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670 sli or 980?

18K views 73 replies 23 participants last post by  turrican9 
#1 ·
I have sli evga 670 ftw oc'ed to 680 speeds in ski, how much of an improvement would a single 980 be. No comments about ski issues either, I have ran into only one issue in my experience of ski setups, have had ski 275s and 480s. I am only interested in knowing of this single card will be of a noticeable improvement over what I currently have.
 
#3 ·
But how much faster? Would it be something dumb like 10%? I really have no reason to upgrade til Witcher 3, but am curious to know if a single 980 would beat my current setup by a good margin
 
#4 ·
If anything the biggest advantage you would gain is going from 2GB of VRAM to 4GB. I also use a dual 670 ftw set up and have been wondering if I should upgrade as well. Games are using more and more VRAM these days . Gonna have to wait until games like GTA V and Dying Light come out.
 
#6 ·
2 medium cards in SLI are never as good as a high end single card. I would switch to the new card when I got the chance. The 980 or even the 970 is going to be much better than those cards in SLI.
 
#8 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by CynicalUnicorn View Post

False. The medium cards tie or slightly beat a 980. But I'd take a 970 over either of those options. 980 ain't worth the extra $200.
And then look at the heat output, power consumption, driver related issues, game issues, and the fact that the VRAM doesn't stack, and it's clear that the single high end card wins. So no not exactly false, somewhat false though, even though you're right on the performance side, the whole picture is a bit different.
 
#9 ·
I'm going from 2 680 2GB to a 980 (should be here tuesday:D). I find myself hitting the vram limit...even at 1080p. Plus there's all the inconsistencies that happen with SLI (though...I suspect in 5-6 months I'll have a second 980 anyway, cause that's how ballers like myself roll).
 
#10 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Thready View Post

And then look at the heat output, power consumption, driver related issues, game issues, and the fact that the VRAM doesn't stack, and it's clear that the single high end card wins. So no not false.
I tend to agree with this. The heat output of two 670s alone is damn near unbearable. But if heat, power draw, and SLI related issues (which there are very few of these days) doesn't bother you then you'd be happier with the more performance two 670s will get you.

Personally I don't think the performance gain of two 670s is worth the heat and power consumption. A single 980 would be wonderful.
 
#11 ·
I say a 980.
 
#12 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Thready View Post

And then look at the heat output, power consumption, driver related issues, game issues, and the fact that the VRAM doesn't stack, and it's clear that the single high end card wins. So no not exactly false, somewhat false though, even though you're right on the performance side, the whole picture is a bit different.
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Alright, that's a bit less vague than "the single card wins." The dual cards win slightly in raw performance, but it is clearly one-sided once you take the other aspects into account. A 980 pulls 180W tops under a gaming load, while dual 670s ought to pull about 320-360W total. That's less money into your PSU, less money spent on electricity (though that's small in reality, unless you fold or BOINC), and less heat being spit out.

VRAM isn't a huge issue at 1080p, and GK104 does have 4GB variants, but that is irrelevant to OP and a very stupid thing to spend extra on. I understand going from 1GB to 2GB on a 750 or a 260X, but not from 2GB to 4GB on a 270X or 770. If you were going to spend extra for a 4GB 770 last month, you should have gotten a 290. This month, you should get a 970.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Explodatron View Post

Personally I don't think the performance gain of two 670s is worth the heat and power consumption. A single 980 would be wonderful.
Depends on where he lives. He could save money on heating in Alaska, for example.
tongue.gif
But yes, they're unbearable when it's above 30C or 85F outside.

And I still think a single 970 plus a second one later is the better option. It's $1050 for a trio of 970s or $1100 for a pair of 980s. Guess which one will win.
 
#15 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by PontiacGTX View Post

Get the 970GTX a 2gb 670 sli wont be a good idea at 2560x1440 and more if maximize the AA
i have no issues with 1440p...

OP, stay with SLI 670s and OC them if not already. Every benchmark I've seen indicates a single 970 is worse even at higher resolutions. Not sure why people are still obsessed with VRAM still.
 
#16 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by CynicalUnicorn View Post

VRAM isn't a huge issue at 1080p, and GK104 does have 4GB variants, but that is irrelevant to OP and a very stupid thing to spend extra on. I understand going from 1GB to 2GB on a 750 or a 260X, but not from 2GB to 4GB on a 270X or 770. If you were going to spend extra for a 4GB 770 last month, you should have gotten a 290. This month, you should get a 970.
Depends on where he lives. He could save money on heating in Alaska, for example.
tongue.gif
But yes, they're unbearable when it's above 30C or 85F outside.
I think VRAM is going to become more important at 1080p very soon here. These "next gen" console ports are showing signs of using a lot of VRAM. Watch_Dogs requires 3GB+ for ultra textures, Ryse is going to use more than 2GB for ultra settings, and I think that trend is going to continue.
 
#17 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by pLuhhmm View Post

i have no issues with 1440p...

OP, stay with SLI 670s and OC them if not already. Every benchmark I've seen indicates a single 970 is worse even at higher resolutions. Not sure why people are still obsessed with VRAM still.
I cam bet that you dont use AA because you think that on 2560x1440 wouldnt make a change
rolleyes.gif
 
#18 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by PontiacGTX View Post

Quote:
Originally Posted by pLuhhmm View Post

i have no issues with 1440p...

OP, stay with SLI 670s and OC them if not already. Every benchmark I've seen indicates a single 970 is worse even at higher resolutions. Not sure why people are still obsessed with VRAM still.
I cam bet that you dont use AA because you think that on 2560x1440 wouldnt make a change
rolleyes.gif
And you're talking about a subject you've never experienced. You can't even max 1080p.

VRAM isn't going to magically get you 30fps more, maybe 10 if you're lucky. If this was the case AMD would murder Nvidia every generation.
 
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#19 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by PontiacGTX View Post

I cam bet that you dont use AA because you think that on 2560x1440 wouldnt make a change
rolleyes.gif
yeah at 1440p, just a little bit of FXAA or some other light weight shader based AA solution is more than enough, subjectively speaking.

For instance, I play BF4 with MSAA off and use HIGH fxaa. Crysis 3, no MSAA, just SMAA which is quite good. 1440p does help a bit with aliasing issues. Not to mention, with today's effects heavy games, it's hard to tell the difference. Heck even BF4 on the X1 didn't seem to suffer from 720p compared to Forza's 1080p bc the whole screen is basically covered in lighting and debris effects.

He had plenty of legs left on those GPUs, however with each month they're depreciating if you're interested in reinvesting the money into a future card
 
#20 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by pLuhhmm View Post

And you're talking about a subject you've never experienced. You can't even max 1080p.

VRAM isn't going to magically get you 30fps more, maybe 10 if you're lucky. If this was the case AMD would murder Nvidia every generation.
if the vram is the limit the difference could be 5fps or more plus stuttering
http://www.hardwareluxx.de/index.php/artikel/hardware/grafikkarten/22235-test-palit-geforce-gtx-680-4-gb-jetstream.html?start=16

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/graphics/display/evga-geforce-gtx-670-4gb_9.html

http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Graphics-Cards/NVIDIA-GeForce-GTX-TITAN-Performance-Review-and-Frame-Rating-Update/Crysis-3-





just 4xMSAA to surpass 2gb limit and get stuttering

edited with correct links
 
#21 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by pLuhhmm View Post

And you're talking about a subject you've never experienced. You can't even max 1080p.

VRAM isn't going to magically get you 30fps more, maybe 10 if you're lucky. If this was the case AMD would murder Nvidia every generation.
I love how people think that just because someone didn't personally experience something then they're unqualified to talk about it.
 
#23 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Explodatron View Post

You people need to be thinking about the future as well. 2GB is fine for most things these days but we're moving towards games using more and more VRAM and people using higher resolution monitors. I wouldn't recommend buying anything less than a 4GB card from now on.
I'd have to agree
 
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#24 ·
I would wait atleast a couple of months until the prices settle
The prices here in Australia are way overpriced

That's what I will be doing
 
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#26 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by pm1109 View Post

I would wait atleast a couple of months until the prices settle
The prices here in Australia are way overpriced

That's what I will be doing
This is probably the best advice when it comes to any new technology whether it's a new graphics card or a new TV. Always wait a few months.
 
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