SLI GTX 970's or GTX Titan X for 3440x1440p Monitor w/ G-Sync and does CPU Bottleneck?

[MagusALL]

As described in the thread I am wondering what would be the better setup for this resolution monitor considering it has G-Sync to handle frame-rate latency? I was running two 780's with 3GB VRAM and moved to the 970's because they (were supposed to) have an extra GB of VRAM and that they also included newer features, used less power and would perform better at higher resolutions. Seeing as I am not only going to a higher resolution which combination would work better with G-Sync factored in?

Also will my i7-3770k OC to 4.5ghz be a bottleneck for either of these two GPU choices. Don't try talking me into a GTX 980ti because the only reason I am upgrading in the first place is to get the best GPU ALONG WITH the maximum amount of VRAM for the higher resolution monitor. The Titan X comes with 12Gb whereas the 980ti comes with 6Gb. I want one monitor, one GPU, a CPU that can handle the GPU and h2o cool both the CPU and GPU then attempt being done for a decent amount of time. I hear so many conflicting accounts about the importance of VRAM that it is making my decision very hard. So, with G-Sync considered, what is the best option for this resolution monitor to put max settings on and will my CPU be able to handle that combination considering its an i7-3770k @ 4.5ghz on a Z77 MB? Thanks for your input and your time. I look forward to hearing your opinions on the matter.

 

[Darkseiders]

You do know that the GTX 970 only has 3.5GB of vRAM at full speed right? When you SLI cards, the vRAM doesn't stack either. The GTX 980Ti offers almost the same performance at 4k as the Titan X and the same if not better at 1440p.

 

[not you]

So you already have 2 gtx 970s in sli??
If you do just stick to it wait for pascal or volta no single gpu is worth the money to upgrade from 2 gtx 970s imo not even at 4k

Your cpu is fine for every solution you mentioned it would rarely if ever be a bottleneck (considerning gaming)

If i understood it wrong and you havent bought the gtx 970s than just buy the titan x it performs like 2 970s but you have the option to sli it later if you need to
(Not in the near future if you change your mind )

 

[Darkseiders]

The vRAM on SLI cards DOES NOT stack. You still will have only 4GB of vRAM if you have Quad-SLI GTX 970s. You NEED more vRAM than 4GB at 4k. You would be much better of with Cfire R9 390 or 390x than GTX970s.

 

[not you]

^^ You cant quad-sli a 970 btw but you are right thats absolutely true vram is mirrored
But still 2 970s perform similar to a titan x even in 4k
Its not worth it to spend money only on vram but still have the same performance you had

By having more vram you dont neseciary get more performance

 

[sizzling]

With games starting to use 3gb plus VRAM @ 1080p the 970 with its 3.5gb efficient (.5gb) accessed slower seems quite underwhelming from a VRAM point of view. As said VRAM doesn't stack so you still only have 3.5gb (4gb).

I wouldn't go with the TitanX but the 980Ti is the card I would go for, the TitanX is wasting money unless your doing something that will use that extra VRAM. I was also reading recently that to use the full 12Gb VRAM of the TitanX you need 24gb or more of system RAM. Have no idea how true that is though but worth looking into.

 

[Darkseiders]

That wasn't my point. The GTX 980Ti is: Cheaper and as fast as a titan x at 1440p. The reason why two GTX 970s in SLI perform close to a titan x is because a titan x is close to a gtx 980ti as gaming goes. In high end video editing, the titan x outperforms the gtx 980 ti, but it still isn't worth it for 1440p or 4k.

 

[clonazepam]

I haven't seen, am not aware of any g-sync 3440x1440 monitors. I've only seen freesync available. Is there a reason why you have to make a decision about the graphics cards before the monitor purchase?

The CPU isn't a bottleneck under any circumstance.

If you absolutely have to replace SLI 970s, then I would replace them with a 980Ti. I wish Witcher 3 cared that I have 12GB of VRAM at 4K DSR, but it really just doesn't. That VRAM amount is nowhere near mainstream enough to ever see it get used in a regular retail product. WB's Shadows of Mordor seems to be a one-off case where it actually uses 6GB, but only after installing official DLC to increase texture details. Now, if you were fiddling with a lot of mods, or creating content, it'd be a different story.

There is no single card that's doing no compromises 4K gaming. You're turning something down at 4K (3440x1440).

The most common bottleneck that is often wrongly attributed to the CPU is the game's coding itself. Situations that suddenly call for a lot NPC pathing / collision detection can run anything down to a crawl. That's just unavoidable sometimes, no matter what you throw at it.

I refreshed just before posting and see its all pretty well covered. Already got SLI 970s? Keep 'em or trade in for the 980Ti if its necessary.

 

[not you]

^^ the gtx 970 is starting to be not enough for high vram req games but if the plan is to upgrade upgrade when the next gen cards are released its not that far 2 970s wont get obsolite in half year its still one of the "new" cards :/

 

[Darkseiders]

^^ the gtx 970 is starting to be not enough for high vram req games but if the plan is to upgrade upgrade when the next gen cards are released its not that far 2 970s wont get obsolite in half year its still one of the "new" cards :/

The GTX 970 is not enough for 1440p! it just isn't! It works great for 1080p, but 1440 not so much.

 

[not you]

The only reason i havent mention the 980 ti was that you specified that you dont want to buy that
But the titan x will not worth it not even if the 980 ti hadnt been made by nvidia
If you dont want the 980 ti wait for next gen cards there is no better option on the market as you also specified you want a single gpu

 

[not you]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CpmuXd52Ce0
2 970s are not doing any worse than the titan x not even at 4k :/
Yes its not ideal for 4k gaming but a single titan is not better either
Sry bro

 

[Reaper_7799]

The 970's sli are faster than titanx or 980 ti but not by a huge margin, around 6-8 or so fps at 1440P and then you have to deal with sli issues, which have gotten better but is still sli...3440x1440P is quite a bit more compared to standard 1440P and the 980 ti runs around 60-65 fps ish with everything maxed, depending on the game.

Right on the threshold but it does run it and G sync will make things very smooth. Personally I would go 980 ti, the extra $300-$350 for the titanx is not worth it and it would be at 100% fan to keep up with the aftermarket 980 ti's and buying 2 970's right now would limit you in the future, whereas even if next year pascal drops and gives huge improvement like the 1070/80 range as fast as 980ti for $400 then 980 ti would have to drop accordingly and you could sli 980 ti and be around 90+ fps at that resolution, I would think.

 

[Reaper_7799]

I haven't seen, am not aware of any g-sync 3440x1440 monitors. I've only seen freesync available. Is there a reason why you have to make a decision about the graphics cards before the monitor purchase?

The acer x34 is 3440x1440 Gsync with 60hz, overclock refresh to 100hz...it just came out and asus is going to be launching same variation soon too.

 

[not you]

^^ true buying sli right from the start is a terrible idea
But keeping the cards if you already have them is the way to go
Buying 2 970s for 4k gaming is not ideal thats sure

HOWEVER UPGRADING FROM 2 970S TO A SINGLE 980 TI MAKES NO SENSE WHAT SO EVER

thats literaly puting money into the rubish bin

Its like upgrading from the 980 ti to the titan x
No change in performance but you will have 1000$ less in your pocket :/

 

[Darkseiders]

^^ true buying sli right from the start is a terrible idea
But keeping the cards if you already have them is the way to go
Buying 2 970s for 4k gaming is not ideal thats sure

HOWEVER UPGRADING FROM 2 970S TO A SINGLE 980 TI MAKES NO SENSE WHAT SO EVER

thats literaly puting money into the rubish bin

I'm pretty sure he owns neither of these two options. It would be nice if the OP were to clarify that.

 

[not you]

Im unable to tell but if he doesnt own 2 970s than he owns 2 780s with 3gb vram
And (as he said he is not willing to buy the 980 ti) keeping thoes is still the best option
I dont see a reason to upgrade now
(But if he is sure about pulling the trigger than a single titan x would be my choise over 2 970s)
(If thiese are my only options)

Less sli issues and all :/

 

[Reaper_7799]

^^^ with not you.....Yeah if he has the cards right now, it's sideways and just keep what ya got till next year ...it's hard to tell if he does, says upgraded to 970's but maybe he means selling them and then buying titanx...I'd wait till next year before selling and adding $350 for a titanx.

And the extra 6GB above 980ti, gaming wise doesn't make any difference even fully maxed AA and ultra settings at 4K...980ti runs it with no problem.

 

[Vellinious]

2 x 970s are fine for 1440. If you already have 2 x 970s, stick it out until Pascal or the next gen AMD GPUs hit.

If you haven't bought yet, and are looking to run 1440 or higher in the latest AAA titles, then your best bet would either 2 x 8GB 290X (around $650 US), or a 980ti (also around $650 US). OR...again, wait for Pascal.

 

[MagusALL]

Well like I said I have BOTH two GTX 780's which I purchased when they came out and recently bought two GTX 970's because I was told they would be good for that resolution monitor as the 970's scale better at higher than 1080p resolution screens. Now I am considering a future purchase of a G-Sync monitor but I also wanted it to be 21:9 ratio so the 3440x1440p (which is not 4K) adds another element to the discussion. I am 33 yrs old so don't assume like an 18 yr old that it would be impossible for someone to have "that much money". Its really not all that expensive considering how much I make. Not trying to brag whatsoever but I feel like I described my situation accurately and saying, more or less, that I'm lying is pointless and troll-ish. So whatever, moving on. Like I said, and thank you for all the input, I just wanted to know with this new monitor having: 3440X1440p resolution, G-Sync (requiring nVidia), and refresh rates above 60hz, how much does VRAM become a factor? I understand, and stated that I get that the GTX 980ti gives very close performance, but I also know I have never seen anyone run any GPU on that monitor and that the emphasis on my question was that I was considering the Titan X over the GTX 980ti because of the fact that it has 12Gb of VRAM and I do not want to buy another GPU because the games as well as the monitor at that resolution is requiring 6Gb plus for recommended settings. I can sell the four GPU's I have now to get around a thousand $. This is close to the price of a Titan X. So that cancels the money factor out which, again, I don't care about. I'm not worried about a few hundred or even a $500 difference in GPU, considering how much I make and how much I can get for my GPU's. Now with G-Sync now being able to match the frame rate from the GPU to the hz of the monitor I was asking at that resolution what GPU would perform better and also if my CPU would be a bottleneck (as Fallout 4 has already chosen a couple i7's ahead of the one I have now. I also said I wanted to have the bandwidth to run everything so for "future-proofing" sake I may switch platforms to the Z170 so I could utilize the new USB standards and the like. I wanted one GPU bc I could get the full x16 lanes of PCI-E 3, rather than my current platform that goes down to x8/x8 for SLI. I think with changes happening so rapidly I am going to sell the two 780's and the two 970's online as well as my motherboard and CPU and just go with a new Z170 MB with the best and newest quad core, eight thread i7 available, like the 6000 whatever. I also wanted an m.2 so I can get and use a Samsung 950 Pro SSD. So thanks for your input. Sorry if I wasnt clear about my question but it seems that a lot of you did understand what I was asking. The biggest thing to me is the G-Sync factor. I want 60fps+ at 3440X1440p so I think that monitor would suit what I want. I just wanted to know what GPU would be able to give it enough power to get the most FPS at max settings and how much VRAM I should be looking to get for that resolution monitor. I have heard in the past 1GB for 1080p and also 2Gb. I have heard 3Gb for 1600p and I have also heard 4Gb or 6Gb. I have 16Gb of regular DDR3 RAM but I wanted to know how much VRAM I should get, without a money factor being built in, because I never said for the cheapest price. I can afford it. So in the future with the games coming out and utilizing G-Sync what GPU would be best to cover that resolution and frame rate goal? I know the 780's are just under Titan's. I know the 970's in SLI perform like a Titan X but I also know VRAM doesn't stack that's why I asked because 4Gb (3.5 if you wanna pick bones) is not 6Gb and it also is not 12Gb. So I guess my question now is do I sell all GPU's and go with the Titan X or should I wait for the next generation of GPU's from nVidia and then go for a 12Gb VRAM option GPU on their new architecture? Thats all I want to know. I may end up selling everything and going Z170 but I don't need help deciding that unless there is some type of barrier in my Z77 3770k @4.2Ghz I am unaware of. I also stated I was going to watercool both the GPU and CPU so the comment about the heat from the stock Titan X would be under the custom cooling from the big brands. I would prefer an MSI option but we will see whats available when I decide to buy. Thanks again for all the input and don't assume what I didn't say. I have a good job, I can afford a $5,000 if I wanted to. And I don't care if you can't afford one. Money is just paper. This is a forum about gaming not about value. If I cared about every dollar I spent I'd just buy a PS4 and a Surface Pro 4. BTW the next TV I buy will be 4K so I am going to need a GPU with HDMI 2.0/a/.1. Thanks again for all the input.

 

[not you]

If 3440X1440@60+fps is what you need than the titan x is not for you :/ (maybe in sli)
But i will wait for pascal i know money is not an issue for you it is for me bcs im 18 xD
I belive the pascal flagship will give more overall performance than 2 titan x in sli and also more price/performance
I use 1 gtx 970 on a 1440x900 screen thou so i dont need a gpu upgrade that bad as for 900p the 970 is perfect

Also the titan x is not recommended but not because its too expensive for you but because just as good alternatives exist for much less price
but anyway it does not have the performance you are looking for!!


Just my thoughts