Question Need advice on a new GPU...

[Bric]

Below is a list of parts I have procured to build my new main PC. I just need to pick/order a video card. I need something that will last me a few years til I may upgrade again. This PC will be doing a little bit of everything, gaming (1080p), editing and surfing. I was leaning towards an RTX 2060 or maybe a 2070 super if the price is right. Not sure if heat/airflow will be a problem with this case. I did pick up a couple of Noctua fans for this case as replacements. What say you guys....?


AMD Ryzen 5 3600
Gigabyte X570 AORUS ELITE
G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600
Western Digital SN750 500 GB M.2-2280 (OS)
Sabrent Rocket Q 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME (misc storage)
Corsair 100R Silent ATX Mid Tower Case
EVGA G5 650 W 80+ Gold Fully Modular ATX Power Supply
Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer

 

[Ottonomous]

Is the case absolutely necessary? Loads of compelling options with an understated look if you're interested
PSU is ridiculously overpriced and possibly FSP sourced (series has history of problems)
DDR4-3600 is not absolutely necessary and the money can be allocated elsewhere with 3200

2060 is more than sufficient to run 1080p, 2070S only if you need 1080p 144hz. I'd actually recommend saving there too in anticipation of the leap with the upcoming 3000 series

 

[daveybrat]

If that were my system i'd pair it up with an RTX 2060 Super. Probably the best bang for the buck until Ampere releases later this year.

 

[Bric]

Case has to go into a cubby hole unfortunately. It wasn't my first choice. But it was only one of two that fit dimensionally. The other one was discontinued.... I needed front power/input header also because of location.

Bought the PSU for $69.99 on sale. Wasn't the best but wasn't the worst either.

Nothing is put together yet, just sitting in boxes till I get the GPU. I can return items if necessary. I will be watching sales over the next week or so.

Is the case absolutely necessary? Loads of compelling options with an understated look if you're interested
PSU is ridiculously overpriced and possibly FSP sourced (series has history of problems)
DDR4-3600 is not absolutely necessary and the money can be allocated elsewhere with 3200

2060 is more than sufficient to run 1080p, 2070S only if you need 1080p 144hz. I'd actually recommend saving there too in anticipation of the leap with the upcoming 3000 series

 

[Bric]

Yep strongly leaning towards a Super whether it be a 2060 or 2070. I'd like it to last in the neighborhood of 3 years or so till I upgrade next. Depends on what kind of sale I can find.

If that were my system i'd pair it up with an RTX 2060 Super. Probably the best bang for the buck until Ampere releases later this year.

 

[VirtualLarry]

DDR4-3600 is not absolutely necessary and the money can be allocated elsewhere with 3200

I disagree. If going with a Ryzen R5 3600, they prefer 3600-3800 DDR4.

 

[SteveGrabowski]

With Microsoft just revealing a 12TFLOPS Navi 2 gpu for XBox Series X that should be right around RTX 2080 Super performance in non RT gaming (nothing has been disclosed about its RT capabilities), you honestly can't go too high on gpu IMO if you want lasting power.

 

[philosofool]

I'm a little confused by the thought of 2 NVME drives, 500GB for OS, 1TB for storage. Three ideas:
(1) $200 for 500GB NVME + 1TB NVME (your proposal)
(2) $170 for 1TB NVME + 1TB HDD
(3) $240 for 2 TB NVME.
About three years ago I asked on these forums and someone said "Pick capacity over performance" but ignored the advice. Now I'm seriously looking at upgrading for more capacity, which is basically doubling the outlay, but I have found about zero ways in which I' need or even notice the added speed of my Samsung SSD compared with the early Intel SSD that it replaced.

As far as the GPU, AMD is a better bang for your buck these days, unless you want a GPU that's over $500. A 5700XT is a little less expensive and definitely faster than a 2060 Super. You can flash the BIOS on a 5700 to get almost 5700XT performance and save $50, though there's some risk.

 

[Bric]

Idea (1) $180 for 500GB NVME + 1TB NVME (Actual $$)

My current system has (3) 500gb HDDs. I have more than enough space left over after (2) OS's to do 'everything' I want to do. Anything BIG I am not using immediately gets put on external storage outside my system. I went for speed since capacity wasn't a concern.

I'm open to any video card that will get me the best bang for the buck. I would like to see 3-4 years service out of it till I next upgrade. I'll have to look a little more closely at the 5700XT.

I'm a little confused by the thought of 2 NVME drives, 500GB for OS, 1TB for storage. Three ideas:
(1) $200 for 500GB NVME + 1TB NVME (your proposal)
(2) $170 for 1TB NVME + 1TB HDD
(3) $240 for 2 TB NVME.
About three years ago I asked on these forums and someone said "Pick capacity over performance" but ignored the advice. Now I'm seriously looking at upgrading for more capacity, which is basically doubling the outlay, but I have found about zero ways in which I' need or even notice the added speed of my Samsung SSD compared with the early Intel SSD that it replaced.

As far as the GPU, AMD is a better bang for your buck these days, unless you want a GPU that's over $500. A 5700XT is a little less expensive and definitely faster than a 2060 Super. You can flash the BIOS on a 5700 to get almost 5700XT performance and save $50, though there's some risk.

 

[Bric]

I also would like to thank you guys who replied as I didn't in my above posts. I appreciate the advice!!

 

[Mopetar]

What monitor are you pairing it with, because you only mention 1080p gaming without talking about frame rate, whether you have freesync/gsync to worry about, etc.

If you've got a monitor that caps out at 60 Hz, I think the answer to your question is entirely different than if you're running a 240 Hz monitor or one that has freesync but isn't supported by NVidia cards. If you're planning to buy a new monitor then you can always get something to match the GPU you end up going with.

 

[lobz]

I'm a little confused by the thought of 2 NVME drives, 500GB for OS, 1TB for storage. Three ideas:
(1) $200 for 500GB NVME + 1TB NVME (your proposal)
(2) $170 for 1TB NVME + 1TB HDD
(3) $240 for 2 TB NVME.
About three years ago I asked on these forums and someone said "Pick capacity over performance" but ignored the advice. Now I'm seriously looking at upgrading for more capacity, which is basically doubling the outlay, but I have found about zero ways in which I' need or even notice the added speed of my Samsung SSD compared with the early Intel SSD that it replaced.

As far as the GPU, AMD is a better bang for your buck these days, unless you want a GPU that's over $500. A 5700XT is a little less expensive and definitely faster than a 2060 Super. You can flash the BIOS on a 5700 to get almost 5700XT performance and save $50, though there's some risk.

I've had soooooooooooooooooooooooooo many HDD failures in my life, that I've come to a point where I'd rather just delete everything I don't need anymore or movies I saw 2-3 times already and I will never own a HDD again.

 

[Bric]

Initially I will be pairing it with my older (like 10yrs) AOC 27".

AOC I2757FH
27" Widescreen Flat-Panel IPS LED HD Monitor
60Hz
1920 x 1080
5 milliseconds

That being said, this monitor is better than 10 years old. Can't see it lasting indefinitely. Would likely replace it by years end and keep it as a back up if it is still working. It's been a great monitor! As for it's replacement I figured I'd cross that bridge in the future. I'm in my early 50's and I'm kinda wondering if 'ultra high def gaming' might be wasted on my aging eyes. How much is overkill. I don't have the answer to that yet.... I just figured I'd try to future proof myself as best I could for the next 4-ish years.

What monitor are you pairing it with, because you only mention 1080p gaming without talking about frame rate, whether you have freesync/gsync to worry about, etc.

If you've got a monitor that caps out at 60 Hz, I think the answer to your question is entirely different than if you're running a 240 Hz monitor or one that has freesync but isn't supported by NVidia cards. If you're planning to buy a new monitor then you can always get something to match the GPU you end up going with.

 

[Bric]

I think you're on to something there!

I've had soooooooooooooooooooooooooo many HDD failures in my life, that I've come to a point where I'd rather just delete everything I don't need anymore or movies I saw 2-3 times already and I will never own a HDD again.

 

[Mopetar]

Initially I will be pairing it with my older (like 10yrs) AOC 27".

AOC I2757FH
27" Widescreen Flat-Panel IPS LED HD Monitor
60Hz
1920 x 1080
5 milliseconds

That being said, this monitor is better than 10 years old. Can't see it lasting indefinitely. Would likely replace it by years end and keep it as a back up if it is still working. It's been a great monitor! As for it's replacement I figured I'd cross that bridge in the future. I'm in my early 50's and I'm kinda wondering if 'ultra high def gaming' might be wasted on my aging eyes. How much is overkill. I don't have the answer to that yet.... I just figured I'd try to future proof myself as best I could for the next 4-ish years.

Even a 2060 is going to be overkill for a 60 Hz 1080p monitor, so unless you're looking to eventually step up to a higher resolution or a higher frame rate, I'm not sure a 2070 Super would do you much good at all. Look through all of the games in the TPU review for the RTX 2060 FE and there's only a single game that comes close to falling below 60 FPS at 1080p. There are plenty that run well over 100 FPS, and these aren't just older e-Sport titles either. The only thing I'd worry about with a 2060 is if would start to hit a wall due to the 6 GB memory, but I don't see that being a problem for 1080p outside a small number of titles if it's one at all.

If you're just looking for 1080p gaming, even going forward a 1660 Super is probably going to be sufficient.

 

[Bric]

I get what you're saying about overkill for 1080p and I agree.

What would your advice be if I was to step up to a 2560x1440 (2K)/144mhz monitor in the near future? Honestly can't see myself going any further above that. Like I said next time I would look at another upgrade is in about 4 yrs. I'm running a GTX 960 now, so I'm definitely gonna see an improvement regardless what I end up with.

Even a 2060 is going to be overkill for a 60 Hz 1080p monitor, so unless you're looking to eventually step up to a higher resolution or a higher frame rate, I'm not sure a 2070 Super would do you much good at all. Look through all of the games in the TPU review for the RTX 2060 FE and there's only a single game that comes close to falling below 60 FPS at 1080p. There are plenty that run well over 100 FPS, and these aren't just older e-Sport titles either. The only thing I'd worry about with a 2060 is if would start to hit a wall due to the 6 GB memory, but I don't see that being a problem for 1080p outside a small number of titles if it's one at all.

If you're just looking for 1080p gaming, even going forward a 1660 Super is probably going to be sufficient.

 

[SteveGrabowski]

Even a 2060 is going to be overkill for a 60 Hz 1080p monitor, so unless you're looking to eventually step up to a higher resolution or a higher frame rate, I'm not sure a 2070 Super would do you much good at all. Look through all of the games in the TPU review for the RTX 2060 FE and there's only a single game that comes close to falling below 60 FPS at 1080p. There are plenty that run well over 100 FPS, and these aren't just older e-Sport titles either. The only thing I'd worry about with a 2060 is if would start to hit a wall due to the 6 GB memory, but I don't see that being a problem for 1080p outside a small number of titles if it's one at all.

If you're just looking for 1080p gaming, even going forward a 1660 Super is probably going to be sufficient.

That review is a year old. There are two games in techpowerup's current testsuite where 2060 is near that 60 fps mark at 1080p:

Sapphire Radeon RX 5600 XT Pulse Review

Sapphire's RX 5600 XT Pulse comes at $289, which is only a small $10 premium over the AMD MSRP, yet it's faster than the GeForce RTX 2060. The card's cooler does a great job and delivers good temperatures paired with amazing noise levels, and it has fan-stop, too.

www.techpowerup.com

Sapphire Radeon RX 5600 XT Pulse Review

Sapphire's RX 5600 XT Pulse comes at $289, which is only a small $10 premium over the AMD MSRP, yet it's faster than the GeForce RTX 2060. The card's cooler does a great job and delivers good temperatures paired with amazing noise levels, and it has fan-stop, too.

www.techpowerup.com

Gotta think many more are coming with the pretty high end gpu officially revealed to be in the XBox Series X. 2060 will not be overkill for 1080p60 with a new gen coming. It's already more like sweet spot than overkill for Control at 1080p60 today.

 

[SteveGrabowski]

I've had soooooooooooooooooooooooooo many HDD failures in my life, that I've come to a point where I'd rather just delete everything I don't need anymore or movies I saw 2-3 times already and I will never own a HDD again.

Ever since I stopped buying OEM hard drives from newegg I haven't had any problems. It would make me so mad paying for Western Digital Black drives and they're dead in a year or year and a half, probably thanks to how poorly newegg packed them. Retail is different though, I still have a 4TB HGST retail drive I bought from them running with no SMART errors after five years.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Ever since I stopped buying OEM hard drives from newegg I haven't had any problems. It would make me so mad paying for Western Digital Black drives and they're dead in a year or year and a half, probably thanks to how poorly newegg packed them. Retail is different though, I still have a 4TB HGST retail drive I bought from them running with no SMART errors after five years.

Yep, retail-boxed HDDs FTW.

 

[lobz]

Ever since I stopped buying OEM hard drives from newegg I haven't had any problems. It would make me so mad paying for Western Digital Black drives and they're dead in a year or year and a half, probably thanks to how poorly newegg packed them. Retail is different though, I still have a 4TB HGST retail drive I bought from them running with no SMART errors after five years.

Well I've been a DIY guy all my life, so I gues... what's good for you, doesn't really help me

 

[Mopetar]

I get what you're saying about overkill for 1080p and I agree.

What would your advice be if I was to step up to a 2560x1440 (2K)/144mhz monitor in the near future? Honestly can't see myself going any further above that. Like I said next time I would look at another upgrade is in about 4 yrs. I'm running a GTX 960 now, so I'm definitely gonna see an improvement regardless what I end up with.

If you're buying now, probably a 2070 Super in that case. It's going to get great 1440p results in any titles out today and should hold up well over the next four years. A 5700 XT isn't quite at the same performance level, but should be good for four years and is typically around $100 less. Now that NVidia has support for Freesync it's not that hard to suggest paying an extra $100 for a ~10% performance gain when you don't need to shell out just as much or more for a GSync monitor to take advantage of it.