[SOLVED] Should i upgrade my 970 if i intend to keep playing on 1080p?

[Lionel_6]

So i'm currently running a ryzen 2600x with 16gb ram, a ssd and a gtx 970 4gb. I'm using a 32 led tv as a monitor and it's not in my plans to buy a new monitor anytime soon (if i do it will be a 1440p).
In some new games the gpu is starting to fall behind the reqs so i was thinking upgrading to a 2060,( i was initially considering waiting for the 3070 but i think it might be overkill?). What do you guys think?

 

[King_V]

RTX 3070 is absolutely, definitely overkill for 1080p at 60Hz, which is what you're going to get on a TV.

The thing is, the GPU decision should be based on if you're going to move up to 1440p any time soon, or not.

Frankly, I'd more likely recommend a 2560x1080 ultra-wide, which is a 21:9 aspect ratio rather than the usual 16:9 aspect ratio. That's my personal preference, though, as I like the extra field-of-view in gaming. You could also go 3440x1440 or 3840x1600 which are both about the same 21:9 aspect ratio, but, more pixels will of course demand more GPU horsepower.

If you're going to stick with the 1080p TV for the foreseeable future, though, I cannot recommend the RTX 2060 at all. The RX 5600 XT outperforms it, consumes a little less power, and costs less.

In fact, if you have a GOOD power-supply that has two 8-pin PCIe connectors, this particular RX 5600 XT is $229.99 (after $10 instant rebate and $20 mail-in rebate), and is almost impossible to beat.

https://www.newegg.com/msi-radeon-rx-5600-xt-rx-5600-xt-gaming-mx/p/N82E16814137571

I have no idea why this particular model requires two 8-pin PCIe connectors. It's a 150W card, and a single 8-pin alone can provide 150W, not to mention the PCIe slot itself offering up to 75W more.


That said, and while it is a very good deal and hard to pass up, you might want to wait a little longer - the AMD 6000 series cards are coming out, although their higher-end cards. But there are also going to be Black Friday sales, etc. with the coming holidays. If you're not in a hurry, there could be some amazing deals coming up.

 

[Lionel_6]

RTX 3070 is absolutely, definitely overkill for 1080p at 60Hz, which is what you're going to get on a TV.

The thing is, the GPU decision should be based on if you're going to move up to 1440p any time soon, or not.

Frankly, I'd more likely recommend a 2560x1080 ultra-wide, which is a 21:9 aspect ratio rather than the usual 16:9 aspect ratio. That's my personal preference, though, as I like the extra field-of-view in gaming. You could also go 3440x1440 or 3840x1600 which are both about the same 21:9 aspect ratio, but, more pixels will of course demand more GPU horsepower.

If you're going to stick with the 1080p TV for the foreseeable future, though, I cannot recommend the RTX 2060 at all. The RX 5600 XT outperforms it, consumes a little less power, and costs less.

In fact, if you have a GOOD power-supply that has two 8-pin PCIe connectors, this particular RX 5600 XT is $229.99 (after $10 instant rebate and $20 mail-in rebate), and is almost impossible to beat.

https://www.newegg.com/msi-radeon-rx-5600-xt-rx-5600-xt-gaming-mx/p/N82E16814137571

I have no idea why this particular model requires two 8-pin PCIe connectors. It's a 150W card, and a single 8-pin alone can provide 150W, not to mention the PCIe slot itself offering up to 75W more.


That said, and while it is a very good deal and hard to pass up, you might want to wait a little longer - the AMD 6000 series cards are coming out, although their higher-end cards. But there are also going to be Black Friday sales, etc. with the coming holidays. If you're not in a hurry, there could be some amazing deals coming up.

Thanks for your reply, it's very useful! Actually i can get the 2060 for the same price of the 5600 xt, i never had good experiences with gpus from AMD so i'm on the fence.
Regarding the tv i probably will keep it for another year and then i will buy an ultra wide, which card is best considering this?

 

[RTX 2080]

Thanks for your reply, it's very useful! Actually i can get the 2060 for the same price of the 5600 xt, i never had good experiences with gpus from AMD so i'm on the fence.
Regarding the tv i probably will keep it for another year and then i will buy an ultra wide, which card is best considering this?

I personally prefer Nvidia GPUs for their better drivers; it took almost a year for me to not regularly see 5600 XT issues being posted on here due to black screens, crashes and other driver-related problems. If the 5600XT and 2060 are the same price for you, I'd go for the 2060 personally, although if you do buy and ultrawide, not only will you be at a significantly higher resolution, but (depending on the monitor you choose) it will likely support a 100-120 Hz refresh rate. In that situation, a RTX 3070 will actually be quite appropriate, even if it is overkill for 1080p 60 Hz.

 

[King_V]

Well, given my son's absolutely trouble-free experience with his RX 5700, and previous trouble-free experience with AMD cards and drivers of previous generations, I can't recommend paying more, or even the same, for a card with less performance AND higher power draw.

So, I still say the 2060 would be a mistake. I also find it hard to believe that one can be had for under $250, though, given sales popping up more often as we approach the end of the year, I guess anything is possible.