Second 780 or 290x

[Bollo3532]

I Run at 1440p and am looking to play witcher 3. I have 1 780 but looking at bench marks the 780 preforms horribly in it. I have about 300 dollars to spend but i am not sure if i should try getting a second 780 or an r9 290x. i could get an 290x for around 200 but a 780 will cost me around 300 plus. any suggestions for what i should do?

 

[turkey3_scratch]

The 290x is barely an upgrade from the 780 - it'd be a waste of money. I'd get another 780.

 

[Bollo3532]

The 290x is barely an upgrade from the 780 - it'd be a waste of money. I'd get another 780.

In most games yes it is barrely an up grade but in witcher 3 the bench marks are showing it is almost 50% more. For example one bench mark showing 1080p the 290x gets 47 fps but the 780 only gets 32. A 50% incrase would be 48 so it is almost 50%. I am not sure how much better a second 780 would be then a 290x. Here is the bench markhttp://api.viglink.com/api/click?format=go&jsonp=vglnk_143303835976611&key=4d2fc1107481092ac96eb10f8fa4bc15&libId=iabsteh80100qcm0000DLb1minfj7&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gamersnexus.net%2Fgame-bench%2F1947-witcher-3-pc-graphics-card-fps-benchmark&v=1&out=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.gamersnexus.net%2Fimages%2Fmedia%2F2015%2Fgame-bench%2Fwitcher-bench-1080-u.jpg&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&title=The%20Witcher%203%20Video%20Card%20Benchmark%20-%20Poor%20Software%20Optimization%20by%20CDPR%20%7C%20Gamers%20Nexus%20-%20Gaming%20PC%20Builds%20%26%20Hardware%20Benchmarks&txt=

 

[hotter-than-Vishera]

The 290x is barely an upgrade from the 780 - it'd be a waste of money. I'd get another 780.

In most games yes it is barrely an up grade but in witcher 3 the bench marks are showing it is almost 50% more. For example one bench mark showing 1080p the 290x gets 47 fps but the 780 only gets 32. A 50% incrase would be 48 so it is almost 50%. I am not sure how much better a second 780 would be then a 290x. Here is the bench markhttp://api.viglink.com/api/click?format=go&jsonp=vglnk_143303835976611&key=4d2fc1107481092ac96eb10f8fa4bc15&libId=iabsteh80100qcm0000DLb1minfj7&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gamersnexus.net%2Fgame-bench%2F1947-witcher-3-pc-graphics-card-fps-benchmark&v=1&out=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.gamersnexus.net%2Fimages%2Fmedia%2F2015%2Fgame-bench%2Fwitcher-bench-1080-u.jpg&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&title=The%20Witcher%203%20Video%20Card%20Benchmark%20-%20Poor%20Software%20Optimization%20by%20CDPR%20%7C%20Gamers%20Nexus%20-%20Gaming%20PC%20Builds%20%26%20Hardware%20Benchmarks&txt=

What's your CPU and motherboard? Let's remember, too, SLI scaling. I think the 780s get 50-60% in dual SLI scaling, so getting a 2nd 780 would be the same as getting an R9 290X if the benchmark is correct. But a system with plenty of PCIE lanes or a good CPU would scale SLI better, in theory.

 

[Bollo3532]

The 290x is barely an upgrade from the 780 - it'd be a waste of money. I'd get another 780.

In most games yes it is barrely an up grade but in witcher 3 the bench marks are showing it is almost 50% more. For example one bench mark showing 1080p the 290x gets 47 fps but the 780 only gets 32. A 50% incrase would be 48 so it is almost 50%. I am not sure how much better a second 780 would be then a 290x. Here is the bench markhttp://api.viglink.com/api/click?format=go&jsonp=vglnk_143303835976611&key=4d2fc1107481092ac96eb10f8fa4bc15&libId=iabsteh80100qcm0000DLb1minfj7&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gamersnexus.net%2Fgame-bench%2F1947-witcher-3-pc-graphics-card-fps-benchmark&v=1&out=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.gamersnexus.net%2Fimages%2Fmedia%2F2015%2Fgame-bench%2Fwitcher-bench-1080-u.jpg&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&title=The%20Witcher%203%20Video%20Card%20Benchmark%20-%20Poor%20Software%20Optimization%20by%20CDPR%20%7C%20Gamers%20Nexus%20-%20Gaming%20PC%20Builds%20%26%20Hardware%20Benchmarks&txt=

What's your CPU and motherboard? Let's remember, too, SLI scaling. I think the 780s get 50-60% in dual SLI scaling, so getting a 2nd 780 would be the same as getting an R9 290X if the benchmark is correct. But a system with plenty of PCIE lanes or a good CPU would scale SLI better, in theory.

4670k in an asus maximus 6 extreme motherboard

 

[hotter-than-Vishera]

The 290x is barely an upgrade from the 780 - it'd be a waste of money. I'd get another 780.

In most games yes it is barrely an up grade but in witcher 3 the bench marks are showing it is almost 50% more. For example one bench mark showing 1080p the 290x gets 47 fps but the 780 only gets 32. A 50% incrase would be 48 so it is almost 50%. I am not sure how much better a second 780 would be then a 290x. Here is the bench markhttp://api.viglink.com/api/click?format=go&jsonp=vglnk_143303835976611&key=4d2fc1107481092ac96eb10f8fa4bc15&libId=iabsteh80100qcm0000DLb1minfj7&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gamersnexus.net%2Fgame-bench%2F1947-witcher-3-pc-graphics-card-fps-benchmark&v=1&out=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.gamersnexus.net%2Fimages%2Fmedia%2F2015%2Fgame-bench%2Fwitcher-bench-1080-u.jpg&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&title=The%20Witcher%203%20Video%20Card%20Benchmark%20-%20Poor%20Software%20Optimization%20by%20CDPR%20%7C%20Gamers%20Nexus%20-%20Gaming%20PC%20Builds%20%26%20Hardware%20Benchmarks&txt=

What's your CPU and motherboard? Let's remember, too, SLI scaling. I think the 780s get 50-60% in dual SLI scaling, so getting a 2nd 780 would be the same as getting an R9 290X if the benchmark is correct. But a system with plenty of PCIE lanes or a good CPU would scale SLI better, in theory.

4670k in an asus maximus 6 extreme motherboard

So that means that the SLI scaling will not be too much, probably about 50%. However the GTX 900 series has been out for quite some time now, and the GTX 700 series is largely phased out. For example, on Newegg, you cannot purchase a new GTX 780 anymore. They are all refurbished or open box. So regardless you probably don't want to get another 780, getting a different card will be a must unless you don't mind refurb'd models.

Most reasonable R9 290Xs go for between $300-350. With that in mind, you might want to go for a GTX 970 as it's a more modern model with better heat dissipation and power consumption. Also we all know how The Witcher 3 is a lot more Nvidia-friendly than AMD-friendly. For this case the GTX 970 may be equal to if not better than an R9 290X, and Nvidia has proven to have better driver support than AMD at any rate in case you want to 970 SLI in the future (which is a more cost efficient option than a GTX 980), particularly in multi-GPU setups. So I'd urge you to consider the GTX 970, although the R9 290X is not inherently a bad choice in this case, either.

 

[Bollo3532]

The 290x is barely an upgrade from the 780 - it'd be a waste of money. I'd get another 780.

In most games yes it is barrely an up grade but in witcher 3 the bench marks are showing it is almost 50% more. For example one bench mark showing 1080p the 290x gets 47 fps but the 780 only gets 32. A 50% incrase would be 48 so it is almost 50%. I am not sure how much better a second 780 would be then a 290x. Here is the bench markhttp://api.viglink.com/api/click?format=go&jsonp=vglnk_143303835976611&key=4d2fc1107481092ac96eb10f8fa4bc15&libId=iabsteh80100qcm0000DLb1minfj7&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gamersnexus.net%2Fgame-bench%2F1947-witcher-3-pc-graphics-card-fps-benchmark&v=1&out=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.gamersnexus.net%2Fimages%2Fmedia%2F2015%2Fgame-bench%2Fwitcher-bench-1080-u.jpg&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&title=The%20Witcher%203%20Video%20Card%20Benchmark%20-%20Poor%20Software%20Optimization%20by%20CDPR%20%7C%20Gamers%20Nexus%20-%20Gaming%20PC%20Builds%20%26%20Hardware%20Benchmarks&txt=

What's your CPU and motherboard? Let's remember, too, SLI scaling. I think the 780s get 50-60% in dual SLI scaling, so getting a 2nd 780 would be the same as getting an R9 290X if the benchmark is correct. But a system with plenty of PCIE lanes or a good CPU would scale SLI better, in theory.

4670k in an asus maximus 6 extreme motherboard

So that means that the SLI scaling will not be too much, probably about 50%. However the GTX 900 series has been out for quite some time now, and the GTX 700 series is largely phased out. For example, on Newegg, you cannot purchase a new GTX 780 anymore. They are all refurbished or open box. So regardless you probably don't want to get another 780, getting a different card will be a must unless you don't mind refurb'd models.

Most reasonable R9 290Xs go for between $300-350. With that in mind, you might want to go for a GTX 970 as it's a more modern model with better heat dissipation and power consumption. Also we all know how The Witcher 3 is a lot more Nvidia-friendly than AMD-friendly. For this case the GTX 970 may be equal to if not better than an R9 290X, and Nvidia has proven to have better driver support than AMD at any rate in case you want to 970 SLI in the future (which is a more cost efficient option than a GTX 980), particularly in multi-GPU setups. So I'd urge you to consider the GTX 970, although the R9 290X is not inherently a bad choice in this case, either.

The only problem is that i dont want to be in this same position 1 year from now. I mean what is to stop nvidia from doing this next year so if i buy a 970 they might stop supporting it fully when pascal releases. AMD might have worse drivers and an older chip but they support their cards for longer term.

 

[disturbed force]

The 290x is barely an upgrade from the 780 - it'd be a waste of money. I'd get another 780.

In most games yes it is barrely an up grade but in witcher 3 the bench marks are showing it is almost 50% more. For example one bench mark showing 1080p the 290x gets 47 fps but the 780 only gets 32. A 50% incrase would be 48 so it is almost 50%. I am not sure how much better a second 780 would be then a 290x. Here is the bench markhttp://api.viglink.com/api/click?format=go&jsonp=vglnk_143303835976611&key=4d2fc1107481092ac96eb10f8fa4bc15&libId=iabsteh80100qcm0000DLb1minfj7&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gamersnexus.net%2Fgame-bench%2F1947-witcher-3-pc-graphics-card-fps-benchmark&v=1&out=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.gamersnexus.net%2Fimages%2Fmedia%2F2015%2Fgame-bench%2Fwitcher-bench-1080-u.jpg&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&title=The%20Witcher%203%20Video%20Card%20Benchmark%20-%20Poor%20Software%20Optimization%20by%20CDPR%20%7C%20Gamers%20Nexus%20-%20Gaming%20PC%20Builds%20%26%20Hardware%20Benchmarks&txt=

What's your CPU and motherboard? Let's remember, too, SLI scaling. I think the 780s get 50-60% in dual SLI scaling, so getting a 2nd 780 would be the same as getting an R9 290X if the benchmark is correct. But a system with plenty of PCIE lanes or a good CPU would scale SLI better, in theory.

4670k in an asus maximus 6 extreme motherboard

So that means that the SLI scaling will not be too much, probably about 50%. However the GTX 900 series has been out for quite some time now, and the GTX 700 series is largely phased out. For example, on Newegg, you cannot purchase a new GTX 780 anymore. They are all refurbished or open box. So regardless you probably don't want to get another 780, getting a different card will be a must unless you don't mind refurb'd models.

Most reasonable R9 290Xs go for between $300-350. With that in mind, you might want to go for a GTX 970 as it's a more modern model with better heat dissipation and power consumption. Also we all know how The Witcher 3 is a lot more Nvidia-friendly than AMD-friendly. For this case the GTX 970 may be equal to if not better than an R9 290X, and Nvidia has proven to have better driver support than AMD at any rate in case you want to 970 SLI in the future (which is a more cost efficient option than a GTX 980), particularly in multi-GPU setups. So I'd urge you to consider the GTX 970, although the R9 290X is not inherently a bad choice in this case, either.

The only problem is that i dont want to be in this same position 1 year from now. I mean what is to stop nvidia from doing this next year so if i buy a 970 they might stop supporting it fully when pascal releases. AMD might have worse drivers and an older chip but they support their cards for longer term.

I agree, this is a very good reason not to buy nvidia again.

 

[hotter-than-Vishera]

The 290x is barely an upgrade from the 780 - it'd be a waste of money. I'd get another 780.

In most games yes it is barrely an up grade but in witcher 3 the bench marks are showing it is almost 50% more. For example one bench mark showing 1080p the 290x gets 47 fps but the 780 only gets 32. A 50% incrase would be 48 so it is almost 50%. I am not sure how much better a second 780 would be then a 290x. Here is the bench markhttp://api.viglink.com/api/click?format=go&jsonp=vglnk_143303835976611&key=4d2fc1107481092ac96eb10f8fa4bc15&libId=iabsteh80100qcm0000DLb1minfj7&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gamersnexus.net%2Fgame-bench%2F1947-witcher-3-pc-graphics-card-fps-benchmark&v=1&out=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.gamersnexus.net%2Fimages%2Fmedia%2F2015%2Fgame-bench%2Fwitcher-bench-1080-u.jpg&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&title=The%20Witcher%203%20Video%20Card%20Benchmark%20-%20Poor%20Software%20Optimization%20by%20CDPR%20%7C%20Gamers%20Nexus%20-%20Gaming%20PC%20Builds%20%26%20Hardware%20Benchmarks&txt=

What's your CPU and motherboard? Let's remember, too, SLI scaling. I think the 780s get 50-60% in dual SLI scaling, so getting a 2nd 780 would be the same as getting an R9 290X if the benchmark is correct. But a system with plenty of PCIE lanes or a good CPU would scale SLI better, in theory.

4670k in an asus maximus 6 extreme motherboard

So that means that the SLI scaling will not be too much, probably about 50%. However the GTX 900 series has been out for quite some time now, and the GTX 700 series is largely phased out. For example, on Newegg, you cannot purchase a new GTX 780 anymore. They are all refurbished or open box. So regardless you probably don't want to get another 780, getting a different card will be a must unless you don't mind refurb'd models.

Most reasonable R9 290Xs go for between $300-350. With that in mind, you might want to go for a GTX 970 as it's a more modern model with better heat dissipation and power consumption. Also we all know how The Witcher 3 is a lot more Nvidia-friendly than AMD-friendly. For this case the GTX 970 may be equal to if not better than an R9 290X, and Nvidia has proven to have better driver support than AMD at any rate in case you want to 970 SLI in the future (which is a more cost efficient option than a GTX 980), particularly in multi-GPU setups. So I'd urge you to consider the GTX 970, although the R9 290X is not inherently a bad choice in this case, either.

The only problem is that i dont want to be in this same position 1 year from now. I mean what is to stop nvidia from doing this next year so if i buy a 970 they might stop supporting it fully when pascal releases. AMD might have worse drivers and an older chip but they support their cards for longer term.

If that's the case, don't buy an R9 290X anyway. It was released quite a while ago as well, not very long after the GTX 780 I might add, and it is already approaching the end of its shelf life as the new R9 300 series is approaching over the horizon. If you want to go AMD, don't buy from the 200 series. Wait for the 300 series and buy a card in your price range from that, you'll have the card in support for a lot longer.

 

[disturbed force]

The 290x is barely an upgrade from the 780 - it'd be a waste of money. I'd get another 780.

In most games yes it is barrely an up grade but in witcher 3 the bench marks are showing it is almost 50% more. For example one bench mark showing 1080p the 290x gets 47 fps but the 780 only gets 32. A 50% incrase would be 48 so it is almost 50%. I am not sure how much better a second 780 would be then a 290x. Here is the bench markhttp://api.viglink.com/api/click?format=go&jsonp=vglnk_143303835976611&key=4d2fc1107481092ac96eb10f8fa4bc15&libId=iabsteh80100qcm0000DLb1minfj7&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gamersnexus.net%2Fgame-bench%2F1947-witcher-3-pc-graphics-card-fps-benchmark&v=1&out=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.gamersnexus.net%2Fimages%2Fmedia%2F2015%2Fgame-bench%2Fwitcher-bench-1080-u.jpg&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&title=The%20Witcher%203%20Video%20Card%20Benchmark%20-%20Poor%20Software%20Optimization%20by%20CDPR%20%7C%20Gamers%20Nexus%20-%20Gaming%20PC%20Builds%20%26%20Hardware%20Benchmarks&txt=

What's your CPU and motherboard? Let's remember, too, SLI scaling. I think the 780s get 50-60% in dual SLI scaling, so getting a 2nd 780 would be the same as getting an R9 290X if the benchmark is correct. But a system with plenty of PCIE lanes or a good CPU would scale SLI better, in theory.

4670k in an asus maximus 6 extreme motherboard

So that means that the SLI scaling will not be too much, probably about 50%. However the GTX 900 series has been out for quite some time now, and the GTX 700 series is largely phased out. For example, on Newegg, you cannot purchase a new GTX 780 anymore. They are all refurbished or open box. So regardless you probably don't want to get another 780, getting a different card will be a must unless you don't mind refurb'd models.

Most reasonable R9 290Xs go for between $300-350. With that in mind, you might want to go for a GTX 970 as it's a more modern model with better heat dissipation and power consumption. Also we all know how The Witcher 3 is a lot more Nvidia-friendly than AMD-friendly. For this case the GTX 970 may be equal to if not better than an R9 290X, and Nvidia has proven to have better driver support than AMD at any rate in case you want to 970 SLI in the future (which is a more cost efficient option than a GTX 980), particularly in multi-GPU setups. So I'd urge you to consider the GTX 970, although the R9 290X is not inherently a bad choice in this case, either.

The only problem is that i dont want to be in this same position 1 year from now. I mean what is to stop nvidia from doing this next year so if i buy a 970 they might stop supporting it fully when pascal releases. AMD might have worse drivers and an older chip but they support their cards for longer term.

If that's the case, don't buy an R9 290X anyway. It was released quite a while ago as well, not very long after the GTX 780 I might add, and it is already approaching the end of its shelf life as the new R9 300 series is approaching over the horizon. If you want to go AMD, don't buy from the 200 series. Wait for the 300 series and buy a card in your price range from that, you'll have the card in support for a lot longer.

Now is the time to buy a 290/x because they will be rebranded the 390/x and prices will go up, the new fuji xt is called fury and does not fit in the R series.

The 290/x is not at the end of it's life, the 7900 series is over 4 years old and going strong (and people say amd drivers suck). Yes it wasn't long after the 780 the 290 came along then the 780ti came after and nvidia is already nerfing both their perfomance with the latest driver, the 290/x will be re-branded as 390/x and support will continue for the foreseeable future.