MSI Radeon RX 480 Armor OC 8gb vs Sapphire Nitro + RX 480 4GB

[Sgt Gonzo]

Hi guys,

Apologies if this is a stupid question, as it naturally seems to me that the 8gb version should be better, but I'd like to lean on the expert knowledge of you folk here and ask what you think?

In the UK I have found a Nitro + 4gb for £193 and a MSI Armor 8gb for £200. I'm leaning towards the Nitro+ as it seems to have more features and the MSI just looked a bit more bare. This being said, it seems logical for the 8gb version to be the better (and more futureproof card) in terms of performance.

Given that the prices are so similar, would you be able to let me know which would be the best to buy?

My specs:
i5-4690k
Corsair CX 600W
1 x G.Skill 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3
MSI Z97 PC mate
R9 280 Dual x

Thanks all

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

Get the Nitro ,. great card.

 

[TJ Hooker]

For such a small difference in price I'd definitely get the 8GB card over a 4GB one. There will be little performance difference between the Nitro and Armor, but the extra VRAM has the potential to make a significant difference in some cases (and the faster VRAM is nice too). I have the MSI Armor 4GB, works great.

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

I agree , I like the Nitro , but the 8gb is the right choice.

 

[Sgt Gonzo]

Just another quick question guys. I managed to find an MSI GeForce GTX 1060 OC for £15 more than the Armor OC. Would you recommend the 1060 in this case?

Thanks

 

[TJ Hooker]

Depends which games you play. There are a few games where a 1060 performs a fair bit better than a 480 (eg GTA V), so if you play any of those a lot it could be worth it. Otherwise I'd stick with the 8GB Armor card.

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

I'd stick to the 480.

 

[Sgt Gonzo]

Thanks a lot for your help chaps.

I was immensely drawn to the 480 card and was pretty much 99% dead set on purchasing it.

A few members of my online gaming circle persuaded me otherwise. I explained the different factors such as DX12 and Vulkan but got the same response. In the end I did listen to them and purchase the 1060 but I do have a slight feeling I've made the wrong choice. This being said, I'm pretty sure I would have been happy with either card, with the differences being negligible. I guess the 1060 will be cooler, quiter and more efficient at least. Let's see how the next few months turn out.

Thanks again!