GPU help please

[de Carabas]

I'm currently running with a GTX660 GPU and with Horizons it starting to struggle a bit. It's coupled with an i5-3330 CPU and 12GB of RAM.

I'm contemplating swapping out the GTX660 for a GTX970 because I don't need cutting edge performance and I think I can get away with it (without my wife noticing). I'm wondering if I should hold off a bit as I've heard of new nVidia cards coming that might mean people start selling 970's to upgrade but I can't find anything on timing.

I've thought about upgrading the CPU as well (assuming I can find an old i7 that will fit) but I'm assuming the more urgent need is the GPU.

So, any ideas on when the new cards will hit or any other thoughts on the direction to go?

[TorTorden]

What resolution do you play at ?

If you are going for 1080p and are ok with medium to high settings my 960GTX ran the horizons beta just fine at 1080p, and costs considerably less than a 970 (although the 970 is better in all aspects)

There is always new gpu's coming in x amount of months. but unless you want to go VR (they say a 970gtx should give full use of the rift) or play games on a 4k screen the current generation is more than adequate.

I would have still been sitting happily on my 960gtx myself if I hadn't bought a new five million pixel screen (3440*1440) and it ran out in processing and ram.

I honestly think your cpu and ram is ok, and horizons is mostly GPU limited since it uses compute shaders the 9 generation cards support so I was seeing better fps in the beta (I upgraded two a 980 ti during beta :S) than most with higher end cards from the 7 series.

I too haven't heard any release news for next gen nvidia cards, but I kind of expect they will hold off a bit until after the vr goggles release fully, the 9 series is really popular and runs both cool and dead silent (the fans shut off when temp goes below 55c, and they idle on desktop use at 49c) and the one killer thing for next gen is VR and the power to handle UHD resolutions.

TL:DR
If you only game at 1080p, consider the much cheaper but still good 960gtx, and consider upgrading again once Pascal is released or get a 970 now, and wait an additional year or two to upgrade.
Or just wait and get a Pascal when they release.

Personally I had a 960 and couldn't hold myself so bought a 980 for christmas.
Insane I know...

[smartroad]

I have the GTX960 and can run that at 1080 with high/ultra settings for most things. Space I get 60FPS+ space and planets about 40+ which is fine for me

I can double those if I go down to 720!

[de Carabas]

Thanks guys.

Almost clicked buy on this but maybe I should look around a bit first

It's an odd one. Even though I don't think I would want to use VR (I'm uncomfortable with loss of peripheral senses with headphones!) I still want to be able to use VR for some reason. I think I just need to get over that.

[TorTorden]

I have been playing around with my new phone and the Gear VR that came with.
That only gives you about a 90 degree FOV and it's still mindblowing, even at the low resolutions the s6 can produce.

An oculus or the vive is simply going to be amazeballs I cant wait.
That said i doubt I would be using VR on the bus.

I also had the 2GB version of the 960, a 4GB one would do even better.

[Xebeth]

Thanks guys.

Almost clicked buy on this but maybe I should look around a bit first

It's an odd one. Even though I don't think I would want to use VR (I'm uncomfortable with loss of peripheral senses with headphones!) I still want to be able to use VR for some reason. I think I just need to get over that.

I went for the 4GB 970 version of this card, only because I've used ASUS before and found them to be good, and the price range was in the area I'd budgeted for.

Even with my old non-i quad-core 8gb system I'm still getting 60fps in space and 50+ on planets with a combination of high and ultra settings at 1080p

[Feldspar]

I recently picked up a second hand 970 from a workmate and it conquers 2440x1080 for horizons. I might think about the new cards once they have been out a while, technology has bedded in and the prices start to drop.

Your processor is probably fine for a few years to come, I've got an i7-2600K with 8GB of RAM, and never had an issue.

[Digga]

I'm wondering if I should hold off a bit as I've heard of new nVidia cards coming that might mean people start selling 970's to upgrade but I can't find anything on timing.

Expected around summer this year, following GlobalFoundries and TSMC will give an indication if they can produce in volume on a 14nm/16nm FinFET process node, this is the key and consider the track record of GlobalFoundries is not the best.

Should they manage to deliver, the next gen of GPU will be significantly more powerful than current, so this would likely result with more 970's available 2nd hand and at a lower price.

If you can wait a few more months, then wait.

[de Carabas]

Well, so much for being sensible. I've gone and ordered a GTX 970. With luck I'll fit that this weekend and be able to revel in the glory of higher frame rates and detail.

Don't tell my wife.

[TorTorden]

Congrats, hould do great, even if you go beyond 1080p at some point.

I would have gone with the 970 myself but I was running a 40c fever at the time so before I knew it a 980TI was in the mail :S
Well I had to try it, and you can't really return something that runs so well

Besides I tell myself that any new architecture will have bugs, and issues, so why not just wait for the 2017generation of Pascal ?