GTX 770 (aftermarket) or R9 280X (aftermarket)???

[thatgamerdude]

I'm really having a hard time deciding between the two. A week ago, I would have picked 280X, simply because it was a lot more cheaper, but now that Nvidia slashed prices, the 770 also keeps gnawing at my brain.

Some say that 3Gb will be standard in the 2014 gaming timelime, some say that 2GB is enough for Full HD Gaming (i'm currently at 1650x1080, but I plan to get a new, better display in about 2-3 months time).

So the big question: is 770 worth getting over the 280X for longevity's sake? For ex: will the 770 endure decently at ~60ish FPS on High/Ultra settings for the next 2-3 years. I know that a thing like that would be hard to predict, but you can always rely on previous GPU generations, right?

And is there REALLY much of a difference in graphics quality and fidelity between the two dicks of GPU empire? Nvidia sports PhysX, but only a few games really support it, like Batman Arkham games. I don't think that PhysX is a real deal maker.

What are the pros and cons of both? Except for the obvious ones, like price?

I'm also getting the i5 4670k with a MSI Z87-GD45 mobo, so OC'ing will be an option (won't be OC'ing immediately, since I'll be saving up money for a better H20 cooling system, so the stock cooler will have to do w/o OC.)

P.S. - I am on a budget, so the 780 (Ti) or 290X cards are out of the question. Probably the MSI aftermarket will be the best choice, to pair it up with the MSI mobo.

 

[EzioAs]

2GB is still fine for 1080p really. This is actually a decision that you should make yourself but imo, after the price cuts, I would get the GTX 770 because of Shadow Play and the 3 free games. I have nothing against the R9-280X and I understand why some people choose it over the GTX 770 (might be because they're running 2 of those at 2560x1440 to max out AA or triple screen setup or better overclocking potential under water)

 

[thatgamerdude]

I see, so the 770 is still the higher-up in terms of sheer performance/quality. A lot of benchmarks show, that the R9 series cards are superior in terms of performance, but that performance is over-shadowed by the extra wattage and higher temperatures+loud noise under load. I don't think Mantle will be something groundbreaking (as I recall AMD already tried something like that and failed) and I doubt that Unreal, Cryengine or any more big shots of the gaming industry will jump on the Mantle-wagon. As I said above about the better performance on R9280x's, the main argument is that BF4 for ex: supports AMD better, but that's probably because AMD paid EA a pretty penny for this, since BF3 was a lot friendlier with Nvidia cards.

And what about the other extra features that nVidia have? Almost always I hear an argument that CUDA>Anything AMD offers. What does CUDA offer for gaming? As far as I was able to understand about it, it's geared towards more 3D modeling, video editing and Adobe PS needs.

 

[thatgamerdude]

I do plan on Overclocking the card, so which might be better for that?

Bump?

 

[thatgamerdude]

They are allmost in neck and neck for gaming tough r9 uses little more power than 770. If im not wrong you should also get a gamebundle from some sites. I think buy a card which you could get cheaper better game bundle

770 gives ACIV and Splinter Cell: Blacklist.

Both do not pique my interest in the slightest.

780 gives Batman: Arkham Origins, and the two mentioned above. Don't really care much for Batman either, since a lot of folks are saying that it's not that great, considering what previous games had to offer.

Anyhow, the discussion is not about games.

I think I'll wait until mid-December. nVidia might slash prices again to compete with R9 280/290X, so the 770 might get EVEN cheaper. Also lots of X-Mas sales and such might save me a pretty penny. Mantle API will presumably launch in December, so I'll be able to see for myself, if it's worthwhile or not.

 

[TommyB0y]

The R9-280X is already superior performance to the GTX 770, and Mantle is likely to add at least 20% performance increase. AMD driver updates provide 20-30% increases at times, and this is a deeper optimization. Just take a look at the games that Nvidia is usually optimized for, they are based on DX11, D3D. Then look at just how much better AMD is on games based on OpenGL. That is the kind of massive gain over Nvidia that AMD will enjoy with Mantle. They are taking what would have been DX, D3D games and making them more like the OpenGL standard, where AMD's massive computing performance reigns supreme. The R9-280X is about the greatest value when it comes to getting that compute performance. Newer GPUs focus less on it for gaming performance using the DX11 API.

The R9-280X is getting a slight refresh with a AMD's Tahiti XTL GPU in November. These designs are also supporting faster RAM than the HD7970, so the R9-280X at $299 is definately a great option right now.