NVIDIA GTX 1080 or wait? New full build or upgrade?

[Ransome]

My specs:
X2 Gigabyte G1 Gaming Geforce GTX 980 SLI
Core i5-3570K (running @ 4.2 Ghz auto voltage OC)
Asus Sabertooth Z77 Motherboard
16 GB of G.Skill Ripjaw-X DDR3 1600Mhz (x.m.p profile)
SSD 256GB Crucial M4
HD Western Digital Black 2TB
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14
Case: Corsair CC600T Graphite White Special Edition
PSU: Corsair 850AX Gold
Monitor: Asus ROG SWIFT PG278Q 2560 x 1440p @ 144 MHz + Nvidia G-Sync.
Secondary Screen: 55" TV: Samsung UA55D6400 TV1080p @ 60 MHz -Connected via Pioneer VSX-823-K AV Receiver (Home Theater System)

Simple questions:
Wait for GTX 1080ti, something greater or perhaps a new breed beyond Pascal?

Also upgrade just the GPU or go with a full scale - brand new build?

[Also like to note, I think I will avoid SLI next time - since I am tired of the seeing more and more AAA games without SLI support/profiles - therefore a single powerful GPU with as much "Future-proofness" is important to me. For the same reason, if I make a full new build in the future, I want it to be quite high-end and powerful]

Thank you.

 

[Alan Caldwell]

A brand new build will be good. We need to wait and see the reviews for the GTX 1080.

 

[desecravity]

You really need to examine the maximum performance increase a new build could achieve over your current build versus the cost of doing so. I think the answer is fairly obvious here. I would either ditch one 980ti, or ditch both in favor of the 1080 - although you are going to lose a lot of money and there are no benchmarks to prove its going to be worth it yet.

 

[Ransome]

A brand new build will be good. We need to wait and see the reviews for the GTX 1080.

Yes, the question remains if it's smarter to wait and skip 1080p. Pascal is still in its diapers - grabbing a technology in its early new born stages is rarely a solid pick.
Theres always a 'Ti' version or heck, what comes after Pascal? Maxwell (short lived) - then ca e Pascal - then ??

If there is one thing a guy here in Tom's said and I tend to agree with him - it's that the bane of PC gaming is that Nvidia (and AMD) keep releasing cards with marginal improvements and artificial limitations - then replaced with planned Obsolescence (making former cards obsolete rather quickly and purposfully). That's not a catalyst for us Gamers. Let's not mention the ever growing prices of hardware in general -making building a new build not just a painstaking process logistically wise - finding the right parts from the wrong vendors (sucks here in Israel) - but also a difficult disincouraging process economically.

But yeah, if a new build is the way to go - then I feel waiting for a new line of CPUs, RAM (maybe), GPUs, Mobos, new more demanding games - is the smartMOST EFFICIENT and banf for buck - way to go.
Price and parts are key concern - but I always try to get the very best (highest tier among high end) to keep my rig lasting for many years to come
My current rig is from end 2011/2012 - and it still feels like a brand new rig and I believe capable of running games on optimal settings and 1080/1440p resolutions for a while..

 

[Ransome]

A brand new build will be good. We need to wait and see the reviews for the GTX 1080.

You really need to examine the maximum performance increase a new build could achieve over your current build versus the cost of doing so. I think the answer is fairly obvious here. I would either ditch one 980ti, or ditch both in favor of the 1080 - although you are going to lose a lot of money and there are no benchmarks to prove its going to be worth it yet.

Eh.. I own 2 GTX 980s running in SLI (when supported - thanks a lot Nvidia :/), not 980ti.

What did you mean by ditching one card? To what end? It's not like you can SLI 980 with 1080

Funny because DX12 was said to supposedly allow synergy and "SLI" between cards of different lines - but no news when and if such a thing will happen...

I think there is always a certain regret when a Ti shows up. There is also always something new and stronger just around the corner, with planned limiters possibly, which makes PC gaming a heart-aching hobby.

If Maxwell is anything to go by with, and Pascal will live as long as Maxwell did (roughly a year, give or take?) - then perhaps skipping 1080 altogether is wiser?

I don't know how much hype revolves around 1080, but one thing is certain - replacing your GPU every-time a new one comes out is INEFFICIENT, unproductive, and just unwise. Since I first fired up this rig, I only replaced my cards once (and a half). It started with GTX 670, I totally skipped 700 series and upgraded when Maxwell was stabilized to GTX 980, then bought a 2nd 980 shortly after.

(this would be the 3rd SLI in a long history for me, not in a row of course. I think I will learn my lesson that a single GPU build is better, more reliable and less frustrating than a 2-way SLI setup. You save money, as well as time - since you don't struggle with the SLI functionality or lack of.

Another issue is of course bad porting of games, and in general lack of optimization (GPU/CPU/RAM) - no game seem to make the most out of your rig! While others downright sabotage some parts of it (i.e Dark Souls 3 and CPU issues). It has been like that for years unfortunately. Then there's Nvidia with their disrespect for SLI users, laziness with drivers and so on..
With that said, SLI is DEFINITELY NICE when it works!
I don't regret owning X2 GTX 980.

 

[Ransome]

....So are you for totally making a full new build? Does no one support the upgrade GPU-only route? I know lots of gamers here consider upgrading the GPU by itself.

Any other thoughts about it?
Is someone else pondering an upgrade?

The more I think about it, the more I am certain that upgrading from 980 SLI to 1080 is too early an upgrade. I think it is better to just wait for either the Ti model or for a brand new line - that will shortly follow (1180 or something).

I believe that no matter when you choose to upgrade - and to which card series you choose to upgrade to - it would be better to wait and pick the "final" XXXXTi version (ie 980Ti, 1080Ti, 1180 Ti etc.), they are always more refined and efficient, don't you think?

 

[vae victus]

Skip the 1080 and go for a new build next year headlined by SLIed 1180s. I'm in the same boat, but i dont have as high of standards as you (i have basically the same setup as yours except i run a 970 and game 1080p on a 27inch monitor). I've got plenty of cash to throw around and can afford new builds every year, but i prefer to make it last for 3 years minimum before i shell out (my GPU purchases tend to be on a different timeline). While the 1070/80 is supposed to be liquid drinkable awesome, with your current setup its simply not enough of a upgrade to eat the cost depreciation of reselling those 980s. With the current glut of 970/80/TIs on the market after the new card hysteria youre gonna get killed on reselling em. Hell im actually contemplating buying a 2nd 970 for cheap to SLI for the first time and see if i can make it last for 3 years til i upgrade again (1270 equivalent).

In the end it all comes down to how bad you want the shiniest bling. If you can hold off temptation another year you'll be happy with yourself. Me, gaming on ghetto 1080p will just OC my CPU to 4.4 ghz, OC my GPU, and just call it a day, for 2 years.

 

[JUICEhunter]

You could sell each 980 for $200-$250 and get a 1070 for a more consistent single GPU experience and either pocket the extra cash or get a 1070 with all in one cooling which I know my next GPU will have.

IMO people who go x70 ever 2-3 gens get the most bang for their buck and get to pocket the extra cash for a more effective x70 card down the road which will go a lot further (fps per dollar that is) depending on if they can wait 2-3 gens. I am personally on a every 3 generations ti upgrade path so my 780ti will be replaced with a 1080ti but I know it's not the best bang for the buck. x70 folks can go every other generation if they're not patient and are probably fine.

 

[Ransome]

I actually don't have an option to sell the GPUs, not a reliable one at least, here in Israel. Never sold any hardware for that matter.

Furthermore I personally prefer not to. I can always use the hardware without fully retiring it.
So, If I make a new build - I would use this good current gaming-PC as a secondary rig for plenty of things: In-home "LAN-like" (online, family coop) gaming, as a secondary gaming rig and for work. The system is still rather high-end I believe - there is no reason to dismantle it anytime soon.

 

[maxalge]

I actually don't have an option to sell the GPUs, not a reliable one at least, here in Israel. Never sold any hardware for that matter.

Furthermore I personally prefer not to. I can always use the hardware without fully retiring it.
So, If I make a new build - I would use this good current gaming-PC as a secondary rig for plenty of things: In-home "LAN-like" (online, family coop) gaming, as a secondary gaming rig and for work. The system is still rather high-end I believe - there is no reason to dismantle it anytime soon.

looking at your build, it is pointless replacing anything but the gpus

I believe the 1080 does indeed beat stock 980 sli on it's own already

waiting for the "1080 ti" IMO is the smart choice


and who knows, amd's new offerings could be good as well