very good right now for many of the reasons that you outline, so I'd advise getting something cheap that will hold you over until prices become more reasonable in high-end mid-range segment that you want to buy into. I'd see if you can score a cheap 570 and run at a lower resolution or quality setting and wait a year to upgrade to something significantly better that will be able to last you five years.

It may seem like a bit of a waste in that you're buying a ~$130 card that you won't use for all that long, but I suspect that NVidia will discount their high-end cards by at least that much once AMD has some competitive offerings available.

You might want to do some extra research on the monitor. NVidia has started to support Freesync, but not every monitor will be supported. If you find one that is, you can purchase that without having to worry about limiting yourself to a choice of only AMD cards in the future.
 

nOOky

Platinum Member
Aug 17, 2004
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I would buy a 2560 x 1440 monitor over the other, the vertical resolution is just a bit too limited. I have a 2560 x 1080 and don't like it very much, I miss that bit of extra real estate.

I would also probably consider the RTX 2060 or the Vega 56 and nothing lower right now.
 

UsandThem

Elite Member
May 4, 2000
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The RX590 is not a good value at all compared to the RX580. If you want to go that route, save your money (and power consumption), and buy a $180 RX580.

That said, a $349 Founders Edition RTX 2060 is really a great GPU for 1440p gaming. Of course, if you can get a Vega 56 at a good price ($299), it is a good value at this point as well.

https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NVIDIA/GeForce_RTX_2060_Founders_Edition/35.html

performance-per-dollar_2560-1440.png
 

lifeblood

Senior member
Oct 17, 2001
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I would also probably consider the RTX 2060 or the Vega 56 and nothing lower right now.
I think your right. I was just looking at a few RX 590 reviews and for the games I play, at 2560 x 1440 they break the 60fps barrier. But that's today. New games will pretty quickly start appearing that it won't be able to keep up in. I agree I should look more at the RTX 2060 / Vega 56 class of cards.
 

ozzy702

Golden Member
Nov 1, 2011
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The only AMD gpus worth using at 1440p are Vegas, I wouldn't waste my time with a 590, way overpriced. I've been selling nice MSI Gaming X 580s for $120. 1160 could be decent, we need reviews first to say. 2060 isn't a bad card at all, just a hair expensive.
 

lifeblood

Senior member
Oct 17, 2001
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I was looking at the 2013 reviews for my current card (GTX 770) and at 1440p it was getting in the teens and twenties for FPS. And that was playing games from 2013. Has anything magical happened since then or is my current GTX 770 a non player at the 1440p resolution?

I suspect its a non-player I feel I should ask the question before spending money on a new card.
 

ozzy702

Golden Member
Nov 1, 2011
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530
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I was looking at the 2013 reviews for my current card (GTX 770) and at 1440p it was getting in the teens and twenties for FPS. And that was playing games from 2013. Has anything magical happened since then or is my current GTX 770 a non player at the 1440p resolution?

I suspect its a non-player I feel I should ask the question before spending money on a new card.

Your 770 isn't even a 1080 player in modern games.
 

IEC

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Jun 10, 2004
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If you're in the USA, they have had frequent sales on RX 580 4GB cards as low as $130 (with no game bundle) and RX 570 4GB cards as low as $130 bundled with 2 games (RE2, Division 2, or DMC5). With mainstream 7nm GPUs expected in 2H 2019 it may be worth considering going cheap now to get the most FPS per $ with the plan to upgrade down the road.

Sure you will need to turn down some settings on some games to get your desired framerate (at 1440p, not so much at 2560x1080), but that also means you have $200+ saved for your next upgrade within a year. That extra $200 is likely to go further in terms of bang for the buck with 7nm GPUs.
 

Mopetar

Diamond Member
Jan 31, 2011
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2060 is the best card for what you want. it has the best price performance and will be faster than a gtx1080 when overclocked.

I don't think a 2060 is necessarily a good option given that the OP said he wants to keep the card for ~5 years. I think the 6 GB isn't going to be a problem right now, but in 3 years I almost certainly think that it will.

I think that the prices will probably come down in the near future as well. NVidia is going to want some good news for their next quarter after slashing revenue projections, and I think that means lowering prices (or offering more value in other ways like game bundles) to get more people to buy new cards.
 

lifeblood

Senior member
Oct 17, 2001
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I was sitting at an ice rink in DC (3.5 hour drive from my house) while my daughter had her skating lesson and was thinking about the GPU market and what you guys had suggested, and considered an inexpensive “good enough” card for now. AMD’s next gen of midrange cards to hit in 2H of this year and if they live up to the hype, could really shake things up. I went online and checked out the Micro Center near the ice rink and found a PowerColor RX 570 for $130 (in store only) which still qualified for two free games. I decided that was the best choice and drove over and bought it.

Honestly if it wasn’t for Lisa Sue I would probably just bought the RTX 2060, or GTX 1660 when it comes out. I’ve been disappointed by AMD GPU’s enough this past decade, but because of her it’s possible that Navi might actually live up to the hype. If Lisa can pull a Ryzen on the GPU side of the house that would be incredibly welcome. And if AMD disappoints me again, RTX 2060 or GTX 1660 will still be there.
 

happy medium

Lifer
Jun 8, 2003
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Gtx770 to rx570 is not much of an upgrade. There is rx570' s on Amazon for $99.

Now you'll upgrade 2x and spend close to the 2060's $350 anyway.
Good luck
 

Shmee

Memory & Storage, Graphics Cards Mod Elite Member
Super Moderator
Sep 13, 2008
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The 2060 is a good option if you need to buy new now, but it may be a good idea to get a used Sapphire Fury Nitro for about $150 and have that hold you over till you can get Navi/Arcturus or the next gen RTX cards. The Fury Nitro is a great card at today's prices, with similar performance to a 1070 almost. Faster than a 590. Just make sure it fits in your case and that you don't turn up the AA or shadows too much as it has 4GB of HBM.
 

amenx

Diamond Member
Dec 17, 2004
3,847
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Gtx770 to rx570 is not much of an upgrade. There is rx570' s on Amazon for $99.

Now you'll upgrade 2x and spend close to the 2060's $350 anyway.
Good luck
The RX570 is slightly better than a gtx 970, therefore it would be a nice upgrade from a gtx770. If for $99, it would be the biggest bang for the buck GPU there is. Of course if budget is less of an issue, then a 2060 is a killer card for $350.

https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NVIDIA/GeForce_RTX_2060_Founders_Edition/35.html
 

lifeblood

Senior member
Oct 17, 2001
999
88
91
Gtx770 to rx570 is not much of an upgrade. There is rx570' s on Amazon for $99.

Now you'll upgrade 2x and spend close to the 2060's $350 anyway.
Good luck
At 1080p, depending on the game, the upgrade from a gtx770 to a rx570 ranges from meh to pretty good. At 1440p, unless the reviews are lying, the difference is night and day. I'll find out for sure once I choose and buy my new monitor.

Upgrading isn't much work. Once I get my new monitor, and The Division 2 (I chose that as one of my free games), i'll try playing it using both the gtx770 and rx570 and see how much of a difference there is between them. Should be interesting. Hopefully I won't be disappointed.

Once I get my permanent GPU I'll hand down the rx570 to one of my family or friends. I may or may not make any money off it but I know a few people who would love to have it.

The $99 rx570 on Amazon is a mining specific card with only a DVI connector, so it wasn't really an option.
 
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