The GTX 970 does NOT have 4GB memory, contrary to the still fake advertisement and scam by Nvidia. The GTX 970 has 3.5GB of ram, then a 512mb part that operates as a separate memory, sort of like system memory at only 28gb bandwidth.
The 290x or 390 as already suggested are better value, so unless you really want it to be an Nvidia and have 3.5GB of ram, I'd suggest you go for an AMD R9 390 or 290x which can be found for as little as $250 US dollars.
I just picked up a 970... Unfortunately, it was DOA. That said, I should be getting my replacement from EVGA in a few weeks. I believe the 970 is the best bang for the buck card out there right now, for that performance point.
As for the 3.5GB vs 4GB bandwidth debacle - who cares? No, really, I mean who actually cares other than someone wanting to petty and trivial? They admitted their blunder. It is still the performance king, even after this 'defect' so to speak.
970 is a great card.
because the card becomes worthless any time a game uses > 3.5GB
also, it's not good to support a company with such disregard for their users. many individuals choose to support more ethical companies like AMD
many individuals choose to support more ethical companies like AMD
Anyone who intends to use their card to its fullest extent would care...I just picked up a 970... Unfortunately, it was DOA. That said, I should be getting my replacement from EVGA in a few weeks. I believe the 970 is the best bang for the buck card out there right now, for that performance point.
As for the 3.5GB vs 4GB bandwidth debacle - who cares? No, really, I mean who actually cares other than someone wanting to petty and trivial? They admitted their blunder. It is still the performance king, even after this 'defect' so to speak.
970 is a great card.
ArchAngel777, what was wrong with your card? Did you try updating motherboard BIOS? Hope you don't have any problems with your replacement card.
Anyone who intends to use their card to its fullest extent would care...
Depends on the price but here the 390 and 970 are the same price. So 390 is by far the better choice as pointed out by many reviewers.
However if they're different prices, get the cheaper one.
The 970 is a no go for me when other products do the exact same thing but without such a hurdle.
The 970 is no issue at 1440p and below. I only had issues with mine because I had two in SLI with a 4k Monitor.
At this point in time you can find a used 980 for a price of a new 970 so I wouldn't even recommend the 970 at this point.
4k is tough on many setups. I'd need at least 3 980s or equivalent to be happy at 4k, ideally 4 of them though. I'm picky though.
The 970 SLI drove 4k fairly well until you started cranking AA. VRAM exceed 3500mb immediately and took a game from 40fps straight to 1-2fps. I wouldn't recommend even 4gb of VRAM for 4k. I doubt the OP would have this issue since 4k is less than 1% of the gaming market.
The 970 is no issue at 1440p and below. I only had issues with mine because I had two in SLI with a 4k Monitor.
At this point in time you can find a used 980 for a price of a new 970 so I wouldn't even recommend the 970 at this point.