Need Advice on GPU upgrade, Radeon R9 290X vs. GTX 980

[The Skynacho]

Essentially I am looking for a recommendation on what GPU to purchase. I am stuck between the R9 290x and the GTX 980 primarily. Getting a 970 and adding a second for SLI down the road also seems like a viable option, although I usually stick with single gpu setups. The other factor here is that I will soon be updating my display, and whether I go with Gsync or Freesync (or neither and just get a 144hz monitor) is very important. Obviously, the Nvidia/G-Sync option would be more expensive, but I could justify that is G-Sync is far and away better than Freesync. Please note the price range below is not factoring the cost of a display.


APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: In the next week or so.

BUDGET RANGE: up to $600 US

USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming/streaming latest games (ie Dying Light. Witcher 3, Battlefield Hardline, etc.)

CURRENT SYSTEM SPECS:
+ CPU: Intel Core i5 3570K 3.40 GHz (Overclocked to 4.2 Ghz)
+ Motherboard: ASUS SABERTOOTH Z77
+ PSU: 750W EVGA SuperNOVA
+ RAM: 16GB Corsair Dominator 1600MHz
+ Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 4G

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: Newegg or Amazon, but any reputable site with a good deal works!

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: U.S.A

PARTS PREFERENCES: Either AMD or Nvidia, really what matters to me is bang for the buck and long term compatibility.

OVERCLOCKING: Maybe

SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Maybe

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1920x1080

 

[jackfrost005]

Gtx 980

 

[BigBadBeef]

Why would it be better than freesync? You need to buy special g-sync monitor for that. Its a money ripoff scheme while for freesync you only need the newest Radeon card and HDMI 2.0.

But still, the GTX 980 is faster!

 

[The Skynacho]

Why would it be better than freesync? You need to buy special g-sync monitor for that. Its a money ripoff scheme while for freesync you only need the newest Radeon card and HDMI 2.0.

But still, the GTX 980 is faster!

I anticipate it will be as good as G-Sync but it's still hard to find rock solid testimonials about freesync, due to it not being "in the wild " yet. My gut says GTX 980 as well, but that choice would pigeon-hole me to a G-Sync monitor further down the road, if I was looking to benefit from the new monitor tech.