GPU upgrade GTX 980

[moondawg009]

Hi everyone sometime this week I plan on upgrading my GTX 770 to a GTX 980 and I had a few questions. Firstly, does the brand/model matter a lot do you have any recommendations .

Second, will I be alright with as 600w corsair PSU?

Lastly, would there be any compatibility or bottlenecking issues with my current system, I run PNY Optima 8GB, i5-3570k, MSI Z68A-G43 (G3) LGA 1155 Intel Z68 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard, IN WIN MANA136 BLACK.

Thank you

 

[geofelt]

1. Brand matters little from a performance point of view.
For support, you might find EVGA the best.

2. Your psu is ok. The GTX770 actually takes more power than a GTX980. A GTX980ti would take the same as your GTX770.

3. Compatibility should be no problem.
A GTX980 will only be a modest upgrade. Look for a factory overclocked version.
Actually, a GTX980ti would give you a more noticeable boost if your budget permits.

 

[sizzling]

Agree its not the biggest jump in performance, maybe 30-40%. The 980 is considered to have a low performance to price ratio as its only about 10% faster than a 970 whereas the 980Ti is nearly double.

As for psu it depends on which model you have, Corsair do both good and awful psu's. If its a CX you definitely dont want to risk a nice new gpu with a PSU known for failing especially as they deteriorate over time.

 

[atomicWAR]

I own a pair of Zotac GTX 980 Amped! Edition (1165mhz base 1266mhz boost factory OC). While at first glance they don't look like the best overclockable cards...IE only two 6 pin PCIe connectors instead of 6 and 8 pin most others have. It is a really great overclocker. The triple fans are quiet and expel a lot of heat at the same time. I was able to hit 1345 mhz base and 1446mhz boost 7200mhz ram (7000mhz is normal speed) stable though i tend to run actual speeds of 1300mhz base 1401mhz boost 7200mhz ram. Now beware there are several AMPed! edition cards and some have higher overclocks out of box, beware those are poor overclockers and the base amped! edition is the far better choice. this is the Zotac card i would happily buy again for reference.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814500361

All that said there are many great manufacuers to use. ASUS, EVGA and MSI are my first choices in that order followed by Zotac. Asus has the best overall quality cards IMHO, EVGA has some issues with higher then normal failure rates on new hardware but they have better customer service (in my personal experience) while over all longevity only seems to be an issue i have with there motherboards...GPU wise they last. MSI has good cooling capablity though the fans they use are not always the best as far as longevity is concerned and Zotac has bad customer service but good deals on factory OC'd cards with decent quality as far as longevity is concerned. I hope this helps.

 

[atomicWAR]

Agree its not the biggest jump in performance, maybe 30-40%. The 980 is considered to have a low performance to price ratio as its only about 10% faster than a 970 whereas the 980Ti is nearly double.

As for psu it depends on which model you have, Corsair do both good and awful psu's. If its a CX you definitely dont want to risk a nice new gpu with a PSU known for failing especially as they deteriorate over time.

i would not say double...its a 50% increase in core count and performance. nothing to scoff at but not nearly double.

 

[sizzling]

Sorry bad choice of words, it comes out about equal to sli 970's

 

[moondawg009]

So what I'm hearing is it may be the choice to pony up the extra 150$ for the 980ti? I'm mainly looking to play the newest games Fallout 4, Witcher 3, Battlefront etc on max settings smoothly along with anything else that were to come out in the nearer future.

 

[atomicWAR]

yeah i would either pony up for the GTX 980Ti unless unless...you can afford 2 GTX 980's.

 

[atomicWAR]

Sorry bad choice of words, it comes out about equal to sli 970's

no worries just try to make sure the info an OP gets is as factual as possible.

 

[why_wolf]

If you're thinking about the 980 don't forget to check for factory refurbs. Some nice savings if you go that route. Especially on the 980 since most peoples complaint about it is in regards to it's price to performance ratio. Example EVGA B stock listings. http://www.evga.com/Products/ProductList.aspx?type=8