Sli or upgrade?

rustotron

Junior Member
May 6, 2015
3
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I currently have a gtx 770 2gb. I'm wondering if its worth going sli because games these days seem to require more vram.
 

alcoholbob

Diamond Member
May 24, 2005
6,380
448
126
I would upgrade to at least a 4GB card, but that's me. You can get a 4GB GTX 960 for like $230 these days.
 

RussianSensation

Elite Member
Sep 5, 2003
19,458
765
126
I would upgrade to at least a 4GB card, but that's me. You can get a 4GB GTX 960 for like $230 these days.

You are kidding right? Did you just recommend a 770 user to spend $230 on a 960 4GB? Wow, that's literally the worst advice I've seen in a long time on the VC forums. You are basically recommending him a slower GPU for $230. It's like you haven't read a single 960 review.

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OP, sell the 770 and pick up an R9 290X or a GTX970 a minimum. Nothing else is a real upgrade. Do not do SLI with 2GB cards.
 

lopri

Elite Member
Jul 27, 2002
13,310
687
126
If you want more performance, upgrade. SLI/CF is only worth considering if you already have enough performance. I know that sounds paradoxical, but it makes sense if you think of it like an icing on a cake. When you only have half a cake, SLI/CF will not give you a full cake - more likely it will give you headache and elevated temps. ;)

^ IMO, of course.
 

alcoholbob

Diamond Member
May 24, 2005
6,380
448
126
You are kidding right? Did you just recommend a 770 user to spend $230 on a 960 4GB? Wow, that's literally the worst advice I've seen in a long time on the VC forums. You are basically recommending him a slower GPU for $230. It's like you haven't read a single 960 review.

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OP, sell the 770 and pick up an R9 290X or a GTX970 a minimum. Nothing else is a real upgrade. Do not do SLI with 2GB cards.

All my advice is the worst advice you've ever heard simply because we game different and have different preferences. You believe in absolute benchmark performance even if you go deaf and I believe in the best acoustical performance with the least microstutter. Believe it or not there are more than one type of buyer for goods and services.
 
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RussianSensation

Elite Member
Sep 5, 2003
19,458
765
126
All my advice is the worst advice you've ever heard simply because we game different and have different preferences.

No, it's because 770 is faster than a 960. So 960 4GB is not an upgrade from a 970. $230 wasted in the toilet is what you just recommended to a new forum member.

I suggest you do more research next time and actually read the thread before you recommend a slower card as an "upgrade" for someone contemplating MORE performance. Considering its his first post, you are giving a new member the impression of AT forums as a whole and you aren't exactly providing good advice here. If you are going to state 960 4GB, at least explain or rationale or offer alternatives. As it stands, this is a horrible gaming upgrade recommendation from a 770.
http://www.computerbase.de/2015-05/...ergleich/2/#abschnitt_leistungsratings_spiele

You believe in absolute benchmark performance even if you go deaf

That's a hyperbole and a made up statement if there ever was one directed at me. When have you seen me recommend "deaf" level loud videocards for the sake of performance? I go out of my way to recommend cool and quiet cards like MSI Gaming / Asus Strix 970 or Sapphire Tri-X 290/290X or Sapphire DualX 7970, etc.

Also, go read my post again. I recommended the OP to step up to an R9 290X or GTX970 - there are plenty of versions in each camp that are miles quieter and cooler than your Titan X. So no, under no circumstances did I recommend the OP to upgrade to a hot and loud videocard only for the sake of performance, everything else be damned. :whiste:

and I believe in the best acoustical performance with the least microstutter.

I didn't recommend OP to go SLI with his 770. Looks like you do not even read that I specifically recommended against 770 2GB SLI. If this is a jab at my own setup, it failed as I paid $0 for my 7970s and they made me $20K+.

As mentioned already, nowhere did I recommend the OP to get loud videocards. BTW, each of my 7970s max OC is quieter than a reference Titan X which reaches 50 dBA when OC and sounds like a jet engine while running at 83C too. So, yes I do in fact value acoustics and lower temps.

Believe it or not there are more than one type of buyer for goods and services.

My recommendations in this thread (290X or 970) hit 4 key criteria for the OP - performance, price/performance, quieter noise levels and temperatures than even the card in your sig. You clearly haven't AT ALL considered what the OP wrote. If he is contemplating SLI, he wants more performance and if he is considering 770 SLI, power usage isn't a big factor for him. Thus, recommending a 960 4GB does not help him as the card is slower, despite 4GB of VRAM.

Furthermore, GTX970 gets 2 free games (Batman AK and TW3) bundle that 960 doesn't get. You also didn't even mention that to the OP, which makes the $230 960 4GB an even worse value compared to the 970.
 
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Spanners

Senior member
Mar 16, 2014
325
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I wouldn't touch anything less than a 970/290/290X (or upcoming card) either. I went from a GTX 760 2GB to a R9 290 (Tri-X) and it was a solid, noticeable performance improvement @1440p. You're really going to run into VRAM issues with 2GB SLI going forward even @1080p. I don't see the 960 as a good choice even the 4GB variant it's sometimes slower than your current card and the price is fairly close to cards much, much better.

The game bundle with the 970 is pretty tempting currently depending on your taste in games or willingness to sell them on.
 

2is

Diamond Member
Apr 8, 2012
4,281
131
106
All my advice is the worst advice you've ever heard simply because we game different and have different preferences. You believe in absolute benchmark performance even if you go deaf and I believe in the best acoustical performance with the least microstutter. Believe it or not there are more than one type of buyer for goods and services.

Well it is pretty bad advise considering you just recommended spending money on a slower card than he already has. How does that make any sense? Even to you?
 

Leyawiin

Diamond Member
Nov 11, 2008
3,204
52
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The GTX 770 isn't even close to being a complete dog so if you want a meaningful upgrade it should be something along the lines of a GTX 980 or R9 290X. A strong single card solution is always better (budget permitting) than a SLI/X-Fire setup.
 

Headfoot

Diamond Member
Feb 28, 2008
4,444
641
126
All my advice is the worst advice you've ever heard simply because we game different and have different preferences. You believe in absolute benchmark performance even if you go deaf and I believe in the best acoustical performance with the least microstutter. Believe it or not there are more than one type of buyer for goods and services.

The 960 4GB is the hands down, worst purchase in video cards right now. OP don't get it. Especially coming from a 770. OP -- don't go SLI either. Get a single faster card with more RAM. I'd wait and see what AMD's new line up looks like as all the new cards are coming out very soon.
 

rustotron

Junior Member
May 6, 2015
3
0
0
Haha I've actually been lurking in the AT forums since 2012 but never made a account. Judging by the advice I'm going to postpone my upgrade unless a crazy deal comes out for the 970 or 290x. Cheers and thanks to everyone.
 

manimal

Lifer
Mar 30, 2007
13,559
8
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people are already dumping gtx 970s used in anticipation of the new releases. I just picked up two evga 970s for 180 each. Gonna play with them in SLI for a bit before putting them into the htpcs in the kids rooms.

Look local you could get lucky


If your buying new I would stand pat with what you have for a month till the new releases come out.