GTX 960 vs 280x with 430W PSU

[chobby]

Hi guys,

I know that AMD vs Nvidia is a pretty overdone topic, but on my research I've been getting a little lost and was wondering if someone could help me.

I have a 430CX PSU in my build with an i5 4670 (3.4Ghz), Z87 motherboard, Corsair Force 3 SSD, Seagate Barracuda 2TB HDD, 8GB DDR3 RAM in 2 slots and a bluray drive. I run an M-audio USB soundcard externally whenever the computer runs. My monitor is 1080p.

When I bought my parts for the PC I used the inbuilt graphics of the i5 to tide me over until I could afford a GPU. I can now afford a GPU and would've bought a 280x, but am a bit concerned about my PSU. After running a couple of online calculators for power, my psu seems to be enough for the minimum, but they all recommend a higher Wattage psu.

So, what I'm wondering is what this means. Is my computer not having the recommended wattage going to affect performance? Or will it strain my PSU? I have the option to purchase the GTX 960 for a similar price to the 280x, but the general performance seems to be a little lower. I'd rather not purchase a new psu, seeing as this one is relatively new itself.

But yeah, sorry to just ask you guys rather than find out for myself, but I'm just finding myself running in circles, rather than making any headway on my actual purchase.

If it interests you, I run my PC for music creation and composition professionally, but also use the machine to game in my spare time - as well as audio coding and just beginning game coding.

Thanks.

 

[PCHelper]

GTX 960 Minimum power requirement = 400W according to Nvidia -> http://www.geforce.com/hardware/desktop-gpus/geforce-gtx-960/specifications

R9 280X definitely needs at least 500W to run at its full capacity but I could not find the official figure from AMD.
This website shows that it can use about 400W at full load -> http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Graphics-Cards/AMD-Radeon-R9-280X-R9-270X-and-R7-260X-Review/Power-Consumption-and-Overclock


GTX 960 beats the R9 280X in power requirement.
R9 280X beats the GTX 960 in performance.

 

[bignastyid]

A 280x on a 430w psu is a bad idea, and even worse idea on a mediocre unit like the cx.

 

[chobby]

A 280x on a 430w psu is a bad idea, and even worse idea on a mediocre unit like the cx.

Thanks for replying - so what's likely to happen if I try to run a 280x on my 430cx? How much difference would it make if I turn off overclocking for it?

It's just a bit frustrating as it seems there's a pretty large jump in performance from GTX 960 to the 280x.

But, if what you're saying is right, would you not recommend any of the R9 series on a 430w PSU? They all have the same power requirements as far as I can see?

Is there another option I'm missing that sits in the middle performing a little closer to the 280x, but would fit my power options? The 970 seems to be in a completely different price league.

 

[PCHelper]

Here are your options :-

Get the R9 280X, sell your current PSU and use that money to buy a new(550W +) PSU
Get the GTX 960 and be content with the slightly low performance.
Wait for the R9 380X.

 

[yeskay]

A 280x on a 430w psu is a bad idea, and even worse idea on a mediocre unit like the cx.

Thanks for replying - so what's likely to happen if I try to run a 280x on my 430cx? How much difference would it make if I turn off overclocking for it?

It's just a bit frustrating as it seems there's a pretty large jump in performance from GTX 960 to the 280x.

But, if what you're saying is right, would you not recommend any of the R9 series on a 430w PSU? They all have the same power requirements as far as I can see?

Is there another option I'm missing that sits in the middle performing a little closer to the 280x, but would fit my power options? The 970 seems to be in a completely different price league.

Hold your horses!

I would not recommend an upgrade now. My Suggestion, save your money, wait for 50 days and get this:

AMD's New Radeon R9 300 Series GPUs in June 2015 that will use less power and offer superior performance..

The AMD's R9 380 / 380x / 390 / 390x, are expected to use High Band Width Memory (HBM) (for R9 370 / 370X, no HBM but will be power efficient) that will consume less power yet offer superior performance than GDDR5 technology.

Source: KitGuru.Net - Read this full article with approximate R9 300 GPU Prices.

Cheers!

 

[bignastyid]

Given the poor capacitors on the cx they are likely to fail fairly fast under the load a 280x is going to put on it.Guru3d was getting 350w system power usage with the cpu idle and gpu under full load, once you load up the cpu aswell it would be at or over 400w, thats with a stock clocked gpu. If you get a factory oc'd card with an aftermarket cooler it will use more power. I woulndnt suggest running that even on a good 450w unit. 500w min and I'd reccomend atleast a good 550w unit.

 

[chobby]

Hold your horses!

I would not recommend an upgrade now. My Suggestion, save your money, wait for 50 days and get this:

AMD's New Radeon R9 300 Series GPUs in June 2015 that will use less power and offer superior performance..

The AMD's R9 380 / 380x / 390 / 390x, are expected to use High Band Width Memory (HBM) (for R9 370 / 370X, no HBM but will be power efficient) that will consume less power yet offer superior performance than GDDR5 technology.

Source: KitGuru.Net - Read this full article with approximate R9 300 GPU Prices.

Cheers!

Okay, awesome! I didn't realise the new set of GPUs were likely to require less power! Is there a source for that. or is it just an assumption based on the technology upgrade?
I was considering now as it had been a while and read the 285 was a prototype for the upcoming cards, which used the same amount of power, but if its very likely that the cards will use lower power, it's at least worth waiting it out, i guess.

Loved building a PC, but it always takes me so long to make a decision on anything - so many options!

Thanks for your help, guys. I feel a lot wiser on this already!

 

[yeskay]

Hold your horses!

I would not recommend an upgrade now. My Suggestion, save your money, wait for 50 days and get this:

AMD's New Radeon R9 300 Series GPUs in June 2015 that will use less power and offer superior performance..

The AMD's R9 380 / 380x / 390 / 390x, are expected to use High Band Width Memory (HBM) (for R9 370 / 370X, no HBM but will be power efficient) that will consume less power yet offer superior performance than GDDR5 technology.

Source: KitGuru.Net - Read this full article with approximate R9 300 GPU Prices.

Cheers!

Okay, awesome! I didn't realise the new set of GPUs were likely to require less power! Is there a source for that. or is it just an assumption based on the technology upgrade?
I was considering now as it had been a while and read the 285 was a prototype for the upcoming cards, which used the same amount of power, but if its very likely that the cards will use lower power, it's at least worth waiting it out, i guess.

Loved building a PC, but it always takes me so long to make a decision on anything - so many options!

Thanks for your help, guys. I feel a lot wiser on this already!

Wikipedia - "HBM achieves higher bandwidth with less power than DDR4 and GDDR5."
Full Wiki Article - High Band Width Memory (HBM)