R9 380 vs GTX 970 Cost to Value

[Levens]

I'm building a new system. Most likely going with an i7, will be an upper mid grade gaming system at 1080p.

I need to decide on a gpu though. I currently have a GTX750ti that gets tired in new games, that entire old system will be for my son, so theres no salvaging parts.

I fully understand that the GTX970 is FAR superior to the R9 380 in EVERY way.

What I need to decide on, is with the new pascal and polaris coming out, and that I'll need to likely upgrade to them in the next year or two, is the extra $150 worth it in the short term for the GTX970, or will the 380 run games at a pretty good level with minimal problems?

tldr; which card is the best value knowing it'll only last 1-2 years before its replaced?

 

[DustinV]

Gtx 970s currently cost $310 and were the best price to performance card when they cost $350 so now, it is definitely the best choice and very worth it.

 

[Squall3212]

Your in the same predicament as me!

My verdict: R9 380 Sapphire nitro 4gb version is going to run even the most taxing game quite well. there might be a few snags with the newer games/different features etc but it will run them to a high level.

Its cheaper also.

The 970 GTX is a great card, needs no explanation. although i was reading recently that the card having memory issues and loosing frames the more memory is in use. But the driver support is fantastic.

Id pick the R9 380, Cheap and cheerful and packs a punch!

 

[bignastyid]

No real need for an i7 if you are just gaming. An i5 and a 970 or 390 would be better for gaming than an i7 and a 380.

 

[DustinV]

That's the other thing, your gpu should be more expensive then your cpu, if you were to go with the Gtx 970, all you need is an i5 cpu, you will save the extra $100 that you will put into getting the 970 instead of the 380

 

[claykiller2010]

If you're just going to play at 1080p for a year or so, go with the R9 380. I actually just got one for my new system based on that it's cheap and that there will be new GPUs coming out soon so I was gonna replace it anyway. This is my first AMD card and it works great so far. Also, to save even more money,I agree with what the others are saying and go with the i5. That's what I am using and it works fine. No need for a i7 unless you really need it for other applications.

 

[17seconds]

The latest chart from TechPowerUp. It doesn't look like the 380 offers a better value.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/ASUS/GTX_980_Ti_Matrix/25.html

 

[Levens]

No real need for an i7 if you are just gaming. An i5 and a 970 or 390 would be better for gaming than an i7 and a 380.

The full build isnt for just right now, its to accommodate several years into the future. The GPU is the right now issue.

 

[spdragoo]

Yes, the GTX 970 is superior to the R9 380...just as the GTX 970 is superior to the GTX 960. The GTX 970 competes against the R9 390, not the 380.

However...

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-gpus,4380.html

The R9 380 is more than sufficient for gaming at 1080p, & while it doesn't deliver the 970's "maxed-out" performance, it's also much cheaper. Those savings can go towards other parts of your machine. And if you're looking for 1440p performance, then for the same price you'd want the R9 390 instead of the 970.

Unless you're going to do a lot of video editing & streaming a lot of content, an i7 is going to be overkill. Save some money, get an i5, & get the R9 390 (or the GTX 970, if you prefer).