6700k vs GTX 1080 SLI Upgrade

[Ice3m]

So, my current setup is:

Motherboard: ASUS Z97-WS
CPU: i7-4790k (a little OC'd)
RAM: 16 Gigs DDR3
Graphics: GTX 1080

So my question is which would be the better upgrade?

A. Getting the i7-6700k, a new motherboard and DDR4 RAM

or

B. Getting a second GTX 1080 for SLI

I recently upgraded to a 4k tv for 4k gaming, and I do primarily use the system for gaming, so I figure the SLI might be better, but I wanted to ask before I decide on either.

 

[greens]

GTX 1080 SLI would boost your gaming performance more than DDR4 and a slightly better IPC.

 

[TJ Hooker]

^+1
Although how much of a boost you get from the 2nd 1080 will vary based on how well (if at all) SLI is supported by a given game.

 

[mcconkeymike]

While there will be an overall performance upgrade with the 6700k/7700k, it won't be a whole lot. As for the getting a second 1080, are you aware that many games don't fully support SLI and in a lot of cases your second card will just be sitting there doing nothing. In some cases the performance will be lower just by having the second card installed. My opinion is that if you are unhappy with the performance of the 1080, either get a Titan XP, wait for the 1080ti, or wait until the next 11XX series of GPUs comes out. Unless you play "the right games" that fully support SLI, you will probably be wasting your money. For the record, I ran SLI 770s a couple years ago and between the configuration and the lack of true support for SLI, I'll never deal with that headache again.

 

[burtman88]

Yup sli is not what it use to be when We Use to have the good Old but Can it Play Crysis days. Buy a titan XP Or 1080 ti like he said. You good even just buy the Titan XP now sell the current 1080 you have in the system now. Sure you will sell it quick as long as u havent abused it.

 

[greens]

"the 2nd 1080 will vary based on how well (if at all) SLI is supported by a given game."
"are you aware that many games don't fully support SLI and in a lot of cases your second card will just be sitting there doing nothing."

Pretty much none of that is true. Almost every game out there that can be ran nativly at 4k will support SLI just fine. Those that don't support SLI just fine - will also utilize SLI as long as the game is in full screen.

Things have come a LOONG way since the 700 series cards.

Additionally, down playing SLI is silly when he already has a GTX 1080, having him wait for an 1100 series card is silly - he already has a beastly card and it isn't enough. He needs a second card.

This is the way of the high end gamer.

 

[Ice3m]

I did have a 660 ti sli'd and got a few issues, it would only be for modern games as they are the ones that are graphically intensive. I do want smooth 4k gaming, but I also hear the titan even needs to be sli to get good 4k performance. Though waiting for the 11 series sounds valid, as they have to know the next step is smooth 4k gaming.

On a side note, instead of either of these I could go with the Oculus rift, but I don't want it to be novel, do any of you have a VR headset and if so do you find yourself using\enjoying it? The cinema screen (just like a huge screen) for non vr games sounds interesting.

 

[greens]

Did dual GTX 980s provide smooth 4k? no.
Do dual GTX 1080s provide smooth 4k? no.
Will a single GTX 1180 provide smooth 4k? No way in hell. Even if it was 100% faster than the 1080 (which it won't be) it STILL would need SLI to give you fluid 4k at high refresh rates.

You'll still need two GPUs to get smooth 4k, even when the 1100 series is released.

I have considered the Vive for quite some time, but it will not utilize the second GPU currently. VR is one of the only places where SLI/XFIRE still does not work at all. It introduces a sort of latency. Eventually VR will use the GPUs independently, one for each eye, and then SLI/XFIRE will be superior again in VR.

The whole cinema thing - that is a bust. VR headsets, even nice ones like the vive and rift, feel about like 720p resolution.

Playing VR is the future in my opinion. However, the cinema aspect is still a novelty as the resolution is better on a normal TV or Monitor.

 

[mcconkeymike]

"the 2nd 1080 will vary based on how well (if at all) SLI is supported by a given game."
"are you aware that many games don't fully support SLI and in a lot of cases your second card will just be sitting there doing nothing."

Pretty much none of that is true. Almost every game out there that can be ran nativly at 4k will support SLI just fine. Those that don't support SLI just fine - will also utilize SLI as long as the game is in full screen.

Things have come a LOONG way since the 700 series cards.

Additionally, down playing SLI is silly when he already has a GTX 1080, having him wait for an 1100 series card is silly - he already has a beastly card and it isn't enough. He needs a second card.

This is the way of the high end gamer.

I'm sorry but from all of the SLI videos and reports that I've seen what you said is the inaccurate information. Every youtube tech channel that I've seen always says that going with the single most powerful card you can is the way to go since there will never be any issues with micro-stuttering, poor SLI support, excess heat, or excess power needs. While I don't want to start a pissing match over this, I do want to ensure the person who started this thread does have as much info as possible to be able to make an informed decision. With that being said the poster can look into some SLI videos by LinusTechTips, Jayz2Cents, Bitwit, and PaulsHardware and they all support what I've said. If you have evidence to support your point of view, please share so I can also have as much info as possible about this.

 

[greens]

You're right. You ALWAYS go with the most expensive card you can get.

You would NEVER EVER SLI GTX 1070s, NEVER! You get the better card.

But he ostensibly HAS the best card out there right now. Sure he could get a pascal but that is BARELY 20% faster and a huge effort to sell his card and get a barely better card for huge $$$.

When you have the very best... the only thing you can do is get ANOTHER of the very best.

 

[TJ Hooker]

This article has some nice comparisons between 1080 and 1080 SLI: https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NVIDIA/GeForce_GTX_1080_SLI/20.html
On average, SLI provides 52% fps increase at 4k (71% if you ignore games that didn't improve at all with SLI). Although that's only average FPS, which ignores minimum fps and frame time variance, both of which are as important (or more so) to 'smooth' gameplay as average fps.

 

[burtman88]

Then I have no clue then, I have a 1070 gtx i game with 1080p at 120hz 23 inch monitor and still love it. Maybe ill upgrade to 1440p, However 4k is still new and will need some future proofing before i hop into it. It does look amazing ill give you that, but not worth it to meet just yet. It reminds me when 1080P was new, I had to buy 7950 GX2s in sli to get best performance i could in top end games like Fear or Crysis.

 

[sizzling]

At 4k your limited to 60Hz so a higher fps is fairly pointless. At <100fps an i5 4690k would perform nearly identically to your 4790k and going to a 6700k would bring zero gain. Going to 4k makes no difference to CPU load, cpu load is largely dictated by fps and your just not going to be pushing high enough fps to see any gain from a slightly faster CPU.

As for sli I think that's been covered.

 

[Ice3m]

I have been watching some youtube video comparing framerates, and it does look like in most the sli's 1080s give better performance than the single titan xp. As for the micro stutters, a lot of people had mentioned settings were off in the nvidia 3d settings, incorrect power settings etc. I think I am leaning towards a second 1080 based on the info here. I know SLI has come along way, even with the 660 ti's i had sli'd I only ever had problems with Shadow of Mordor.

And thank you for the info on the VR, it looks amazingly cool, but I'm worried it would just be a novelty and sit in a drawer after the initial coolness wears off. I might wait a while for it to be further refined, tho the idea of Fallout in VR makes me droolllll.

 

[burtman88]

Up 2 you buddy if you buy it keep us updated with before and after FPS and what not. Two 1080s in sli do look awesome