about the GTX 980/970 compatibility

[Umeed]

Hi folks, I was wondering if the new Nvidia cards 980/970 would be compatible with my system (rather am I going to be able to use most of the video card's potential?)

reason I'm asking is because I realize that my motherboard has pci-e 3.0, but my processor doesn't support pci-e 3.0---according to Asus's spec sheet it doesn't, i just happen to find that out today.


i7-2600k
Sabertooth z77
corsair hx850w gold
kingston beast & hyperx = 16gb @ 1600mhz (4x4)


now according to the asus website, it says the pci-e 3.0 is supported only with 3rd gen processors on my mobo, so I'm curious, will my 2nd gen processor end up being the bottleneck for my overall performance? Would I even notice it?

I did originally buy the sapphire r9 290x toxic (after much debating from my previous threads), but turned out to be defective (physical damage) and my local store had non left in stock so i got a refund.

So, I'm just not sure if I should bother getting these newer pci-e 3.0 video cards now.....any suggestions? I'd rather not upgrade the processor because its in perfect working condition, never been overclocked (never needed too either).

thanks

 

[i7Baby]

You'll be fine with a gtx970 or 980. pcie2.0 runs all cards well.

 

[Ellensar]

http://www.pugetsystems.com/labs/articles/Impact-of-PCI-E-Speed-on-Gaming-Performance-518/#1080pResults

On paper, PCI-E 3.0 may be leaps and bounds ahead of 2.0. But the actual performance of the GPU and its output is almost negligible when comparing the two versions.
As for everything else, you're golden.

 

[Umeed]

ah that really does make me feel worlds better lol thanks so much i7Baby, Ellensar !! now to decide on which 980 to go for lol

asus
msi
gigabyte
evga

this time they all look good. I guess whichever one TigerDirect Canada gets first will be my choice.

thanks again

 

[Ellensar]

Don't go for the Evga. Their thermal solution doesn't make complete contact with the GPU making it the hottest card. I'd wait until they come out with a revised version. As for the other 3, they're pretty much perfect. All about aesthetics.

Cheers mate.

 

[Umeed]

Don't go for the Evga. Their thermal solution doesn't make complete contact with the GPU making it the hottest card. I'd wait until they come out with a revised version. As for the other 3, they're pretty much perfect. All about aesthetics.

Cheers mate.

sweet, thanks for the headsup, I'm leaning towards Asus or Gigabyte