Looking at the future: sli 670 or wait for 770?

[jidery]

My current build is an 3570k and an evga reference 670. I want to "future proof" my system for at least 2 years, so I think I have 3 options, which one sounds like the best?

1. Buy another 670 right now and sli
2. Wait for 770 to come out and get a better deal on the 670
3. Buy a 770 when it comes out and sell my 670

 

[wand3r3r]

Are you currently bottlenecked and running under some desired FPS? Future proofing is pretty hard and if you don't really have a need atm waiting is definitely smart as the prices will drop and new cards will eventually come out.

If you are not meeting your needs then maybe an upgrade could be in order.

If you are fine right now, I would wait.

You don't mention your resolution, games, nor requirements (60/120 FPS, avg, min etc.) so it's hard to know if it's worth upgrading now.

 

[Insomniator]

Future proofing is pointless unless you aren't happy with performance now, or for some reason plan to have no money some time.

Just wait for a 770 and maybe by that time the 670 will be half the price.

 

[biostud]

only upgrade when you can't run your games satisfactory.

 

[aaksheytalwar]

Buy a 780 or 8970 and relax.

 

[atomheart]

I currently use a rig with a 2600k and gtx 670 2gb and play at 1080p. I can't think of any games where performance is an issue at high-max settings with AA (those with poor coding I don't weigh into this, looking at you Batman: AC). Next generation console hardware doesn't look like it will be too powerful to the point where it would push graphical standards beyond what your card can handle. We could even see some nice optimization in rendering techniques that could boost performance.

Then again if you play >1080p and demand a constant 60fps (or 120fps) I could see the gtx 670 falling short soon for you.

If it were me I would probably sell the 670 when a new series comes out or give it too a family member and buy myself a new card.

 

[Greenlepricon]

670 is already a card you can buy for futureproofing. Since you already have one (although reference), you should probably wait a bit before making any moves. It's pointless to buy a card to future proof every generation. I would say see how far that card gets you first. Don't get the upgrade itch before games push what you already have!

 

[j03h4gLund]

I just bought another GTX 670, an EVGA to pair with my MSI. I play Rift and thinking maybe my i5 2500k is bottlenecking me but I will find out with this purchase. Hopefully I see a boost in performance or I will be selling it immediately.

 

[RussianSensation]

only upgrade when you can't run your games satisfactory.

:thumbsup:

No point in buying a 2nd 670 now unless you actually need that performance. And frankly, if a really GPU demanding game comes out, even GTX670 SLI may not be enough to max out it (i.e. Crysis 3 alpha benches). Then you will have ended up wasting $ and be forced to sell the 670s and upgrade anyway. Just buy what you need for current games. I wouldn't waste $300 on a 2nd 670 just to "future-proof". You can always pick up a 2nd one when prices fall and new games come out like Crysis 3 or Metro Last Light. Or maybe it would be better to sell a 670 and get a GTX780 next year.

If it were me I would probably sell the 670 when a new series comes out or give it too a family member and buy myself a new card.

Great advice! Selling older cards and reinvesting the $ from the sale allows for reasonable upgrade cost and makes sure the PC stays relatively modern. A lot better than spending $700-800 on GTX670 SLI and keeping that setup for 3-4 years. Things move so quickly in the GPU space. Not long ago, HD6990 cost $700 and now a $285 HD7950 OC gives you that level of performance.

 

[3DVagabond]

Buying a second 670 won't increase your effective amount of VRAM. That's likely to be a limiting factor within 2 years. Just wait.

 

[moonbogg]

What are you playing and at what res? Future proofing is a no go. Having a second 670 might keep you happy for an additional 6 months or something like that, but usually what I discover is that as soon as a single card can't run my games well, having two of them isn't much better anyway if one is already that slow.

 

[netxzero64]

I don't think there is such thing as "future proofing" as you can't really future proof your PC. You can only prolong its use or by upgrading.

I think you should wait for a GTX780. A single powerful card is always a good way to go as multi-GPU configuration is still on the process on being perfected.