[SOLVED] Is RTX even worth it with a mid to lower end GPU?

[TheKirk]

I'm building my first PC, and at first I was planning to get an RX 5700XT. But then I saw the Minecraft RTX Beta, and now I really want something that supports ray tracing. Within my budget, my only real option is an RTX 2060 Super, which I understand performs a little worse than the RX 5700XT. But it supports ray tracing, and I can live with that tradeoff.

But the more I read about it, the less sure I am that it's even going to be enjoyable to play Minecraft RTX with this card. I'm going with a 1440p monitor, and according to Tomshardware's test, that kind of resolution seems unplayable with a 2060 Super.

So what do you think? Should I go back to the better 5700XT (and even save myself ~10 USD), or is there a foreseeable future where ray tracing is worth it with a 2060 Super? I'd really appreciate some thoughts or even personal experiences.

For the record, this is the build I have in mind (although it's not the right GPU model - this is the one, but I can't find it on pcpartpicker for some reason).

Thank you.

 

[Nemesia]

Minecraft Ray tracing is beautiful yes BUT you should know that even with a 2080TI GPU in 1440p you have 50 fps. Ray Tracing reduce your FPS by a lot. Maybe on the new RTX 3000 series it will be worth it but if you intend of playing at 1440p with a high refresh rate forget ray tracing.

The RAM you decided to buy are CAS19 RAM. Try going for CAS16 RAM.

 

[Wendigo]

IMHO, buying a 2060 for its ray tracing feature isn't worth it. As said above, it's not really powerful enough to play the handful of currently available game using the feature. And it will certainly not be powerful enough to play future titles making even more usage of ray tracing.

In the end, it's your call. The RTX 2060 is nevertheless a very good card as long as you don't buy it expecting to be able to use it for ray tracing with most titles while keeping a decent framerate.

 

[TheKirk]

The RAM you decided to buy are CAS19 RAM. Try going for CAS16 RAM.

Oh, how important is that? I can get some Ripjaws with CAS16 for ~$30 more - is that worth it?

IMHO, buying a 2060 for its ray tracing feature isn't worth it. As said above, it's not really powerful enough to play the handful of currently available game using the feature. And it will certainly not be powerful enough to play future titles making even more usage of ray tracing.

In the end, it's your call. The RTX 2060 is a very good card as long as you don't buy it expecting to be able use it for ray tracing with most titles while keeping a decent framerate.

Hmm... Yeah, that's what I thought. So for that kind of money I'd be better off with the 5700XT if ray tracing isn't a factor anymore?

 

[Wendigo]

Hmm... Yeah, that's what I thought. So for that kind of money I'd be better off with the 5700XT if ray tracing isn't a factor anymore?

If the main goal is to play games at 1440p without RT, then yes the 5700XT would be a better choice.

 

[TheKirk]

If the main goal is to play games at 1440p without RT, then yes the 5700XT would be a better choice.

TYVM for your input 🙏

 

[sizzling]

For raw performance the 5700xt is the strongest. However there are lot of reports of people having driver issues in various games, you need to consider that.

 

[TheKirk]

For raw performance the 5700xt is the strongest. However there are lot of reports of people having driver issues in various games, you need to consider that.

I'm willing to bet that those issues will be fixed eventually, so I think I'll take my chances. But your input really is appreciated 👊

 

[sizzling]

I'm willing to bet that those issues will be fixed eventually, so I think I'll take my chances. But your input really is appreciated 👊

Agree. 99% of the time they will get resolved. It just can be very frustrating until they are.