Question Ive been out of the game ...

[madrock]

I haven't updated my PC in a while, and I feel really rusty now, though I want to start with a GPU update. However, with all the options out I have read that if I updated too high up like 2080, my CPU will still be the bottleneck.

With the specs listed below, what's a good upgrade that won't break the bank and give my PC another 3-4 years of life? possibly 1070 or 1070 ti? (Also factoring in a new monitor would be the next upgrade).

And yes I would love to build a new one, but it's not in the cards right now, maybe in 2-3 years.

I primarily play Destiny 2, Witcher 3, and some other APRGS (would like to play them on Ultra).


Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64-bit
CPU
Intel Core i7 6700K @ 4.00GHz 18 °C
Skylake 14nm Technology
RAM
32.0GB Dual-Channel Unknown @ 1076MHz (15-15-15-36)
Motherboard
ASRock Z170 Professional Gaming i7 (CPUSocket) 25 °C
Graphics
S32D850 (2560x1440@59Hz)
4095MB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 (Gigabyte) 26 °C
Storage
465GB Samsung SSD 850 EVO M.2 500GB (SATA (SSD)) 28 °C
3726GB Seagate ST4000DM000-2AE166 (SATA ) 19 °C


Thank you for your time and thoughts!

 

[geofelt]

Your i7-6700K is still a very competent processor.
You can probably overclock it to perform better.
As of 12/04/2016
What percent can get an overclock at a somewhat sane 1.4v Vcore.

I7-6700K
4.9 5%
4.8 21%
4.7 64%
4.6 96%

I think you would get a very nice boost from a GTX1070/ti upgrade.
A GTX1660ti is looking to be an equally good upgrade and a lot cheaper.

Try this test:
Run YOUR games, but lower your resolution and eye candy.
If your FPS increases, it indicates that your cpu is strong enough to drive a better graphics configuration.
If your FPS stays the same, you are likely more cpu limited.

And... A recent windows update has apparently hurt some games including destiny2.
KB4482887 should be uninstalled
View: https://www.reddit.com/r/DestinyTheGame/comments/ax7r8y/problem_with_windows_update_kb4482887_do_not/

 

[cryoburner]

When comparing prices, keep in mind that the recently-launched GTX 1660 Ti generally performs about the same as a 1070, and an RTX 2060 performs about the same as a 1070 Ti. The 2060 also includes support for hardware raytraced lighting effects, though currently only a couple games support them, and they may not be worth enabling due to a large performance hit.

The 1070 and 1070 Ti are last-generation hardware at this point, and while they are still plenty capable compared to the updated offerings, they are no longer being manufactured, and due to the limited supply their prices are no longer particularly competitive. Going by current US online pricing for example, the least expensive 1070s currently start at around $330, and many are even priced hundreds of dollars more than that, while the 1660 Ti offers a similar level of performance starting at around $280. Likewise, the 1070 Ti is currently priced around $500-$600 but only offers a similar level of performance as a 2060, which start at around $350. I would not consider buying a 1070 Ti new at this point when one can get an RTX 2070 for about the same price that will be around 20% faster.

Pricing might be different where you are, but at least in the US, the 1070 and 1070 Ti are no longer worth considering unless perhaps getting them on the used market for considerably less than their 20-series counterparts.

 

[madrock]

Your i7-6700K is still a very competent processor.
You can probably overclock it to perform better.
As of 12/04/2016
What percent can get an overclock at a somewhat sane 1.4v Vcore.

I7-6700K
4.9 5%
4.8 21%
4.7 64%
4.6 96%

I think you would get a very nice boost from a GTX1070/ti upgrade.
A GTX1660ti is looking to be an equally good upgrade and a lot cheaper.

Try this test:
Run YOUR games, but lower your resolution and eye candy.
If your FPS increases, it indicates that your cpu is strong enough to drive a better graphics configuration.
If your FPS stays the same, you are likely more cpu limited.

And... A recent windows update has apparently hurt some games including destiny2.
KB4482887 should be uninstalled
View: https://www.reddit.com/r/DestinyTheGame/comments/ax7r8y/problem_with_windows_update_kb4482887_do_not/

Thank you brother, I'll look into the update and check the FPS on my favs using your advice

 

[madrock]

When comparing prices, keep in mind that the recently-launched GTX 1660 Ti generally performs about the same as a 1070, and an RTX 2060 performs about the same as a 1070 Ti. The 2060 also includes support for hardware raytraced lighting effects, though currently only a couple games support them, and they may not be worth enabling due to a large performance hit.

The 1070 and 1070 Ti are last-generation hardware at this point, and while they are still plenty capable compared to the updated offerings, they are no longer being manufactured, and due to the limited supply their prices are no longer particularly competitive. Going by current US online pricing for example, the least expensive 1070s currently start at around $330, and many are even priced hundreds of dollars more than that, while the 1660 Ti offers a similar level of performance starting at around $280. Likewise, the 1070 Ti is currently priced around $500-$600 but only offers a similar level of performance as a 2060, which start at around $350. I would not consider buying a 1070 Ti new at this point when one can get an RTX 2070 for about the same price that will be around 20% faster.

Pricing might be different where you are, but at least in the US, the 1070 and 1070 Ti are no longer worth considering unless perhaps getting them on the used market for considerably less than their 20-series counterparts.

I was noticing that when looking at the 1070's , I had never considered at RTX 2070, so thank you!

 

[madrock]

Your i7-6700K is still a very competent processor.
You can probably overclock it to perform better.
As of 12/04/2016
What percent can get an overclock at a somewhat sane 1.4v Vcore.

I7-6700K
4.9 5%
4.8 21%
4.7 64%
4.6 96%

I think you would get a very nice boost from a GTX1070/ti upgrade.
A GTX1660ti is looking to be an equally good upgrade and a lot cheaper.

Try this test:
Run YOUR games, but lower your resolution and eye candy.
If your FPS increases, it indicates that your cpu is strong enough to drive a better graphics configuration.
If your FPS stays the same, you are likely more cpu limited.

And... A recent windows update has apparently hurt some games including destiny2.
KB4482887 should be uninstalled
View: https://www.reddit.com/r/DestinyTheGame/comments/ax7r8y/problem_with_windows_update_kb4482887_do_not/

Highest settings i was getting 32 FPS
Lowest settings I am getting 75 FPS

 

[geofelt]

Your test tells me that you will do well with a graphics card upgrade keeping your 6700K

 

[madrock]

I think just having this conversation has caused my existing card to lose its shit, I'm getting blue lines intermittently across my screen

 

[geofelt]

I think just having this conversation has caused my existing card to lose its shit, I'm getting blue lines intermittently across my screen

Your existing card has separation anxiety.

Consider the possibility that your monitor may be failing.
Test with a different monitor if you can,
or test using integrated graphics.

To compare the likely performance of possible graphics upgrades, look at tom's GPU hierarchy chart:
https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gpu-hierarchy,4388.html

Considering the prices, I might think a GTX1660ti would be a good upgrade.

OTOH, my general recommendation is, if in doubt, to buy the strongest graphics card your wallet and conscience will permit.

 

[madrock]

I've got some new HDMI cables coming as well mine are a bit old, so I'll try that as well, in addition to reseating it.

This started when I put together my sit standing desk, so i think it's either the cables, or could it be interference from having the HDMI cables bundled in a raceway with everything else?