Question Should I buy a GTX 1070 or a Vega 56?

Simonky16

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Feb 1, 2016
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RMA'ing my old card.

I could get a GTX 1070 for 278€ (311 USD) (and up) and a Vega 56 for 298€ (334 USD) and up. I however only have blower style Vega 56 cards available in my price range.

I value linux drivers somehow, but I heard that there are some for the 1070, so I hope that shouldn't be an issue. I'm a tad worried due to the low market share of the Vega 56.


Rest of the system: AMD R5 1600, 16GB RAM. I have a 450W PSU. I currently use Full HD monitors.

I'm absolutely torn between the two choices and have no idea which one is the better one. Any help is much appreciated




In case it becomes relevant: I have a very small mini-itx build and am restricted to cards with a maximum lenght of 315mm, height shouldn't be too beefy either and cards can only be about two expansion slots thick. Airflow is very limited and the card is pretty isolated from the rest of the case, so it should be able to remain relatively cool even under these circumstances.
 
The low market share comes from the limited availability and high prices due to crypto-mining in 2017 and 2018 and the fact that AMD just wasn't able to make very many of them.

I personally see Vega 56 outlasting the 1070 in performance. I would say the blower card would be better in the limited airflow mini-ITX case; but the GTX 1070 tends to run pretty cool itself.

If you get the Vega 56 you will want a bigger power supply. Otherwise go with the 1070.

*An RMA typically means you get a refurbished card from the manufacturer.
 
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Simonky16

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Feb 1, 2016
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The low market share comes from the limited availability and high prices due to crypto-mining in 2017 and 2018 and the fact that AMD just wasn't able to make very many of them.

I personally see Vega 56 outlasting the 1070 in performance. I would say the blower card would be better in the limited airflow mini-ITX case; but the GTX 1070 tends to run pretty cool itself.

If you get the Vega 56 you will want a bigger power supply. Otherwise go with the 1070.

*An RMA typically means you get a refurbished card from the manufacturer.

Thank you for your answer (and the correction :D not a native speaker)!

How urgent would it be to get a bigger power supply/what should I expect if I don't?

I will most likely buy a Vega 56, and if the cooler is too loud/causes power issues return it in the appropriate time window to buy a 1070.
 
That largely depends on the quality/model of your 450W power supply. Anywhere from catastrophic failure (damaged parts) to frequent shutoffs. Typical power consumption for the Vega 56 is around 225W, but it can peak up over 300W which wouldn't leave much room for the rest of your system. What power supply do you have now?
 

Simonky16

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That largely depends on the quality/model of your 450W power supply. Anywhere from catastrophic failure (damaged parts) to frequent shutoffs. Typical power consumption for the Vega 56 is around 225W, but it can peak up over 300W which wouldn't leave much room for the rest of your system. What power supply do you have now?
I have a Corsair SF450 (80+ Gold certified). I have been running an RX580 so far and I haven't had any noticeable issues.
 
You have a very good 450W power supply. Though RX Vega 56 calls for a 750W power supply. While I don't think you need quite 750W,.. 450W just seems too little. You'd be pushing your SF450 to near max load pretty much all the time. You could do it but I would not recommend it.