Question Is this upgrade worth doing ?

[Imacflier]

Hi, All,

In your opinion, is it worth me spending $400 to upgrade from a Gigabyte RTX 3080 Waterforce to an MSI RTX 3090 TI + Phanetics [Phanteks?] Waterblock for 4k gaming? All other things held equal.

I need to make a final configuration decision before I begin the build. Easiest to stay with what I have....will it be worth the delay, hassle, and $400 to change to a 3090 Ti ?

TIA

LARRY

 

[helpstar]

CPU and Ram?
PSU?

 

[geofelt]

Worth is something only YOU can determine.
If you have the budget, buy the better card.
If you don't, you will forever be second guessing yourself about the decision.

 

[artk2219]

Hi, All,

In your opinion, is it worth me spending $400 to upgrade from a Gigabyte RTX 3080 Waterforce to an MSI RTX 3090 TI + Phanetics [Phanteks?] Waterblock for 4k gaming? All other things held equal.

I need to make a final configuration decision before I begin the build. Easiest to stay with what I have....will it be worth the delay, hassle, and $400 to change to the 3090ti?

TIA

LARRY

Eh, its your call, its right at that minimum viable improvement range of 25 - 30%, and you should shoot for at least a 50% improvement for it to be a pretty noticeable upgrade. However in this case you would also be getting more than 10GB of VRAM, which will be helpful in newer games. I'd say if you can save up a little more and pickup an RX 7900 XTX, 9070 XT, or RTX 5070 TI, 4080 (super) you would notice a bigger improvement. Ive attached an RX 9060 XT review because it has all of those cards in there for reference.

https://www.techpowerup.com/review/sapphire-radeon-rx-9060-xt-pulse-oc/33.html

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

Hi, All,

In your opinion, is it worth $400 to upgrade from a Gigabyte RTX 3080 Waterforce to an MSI RTX 3090 TI + Phanetics Waterblock for 4k gaming? All other things held equal.

I need to make a final configuration decision before I begin the build. Easiest to stay with what I have....will it be worth the delay, hassle, and $400 to change to the 3090ti?

TIA

LARRY

An angle maybe to look at is, do you keep the 3080? If so, then by selling it, you will cut the cost down considerably. So instead of $400, it's more like $100. In which case, there is good value to be had.

 

[Imacflier]

An angle maybe to look at is, do you keep the 3080? If so, then by selling it, you will cut the cost down considerably. So instead of $400, it's more like $100. In which case, there is good value to be had.

A good point. However, I have already taken that into account: the RTX 3090TI + Waterblock is $800; RTX 3080's (though not Waterforce and not "open box") are selling this month for about $400, so I am looking at about $400 net.

On the "Do the upgrade" side: Much more Vram, Slightly faster card, Not likely to see this kind of 'deal' again soon.

On the "Don't do it" side: Delay waiting for parts, Risk of a used card, Risk of installing the waterblock.

Does ANYONE think I will see a significant performance difference between the two cards?

Or is it smartest to use the 3080 until a 5080 or 5090 comes along?

BTW thanks to all who responded...it really is appreciated.

Larry

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

so I am looking at about $400 net.

Aha! OK. In that case, it's a 50/50 really. As suggested already the value or worth is yours to figure. If does what you want and you can justify the cost, then ok. The 3090 ti is a mich better card for sure. $400 worth, I don't know.

 

[VizzieTheViz]

3090ti is better of course but a 3080 is no slouch. I’d personally be inclined to replace the 3080 with something significantly faster and more modern somewhere down the line than to spend double the amount for far less than double the performance.

 

[punkncat]

Considering that the 3090ti is roughly on par with the RX7800XT, close to the 4070 the only real advantage I see is VRAM but also offset by age and the fact that it is (presumably) used at that price.

IDK, this is a tough one.

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gpu-hierarchy,4388-2.html

 

[artk2219]

A good point. However, I have already taken that into account: the RTX 3090TI + Waterblock is $800; RTX 3080's (though not Waterforce and not "open box") are selling this month for about $400, so I am looking at about $400 net.

On the "Do the upgrade" side: Much more Vram, Slightly faster card, Not likely to see this kind of 'deal' again soon.

On the "Don't do it" side: Delay waiting for parts, Risk of a used card, Risk of installing the waterblock.

Does ANYONE think I will see a significant performance difference between the two cards?

Or is it smartest to use the 3080 until a 5080 or 5090 comes along?

BTW thanks to all who responded...it really is appreciated.

Larry

Its not worth it for 800, for 800 you could get a faster card. A used RX 7900 XTX or new RX 9070 XT or RTX 5070 TI.

 

[Imacflier]

OK, you have convinced me! The sheer volume of replies make it clear to me that keeping the 3080 and upgrading later only if it proves inadequate @ 4K after using it for a while !

I can't really award a Best Answer, since it is the cumulative effect of ALL the participants so you will have to be satisfied with my heartfelt thanks for your answers.

Larry

 

[logainofhades]

$800 definitely better off getting a 9070xt. Latest drivers have actually improved performance vs day 1 reviews, and now matches a 5070ti, except in titles heavily favoring Nvidia. New 50 series super cards are coming too.

 

[Third-Eye]

Considering that the 3090ti is roughly on par with the RX7800XT, close to the 4070 the only real advantage I see is VRAM but also offset by age and the fact that it is (presumably) used at that price.

IDK, this is a tough one.

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gpu-hierarchy,4388-2.html

I know this is a Tomhardware forum, but this hierarchy chart is actually way off in real world performance and can't really be trusted for comparing GPUs, because it doesn't take into account newly ran benchmarking data with newer driver versions and other factors like the CPU being used.

The 3090 TI is about a 4070 Ti or 7900GRE/XT in performance. The closest current gen cards would be the RTX 5070 and RX 9070 non XT, but those are both more similar to a 3090 or 4070 Super in performance. The 7800 XT is nearly exactly the same in performance as the 6800 XT and RTX 3080/4070

 

[Imacflier]

Let me know what games you're playing or what your full setup is—there might be better upgrade paths!

Well, its like this: before disability forced me into retirement, I was an engineer. I had money but no time and now I have time but no money <sigh>. Fortunately, over the years I gathered a lot of parts which were the best available at the time (now rather obsolete, of course).

With that, and with the invaluable opinions and knowledge of the Forum, here is what it looks like I will be building, with comments and making maximum use of that stash of parts, of course.

Monitor: Samsung 49" Odyssey OLED (G93SC) Series Curved Gaming Monitor w/ QD-OLED, 240Hz, 0.03ms This is the last thing I bought before I retired and I do not think any better monitor is available.

Major Constraints: This must be an ITX build with a custom loop. See GPU, also available space.

PSU: Corsair SF1000 This should be more than ample for the anticipated CPU and GPU.

CPU: I9-9900KS Probably the weakest component of the bunch! At the time, this was the most powerful consumer CPU available. Now , not so much. Unfortunately, making a change to more appropriate14th Gen CPU
would result in a large number of ripple effect changes and cumulatively price me out.

GPU: Gigabyte RTX3080 Waterforce. I think we have discussed this to death, but it does ripple effect lead to a custom loop.

RAM: KingBank 32 GB, 4000 MHz, RGB. Fastest DDR4 RAM I have come across. I have no interest in the RGB, but it came as part of the package.

Motherboard: Gigabyte Z390I Aorus Pro WiFi. This comes from the good old parts drawer, supports the CPU and GPU and RAM and has two m2 slots for storage (See below) and I have had nothing but good luck with Gigabyte products.

System Drive: 4 TB NVMe. I bought half a dozen of these from AliExpress. They are certainly not the fastest drives....but they are definitely MUCH faster and more reliable than any spinning drive!

Storage Drive: 4 TB NVME.

Cooling Solution: Apogee Drive II paired with an Alphacool NexXxoS Monsta Full Copper 200mm x 200mm x 95mm Radiator and an Noctua NF-A20 PWM chromax fan. This combination is sufficient to cool 1600 Watts, far in excess of requirements.

Chassis: A custom solution layed out like a breadboard on my pull out keyboard tray.

I think that is everything.

What would you do differently without driving the cost into the stratosphere?

Larry

 

[CyberFlash]

What would you do differently without driving the cost into the stratosphere?

I would spend the extra amount for a new 4070 super instead since it's a superb value for money gpu and suits your needs nicely. Dlss 4 plus Frame gen can brighten up your world.

 

[Hasselblad]

Can I ask a genuine, yes genuine question please

What do people see in gaming, I have no interest whatsoever

However my Autistic son (to know him you would never know) is 32, it is his life

 

[logainofhades]

Any particular reason why this has to be custom loop? Frankly speaking, they are typically a nice to have, and not a need to have.

 

[Dean0919]

I wouldn't, because different won't be very big. If you're not happy with your 3080 then you should get more powerful card that will give you bigger difference.

 

[Dean0919]

Can I ask a genuine, yes genuine question please

What do people see in gaming, I have no interest whatsoever

However my Autistic son (to know him you would never know) is 32, it is his life

Oh, this is such a weird question... Everyone has their hobbies. Someone likes music, someone loves watching movies everyday and some people like sports. For example I find sports boring and not interesting at all. So, it's all about individual person and their interests. You might find games boring and be a soccer fan, while I might like games and find soccer boring thing to watch.

 

[Eximo]

Can I ask a genuine, yes genuine question please

What do people see in gaming, I have no interest whatsoever

However my Autistic son (to know him you would never know) is 32, it is his life

So many ways to answer that, and Autism is a spectrum and not a single defined existence.

I would say the best answer there would be to ask them what they like. Or just get them talking about the subject and see what you can learn from that.

A few common factoids:
Playing video games can offer an instant dopamine response, which can be addictive. This comes in all forms from first person shooters to games that have literal gambling/lootbox mechanisms. This also ties into the common association between ADHD and Autism. Video games offer a quick return on effort that isn't readily available in other hobbies.
Some game types can be an outlet for perfectionism/OCD behaviors.
Games have stories/settings that people become obsessed with.
It can be a way to communicate with people without having to directly deal with personal things. Easy to talk to people about Pokemon or something, but not relate to everyday things.
Simple escapism. Many autistic people deal with severe anxiety and playing games can be a distraction.

 

[Imacflier]

Any particular reason why this has to be custom loop? Frankly speaking, they are typically a nice to have, and not a need to have.

Can't cool an RTX 3080 Waterforce any other way, so might as well cool the CPU at the same time.

 

[logainofhades]

The original question posed was getting a 3090 in place of the 3080. The money spent to get a custom loop working, you could easily get better/newer hardware was my line of thinking.

 

[Imacflier]

The original question posed was getting a 3090 in place of the 3080. The money spent to get a custom loop working, you could easily get better/newer hardware was my line of thinking.

Actually the original question was an RTX 3090 with an included waterblock.

Larry

 

[thestryker]

I know this is a Tomhardware forum, but this hierarchy chart is actually way off in real world performance and can't really be trusted for comparing GPUs, because it doesn't take into account newly ran benchmarking data with newer driver versions and other factors like the CPU being used.

The 3090 TI is about a 4070 Ti or 7900GRE/XT in performance. The closest current gen cards would be the RTX 5070 and RX 9070 non XT, but those are both more similar to a 3090 or 4070 Super in performance. The 7800 XT is nearly exactly the same in performance as the 6800 XT and RTX 3080/4070

The hierarchy shows exactly that (highlighted part of your post) if you look at 4K performance like the OP is referring to. For lower resolutions the CPU matters a lot more though so definitely agree on that once you get to a certain level of GPU performance (imo around 4070/3080) one has to be more mindful.

 

[CyberFlash]

Can I ask a genuine, yes genuine question please

What do people see in gaming, I have no interest whatsoever

However my Autistic son (to know him you would never know) is 32, it is his life

It helps you act like you are in another world and live your fantasies to a certain extent. Controlling other characters gives you a special adrenaline rush which isn't easy to find. Gaming can light up your world as long as you focus on the fun aspect the most.