What's a good upgrade for GTX 560ti?

[bbhaag]

Right now my son has a MSI GTX 560ti 2gb card and is asking for a new card for Christmas. Do you guys have any recommendations in the $150 to $185 range that would be a suitable upgrade?
Games he plays are all over the map from simple strategy games like Hearts of Iron IV all the way up to games like Fallout 4.

Other specs:
i5-2500k with mild oc
8gb ram
450watt psu
1.5tb hdd

 

[AtenRa]

ASUS STRIX RX 470 4GB at 145 AR

or

MSI GAMING RX 480 4GB at 180 AR

I know its a little over your budget but currently the XFX RX 480 8GB at 210 AR is one of the best vfm cards, unfortunately this price is for a 2 days sale only.

 

[Arachnotronic]

Right now my son has a MSI GTX 560ti 2gb card and is asking for a new card for Christmas. Do you guys have any recommendations in the $150 to $185 range that would be a suitable upgrade?
Games he plays are all over the map from simple strategy games like Hearts of Iron IV all the way up to games like Fallout 4.

Other specs:
i5-2500k with mild oc
8gb ram
450watt psu
1.5tb hdd

$180 RX 480 4GB, no rebate hassles.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131708&cm_re=rx_480-_-14-131-708-_-Product

$185 GeForce GTX 1060 3GB, also no rebate hassles.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...405&cm_re=gtx_1060_3gb-_-14-500-405-_-Product

Here's Gamers Nexus' take on both cards, hope it helps you choose between the two GPUs (1060 3GB vs RX 480 4GB). But they are both good cards and will be HUGE upgrades from what your son is running.

The GTX 1060 3GB card does have more consistent frametimes when looking at some games – like Mirror's Edge and Black Ops – but the card faces good competition from AMD. The RX 480 4GB card outperforms in averages with Black Ops III, though would require some settings tuning to eliminate that occasional hiccup. AMD is also showing significant scaling with low-level APIs that puts it in more direct competition with nVidia. The Gears of War 4 and Vulkan benchmarks prove this. Each device will allow 1080p gaming with Ultra settings, for the titles tested, and can scale to 1440p with slightly lower settings. NVidia tends to be more consistent in its driver performance for frametime consistency with the GTX 1060. The RX 480 isn't a bad option – AMD's significantly improved its drivers since our review, the company just has some more progress to make in some titles.

Ultimately, given the fairly close performance, this will come down to price and partners.

We were able to find both units available for $200 (see: EVGA GTX 1060 3GB SC, MSI RX 480 4GB). The RX 470 is also worth a consideration if you can find one for around $180. The GTX 1060 3GB, despite our issues with its naming and market positioning, is doing well for its price position. The RX 480 outperforms in averages in Black Ops III, yet falls short in frametime consistency. Both cards are generally within ~10% of each other, depending on game, with the 1060 generally leading. We hope that you can take this data and make purchasing decisions, as AIB partner models will ultimately dictate which card should be bought.

http://www.gamersnexus.net/guides/2649-gtx-1060-3gb-vs-rx-480-4gb-benchmark

 

[krumme]

No way 3gb 1060. Period. Its way to short investment horisont. Comming from a 560 it looks like the cards is kept for years and a card better fit for future api used in the ps4pro and with 4gb is just a far safer bet. Historical data just points that way.
1060 3gb is just a wrong advice all round except if 40w less power or so consumption is needed. 3gb is a no go. Take the 470 4gb. Its cheaper lean and a monster upgrade from 560.

 

[whm1974]

I'm going to have to check benchmarks, but wouldn't the 1050 Ti be an upgrade from the 560Ti?

 

[AtenRa]

I'm going to have to check benchmarks, but wouldn't the 1050 Ti be an upgrade from the 560Ti?

RX 470 4GB at $145 AR is the most VFM card at $150 price point today, its up to 50% faster than 1050ti

 

[bbhaag]

Thanks for the suggestions so far. It looks like with my budget I'll be looking at the RX470 or RX480 4gb models unless an insanely stellar deal pops up. Not likely but fingers crossed. haha

So I mentioned in the op that he has a 450 watt psu. I was wrong. It's actually a Antec NEO ECO 400C 400W psu. Is that going to be good enough for these cards? I noticed the Newegg specification page mentions a 500 watt psu is recommended or necessary depending on the card.

 

[Arachnotronic]

Thanks for the suggestions so far. It looks like with my budget I'll be looking at the RX470 or RX480 4gb models unless an insanely stellar deal pops up. Not likely but fingers crossed. haha

So I mentioned in the op that he has a 450 watt psu. I was wrong. It's actually a Antec NEO ECO 400C 400W psu. Is that going to be good enough for these cards? I noticed the Newegg specification page mentions a 500 watt psu is recommended or necessary depending on the card.

Should be OK. 470 and 480 only require a single six pin.

 

[Headfoot]

Thanks for the suggestions so far. It looks like with my budget I'll be looking at the RX470 or RX480 4gb models unless an insanely stellar deal pops up. Not likely but fingers crossed. haha

So I mentioned in the op that he has a 450 watt psu. I was wrong. It's actually a Antec NEO ECO 400C 400W psu. Is that going to be good enough for these cards? I noticed the Newegg specification page mentions a 500 watt psu is recommended or necessary depending on the card.

Given how long your son kept that other card (2010 card in 2016) it would be a good idea to see if you cant bump the budget just a little bit to get either 6GB or 8GB (480 8GB or 1060 6GB). 4GB will be a limit soon, and 3GB even sooner. Depending on how old he is, longer lasting card = more time before you get asked for the next one as a gift. The only reason he can keep using that 560 Ti this long is because you got the 2GB version instead of 1.

GB limits arent like the way cards normally get slower - when you run out of video ram it will make the game run like absolute crap, totally unplayable. IMO it's not much more money and itll increase the likelihood that you can have this card last as long as your last one.

 

[bbhaag]

Should be OK. 470 and 480 only require a single six pin.

It looks like you're right for certain models like the PowerColor but other models like the MSI require an 8 pin connector which his psu doesn't have. Hmmmm....looks like my decision on a gpu has just become a little bit more complicated.

Given how long your son kept that other card (2010 card in 2016) it would be a good idea to see if you cant bump the budget just a little bit to get either 6GB or 8GB (480 8GB or 1060 6GB). 4GB will be a limit soon, and 3GB even sooner. Depending on how old he is, longer lasting card = more time before you get asked for the next one as a gift. The only reason he can keep using that 560 Ti this long is because you got the 2GB version instead of 1.

GB limits arent like the way cards normally get slower - when you run out of video ram it will make the game run like absolute crap, totally unplayable. IMO it's not much more money and itll increase the likelihood that you can have this card last as long as your last one.

Unfortunately $185 is my max budget. It might even go lower if I have to throw a new psu into the mix. I get what you're saying but with our current financials going into a higher bracket just isn't feasible right now.

 

[Arachnotronic]

It looks like you're right for certain models like the PowerColor but other models like the MSI require an 8 pin connector which his psu doesn't have. Hmmmm....looks like my decision on a gpu has just become a little bit more complicated.



Unfortunately $185 is my max budget. It might even go lower if I have to throw a new psu into the mix. I get what you're saying but with our current financials going into a higher bracket just isn't feasible right now.

Then just get the 3gb 1060 that I linked. It consumes very little power.

 

[USER8000]

It looks like you're right for certain models like the PowerColor but other models like the MSI require an 8 pin connector which his psu doesn't have. Hmmmm....looks like my decision on a gpu has just become a little bit more complicated.



Unfortunately $185 is my max budget. It might even go lower if I have to throw a new psu into the mix. I get what you're saying but with our current financials going into a higher bracket just isn't feasible right now.

You will be fine - the RX470 models tend to have the 8 pin for overclocking. Plus your GTX560TI has two six pins which is literally the same with regards to power.

Just use an adaptor of some sort and you will be fine. The PSU you have is a Seasonic.

A GTX560TI consumes around 128W to 147W or more for overclocked models:

https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NVIDIA/GeForce_GTX_560_Ti/25.html

The Asus consumes just under the 150W rating too:

https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/ASUS/RX_470_STRIX_OC/22.html

This means the 8 pin is there just to give another few watts over the 150W limit just in case. This was the same with the reference GTX560TI.

Avoid the GTX1060 3GB if you intend to have the card last for a long time.

 

[USER8000]

Also another thing - the RX470 also comes with Hitman Season One which can be sold to further reduce the price. If you are that worried,this Corsair CX430 has a 6+2 pin PCI-E power connector for $40:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139026&ignorebbr=1

If you spend $10 to $15 more you can get better PSUs,but the CX430W is not too bad.

The Asus is a decent card.

Edit to post.

The Hitman code sells for $20 to $25 on Ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fro...NE&LH_Complete=1&rt=nc&_trksid=p2045573.m1684

 

[Arachnotronic]

Also another thing - the RX470 also comes with Hitman Season One which can be sold to further reduce the price. If you are that worried,this Corsair CX430 has a 6+2 pin PCI-E power connector for $40:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139026&ignorebbr=1

If you spend $10 to $15 more you can get better PSUs,but the CX430W is not too bad.

The Asus is a decent card.

I don't think the OP needs a new PSU.

 

[USER8000]

I don't think the OP needs a new PSU.

I said that before - but if they are really are that worried they can get a RX470 4GB and a new PSU for the same price as the GTX1060 3GB you listed. The Hitman code gets at least $20 on Ebay,so even if that is like $16 after fees,that makes the RX470 essentially a $130 card. The CX430 is $40 for a total of $170.

Anyway,since the chap has a GTX560TI 2GB which is a dual six pin card,and the Asus RX470 is just under the 150W limit,I think his Seasonic PSU will probably be fine. It seems to run the GTX560TI 2GB they have,so an RX470 4GB should probably be fine.

Edit to post.

Here is the card they have:

https://www.msi.com/Graphics-card/N560GTXTi_Twin_Frozr_II_2GD5OC.html#hero-overview

 

[bbhaag]

You will be fine - the RX470 models tend to have the 8 pin for overclocking. Plus your GTX560TI has two six pins which is literally the same with regards to power.

Just use an adaptor of some sort and you will be fine. The PSU you have is a Seasonic.

A GTX560TI consumes around 128W to 147W or more for overclocked models:

https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NVIDIA/GeForce_GTX_560_Ti/25.html

The Asus consumes just under the 150W rating too:

https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/ASUS/RX_470_STRIX_OC/22.html

Avoid the GTX1060 3GB if you intend to have the card last for a long time.

Alright I kinda get what you're saying. If I buy this card and then couple it with this adapter I should be good to go? The 400w Antec he has should power the MSI RX480 no problem right?

Sorry for all the questions guys...It's been along time since I upgraded his pc with any hardware and I just want to make sure it works so when he opens it up on Christmas we can install it without issue. I'm sure you guys remember getting that awesome piece of hardware that you REALLY wanted just to be let down when it didn't work. I don't want that to happen so that's why I'm asking you guys before I buy.

 

[Arachnotronic]

Alright I kinda get what you're saying. If I buy this card and then couple it with this adapter I should be good to go? The 400w Antec he has should power the MSI RX480 no problem right?

Sorry for all the questions guys...It's been along time since I upgraded his pc with any hardware and I just want to make sure it works so when he opens it up on Christmas we can install it without issue. I'm sure you guys remember getting that awesome piece of hardware that you REALLY wanted just to be let down when it didn't work. I don't want that to happen so that's why I'm asking you guys before I buy.

It will, in all likelihood, be just fine.

 

[USER8000]

Alright I kinda get what you're saying. If I buy this card and then couple it with this adapter I should be good to go? The 400w Antec he has should power the MSI RX480 no problem right?

Sorry for all the questions guys...It's been along time since I upgraded his pc with any hardware and I just want to make sure it works so when he opens it up on Christmas we can install it without issue. I'm sure you guys remember getting that awesome piece of hardware that you REALLY wanted just to be let down when it didn't work. I don't want that to happen so that's why I'm asking you guys before I buy.

The Techpowerup reviews says that card consumes around 50W more than the Asus:

https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/MSI/RX_480_Gaming_X/21.html
https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/ASUS/RX_470_STRIX_OC/22.html

400W is not a problem on its own,as Valve ran a Core i7 4770 and a Kepler Titan off a 450W SFX PSU.

I assume you are using the single six pin and a molex adaptor for the GTX560TI 2GB??

Its more the issue,of how much that single six pin can take - the Asus appears to around 150W,but the MSI is much higher. If someone made an eight pin adaptor where you could plug in the six pin and a few molex adaptors I would be more confident.

However,you are in luck,the RX480 cards come with Civilization VI:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odk...ilization+6.TRS0&_nkw=civilization+6&_sacat=0

Last few codes have sold for $35. That alone would pay for most of a PSU with the required connectors.

An RX480 8GB for $180 is a great card - the GTX1060 6GB which is the Nvidia version is $225 for the cheapest one with no free game.

 

[USER8000]

This adaptor might be fine:

https://www.amazon.com/EVGA-6-Pin-F...910&sr=1-8&keywords=dual+six+pin+to+eight+pin

It converts one 8 pin PCI-E power connector on the graphics card to two 6 pin PCI-E power connectors.

So,you can plug in the 6 pin connector from the PSU,and then use the molex adaptor for the other one:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...e=molex_to_six_pin-_-9SIA50M2RJ5062-_-Product

 

[bbhaag]

Alright so lets get down to business guys. The MSI RX480 4gb is the card I want to purchase. Is it going to work with his pc or not? No bullshit, no what ifs, no theoreticals, no maybes. Just give me a straight answer. Yes or no.

 

[USER8000]

Alright so lets get down to business guys. The MSI RX480 4gb is the card I want to purchase. Is it going to work with his pc or not? No bullshit, no what ifs, no theoreticals, no maybes. Just give me a straight answer. Yes or no.

My bad - saw the review for the 8GB version.

The Asus will run fine since the Techpowerup puts it under 150W which means it should be OK.

I would be using that set of adaptors which I suggested as it will distribute the load better for the MSI.

Both graphics come with games,which also significantly drop the price even after rebate. Ultimately I think you cannot ignore that Civilization 6 code will pay for a new PSU anyway or those adaptors.

So ultimately both cards are massively under your budget. The Nvidia cards have no games so are more expensive. So that means $16 to $30 you are gaining on Ebay after fees.

That essentially drops the Asus RX470 to $130 and the MSI RX480 to $150.

 

[USER8000]

Ok,for some reason I thought the Asus had a 8 pin adaptor after seeing the PCB shot on Newegg,it has only a six pin connector so is fine(probably not helping its 2.30am here,LOL).

But I would still not use a single six to eight pin adaptor for the MSI. Try and spread the load over the six pin and a few molexes as I suggested before.

It essentially what you are doing for the GTX560TI 2GB anyway,right??

 

[SlickR12345]

Alright so lets get down to business guys. The MSI RX480 4gb is the card I want to purchase. Is it going to work with his pc or not? No bullshit, no what ifs, no theoreticals, no maybes. Just give me a straight answer. Yes or no.

Yes, but using an adapter is always tricky, that card uses more than 150w, so there may be issues feeding the card enough power, especially in OC mode. No one can really tell you, since these things need to be tested out to see the result. \

Why not make it simple for yourself and buy a card that has 6 pin connector?

 

[happy medium]

Alright so lets get down to business guys. The MSI RX480 4gb is the card I want to purchase. Is it going to work with his pc or not? No bullshit, no what ifs, no theoreticals, no maybes. Just give me a straight answer. Yes or no.

Buy this rx480 with a single 6 pin power connector for $169 and be happy.
Yes it will work with your computer, no ifs ,ands or butts.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131706

 

[frozentundra123456]

Yes, but using an adapter is always tricky, that card uses more than 150w, so there may be issues feeding the card enough power, especially in OC mode. No one can really tell you, since these things need to be tested out to see the result. \

Why not make it simple for yourself and buy a card that has 6 pin connector?

Yea, I would just get that 470 that AtenRa linked for 175.00 and 145.00 after the rebate card. That is 60.00 cheaper than the 480, you dont have to mess around with adapters, and the performance difference is not that great.