Should I get a 770, 780, 2x Matrix Platinum or 280x?

[Rob47]

Hi everyone,

After seeing the requirements for Watch Dogs I have decided to upgrade my GPU and retire my 570.

Which GPU should I get? I currently have a dell u2410 1200p 60hz monitor but might get a 1440/1600p 60hz screen down the road I've also got a 750w corsair PSU.

2x Matrix Platinums I can get them for £240 each including all the games, I've got a HAF X and the side fan will be kissing the 2 cards so I don't believe heat will be an issue. Is a crossfire bridge long enough to go over 2 slots?

1x 770 even the Asus version is only 2 slot now so if i get this in future ill have room for a 2nd card

1x 780 not sure it's worth it at the current price

1 or 2 280x as the uk pricing has no been announced and I understand this is basically a 7970 slightly under clocked?

Does anyone have any suggestions?

 

[Attic]

What's pricing for the 7950 where you are, and would you consider going 2x7950.

Otherwise 2x280x will be the best price/performance by far of your choices.

Edit: the 2x matrix platinum looks pretty delicious. Crossfire bridge will be long enough.

 

[Jacky60]

I'd go 2 x 280X for the performance and cost it's a no brainer unless you really must have PhysX. There are very few situations (none that I can think of ) where a pair of 280x's or 7970's won't crap all over the alternatives you offer. In the UK 7970/280x are insanely good value right now. They're half the price of a 780 for 85-110% of the performance of the 780 (each card) with just as much RAM and they're Mantle ready. Two of those and you're going to be very happy. (the pricing for 280x is similar to 7970GHz they're listed for sale at OC uk).

 

[Ventanni]

I'd watch for UK pricing on the 280X before you make your decision. If it's anything like US pricing, then it'll be the best price/performance you can get. But, prices unfortunately always differ outside the US.

 

[Rob47]

What's pricing for the 7950 where you are, and would you consider going 2x7950.

Otherwise 2x280x will be the best price/performance by far of your choices.

Edit: the 2x matrix platinum looks pretty delicious. Crossfire bridge will be long enough.

The 7950 is only £10 cheaper than the Matrix Platinums so it's not worth it. Also I like the idea of 2 of those Mammoth cards in crossfire

The price of the 280x just pushes 2 of them (I'm an Asus guy through and through) out of my budget.

 

[Rob47]

I'd go 2 x 280X for the performance and cost it's a no brainer unless you really must have PhysX. There are very few situations (none that I can think of ) where a pair of 280x's or 7970's won't crap all over the alternatives you offer. In the UK 7970/280x are insanely good value right now. They're half the price of a 780 for 85-110% of the performance of the 780 (each card) with just as much RAM and they're Mantle ready. Two of those and you're going to be very happy. (the pricing for 280x is similar to 7970GHz they're listed for sale at OC uk).

Physx is not a necessity by any stretch of the imagination but I've heard that Nvidia's driver support is better.

Again the 280x price is just outside my budget for crossfiring.

 

[smackababy]

Sadly, it looks like CF is still not completely fixed. I'd go with the best single GPU card I could find for the best price.

 

[raghu78]

OP the ASUS HD 7970 Matrix platinum cannot be beat for value for money. its clocked quite high out of the box. 1.1 ghz. with this card average overclocks of 1.2 ghz is common. if you get lucky with a golden sample 1.3 ghz is possible. for 1200p a single HD 7970 matrix is enough.

the other option is to wait for Oct 15th and check out reviews of R9 290 and R9 290X. the R9 290 could be that sweet combination of excellent perf and good price in the high end segment. :thumbsup:

 

[el etro]

Get two Powercolor 7950AX for $180 each. 290X performance for less than Nvidia prices the GTX 770.

 

[Rob47]

Get two Powercolor 7950AX for $180 each. 290X performance for less than Nvidia prices the GTX 770.

I'm not really interested in going that far down the food chain. Thanks for the advice though.

 

[SolMiester]

For single display, you cant beat 7970 for price and performance...

 

[Rob47]

But I want this to last a long time and possibly a monitor upgrade to 1600p.

 

[lehtv]

For single display, you cant beat 7970 for price and performance...

7950

But I want this to last a long time and possibly a monitor upgrade to 1600p.

I think the best strategy is to always upgrade to a good performance per cost card, and in order to benefit from the full potential of the card in current games. In other words, you should not buy a card that offers greatly diminishing returns for its cost, even if it could benefit current games, so long games are still fully playable at respectable settings; and you should not buy a too powerful graphics card for your needs, even if it offered good performance for its cost. Of course, this latter point only applies to lower display resolutions and PC's where CPU bottlenecking would be inevitable. But in general, this strategy gets you the best performance over time and the best performance per dollar.

Therefore I would advice against buying an overkill setup just to benefit a future monitor upgrade or future demanding titles. Instead, I recommend you get the best bang for buck setup that allows you to play current games at your current resolution at the image quality and framerates you desire, and if and when you upgrade the monitor or if and when super demanding games come out, upgrade your graphics setup to suit your needs, and sell away your old setup.

 

[Rob47]

I'd agree with you but that's an expensive way to things. If I were to get a 7950 which is only adequate for 1200p gaming and then get a new monitor and then playing new GPU intensive games on top of that.

Also a 7950 is not much of an upgrade from my current 570.

 

[Majcric]

A hd 7950 is a great upgrade from a GTX 570.

 

[cmdrdredd]

For single display, you cant beat 7970 for price and performance...

Depends on the resolution of that display. At 1440 and above, no single card is going to be that great an experience short of a GTX780 level of GPU. That's just my opinion. A lot of games are really taxing with the detail settings.

 

[Z15CAM]

If you're willing to spend over $700 for a GTX 780 consider the Malta Radeon HD 7990 for $650 "Eat the Best and Forget the Rest". It's GNC and supports the Mantle Game Engine or wait for the R9 290X for the same price.

I'm Canadian and $50 over the USD purchase price - So much for FREE TRADE - Especially when ATi was a Canadian Co founded in Markam, Ont - Where did it go: America Megatrend = AMD - I needed a Magnifier Glass with a bright light to read the Chip Info so I could download a driver from a Dial-Up University BBS Site at one time - Commador 64 and Intel ISA days.

LOL

 

[Rob47]

I've always heard dual GPU cards were a bit crappy but I haven't really paid much attention since the 590.

 

[Rob47]

This is my point. In the next year I'm hoping to upgrade to a bigger monitor and use my current as a secondary monitor.

 

[cmdrdredd]

This is my point. In the next year I'm hoping to upgrade to a bigger monitor and use my current as a secondary monitor.

Pretty much any card can do that, but for gaming performance you need to decide how much you are willing to sacrifice in visuals or performance when you step up in resolution. This will determine which card or cards you pick.

 

[Z15CAM]

Grasshoppers: Read, Learn and Practice. I'm Impatient with this Student Whispering.

I've been assessing Hardware and Software since 1970 from the days of FORTRAN and Key Punch so pay attention.

Strap and Whip, other wise be patient and learn something