GPU enthusiasts, how much are you actually willing to spend?

[jlee]

Last time I was in the market, ~$300. I'm toying with the idea of a $600 card this time around.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

$350 or less for my last several cards. (Up from $200 or less back in my poor guy days.)

 

[Midwayman]

Poll has way too much granularity in the upper end and not nearly enough options under $600 where it really matters.

 

[topmounter]

The most I've ever spent on a video card was for a 3DFX Voodoo2. I generally prefer to stay in the $200'ish range, but I'll pay up for a 1070 (non FE) if Polaris doesn't deliver a solid QHD performer for less money.

 

[moonbogg]

Poll has way too much granularity in the upper end and not nearly enough options under $600 where it really matters.

There's a poll option for everyone. Where did you vote?

 

[boozzer]

I game in 1080p, no point in buying anything above 300$ there should be a segment for 0-150. alot of 750 ti customers fall into that category.

 

[NTMBK]

The biggest GPU I own is an R9 270, so... Yeah.

Would spend significantly more for work purposes, though.

 

[tential]

Thanks moonbogg. I needed this information for my marketing pitch job for Nvidia.

 

[Arachnotronic]

$2K, though it's looking more like $1400 this round (2x1080).

 

[moonbogg]

Thanks moonbogg. I needed this information for my marketing pitch job for Nvidia.

When you meet with them, tell them to stop being stupid and to just go with $1,500.00 next time.

 

[CuriousMike]

The title does say enthusiasts.

I suppose that includes the $99 enthusiasts.

I recently spent $329 on my GPU, but that's more than I have ever spent on a card.

I'm more in the $150-$250 range... and I agree with others, there should be more granularity... except maybe "enthusiasts" is the special sauce that separates us.

 

[tential]

The title does say enthusiasts.

I suppose that includes the $99 enthusiasts.

I recently spent $329 on my GPU, but that's more than I have ever spent on a card.

I'm more in the $150-$250 range... and I agree with others, there should be more granularity... except maybe "enthusiasts" is the special sauce that separates us.

Then you're not as enthusiastic as you need to be to be in this thread..... Lol

And @moonbogg
I need to put it in a cool chart for Nvidia showing irresponsible revenue growth.

 

[DooKey]

I selected 1k-2k since that's what I've spent for many years. CF/Trifire/SLI/TriSLI for the last several generations. However, I'm going to start with one 1080 and see how the landscape looks for SLI before I buy another.

 

[Kenmitch]

I voted $300-$600 as my pair of 390's land between there.

Single card limit is around $400 for me. Anything higher would have to be crazy performance for me to consider. Crazy to me wold be unrealistic to most.

 

[mohit9206]

What is the definition of a GPU enthusiast? I consider myself a gpu enthusiast as i love reading and discussing graphics cards and occasionally buying them to play games. However as for how much i am willing to spend, as per my current financial situation i would say not more than $100. Does that still make me a gpu enthusiast or does one necessarily need to spend hundreds of dollars to be considered a gpu enthusiast?

 

[tential]

I selected 1k-2k since that's what I've spent for many years. CF/Trifire/SLI/TriSLI for the last several generations. However, I'm going to start with one 1080 and see how the landscape looks for SLI before I buy another.

Polaris 10 crossfire will be within 10% of 1080sli.
Polaris 10 trifire will crush 1080sli.

Look at the prices and make your choice.

Sli scaling just makes me cry inside for those who go 1070/1080sli this gen only to be outperformed by a Polaris 10 cheap gpu in crossfire.

Nvidia needs to fix sli because this will be embarrassing this time around.

 

[tsupersonic]

I don't consider myself an enthusiast by any means, but most I'm willing to go now is $300-350. The last card I bought was $329, a GTX 770 back in Dec. 2013. It's still running strong for my needs.

 

[maddie]

What is the definition of a GPU enthusiast? I consider myself a gpu enthusiast as i love reading and discussing graphics cards and occasionally buying them to play games. However as for how much i am willing to spend, as per my current financial situation i would say not more than $100. Does that still make me a gpu enthusiast or does one necessarily need to spend hundreds of dollars to be considered a gpu enthusiast?

In the almost prehistoric days of PC tech, enthusiasts by and large spent less and maximized use. Those days are dead.

The requisite car analogy is the tinkerers extracting the most from their low/mid rides. Now, enthusiast is becoming a Ferrari purchaser. A new world.

 

[provost]

The way I view "GPUs" of today is that I am not just buying a piece of hardware, but a "service contract" that goes along with it which ensures software/ driver optimizations for a period of time. If the GPU is simply a pump and dump with little expectation of such a service contract lasting beyond a few months, I would pay very little for it. However, if the promise of the service contract to provide optimizations extends for a couple of years or longer, I would be willing to pay a lot more for this enduring performance. So, in other words, objectively speaking, if I could turn back the clock, I would have paid more for AMD's 390/290 than an equivalent or ostensibly higher performing Nvidia card at the time.

 

[RussianSensation]

Ah, the good old days. If only it were like that again, right?

I will skip all mid-range GPUs priced at $549-699 flagship prices out of principle as I don't support such business practices. If it's a true flagship, for example this gen's HBM2 parts, I'd consider paying $549-649. I don't care that 1070 and 1080 are X% faster than the Titan X because Titan X is just a marketing gimmick. GTX460 also outperformed the GTX285 (Titan X predecessor) and GTX470 destroyed the 285. Those NEXT GEN Fermi cards cost $229-249 and $349. Now what used to be GTX460/560Ti class costs $379-699. :sneaky:

Anyway, my solution now is to buy AMD cards since they pay for themselves much quicker than NV's cards. Haven't spent any of my real $ on any GPU since HD4800 series. Once this awesome perk ends, I'll probably start buying in the x70 class (970/1070 series cards).

There are some concerns I have for future GPU upgrades. As the PS4/XB1 generation is reaching its mid-point, more and more games are just console ports and many of them are unoptimized. I am far more likely to spend $600 on a GPU if the next Crysis 4 or something comes out vs. $400-700 to max out ARK Survival Evolved because it's poorly optimized. I am also waiting for 4K + 60/120Hz + HDR monitors in 32-40" sizes to launch and become reasonably affordable. If next gen games start to WOW and there is a monitor revolution, I wouldn't mind even buying 3x$600 cards.

I picked $300-600 assuming that mining ends in 2017 and I have to buy the card out of pocket. I predict that 4K 120Hz HDR monitors won't be cheap by then yet and most games will still be made for PS4/XB1, in which case a $300-600 2017 card should max almost every game at 1440p from 2017-2018.

Basically, my upgrades will be primarily driven by PC gaming software and PC monitor revolution. Since I don't buy Day 1 AAA games for $60-120 with all the DLC, I also don't need to have the latest and greatest GPUs every 12 months.

 

[MajinCry]

£80. £90 Tops.

 

[DidelisDiskas]

Around 200 is the ceiling for me, i would have to start seling my organs to go into the >600 range. Though come to think of it, i would still probably not go above 200 even if i had the money,as for my needs that price range is usually enough.

 

[moonbogg]

The way I view "GPUs" of today is that I am not just buying a piece of hardware, but a "service" contract that goes along with it which ensures "software/ driver optimizations" for a period of time. If the GPU is simply a pump and dump with little expectation of "service contract" beyond a few months, I would pay very little for it. However, of the promise of the "service contract to provide optimizations" extends a couple of years or more, I would be willing to pay a lot more for this "enduring performance". So, in other words, objectively speaking, if I could turn back the clock, I would have paid more for AMD's 390/290 than an equivalent or ostensibly higher performing Nvidia card at the time.

Yes exactly. Nvidia should just be honest and tell us. I would respect them more for that and probably become more confident in them. They should admit that they fully intend on wrecking Maxwell performance so people will be persuaded to buy Pascal, just like they did with Kepler.
If they admit that and offer people a subscription service for driver optimizations, for a monthly fee, then I might pay that and I will feel superior to all those folks who can't afford a monthly fee.
Those folks will get regular drivers, the generic kind that only exist to prevent your previous generation GPU from blue screening your ass as soon as you try to load a game. The leet folks who pay will get proper performance improvements.
Honesty would go a long way here.

 

[swilli89]

Dude this poll is not very useful.

the 1000+ should all be the same. To a person making 50k a year is a lambo different than a bugatti?

Why not 0-149, 150-200, 200-300, 300-449, 450-600, then 1k+? I mean according to this poll someone maybe willing to spend $315 is the same as $599 which are drastically different.

 

[swilli89]

There's a poll option for everyone. Where did you vote?

Lol no there is not. Zero representation to someone at the 300 range. You lop them in with either $100 value shoppers or $600 high end.

Why make a distinction between $3000 and $4000 lol.

Lets see what the neighborhood YMCA demographic is like..

Poll: What is your income?

$10-$200K
$200K-$1M
$1$-2M
$2-$3M
$3-$4M
$4-$5M

Let's say 100% of your responses are the first option. Doesn't tell you a thing. Could all be ppl below the poverty line or it could be a bunch of dudes at 190k driving brand new BMWs and Mercedes.

There is zero difference between someone making 3 million to 5 million, any good statistics course will teach you to make sure your results are meaningful and if half of your poll gives no real data then your metrics are off. There is definitely an objective right and wrong way to make polls, they aren't a "there is no wrong" politically correct type of thing people love nowadays.