Should I upgrade my GPU right now or just wait?

[Johnrocha]

Good evening, Tom's Hardware!

I'm in need of some advice/opinion on whether or not I should upgrade my GPU right now or just wait for Nvidia's Volta architecture to arrive and then make my purchase.

My current rig is as follows:

OS: Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
CPU: Intel Core i7 4770K @ 3.50GHz (stock)
RAM: 16.0GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 799MHz (9-9-9-24)
MB: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. SABERTOOTH Z87 (SOCKET 1150)
Graphics (both GPU and monitor, as I mostly game at 1080p):
Asus VG248 (1920x1080@144Hz)
3071MB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 (EVGA)

So, as I said, I mainly game at 1080p (maybe I'll upgrade in the future but not right now) and my current GTX 780 isn't cutting it anymore if I wanna max out or even play some of my favourite games at decent framerates (at or above 60). I was thinking about either upgrading to a GTX 1080 (or Ti) or just wait until Nvidia comes out with their new line. Thing is, it hasn't even been given an official release date so I'm currently on the fence about that.

I know a GTX 1080 would be a bit overkill for me at 1080p resolution but I love maxing out my games and see all its glory (and mainly because of my 144hz monitor). What's your guys' opinion on the whole deal?

 

[bjornl]

You are 6-10 months away from the next video card release (in all likelihood). Would you have a problem waiting that long? Would getting a video card now impact your ability to upgrade later?
Ultimtely I would do it now. The next upgrade is over 1/2 year away. You can't buy future tech. You can't future proof your PC. Worst case scenario is you run your eventual 1440p at 100hz for some games. I've looked at 100 and above screens and I really can't tell the difference above 100hz.

 

[coozie7]

Word is that Nvidia will be releasing the GTX1070Ti pretty soon, its proximity has already pushed the price of the GTX1070 down in places so I'll advise you to hold off just a little longer then see which suits your requirements/budget best: GTX1070, 1070Ti or 1080.

 

[bjornl]

Word is that Nvidia will be releasing the GTX1070Ti pretty soon, its proximity has already pushed the price of the GTX1070 down in places so I'll advise you to hold off just a little longer then see which suits your requirements/budget best: GTX1070, 1070Ti or 1080.

This is answering a question he didn't ask. He was asking about buying a 1080 or 1080ti. The 1070ti is below the 1080 and is unlikely to have much if any impact on the price of a 1080 and certainly no impact on the 1080ti. Finally this is not some rumor. The 1070ti is available for pre-order with a shipping date of this thursday.

 

[Barty1884]

@bjornl, the 1070TI may well impact the 1080... although I'd agree, not the 1080TI so much.

If some rumors are to be believed, the 1070TI overclocked should be right on par with a 1080 (within a couple of %), which may end up canabalizing the 1080's sales, impacting price. If nothing else - the 1070TI may well be an appealing offer to the OP; an alternative with 1080 performance(ish) for $50 or so less.


For 144Hz 1080p gaming, a 1070 is probably the best "bang for your buck" currently, likely to be bettered by the 1070TI - but that may put another card (the TI) into "overkill" territory.
While a 1080, in theory, gives you a bit more longevity at 1080p, there's no guarantee.

To me, I wouldn't consider the 1080TI for 1080p gaming, 144Hz or otherwise.... it's just going to be wasted,
A 1080 *might* be a solid solution, especially to "max" everything, but a 1070 (potentially the 1070TI) is probably the smarter decision IMO.


Another potential alternative would be to consider SLI'ing the 780 you currently have*. That will entirely depend on SLI support in the titles you play though. If it could give you a solid boost for the ~$120-$150 I've seen them go for, then it should buy you at least 6 months to get a better feel for Volta in 2018.

*Assuming the titles you play scale well with SLI, and you are careful considerate of the VRAM available (which would mean tweaking some presets, for sure)

 

[Johnrocha]

Thank you everyone for your opinion and advices! And yes, I was aware of the 1070Ti and I appreciate coozie7's answer. With that said, and given that I only game at 1080p @144hz for the moment, I'll just consider buying either a 1070Ti or a 1080 depending on the benchmarks when they get released soon. If the 1080 is still more powerful than the 1070Ti, I don't mind paying another 50$ extra for more performance. Thank you everyone, amazing forum as always.

 

[coozie7]

?just be aware that if the GTX1070Ti does impact the prices of the GTX1080 it'll take a while for it to happen, if it happens at all, so don't feel bad if you do go for the faster '1080 and it's price drops a little in the following months, whichever card you upgrade to it'll be a significant improvement over the existing GTX780, so, enjoy!

 

[Johnrocha]

?just be aware that if the GTX1070Ti does impact the prices of the GTX1080 it'll take a while for it to happen, if it happens at all, so don't feel bad if you do go for the faster '1080 and it's price drops a little in the following months, whichever card you upgrade to it'll be a significant improvement over the existing GTX780, so, enjoy!

Right on, I know what you mean, thank you!