Advise on UHD gaming with a GTX 970

[Catsnack]

I have multiple questions about 2k/4k gaming and I figured there is no better place to get them answered than here.

First my rig (I can't figure out how to have it in my profile yet)
CPU: i7-4770k @3.50. I believe it OCs to 4.1 just with having the BIOS on performance. Liquid cooled.
GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0
Memory: 16 GB
OS: Windows 7
Power Supply: 500W
Motherboard: ASUS z87-a

Now that that's out of the way, I want to move into the UHD world of gaming. I already have games that support 4k like GTA V and Dragon Age Inquisition. But I have so many questions and I'm honestly lost.

Section 1, me not knowing the difference between 2k (2560x1440) and 4k(3840x2160). Is a 2k monitor worth getting? If games are going to be native 4k resolution then will it look bad downgrading it to a 2k display? And what is the reason for the monitors themselves having a CPU?

Section 2, me not knowing the limits of my rig. Can my rig handle gaming at medium-ish settings at 2k or 4k? I ask because I've read on here that most people wouldn't recommend gaming at 4k with just one GTX 970.. but EVGA says (I'll link the website) that the exact video card I have can do 4k smoothly. So if EVGA says it can do 4k in general then 2k should be no problem for gaming, right?

Section 3, me not being satisfied unless I can game in UHD in some way, shape , or form. Say if I absolutely wanted to get a 4k (3840 x 2160) monitor and play my games on high settings, will a second GTX 970 exactly like the one I have do the job? I'd have to increase my PS too, so how much power would 2 970's need since they would be OC'd? Is it worth it since I mainly want to do gaming? Would a single, powerful, expensive GPU be better than SLI 2 of my 970's (both OC'd) And don't the games have to support SLI as well?

I apologize for all the questions guys/girls. I am just wanting to upgrade to UHD for gaming and don't want to waste money when I don't have to. I'd be happy with 4k at medium settings for now but I want to be prepared for the newer games as well. I'm just looking for your advise and to have a meaningful discussion about this.

 

[Fullmetalalkami]

Hi a single 970 will run AAA games on high/ultra at 2k when overclocked nicely- 4k downgraded will look worse, personally id get a 1080p and upscale to 1440p using DSR or just grab a native 1440p monitor. Even 2x 980ti will struggle to get all games at 4k ultra 60fps but you will be able to game at 4k with 2 x 970.
A single stronger gpu is better than sli purely coz so many games dont support sli and some that do scale very badly so if possible id suggest a single gpu every time

 

[Fullmetalalkami]

Also to add our rig go to your profile, and edit personal settings, signature, and add away! Hope it helps

 

[ssddx]

(I can't figure out how to have it in my profile yet)

you used to need 5 posts minimum to do this... though i've heard it is now 10.

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games are rendered on the fly and depending on settings you pick so there really is no "native" resolution to them. supported resolutions yes, native no. if you have a 2k monitor run at 2k. if you have a 4k monitor run at 4k. if you have a 1080p monitor run at 1080p. of course some users might have to downgrade if their hardware doesnt handle the resolution well but that is a different issue and would result in some quality reduction.

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at 2k and 4k resolutions you can disable anti aliasing which takes a huge toll on gpu performance. you should get similar 2k performance as you do now once you turn that off. provided you actually take the leap and get a 2k monitor.

technically a 970 can do 4k gaming however this would require dropping in quality and you may not get 60fps. two 970's should handle 4k fine for many titles on better settings although keep in mind that some titles can bring even dual 980ti's to their knees so you need to be reasonable in your expectations.

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unless you want to spend big money, i'd settle for 2k but that is ultimately your decision.

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if you sli two 970's it would be suggested that you get a 750w psu with at least 60amp on the +12 rail. i would make sure to buy a quality unit by seasonic, xfx or one of the other good trusted models. you might be able to use a 650w high quality unit but i would not if you plan on any overclocking.

 

[Catsnack]

Hi a single 970 will run AAA games on high/ultra at 2k when overclocked nicely- 4k downgraded will look worse, personally id get a 1080p and upscale to 1440p using DSR or just grab a native 1440p monitor. Even 2x 980ti will struggle to get all games at 4k ultra 60fps but you will be able to game at 4k with 2 x 970.
A single stronger gpu is better than sli purely coz so many games dont support sli and some that do scale very badly so if possible id suggest a single gpu every time

Thanks, and yeah I'm considering just getting a 1440p monitor since my gpu can do that just fine and when they come out with a single gpu that can max 4k games I'll get that one then get a 4k monitor later.. Thanks

 

[Fullmetalalkami]

Id suggest an asus or benq monitor (benq is better price/performance ) as you can get some fantastic monitors for alot less than asus, and gaming at 1440p is great and its always better to play at a reasonable resolution like1080p/1440p and maintaina decent 60fps than overstretch and play with choppy framerate

 

[Catsnack]

(I can't figure out how to have it in my profile yet)

you used to need 5 posts minimum to do this... though i've heard it is now 10.

--

games are rendered on the fly and depending on settings you pick so there really is no "native" resolution to them. supported resolutions yes, native no. if you have a 2k monitor run at 2k. if you have a 4k monitor run at 4k. if you have a 1080p monitor run at 1080p. of course some users might have to downgrade if their hardware doesnt handle the resolution well but that is a different issue and would result in some quality reduction.

--

at 2k and 4k resolutions you can disable anti aliasing which takes a huge toll on gpu performance. you should get similar 2k performance as you do now once you turn that off. provided you actually take the leap and get a 2k monitor.

technically a 970 can do 4k gaming however this would require dropping in quality and you may not get 60fps. two 970's should handle 4k fine for many titles on better settings although keep in mind that some titles can bring even dual 980ti's to their knees so you need to be reasonable in your expectations.

--

unless you want to spend big money, i'd settle for 2k but that is ultimately your decision.

--

if you sli two 970's it would be suggested that you get a 750w psu with at least 60amp on the +12 rail. i would make sure to buy a quality unit by seasonic, xfx or one of the other good trusted models. you might be able to use a 650w high quality unit but i would not if you plan on any overclocking.

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Ok that makes sense, and having to downgrade resolution was where I was going with it. Like if I had a 4k monitor but hardware could only handle 2k resolutions at my prefered settings. So I think just getting a 2k monitor would be best since my hardware really couldn't keep up.
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And I'll keep in mind disabling AA when I get one. Any recommendations for a 2k monitor? I never seen any games at higher than 60Hz and I know theres somthing like 144Hz for the 2k monitors?
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I agree, thank you for the advice.
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And since I now think I'm going with the 2k monitor I don't think I'll SLI anytime soon. But thanks I need to upgrade my power supply anyway if I eventually get a high end gpu like the 980ti or the equivalent in the future when 4k becomes bigger than it is now.
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[Catsnack]

Id suggest an asus or benq monitor (benq is better price/performance ) as you can get some fantastic monitors for alot less than asus, and gaming at 1440p is great and its always better to play at a reasonable resolution like1080p/1440p and maintaina decent 60fps than overstretch and play with choppy framerate

I agree. I'm actually looking online now for one haha

 

[Fullmetalalkami]

BenQ GW2765HT LED IPS 27 -inch W Monitor 16:9 2560 x 1440, 1000:1, 20M:1, 4 ms £275 amazon.co.uk
this is a great monitor (upgraded version of what i use)
ASUS PB278q similar specs but £431! You can get 120 and 144hz 1440p monitors buy they are crazy money. I guarantee the benq has fantastic image quality

 

[Catsnack]

BenQ GW2765HT LED IPS 27 -inch W Monitor 16:9 2560 x 1440, 1000:1, 20M:1, 4 ms £275 amazon.co.uk
this is a great monitor (upgraded version of what i use)
ASUS PB278q similar specs but £431! You can get 120 and 144hz 1440p monitors buy they are crazy money. I guarantee the benq has fantastic image quality

Thinking of getting this one. Its pretty cheap but I think it'll do the job right?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QS0AKVK?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

 

[Fullmetalalkami]

Yes thats a sweet monitor and great price! Cant believe how cheap components are in the USA so much more expensive over here. It has the same 4 ms response time and has a higher contrast ratio than the benq and the asus