Question for those who have managed to avoid a 980Ti impulse buy

[2is]

After ordering and cancelling my Amazon order for a 980Ti 3 times during the first 24 hours of it's release, my nerves have finally settled. To the point where I'm now actually considering holding onto my current cards until Pascal. Wonder if anyone else is going through the same thought process?

I know the waiting game, if you decide to play it, is potentially never ending and there's always something new around the corner, but something THIS new doesn't happen very often at all. New uarch, new processes node, new memory. A whole lot of new coming that I think I want to be a part of.

Looking at my backlog of games, I think I have enough to keep me occupied until then, that also runs reasonably well with my current cards.

Skyrim: Should be able to handle find if I don't add high res texture packs
TW2: Can max out with the exception of Ubersampling
Arkham Origins: Can max out
AC Unity: The one game in my backlog I would really like to max out, but probably won't be able to on my current cards
Watchdogs: Not sure how this game runs

TW3 is a game I plan on getting too, but I think I have plenty to keep be busy until 2016 and can pick it up then for $20 and run it on a Pascal card.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is one game I'm highly anticipating and certainly want to experience in all its glory, but it's release is far enough into the future that I don't think it will be a concern.

Are there any other games slated for release relatively soon that are supposed to be the next "Crysis" in terms of GPU demands?

 

[bystander36]

I understand where you are, with the same GPU setup as you have. I've been able to withhold my urges as I've found a new hobby that has been getting funded lately. Whitewater kayaking. Unlike gaming, I don't have to have the latest and greatest gear to have lots of fun.

 

[Erenhardt]

I would't get too excited about pascal.

Actually, I'm very skeptical after reading some comments on it:

Pascal, like AMDs 400 series doesnt look like much besides a shrink and HBM2.

Also, $650 impulse buy? Are you nuts? 1st world problems I guess...

 

[sm625]

Whitewater kayaking. Unlike gaming, I don't have to have the latest and greatest gear to have lots of fun.

lol you certainly do not need the latest and greatest to have lots of fun gaming. The funnest games dont even have that high of system requirements anyway.

 

[xthetenth]

I would't get too excited about pascal.

Actually, I'm very skeptical after reading some comments on it:

Note the source. Plus a 2 node shrink is kind of a big deal on its own.

 

[bystander36]

lol you certainly do not need the latest and greatest to have lots of fun gaming. The funnest games dont even have that high of system requirements anyway.

But you aren't missing anything in white water kayaking if you aren't playing on top in gear. The challenge and scenery is the same regardless.

 

[RussianSensation]

Since your cards depreciated so much by now, at this point they aren't dropping as much which means over the next 12 months they won't loose much more value. If you have a large backlog of older games, might as well go through those and see if 680 SLI can handle them well. My personal thought process is to upgrade either when you can sell your older cards at a decent amount (you are past that point) or when your favourite franchise / game(s) start running too much to your dissatisfaction. By the sound of your post you aren't at the point yet since it looks like you are OK turning a few settings down

I don't remember if you are running 1920x1200 or 2560x1440/1600 but here is Watch Dogs:

http://gamegpu.ru/action-/-fps-/-tps/watch-dogs-bad-blood-test-gpu.html

In TW3, you are going to have to turn settings down. There is no way around it.

http://gamegpu.ru/rpg/rollevye/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt-v-1-04-test-gpu.html

Deus Ex isn't launching until 2016 and since no release date is known, it could be Q1 or Q4 2016. As you know, games get delayed too.

Batman AK, June 23rd, calls for 980 to max it out at 60 fps on Ultra at 1080P. I think 680 SLI OC could do it too.

You can take a look at the release dates of PC games:

Metal Gear Solid V Phantom Pain
Mad Max
Star Wars Battlefront
Tom Clancy's Rainbox Six Siege
http://www.ign.com/games/upcoming/pc?filter=top

I think the Division is actually launching in 2016, not late Q4 2015 (unless they have Dec 31, 2015 as the release date). There is Mirror's Edge 2 but that's only Q1 2016.

I understand where you are, with the same GPU setup as you have. I've been able to withhold my urges as I've found a new hobby that has been getting funded lately. Whitewater kayaking. Unlike gaming, I don't have to have the latest and greatest gear to have lots of fun.

Congrats! Always great to hear about a fellow PC gamer picking up a sport or another hobby to diversify his (her) interests. Props!!

I would't get too excited about pascal.

Actually, I'm very skeptical after reading some comments on it:

I hope your post was sarcastic. The source has no clue at the advancement HBM1/HBM2 (the source apparently still hasn't caught up as to how revolutionary HBM tech is over GDDRD5 and that high-end GPUs are memory bandwidth constrained) and a node shrink (the source apparently has no idea that GPUs are primarily power consumption constrained) + a new architecture will bring to Pascal (the source apparently has missed the launched of Kepler and Maxwell and has no idea of the IPC new architectures bring).

The last time NV had a node shrink + new architecture, without increasing memory bandwidth 2-2.5X was with Fermi - we got 90-100% increase in performance. Even a conservative estimate of 50% increase in perf/watt implies a 980 successor will be faster than a 980Ti.

 

[ShintaiDK]

Note the source. Plus a 2 node shrink is kind of a big deal on its own.

Always read the rest of the context, rather than a single line quote.

Its not 2 nodes. Its 1½ node at best and transistor cost is the main issue. Meaning GPU sizes wont be that large. Specially not since the node may last even longer than 28nm.

Uarch wise its not going to change much, if any. But still great benefits in performance/watt from the shrink. While the raw performance may be more limited due to cost.

 

[2is]

I'm at 19x12 currently. Don't mind turning a setting or two down on my old cards if necessary, having to do so after a large "investment" in a new card would irritate me though.

I don't typically sell my cards, so that's not much of a concern. I either migrate them to other machines or give them away to friends that could use an upgrade.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Money isn't really an issue for me except for my penny-pinching nature.

I feel an urge to upgrade my 680 for the 2x power, but then I look at my Steam backlog and nothing in it "needs" more power. I'm fine with running at 16x10 if some game doesn't play smoothly enough at 19x12.

So, no 980ti order for me yet. Besides, AMD might still surprise me with price-performance and heat-noise-power specs that are better than expected.

 

[tential]

I was going to hold off still probably will.
But right now I think $650 isn't bad to me. If I can sell at $450 right before the next gen is out I'd be happy.

Vizio p series is on sale for $420 refurbished so $1070 isn't a bad deal for 4k gaming.
I'd step up to almost $2000 if it was worth it. But I don't game enough for that to be a smart buy.

Still considering....

 

[jamesgalb]

Its insane that anyone has impulse-purchased a GTX 980ti when in 10 days we are going to hit a new round of cards and likely price drops on existing cards...

 

[boozzer]

I thought it was beyond easy in the case of 980 ti especially with 300 series only 2 weeks from release, there was no impulse, zero to buy anything :biggrin: the moment I saw the 650$ price tag of 980 ti, I knew amd got a monster under the table just waiting to be release. E3 is gonna be exciting this year.

another personal reason, witcher 3 plays really well on my 290 in 1080p

 

[rchunter]

Just waiting on the evga models with ACX coolers. Hopefully I can latch onto one by early next month. Right now I have a single gtx 770 2gb.

 

[SteveGrabowski]

Watchdogs: Not sure how this game runs

Watchdogs runs like a dog on my 970, though I admit I pirated it to see if it's worth buying (but it still has the August 2014 patch that supposedly massively improved performance). I played 20 minutes and decided it wasn't even worth pirating, and erased it.

 

[thilanliyan]

Its insane that anyone has impulse-purchased a GTX 980ti when in 10 days we are going to hit a new round of cards and likely price drops on existing cards...

Some people prefer nvidia so wouldn't wait. 980Ti is actually a pretty good card, and good value relative to the Titan X, but I'm not sure if I should use Titan X and value in the same sentence lol. Others prefer AMD so they would.

EDIT: Sorry I should add, some have no preference and buy based on some metric they value.

 

[boozzer]

Some people prefer nvidia so wouldn't wait. 980Ti is actually a pretty good card, and good value relative to the Titan X, but I'm not sure if I should use Titan X and value in the same sentence lol. Others prefer AMD so they would.

I prefer perf/$ :awe: please don't lump us all into some made up group. not all of us are sheeps.

 

[flopper]

if you play poker you wait until all cards are dealt before you do anything.

 

[thilanliyan]

I prefer perf/$ :awe: please don't lump us all into some made up group. not all of us are sheeps.

Sorry, I should have had that in my post. Edited.

 

[MrTeal]

if you play poker you wait until all cards are dealt before you do anything.

You must not play much hold'em.

 

[Subyman]

if you play poker you wait until all cards are dealt before you do anything.

That's pretty funny. :thumbsup:

 

[utahraptor]

The only thing stopping me from this:

Is the possibility of a lightning (980ti or Fury)

 

[SirPauly]

The days of impulse buys are behind me and wait for both sides to offer their new generations --- and wait for drivers to mature and there is AIB differentiation to consider over reference. I'm waiting to see what AMD offers with their Fury offerings - its a short time -- in case they offer something amazing and a game changer.

 

[Pandamonia]

Im more pissed off than ever at the current situation.

If i buy Gsync im stuck with Nvidia. If i buy Free sync im stuck with AMD, Monitors outlast GPU's and i wouldnt want to lose variable sync once i have it. This is whats stopping me buying. I feel like im being trapped into a manufacturer.

 

[twjr]

After ordering and cancelling my Amazon order for a 980Ti 3 times during the first 24 hours of it's release, my nerves have finally settled. To the point where I'm now actually considering holding onto my current cards until Pascal. Wonder if anyone else is going through the same thought process?

I know the waiting game, if you decide to play it, is potentially never ending and there's always something new around the corner, but something THIS new doesn't happen very often at all. New uarch, new processes node, new memory. A whole lot of new coming that I think I want to be a part of.

Looking at my backlog of games, I think I have enough to keep me occupied until then, that also runs reasonably well with my current cards.

Skyrim: Should be able to handle find if I don't add high res texture packs
TW2: Can max out with the exception of Ubersampling
Arkham Origins: Can max out
AC Unity: The one game in my backlog I would really like to max out, but probably won't be able to on my current cards
Watchdogs: Not sure how this game runs

TW3 is a game I plan on getting too, but I think I have plenty to keep be busy until 2016 and can pick it up then for $20 and run it on a Pascal card.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is one game I'm highly anticipating and certainly want to experience in all its glory, but it's release is far enough into the future that I don't think it will be a concern.

Are there any other games slated for release relatively soon that are supposed to be the next "Crysis" in terms of GPU demands?

I can only add any input with Skyrim. I had 2GB 670's and the lack of ram in this game was the main reason I upgraded to a 290. You will be fine if you just stick to the free DLC high texture packs from Bethesda but adding any modded textures and you will start to see RAM usage climb pretty quickly. Some of the modded texture packs aren't too heavy though.