MSI 970 vs. Gigabyte 980 for a new build

[taltool24198]

Hey guys.
I'm currently starting to work on my build (4770K \ 750W 80+ Gold RM750 so far), and I'm contemplating what GPU to get.

I have two options:
Twin Frozr V GTX970 - 550$ USD,
Or the Gigabyte GTX980 - 820$ USD.

That's the lowest price I can find those cards here in Israel, so far.

Couldn't find many, if any comparisons of the 970 and 980, and Im wondering if the near-300$ price increase of the 980 is worth it. The 970 is a great deal, but will SLI be good enough later on, and is the PSU capable of handling 2 cards? Is SLI stable enough, supported enough, and efficient enough?

Thank you!

 

[dish_moose]

10-15 % gain from 970 to 980. If you were only doing one card - 980. Sli 970. Als0, there are better cpu/psu combos. 4790(k) and EVGA, XFX, Seasonic....
-Bruce

 

[taltool24198]

10-15 % gain from 970 to 980. If you were only doing one card - 980. Sli 970. Als0, there are better cpu/psu combos. 4790(k) and EVGA, XFX, Seasonic....
-Bruce

I don't know if the 970 will last me long enough on max settings / 144 Hz. My current 7970GHz is kind of not putting up with games anymore.

I can only get the Gigabyte and the MSI 900's. There's a really limited supply here in Israel.
Also, I chose Corsair, because they get really good reviews, and the comparable SeaSonic is 660W and costs 3 dollars less than the Corsair. Good bang for the buck, I think.

Would you reccomend a 4770K or 4790K, for gaming?

 

[cowboydude99]

The 4770k is more than enough.

My opinion is to go with 970 for now. Sli later on.

I plan to do that. The 980 sli is way too expensive for its performance.

Your PSU is fine.

 

[dish_moose]

4790K will have better cooling. Get a decent cpu cooler - even hyper 212 evo will do. Most people get at least 4.5-4.6Ghz OC. The 7970 is still a good card - not sure how much improvement you will see going to the 970. The 970 will beat the 780 - I guess it depends on which games you play. The 970 SLI will certainly work.
-Bruce

 

[cowboydude99]

I see some solid gains from my 7970 to a 970.

15-20fps increase using the same settings.

 

[taltool24198]

I see some solid gains from my 7970 to a 970.

15-20fps increase using the same settings.

On what game, and from what FPS? If it's from 60, that's wonderful. If it's from 144, it's not much

 

[cowboydude99]

For example:
Tomb Raider from 40 to 55-60

Shadow of Mordor from 45 to 60+

The witcher 2 from 40 to 55-60

 

[taltool24198]

For example:
Tomb Raider from 40 to 55-60

Shadow of Mordor from 45 to 60+

The witcher 2 from 40 to 55-60

That's a pretty large increasment!

 

[dish_moose]

Good, but not where you want to be for a 144 Hz monitor.
-Bruce

 

[taltool24198]

Good, but not where you want to be for a 144 Hz monitor.
-Bruce

I'm not expecting to run Battlefield games on max and 144, but things like simracing and counterstrike, where the FPS really matters. What would you reccomend for a 1080P 144 Hz gaming experience?

 

[dish_moose]

If you are not going to go SLI 970s - a single 980 would be my choice. This will allow SLI 980s in the future. Too bad you don't have somebody from the US coming to visit.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814487069&cm_re=GTX_970-_-14-487-069-_-Product
-Bruce