GTX 560 Ti - To SLI or not?

[Chris_Linge]

Hi guys.

I am currently running a single of the said card as above, for my gaming needs. But i find my CPU (Duo Core E8400) limiting the GPU for many games so am considering building a new rig with future proof/compatibility in mind. I am thinking of continuing using the current GPU (GTX 560 Ti) for the time being as it's still working well and no reason to discard it.

However, as you all know, this is an "old" card and depending on the gaming needs, will probably not be sufficient for more hardcore gamers. I play a huge array of games ranging from Football Manager (a text based game) to Skyrim.

With that said, my question now is should i buy another GTX 560 Ti and SLI it with my current one or get a single more powerful card and scrap my current card? Below are the breakdowns for easier reading:

My objectives in general:
- Run current gen games such as Fallout 4, The Witcher 3 and FIFA 2016 at a smooth 60fps with high to ultra settings

- Run future gen games (2016 and/or 2017) at a smooth 60fps with medium to high settings

- To run games at 1080p minimum

- To get the cheaper and more value for dollar option (either SLI or new card)

Limitation
- Budget is around USD 900 for the whole rig including the GPU, be it SLI or new card. The rig i have in mind is:

CPU - Intel i5-6600K @ 3.5ghz OR AMD FX-8370E
RAM - no preference as long as it's 16GB
SSD - Samsung 850 EVO @ 250GB
HDD - WD 7200rpm @ 3TB
PSU - Corsair RM Series 850W
Casing - no preference
Cooling - Torn between air and water
Display - Gonna continue using the current one which is a 23" 60hz

Feel free to give me your opinions. Much appreciated!

 

[MKeist]

sell 560
get better gpu
sli isn't worth the trouble with low end cards
also FO4 doesn't even support sli correctly

 

[renz496]

Just get new card. Even mid range cards like 960 provide very noticeable performance increase from 560ti.

 

[Chris_Linge]

Ok so now the 560 Ti is considered low end? I mean I refer to the PC Benchmark list a lot and it's still in the high end section, just rating pretty low in that category.

I just feel bad idling the card if I get a new one as I would have no use of it and not sure if anyone wanna buy it when its warranty's over.

 

[_Skittle_]

I definitely wouldn't bother with SLIing that, a single, stronger card would be much better. SLI support is a bit iffy as it is, and with older, lower end cards that isn't going to improve.

I'd get this;
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/xqYsdC

 

[rcald2000]

Chris_Linge

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/cD37t6

I failed miserably at keeping within your budget as I'm $156.79 over your established $900 price point. The motherboard I selected is not necessarily a recommendation. I just chose the cheapest priced Z170 socket 1151 SLI capable motherboard I could fine. As for the Samsung 850 EVO, I selected the M.2 variant because it's no more expensive than the standard 2.5" SATA version, and M.2 is the newer tech. Define R5 is a case that almost everyone can agree on. I placed in the Corsair PSU that you stated, although were it my money I'd opt for the EVGA G2 850, but it's just a matter of preference. I will also mention that to achieve the performance goals that you stated, you'd most likely at least want a GTX 970, but I don't know how to make that happen for the budget you stated. What you COULD do is save $50 by buying your i5-6600K from a local Micro Center, as they discount their CPUs for people who do local pickup. As for the GPU, for $100 more, you could buy a EVGA GTX 970 b-stock (factory refurbished) card. That specific model is currently sold out but I'd be willing to bet that they'll restock after Christmas. I've seen that card sell for as cheaply as $239 on the b-stock site (http://www.evga.com/Products/ProductList.aspx?type=8).

 

[_Skittle_]

Chris_Linge

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/cD37t6

I failed miserably at keeping within your budget as I'm $156.79 over your established $900 price point. The motherboard I selected is not necessarily a recommendation. I just chose the cheapest priced Z170 socket 1151 SLI capable motherboard I could fine. As for the Samsung 850 EVO, I selected the M.2 variant because it's no more expensive than the standard 2.5" SATA version, and M.2 is the newer tech. Define R5 is a case that almost everyone can agree on. I placed in the Corsair PSU that you stated, although were it my money I'd opt for the EVGA G2 850, but it's just a matter of preference. I will also mention that to achieve the performance goals that you stated, you'd most likely at least want a GTX 970, but I don't know how to make that happen for the budget you stated. What you COULD do is save $50 by buying your i5-6600K from a local Micro Center, as they discount their CPUs for people who do local pickup. As for the GPU, for $100 more, you could buy a EVGA GTX 970 b-stock (factory refurbished) card. That specific model is currently sold out but I'd be willing to bet that they'll restock after Christmas. I've seen that card sell for as cheaply as $239 on the b-stock site (http://www.evga.com/Products/ProductList.aspx?type=8).

pls no. Very poor PSU choice, pointless choice of SSD, waaay over-expensive HDD, a 3TB Barracuda makes more sense. You would also want a better cooler.

 

[Bossyfins]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor ($129.78 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z170 Pro4 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($117.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2400 Memory
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO 250GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($87.99 @ B&H)
Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($149.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R9 380X 4GB WINDFORCE 2X Video Card ($219.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $910.60
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-20 15:07 EST-0500

- better psu
- Better GPU

Now with asrock boards, you can OC locked CPUs. So you can get an i3 to perform like an i5 4460.

 

[rcald2000]

@Chris_Linge, I like Bossyfins' build a lot. My recommendation is one of the following:

1) Add more money to the budget, so that you can get a i5-6600K or i7-6700k. I just think an i3 processor is going to handicap your build and it's worth stretching a little bit to get an i5. OR

2) Find a friend that works for a retailer that is a member of the Intel Retail Edge program (https://retailedge.intel.com). It's a program that allows huge discounts of Intel products, particularly processors. I've "heard" that a i7-6700k can be purchased on this program for between $100 - $200. It's possible that a friend of yours who works at Best Buy or Walmart may have access to the program but I'm not sure.

 

[Bossyfins]

^ You can OC the i3 to almost 4.5 which beats an i5 4460. So...

 

[Chris_Linge]

So...thank you guys for the input. Looks like nobody likes SLI here haha..not surprising at all. Ok then off to shopping for a new GPU card.

Actually for Bossyfins' build, I could change the CPU to i5-6600k and ramp up the GPU to probably R9 390(no X doe) while tweaking down the HDD a little bit to 2TB and a less expensive casing. So 8gb of ram is enough to be future proof?

 

[_Skittle_]

So...thank you guys for the input. Looks like nobody likes SLI here haha..not surprising at all. Ok then off to shopping for a new GPU card.

Actually for Bossyfins' build, I could change the CPU to i5-6600k and ramp up the GPU to probably R9 390(no X doe) while tweaking down the HDD a little bit to 2TB and a less expensive casing. So 8gb of ram is enough to be future proof?

What is your budget for an entire build? I wouldn't get that one.

 

[Chris_Linge]

I can buff up my budget to 1000usd. Which one are you referring to that you wouldn't get?

 

[Bossyfins]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock Z170 Pro4 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($117.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($52.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO 250GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($87.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 390 8GB PCS+ Video Card ($293.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($47.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 620W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($64.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $935.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-21 21:53 EST-0500