GPU decision time.

[Zooke]

Hi,

I am at the point of changing my GPU(s).

I am running an MSI N780 Lightning. This single card has served me well for 18 months and it chews up pretty much everything but the 'benchmark' games on high settings depending on the fps you want. I like high framerates, so this card on it's own just wasn't up to the job for these premier titles. FC4, AC4 etc struggled big time with everything maxed, fur, hbao+, and all that nvidia stuff in the control panel made the card start to look like it was broken.

Then last month, I added an MSI N780 TF to go SLI (You try getting a new Lightning at a reasonable price in Europe). The results were impressive from the start, the games cruised through the constant 60 barrier with no compromise on any setting, Allowing me to set 72,100,120,144 etc which is the territory I like to play in.

However, I started to think that my money was not being wisely spent on buying such a 'dated' GPU. (I just won't go 2nd hand, it's a mental thing with me, probably explains why I am single, you try finding a ... well you get the idea). Even though the performance was excellent and I was more than happy with the way games played. Understand that this is not about money, it's about how I perceive money to have been spent.

So, yesterday, with days running out for a return and refund on the 780TF I made a snap decision to return it. (Mailed it yesterday).

And this leads us to today, I am thinking single Titan X right now and then SLI as soon as I can afford it (4 months max, almost certainly sooner) but something in my head is nagging me to hold back and I can't quite put my finger on what it is. Reference cooler maybe ? The fact that that all the branded cards are the same, just with different stickers on them ? The fact that I am commonly known to be 'as tight as a ducks arse' when it comes to parting with cash ?

I have a couple of days until the refund is processed, but then I will be officially in 'Purchase Mode' and reasoning with me will be nigh on impossible.

Thoughts.

[Link_to_the_past]

Everything in the end of the day is a matter of budget, if you have no problem paying so much money you just go get the best and most expensive cards you can find the moment they are released and call it a day. Personally i find such a purchase to be bad spending wise, like i said though it is always relative to your income.

[Growlith1223]

SLI has no benefit to Dolphin whatsoever and there's not many pc games that will use crossfire/sli correctly. best to go for something like a GTX 980 or wait until radeon's new card(whenever that will be). Titan X is a pretty strong card too but be prepared to pay $1000 for one(usd, not sure about anywhere else)

Either way, this is up to you, if you're wanting something that will last a while before needing another card, go titan x or 980, otherwise i would have settled with like a 280x or 970

- Growlith1223

[Zooke]

(04-15-2015, 09:26 PM)Growlith1223 Wrote: there's not many pc games that will use crossfire/sli correctly

I have to disagree here, I had a full month of SLI as noted in my post and although I didn't go out of my way to test everything, games you could not SLI were the exception rather than the rule. Wolfenstein being an example of an engine that cannot be used in SLI.

I have been more than impressed with SLI compatibility and performance, hence why I am thinking of SLI with 2 of these Titan thingys (I'd be able to 3d model turnips to my hearts content).

I have read that AMD crossfire support is very poor with months on end passing without updates, maybe thats what you are thinking of.

[Growlith1223]

(04-15-2015, 10:06 PM)Zooke Wrote: I have read that AMD crossfire support is very poor with months on end passing without updates, maybe thats what you are thinking of.

lol sorry, just woke up, yes i was referring to Crossfire. SLI does have it's problems but i have had more problems with crossfire than sli tbh. but that's just me, other people may have it the other way around

[Zooke]

(04-15-2015, 10:14 PM)Growlith1223 Wrote:

(04-15-2015, 10:06 PM)Zooke Wrote: I have read that AMD crossfire support is very poor with months on end passing without updates, maybe thats what you are thinking of.

lol sorry, just woke up, yes i was referring to Crossfire. SLI does have it's problems but i have had more problems with crossfire than sli tbh. but that's just me, other people may have it the other way around

No need to apologise, I used to think they were basically the same application but just different versions, and that support was identical. It was only after I had bought a 2nd card that I realised AMD's support is virtually non-existant whereas Nvidia release updates virtually every month with SLI profiles updated / created etc.

Don't get me wrong, SLI support is not perfect, for instance, it wasn't easy finding the fix for FC4 flickering. (Why not have fixes for supported games on the Geforce Experience settings page ?). But all in all, I would recommend 2xSLI without hesitation, the performance boost was instantly noticable and massive.

[AnyOldName3]

If you'd use a single GPU, or wouldn't mind crossfire, then I'd recommend waiting until the R9 380X was out, as some leaked benchmarks are actually listing it as beating the Titan X. If you're desperate for SLI, though, this might not help much. It's still possible that if the 380X genuinely does beat the Titan X at a lower cost, it could encourage a price drop, which you'd benefit from.

[Zooke]

I am staying green I think, at least I feel I can trust / solve SLI for games.
Just gotta wait for some of these bad boys to be restocked. They are too rare for me to haggle in some freebies right now in the UK. My preferred brand is MSI, but Gigabyte works for me too.
And I need freebies, a £900 card without a backplate, Are they taking the proverbial ? Offering a £30 game, thats ony a 3% freebie, gotta do better than that.

[Zooke]

Lol, you would think these retailers would be kicking over their own grandmothers to get my cash.
But it seems things are about as clear as mud.
I have retailers giving me the same answers virtually word for word. No-one is willing to move an inch from their advertised prices to get the sale. They won't even consider throwing in a game code or 2 (and they get plenty of these to dish out as they see fit).

I have been here at the pc all morning with my card in my hand (yes I said card and I mean it. Not like usual) but no-one wants my money enough to throw in even a single game on a £900 card.
What is the world coming too ?

[NKF98]

Try offering them a trial for Dolphin Pro.