Only 1.18% of Steam users use a resolution above 1920x1200! 660ti is overkill!

[poohbear]

Hey all, was looking at the steam hardware survey for Sept 2012 and noticed that only 1.18% of users actually use a resolution above 1920x1200, so the high end video card market is indeed much much smaller than most reviews emphasize. Even then, 1920x1200 is only 3.37% of the massive Steam community, so 95.6% are gaming @ 1080p rez or under! If only 1.18% of users would benefit from owning a high end graphics card (ie GTX 680 and above), then there really is no need for anything beyond a GTX 670!

Those complaining about a lack of performance improvements in graphics cards just need to look at the reality of the market, there's no NEED for anything above a GTX 670 for 98.8% of the gaming community.... but hopefully the next gen consoles & game engines will change all that when graphics @ 1080 get nasty!!!

 

[Lonbjerg]

Hey all, was looking at the steam hardware survey for Sept 2012 and noticed that only 1.18% of users actually use a resolution above 1920x1200, so the high end video card market is indeed much much smaller than most reviews emphasize. Even then, 1920x1200 is only 3.37% of the massive Steam community, so 95.6% are gaming @ 1080p rez or under! If only 1.18% of users would benefit from owning a high end graphics card (ie GTX 680 and above), then there really is no need for anything beyond a GTX 670!

Those complaining about a lack of performance improvements in graphics cards just need to look at the reality of the market, there's no NEED for anything above a GTX 670 for 98.8% of the gaming community.... but hopefully the next gen consoles & game engines will change all that when graphics @ 1080 get nasty!!!

Google: Image quality.

 

[ViRGE]

A lot of rabbling happens with the Steam stats. I'll try to avoid that, but I will say this: the Steam stats are massively contaminated by POS computers in LAN cafes running Counter-Strike 1.6 and DOTA (seriously, CS 1.6 is the 3rd most played game on Steam right now). So I would not put a ton of faith into stats such as monitor percentages since those POS computers are going to throw off the averages (monitors being the very last thing cafes upgrade).

Still, then the fact that 28% of all Steam users are on 1080 is quite surprising given the level of contamination.

 

[Maximilian]

Arent LAN cafes dead now that everyone has broadband and can afford a computer

 

[ViRGE]

Arent LAN cafes dead now that everyone has broadband and can afford a computer

Only in North America and Europe. LAN cafes are alive and well in Asia, Africa, and South America.*

* I hear Antarctica still doesn't have one. Business opportunity!

 

[mikeymikec]

A lot of rabbling happens with the Steam stats. I'll try to avoid that, but I will say this: the Steam stats are massively contaminated by POS computers in LAN cafes running Counter-Strike 1.6 and DOTA (seriously, CS 1.6 is the 3rd most played game on Steam right now). So I would not put a ton of faith into stats such as monitor percentages since those POS computers are going to throw off the averages (monitors being the very last thing cafes upgrade).

Still, then the fact that 28% of all Steam users are on 1080 is quite surprising given the level of contamination.

But isn't the Steam survey opt-in? I would have thought that LAN cafe computers are somewhat less likely to be opted in to such a survey, but that's just my personal opinion.

Personally I would have thought >1080p users would represent a very low percentage, perhaps between 1 and 10% at most, but then I was very surprised at the results from a tech review site survey showing the most popular monitor in use by quite a lead was a 24". Of course, the people responding to a Steam survey and that of a tech review site aren't going to be that similar.

 

[brandon888]

overkill ? it runs a lot worse BF3 even at 1080P then 670 and 680 ....

here vid ....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhdRttHFzs0


my 650 has 55-60 fps in city when that guy has only 30-35 lol :/

 

[NickelPlate]

I don't get why people always say that a graphics card is overkill based on resolution alone. I game at 1080 (fairly low res by some standards today) and I like alot of eye candy with high AA, transparency, filtering etc. Buying a so called overkill GPU allows me to run both older and newer titles with more eye candy with more headroom to keep minimum fps above the magical number of 60. And also gives me the flexibility and longevity to play future titles by lowering some of the more luxurious things mentioned above.

Unless you're on a tight budget and are only thinking of your most immediate needs, I tend to recommend buying as much horsepower as you can afford.

 

[zebrax2]

Still, then the fact that 28% of all Steam users are on 1080 is quite surprising given the level of contamination.

Competition on lan shops are actually quite intense. With the current price of 1080p monitors a lot of new comp shops and old ones upgrading are opting out to buy those 1080p displays. When i used to play in lan shops with my friends the first thing we looks at are the computers(and probably most people as well). "Oh this shop still uses tiny CRTs lets find another place" or "The computers on the other shop looks better than this one lets go there instead".

 

[Riotvale]

If only 1.18% of users would benefit from owning a high end graphics card (ie GTX 680 and above), then there really is no need for anything beyond a GTX 670!

I'm not sure where you read there is a NEED for a 670 or beyond. It's definitely not needed, but neither is watching sports in HD on a 65" - 80" TV when a standard 26" tube TV would do. You also dont need to have a car equipped with power locks, windows, and steering.

 

[Nintendesert]

I only game at 1080P, but I use a 120hz monitor to do it! I like my 680.

 

[poohbear]

the Steam stats are massively contaminated by POS computers in LAN cafes running Counter-Strike 1.6 and DOTA (seriously, CS 1.6 is the 3rd most played game on Steam right now). So I would not put a ton of faith into stats such as monitor percentages since those POS computers are going to throw off the averages (monitors being the very last thing cafes upgrade).

Still, then the fact that 28% of all Steam users are on 1080 is quite surprising given the level of contamination.

what's so surprising about it? most monitors sold in the past 2 years use 1080. Regarding the steam stats, im pretty sure enthusiasts also use Steam, so their numbers would still be reflected in those stats. What's the problem with including internat cafe computers? they're still part of the gaming numbers developers would look at to understand the market. They ARE part of the averages and i'd want to see that, why would u wanna exclude one of the biggest customer bases out there?(internet cafes)

overkill ? it runs a lot worse BF3 even at 1080P then 670 and 680 ....

here vid ....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhdRttHFzs0


my 650 has 55-60 fps in city when that guy has only 30-35 lol :/

i see, so that MUST mean your 650 is better than his 660ti! There's no other possible explanation!! good discovery mate!

 

[KingFatty]

Nobody needs a car that can go faster than the speed limit. Lets all drive compacts.

 

[brandon888]

what's so surprising about it? most monitors sold in the past 2 years use 1080. Regarding the steam stats, im pretty sure enthusiasts also use Steam, so their numbers would still be reflected in those stats. What's the problem with including internat cafe computers? they're still part of the gaming numbers developers would look at to understand the market. They ARE part of the averages and i'd want to see that, why would u wanna exclude one of the biggest customer bases out there?(internet cafes)




i see, so that MUST mean your 650 is better than his 660ti! There's no other possible explanation!! good discovery mate!

who said that i have 650 ?? i have 670 ..... power edition .... and i sait it runs alot better then 660 Ti ..... even 680 is not overkill for 1080P ....

go play Max Payne 3 or SD .... or even BF3 ... you won't always get 60 fps on max settings even at 1080 P ....

 

[sandorski]

That will change.

 

[Insert_Nickname]

Not for the 1.18% that need one...

* I hear Antarctica still doesn't have one. Business opportunity!

Yea, but its damn cold down there. And the sun doesn't shine for 6 months. Not to mention your primary clientèle would be the local penguin population...

 

[BallaTheFeared]

Thinking of the OC possibilities in that cold air though, whew.

 

[exar333]

I would agree that anything less than 1080P really doesn't need anything over the 660ti or 7850/7870 level of performance.

1080P though, with good image quality, will definitely tax a 660ti, and it definitely doesn't get 60fps consistently for most DX11 games with high IQ. Add-in physx or 3D effects and you go from adequate to just not cutting-it.

 

[blastingcap]

Cool, I'm part of the 1% for once.

 

[moonbogg]

A 670 is anything but overkill for 1080p. Two of them is a bit juicy for this res, but since I couldn't buy 1.5 GTX670's, I opted for two. I like the best performance that I can afford at the time of upgrading.
Over 25% of people on earth don't have electricity. If you average them in, then a Geforce 8800GT is overkill. I'm good at logics.

 

[imaheadcase]

It will always be high rez is the minority. What the stats don't show is what people actually GAME in.

 

[Powermoloch]

@ 1080 p with full eyecandy on the current games...it gets GPU intensive

 

[poohbear]

who said that i have 650 ?? i have 670 ..... power edition .... and i sait it runs alot better then 660 Ti ..... even 680 is not overkill for 1080P ....

go play Max Payne 3 or SD .... or even BF3 ... you won't always get 60 fps on max settings even at 1080 P ....

you said that! read post #7 mate.

60fps max? no ofcourse not, but i average 55-60fps.

 

[brandon888]

you said that! read post #7 mate.

60fps max? no ofcourse not, but i average 55-60fps.

sure you and me both average 55-60 fps on our 670 s .... but 660 ti averages 35-45 .... is this playable ?

 

[1nf1d3l]

Witcher 2 and Metro 2033 beg to differ. Both are notorious (infamous?) for bringing the hardiest computers to their knees.