Need new videocard, what do you suggest?

[foxybite]

Sadly my Asus GTX 670 burned down after I upgraded the drivers, I'm almost sure because whenever the Nvidia drivers are loaded I get white lines and squares on my screens with multiple driver crash and blue screens...
Anyway now I need a new card and I want to buy something that is an upgrade or at least equal to my GTX670, what do you suggest? Shall I buy a card now or wait for new releases like the GTX960ti? hoping it's going to happen in no more than 2 weeks.
Keep in mind that I usually don't overclock my components in the first years of life, so I prefer something good out of the box.

Thank you

 

[Newbbuilder11]

Sadly my Asus GTX 670 burned down after I upgraded the drivers, I'm almost sure because whenever the Nvidia drivers are loaded I get white lines and squares on my screens with multiple driver crash and blue screens...
Anyway now I need a new card and I want to buy something that is an upgrade or at least equal to my GTX670, what do you suggest? Shall I buy a card now or wait for new releases like the GTX960ti? hoping it's going to happen in no more than 2 weeks.
Keep in mind that I usually don't overclock my components in the first years of life, so I prefer something good out of the box.

Thank you

970 is a good choice of a card.

 

[foxybite]

970 is a good choice of a card.

Do you suggest any particular model/brand ?

 

[Epsilon_0EVP]

To know what is best to recommend, it's best to give a budget. The 970 is indeed an upgrade over the 670, but so are the R9 290X, R9 290, GTX 770, and R9 280X, with many of those being noticeably cheaper. For instance, the R9 290 is marginally less powerful than the 970, but it can be found for up to $100 less.

 

[Newbbuilder11]

970 is a good choice of a card.

Do you suggest any particular model/brand ?

To know what is best to recommend, it's best to give a budget. The 970 is indeed an upgrade over the 670, but so are the R9 290X, R9 290, GTX 770, and R9 280X, with many of those being noticeably cheaper. For instance, the R9 290 is marginally less powerful than the 970, but it can be found for up to $100 less.

I prefer the Zotac amp!

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/zotac-video-card-zt9010710p

Has a 1.23 ghz clock speed.

 

[Epsilon_0EVP]

I prefer the Zotac amp!

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/zotac-video-card-zt9010710p

Has a 1.23 ghz clock speed.

This R9 290 is $100 cheaper, while being marginally slower than the 970, and still an upgrade over the 670. In fact, most 290's I can find are well under the price of that 970.

 

[foxybite]

To know what is best to recommend, it's best to give a budget. The 970 is indeed an upgrade over the 670, but so are the R9 290X, R9 290, GTX 770, and R9 280X, with many of those being noticeably cheaper. For instance, the R9 290 is marginally less powerful than the 970, but it can be found for up to $100 less.

I live in Italy so I get prices between 290-315€ for the R9 290, 330-390€ for the GTX 970 an so on... I'm not sure I if I want to spend more than 300 since I spent that amount for my GTX 670 in 2012 and it lasted less than 3 years, ok that it was bad luck, but I was expecting a longer duration. Anyway my goal is to get an equal or better experience compared to my gtx670 and if buying something over 300€ now is better than waiting 1 or 2 weeks hoping in the 960ti release, I may manage to spend that kind of money, but since it's an unplanned purchase, lower price is always good.

 

[Epsilon_0EVP]

I live in Italy so I get prices between 290-315€ for the R9 290, 330-390€ for the GTX 970 an so on... I'm not sure I if I want to spend more than 300 since I spent that amount for my GTX 670 in 2012 and it lasted less than 3 years, ok that it was bad luck, but I was expecting a longer duration. Anyway my goal is to get an equal or better experience compared to my gtx670 and if buying something over 300€ now is better than waiting 1 or 2 weeks hoping in the 960ti release, I may manage to spend that kind of money, but since it's an unplanned purchase, lower price is always good.

I see. If you just want to match your 670 (as this is an emergency replacement), you can save even more money going with a cheaper card. The R9 280X and GTX 770 are slightly more powerful than the 670, and they should be cheaper than the 290 or 970. If you want to go even cheaper, the GTX 760, GTX 960, R9 280, and R9 285 are around the performance of the 670, and the price should be lower.

Of course, as you mentioned, you can always wait for the 960 Ti. But I find waiting for the next best card (specially when they have not even been confirmed to exist) is always a never-ending cycle. I'd rather just get whatever card is best when I need it.

 

[foxybite]

This R9 290 is $100 cheaper, while being marginally slower than the 970, and still an upgrade over the 670. In fact, most 290's I can find are well under the price of that 970.

To me the biggest letdown of the R9s is that they require double the power of the GTX, the 670 required 170W at max, while the R9 290 requires 300W at max and the 900 series requires less than 150W

 

[Epsilon_0EVP]

This R9 290 is $100 cheaper, while being marginally slower than the 970, and still an upgrade over the 670. In fact, most 290's I can find are well under the price of that 970.

To me the biggest letdown of the R9s is that they require double the power of the GTX, the 670 required 170W at max, while the R9 290 requires 300W at max and the 900 series requires less than 150W

Remember that this is because Nvidia has been focusing on efficiency the last few generations, while AMD still hasn't focused so much on that. They are starting to do that now; the Tonga GPU in the 285 is noticeably more efficient than the 280, for example. They do have a long way to go, but they're getting there.

Also, comparing the 970 to the 290 is somewhat unfair, since the 970 is one series ahead of the 290. The 290 is still more power-hungry than the 780, though, so your point still holds. In the end, while I find efficiency is nice, it is rarely a deal-breaker. And since the entire industry is moving towards more efficiency now, that won't be an issue for long.

 

[foxybite]

Remember that this is because Nvidia has been focusing on efficiency the last few generations, while AMD still hasn't focused so much on that. They are starting to do that now; the Tonga GPU in the 285 is noticeably more efficient than the 280, for example. They do have a long way to go, but they're getting there.

Also, comparing the 970 to the 290 is somewhat unfair, since the 970 is one series ahead of the 290. The 290 is still more power-hungry than the 780, though, so your point still holds. In the end, while I find efficiency is nice, it is rarely a deal-breaker. And since the entire industry is moving towards more efficiency now, that won't be an issue for long.

Thank you, you are really helping me through the decision process! Now I'm looking at prices of 770s but the only one I can find is the ASUS poseidon for 320€ that is 30€ less than MSI/Gigabyte OCed GTX 970.
What about the compatibility with future dx12, is the R9 200 series good for that? As far as I know for Nvidia all cards >GTX480 are compatible e getting the best results over ati

 

[Epsilon_0EVP]

Thank you, you are really helping me through the decision process! Now I'm looking at prices of 770s but the only one I can find is the ASUS poseidon for 320€ that is 30€ less than MSI/Gigabyte OCed GTX 970.
What about the compatibility with future dx12, is the R9 200 series good for that? As far as I know for Nvidia all cards >GTX480 are compatible e getting the best results over ati

The Poseidon card is a hybrid water/air cooling card. Definitely not something we want for a replacement

All R9 200 series cards are also compatible with DX12. You'd be hard-pressed to find any graphics card today that isn't DX12 compatible, actually. So any of the 280X, 280, and 285 are DX12 compatible.

 

[nostall]

ALL the cards being suggested are excellent choices. Glad I don't have to make the decision.
Just thought I would throw this out for consideration: Keep in mind the power requirements for these various cards. Do you have a good enough and powerful enough PSU to do the job of powering everything.

 

[foxybite]

ALL the cards being suggested are excellent choices. Glad I don't have to make the decision.
Just thought I would throw this out for consideration: Keep in mind the power requirements for these various cards. Do you have a good enough and powerful enough PSU to do the job of powering everything.

I have a Corsair HX650 and I think it was enough for my old 670, that's why I'm looking for something of the same consumption range or less.

 

[Epsilon_0EVP]

I have a Corsair HX650 and I think it was enough for my old 670, that's why I'm looking for something of the same consumption range or less.

That's manufactured by SeaSonic for Corsair, so it should be a good quality unit. I don't think you need to worry about the power consumption either, since 650W is enough for even flagship cards in most cases.

 

[foxybite]

The Poseidon card is a hybrid water/air cooling card. Definitely not something we want for a replacement

All R9 200 series cards are also compatible with DX12. You'd be hard-pressed to find any graphics card today that isn't DX12 compatible, actually. So any of the 280X, 280, and 285 are DX12 compatible.

Yeah, but seems that in major online shops that's the only 770 I can find. There's an ASUS for 280 € in a minor shop, but I don't know if I should trust them.
Anyway just for guideline If i had to buy a 970, what should I pick between MSI and Gigabyte? They are already a little over the budget and the Asus Strix is just too much. For the MSI there's is also the single fan version that costs less.
The AMD alternative might be this one ASUS R9 290

 

[Epsilon_0EVP]

Yeah, but seems that in major online shops that's the only 770 I can find. There's an ASUS for 280 € in a minor shop, but I don't know if I should trust them.
Anyway just for guideline If i had to buy a 970, what should I pick between MSI and Gigabyte? They are already a little over the budget and the Asus Strix is just too much. For the MSI there's is also the single fan version that costs less.
The AMD alternative might be this one ASUS R9 290

That's too bad; the 770 would have been a great deal here. I'd still look for the 280X, since it's very similar in power (just from AMD instead).

Honestly, the three 970's you posted are all pretty darn similar. There are usually very little differences between third party graphics cards. I'd just get the cheaper one, or if one of them has a game bundle you want it might be worth looking at (but I don't think there are any bundles going on right now).

The 290 is an interesting alternative. Your PSU can definitely handle it, but we would have to worry a bit more about ventilation, since it does run hotter. I would consider that card as a solid possibility, but make sure your case has good airflow for it.

 

[foxybite]

That's too bad; the 770 would have been a great deal here. I'd still look for the 280X, since it's very similar in power (just from AMD instead).

Honestly, the three 970's you posted are all pretty darn similar. There are usually very little differences between third party graphics cards. I'd just get the cheaper one, or if one of them has a game bundle you want it might be worth looking at (but I don't think there are any bundles going on right now).

The 290 is an interesting alternative. Your PSU can definitely handle it, but we would have to worry a bit more about ventilation, since it does run hotter. I would consider that card as a solid possibility, but make sure your case has good airflow for it.

There are also slightly cheaper models of brands like Gainward and Palit...
At this point I think I made my choice and probably I'm going with one of these 970 ... Do you have any info about the quality of customer support of all these brands? (MSI and gigabyte included)... I mean is there someone with better warranty from producer or things like that?

For now I leave you a big THANK YOU for your precious help

 

[Epsilon_0EVP]

There are also slightly cheaper models of brands like Gainward and Palit...
At this point I think I made my choice and probably I'm going with one of these 970 ... Do you have any info about the quality of customer support of all these brands? (MSI and gigabyte included)... I mean is there someone with better warranty from producer or things like that?

For now I leave you a big THANK YOU for your precious help

A lot of brands are very well-known for their support. EVGA, for example, is legendarily good, even replacing graphics cards if you overclocked them badly or sending people a newer graphics card as replacement for the one they sent in. If you can find an EVGA card at a good price and you are worried about support, it's hard to go wrong with them.

Other brands are not bad by any means, though. Asus also has a pretty solid reputation for their graphics cards. MSI and Gigabyte are bigger brands, so they also have a good reputation. The smaller brands, like Palit, Galax, PNY, Zotac, and so forth, still make very solid products (and usually at cheaper prices), but their costumer support is not as famous as some of the other brands. Still some of them even offer lifetime warranty, which is pretty danr good.

In all honesty, it's hard to go wrong with any modern graphics card manufacturer. EVGA, Asus, MSI, and Gigabyte do have a very good reputation, but I wouldn't overlook the other brands so easily.

 

[nostall]

The Poseidon card is a hybrid water/air cooling card. Definitely not something we want for a replacement

All R9 200 series cards are also compatible with DX12. You'd be hard-pressed to find any graphics card today that isn't DX12 compatible, actually. So any of the 280X, 280, and 285 are DX12 compatible.

Yeah, but seems that in major online shops that's the only 770 I can find. There's an ASUS for 280 € in a minor shop, but I don't know if I should trust them.
Anyway just for guideline If i had to buy a 970, what should I pick between MSI and Gigabyte? They are already a little over the budget and the Asus Strix is just too much. For the MSI there's is also the single fan version that costs less.
The AMD alternative might be this one ASUS R9 290

That's too bad; the 770 would have been a great deal here. I'd still look for the 280X, since it's very similar in power (just from AMD instead).

Honestly, the three 970's you posted are all pretty darn similar. There are usually very little differences between third party graphics cards. I'd just get the cheaper one, or if one of them has a game bundle you want it might be worth looking at (but I don't think there are any bundles going on right now).

The 290 is an interesting alternative. Your PSU can definitely handle it, but we would have to worry a bit more about ventilation, since it does run hotter. I would consider that card as a solid possibility, but make sure your case has good airflow for it.

There are also slightly cheaper models of brands like Gainward and Palit...
At this point I think I made my choice and probably I'm going with one of these 970 ... Do you have any info about the quality of customer support of all these brands? (MSI and gigabyte included)... I mean is there someone with better warranty from producer or things like that?

For now I leave you a big THANK YOU for your precious help

I have no info about customer service for MSI nor Gigabyte. I have had Gainward cards, a long time ago, and there service was o.k. I now try to stick to EVGA for video cards as I have had really superior service and help from them; with that in mind, this is a little more then the Gigabyte, but it exhaust the hot air out the back of the case rather then spreading it inside It is also shorter then the Gigabyte.
http://www.e-key.it/prod-vga-evga-nvidia-nvidia-geforce-gtx-970-superclocked-4gb-core-11401279mhz-memory-gddr5-4gb-dvi-hdmi-dp-59141.htm
If the heat dissipation is NOT an issue for you, nor room in the case, then then the Gigabyte is the one that will run the coolest.

 

[foxybite]

I have no info about customer service for MSI nor Gigabyte. I have had Gainward cards, a long time ago, and there service was o.k. I now try to stick to EVGA for video cards as I have had really superior service and help from them; with that in mind, this is a little more then the Gigabyte, but it exhaust the hot air out the back of the case rather then spreading it inside It is also shorter then the Gigabyte.
http://www.e-key.it/prod-vga-evga-nvidia-nvidia-geforce-gtx-970-superclocked-4gb-core-11401279mhz-memory-gddr5-4gb-dvi-hdmi-dp-59141.htm
If the heat dissipation is NOT an issue for you, nor room in the case, then then the Gigabyte is the one that will run the coolest.

I keep everything inside a HAF 912 with 3 fans (1 in, 2 out) and the one on the top is really big, so the heat should not be a problem.
Anyway I'm trying the last effort with ASUS support and Nvidia forum to verify that there's nothing else to do with my 670 and then I can proceed with the purchase

 

[Epsilon_0EVP]

I keep everything inside a HAF 912 with 3 fans (1 in, 2 out) and the one on the top is really big, so the heat should not be a problem.
Anyway I'm trying the last effort with ASUS support and Nvidia forum to verify that there's nothing else to do with my 670 and then I can proceed with the purchase

You probably won't have issues with a HAF case for any of the cards we mentioned Good luck!