Used 1080 Strix or New 1070 (Ti)?

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rob.salewytsch

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Sep 6, 2017
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Ok so I found a guy locally selling a 1080 Strix for $600 (Canadian). He says it's only a month or two old and will provide a receipt. Should I buy that or a NEW 1070 (Ti) OR keep my existing 960 4GB until GPU prices come down and buy something new based on the following build:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 1600 3.2GHz 6-Core Processor (Purchased For $234.99)
Motherboard: MSI - X370 GAMING PRO CARBON AC ATX AM4 Motherboard (Purchased For $226.99)
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($259.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Memory: G.Skill - Flare X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($279.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: Samsung - 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($125.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.99 @ Memory Express)
Case: Phanteks - ECLIPSE P400S TEMPERED GLASS ATX Mid Tower Case (Purchased For $99.00)
Power Supply: SeaSonic - EVO Edition 620W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (Purchased For $79.99)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($116.75 @ Vuugo)
Case Fan: Phanteks - PH-F140SP_BK 82.1 CFM 140mm Fan ($17.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Case Fan: Cooler Master - MasterFan Pro 120 Air Flow RGB 48.8 CFM 120mm Fan ($24.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Case Fan: Cooler Master - MasterFan Pro 140 Air Flow RGB 53.0 CFM 140mm Fan ($25.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Monitor: LG - 24M45VQ 23.6" 1920x1080 60Hz Monitor (Purchased For $0.00)
Total: $1547.65
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-11-08 09:57 EST-0500

A few points to consider:

1) Ignore the weird double ram, they are the only two @3200 that I can find that match the QVL for my mobo.

2) The monitor for now would be a 1080 @ 60Hz, but would be looking to upgrade it to either a 1440 or 2160 after saving for a while.
 
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Go with whatever is cheaper. The will both seriously underperform with your current monitor. It will be like driving a sports car in a school zone all day. If you are not planning on getting a monitor any time soon, then wait till you can get a monitor and buy a GPU at that time as newer GPUs may be available.

Have you considered a 1060? Prices are starting to become more reasonable.
 
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Agreeing with feelinfroggy777, but if your wanting an answer between the 1080 or the 1070 ti, I would go with the 1080, the 1070 ti are all the same base clock speed out of the box, so if your not planning on overclocking then it wouldn't matter which brand you bought, they would be the same preformance, but the 1080 will be a better preformance over the 1070 ti, but if you do plan on upgrading your monitor in the future than buying a 1080 now and upgrading later will save you money, then you wont be paying for a 1060 and a 1080... so for future proof get the 1080...
 
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For 1080p, 60Hz either would definitely be overkill - so I'd ensure your upgrade path is well within 6 months, otherwise, opting for either card (at the prices) seems a waste and your 960 should hold you over a while

Are you looking to overclock? That'll play a big factor.
An OC'd 1070TI will rival a stock 1080. An OC'd 1080 will pull ahead abit.... in resolutions that can utilize them.

If you're just looking to run stock speeds, then a 1080 is the 'better' option, no doubt.

The Strix 1080 is a solid card..... although $600 is only saving you ~10% vs new, comparable performance.
https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/K3Jkcf/gigabyte-geforce-gtx-1080-8gb-d5x-video-card-gv-n1080d5x-8gd
The D5X is a very good card too..... it's a little shy of the Strix 1080, but it's not night & day by any means.

1070TI prices in Canada are poor right now. You're looking at $650+, when 1080's (reference) can be had as low at $635.

Anywhere else, I'd opt for a 1070TI and OC it. In Canada though, a 1080 seems like the best option for now....... although I wouldn't consider than used 1080Strix an overly great deal.
 
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I have considered it somewhat. It felt like not enough of an upgrade for the future though. Especially since Ryzen doesn't seem to do all that well at 1080p. So moving up a resolution with my next monitor purchase seems like a better plan. Although, if I could sell my 960 it would make a cheap 1060 a decent stop gap.
 
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Does the fact that it is a used card play into anyone's decision? I know it is tough to tell if someone is reputable. I guess I'll have to see when my monitor upgrade path would happen as I am not sure it would be within 6 months.

I live close to the USA so I can always go over the border. Conversion is a killer, but usually saves $30-$50 on a big purchase like that.

If the Strix isn't an overly great deal, and it's causing undo pressure on the budget, maybe I will just wait.

One last question...would Vega be worthwhile (yes prices are higher now) if I was going to get a Freesync monitor it would probably be about the same, or less, than buying an Nvidia card and a Gsync monitor. Right?
 
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You linked a 1070 Ti Strix. The 1080 is like $760 I think (new). Don't forget about the 13% tax. Makes the $660 1070Ti $745 and it makes the $760 1080 = $860
 
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No vega is not worth it, they take up way to much power for there preformance, you would most likely need a bigger PSU if you bought vega, and no used doesn't mean its broken, a lot of times things are returned because they were just used for benchmarking and returned, or were just upgraded to another gpu and returned, or it was incompatible, just because it was used doesn't means its bad


EDIT: Also I've come to understand vega has some thermal issues
 
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If it were me, I would build my gaming system around my monitor. Most people don't put much stock into monitors, but they are the only part of the PC that you will actually see gaming performance. Plus, a good monitor will last a decade. There are not many, if any, GPUs that are 10 years old that can still game today.

So I would make my decision on the monitor first, and that would direct my choice. If I plan on buying a 1440p monitor in the next couple of months, then sure, go for the 1070ti/1080 (they are a wash, go with the cheaper alternative). But if you are going to upgrade to 1440p in 6 months or more, then I would stick with my 960 (or find a good deal on a 970 and sell the 960) and buy the monitor and GPU at the same time as Nvidia may release Volta in 6 months when you by your monitor. When Pascal was released, the 1060 was in the same performance category as the 980.
 
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The used aspect plays into my decision, simply from a savings vs new consideration.
Whether someone is reputable, or how much the card has been stressed etc are all valid concerns too - but it's a little harder to give you advice there, without seeing the card.

Excluding the Strix specifically, a 1080 (new) is $660 or so, that's like $520 USD...... which is actually ends up being a pretty decent deal new.
Something like the D5X
https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/K3Jkcf/gigabyte-geforce-gtx-1080-8gb-d5x-video-card-gv-n1080d5x-8gd

The 1070TI is where it gets interesting. If you were to pick one up in the US (and not get dinged at customs on the return trip), you're looking at ~$470 USD which is about $600 CAD depending on the day. Add in gas money etc, and you'd probably be 'in' the card for $650.... at which point a new 1080 is at the same "cost to own".

Ok, it's not a Strix 1080, but the D5X from Gigabyte is a very solid card.



I did - my bad. I meant to compare it to the D5X.

As for 13% tax.... ouch, Ontario I assume? :fou: Guess it could be MB, but probably not.
Got a buddy out here in AB by chance? There's a $50-$70 saving (depending on the card), just on tax alone!
 
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I got you in Alberta! lol. On a side note, I am going to Alberta next summer so if I started saving I could just plan my purchase then as an option.

As far as customs, I am going to be there overnight (2 nights) which gives me $800 in allowable puchases with no duty. Is it too much to ask for a decent black friday sale somewhere?
 
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On new hardware? Unfortunately yes, it's too much to ask.

Black Friday is used to clear out older stuff (expect to see 900 series cards and FX processors having some solid discounts this year), but "new" and especially "higher end" stuff just doesn't see the discounts.

For the $800 allowance; remember, you have to be out of the country a minimum of 48 hours. 2 nights alone isn't going to cut it, but provided you do the 48 hour minimum, then sure.


As for AB next summer - that's too far in advance to plan. By next summer, I'd expect Volta (nVidia's next 'big' release) to be announced and either launched, or very close to it. Pricing will change dramatically (eventually) on 10 series cards etc.


As for your FreeSync question from earlier - if Vega was available for reasonable prices, it would be a viable option.
BUT, you either overpay on the GPU for a cheaper monitor (AMD) or obtain a cheaper/better GPU and a overpay on a monitor with GSync (nVidia).
Given the options out there right now, nVidia just have the stronger offerings. Vega is somewhat appealing, but not at the adjusted MSRP - and certainly not at the inflated, market-driven prices.
 
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While I do not know how outrageous the 1070Ti prices are in Canada, I'd also consider the warranty equation. I am nearly certain that most board partners (I think there are some exceptions with EVGA) only offer the warranty to the original purchaser. I went to Asus's website, and they only seem to warrant to original purchaser. I saw a reddit thread that suggested otherwise, but can't be certain of that.

This is all completely outside of the point that both video cards are complete overkill for the resolution and refresh rate you're running.
 
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Wow I wish the 1070's were cheaper as there is $175 difference between the 1060 and 170 in Canada. There seems to be a huge gap in pricing between a 1060 and a 1070. Especially considering the small difference between 1070, 1070 Ti and 1080.

I was also just considering buying a 1080p @ 144 hz refresh, but then looked at some benchmarks of people using Ryzen 5 1600 with a GTX 1080 and it doesn't even come close to 144 fps in most cases so that is a little confusing like 144 hz is not achievable with my system. Is it because they have the settings at Ultra or Very High?

What is better, lower settings at 144hz (with a 144 hz monitor) OR Ultra settings on a 60hz? Opinions?

What about buying an Rx 580 instead of a 1060? They seem competitively priced to one another. And I could play either on a 1080p @ 60hz. Or is the 580 just too outdated?
 
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I doubt you'll notice any difference when gaming. Personally, I have an MSI GTX 1070 w/ an NZXT bracket using the Thermaltake Riiing 3.0 240 water cooling system. I've been playing Wolfenstein II at 4K resolution with settings set to Ultra and the card is handling it just fine.
 
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The 580 and 1060 are a wash. Both cards perform the same. Some game the 1060 is better, some games the 580 is better. The 580 is newer than the 1060, so it is not too outdated.

As for 1080p @ 60hz, don't do it. Get a 144hz panel, even if your system is not capable. As you upgrade it may become capable and there is not a huge difference in price. Older games will run higher FPS on your hardware. The difference between 60hz and 144hz is night and day. It is like the difference between standard definition and HD. It is something you cant unsee.

At 1080p, the bottleneck is on the CPU. This is why the CPU is more important that GPU at that resolution. At higher resolution, the GPU has to work much harder which eases the CPU. You don't have a bad CPU. There is about a 20% difference between the i7 and your 1600. So a game that the Intel system gets 150fps, you would get 130. That is still pretty darn good. Are you overclocking your CPU? That should close the gap even more. You have a good board, and even the stock cooler should get you 3.6-3.8 easy on your chip. That will help a lot.
 
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@feelinfroggy777 Hmm. I guess I will look at what games perform better on which card. Does the 580 support Freesync? I will look into a 1080p @144 hz as per your recommendation. I read that there is an AOC monitor that ranks highly in the budget category. Do you have a recommendation as far as that is concerned?

If I am buying a monitor that my system cannot yet support, would it be worthwhile to get a 1440p @ 144hz? The Ryzen chip does better at 1440p, my guess is that this is because at those resoutions, the GPU becomes more of the bottleneck.

As far as my chip, yes I plan on overclocking as high as the stock cooler will go comfortably. 3.7-3.8 would be fine by me.

Maybe I won't get a graphics card and just keep the 4Gb 960 and save for a better card that can meet the capability of my monitor. Yes the 1060 is better than the 960, but unless I can sell the 960, it isn't $300 more worth it.
 
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Yes, the 580 supports free sync. AMD GPU utilize freesync and Nvidia GPUs utilize gsync. Gsync is licensed by Nvidia to the monitor manufacturers and gsync brings a premium cost. But a common myth is that freesync is free. This is not necessarily the case. AMD does not require a license to use freesync, but freesync monitors still cost more than a "non-freesycn" monitor. But they are also definitely less than a gsync monitor. For me, I love adaptive sync, so the decision of my monitor would also decide my GPU brand.

The question to move to 1440p really depends on your budget. 1440p is great and becoming more affordable. But you are looking at least a $400 graphics card and around 300 for an entry level 1440p 144hz monitor. 1080p is still a great resolution to game and is really affordable. If you look at steam hardware survey, 71% of gamers run on 1080p while 3% of gamers run on 1440p. So dont think that 1440p is mainstream, but it does look really nice.

There are a lot of different things that go into monitors. Adaptive refresh, Resolution, Refresh Rate, TN vs IPS and more. For me, refresh rate is key. Dont buy any monitor with less than 144hz unless it is 4k. Resolution depends on your GPU. 580/1060 and down, get a 1080p. Vega 56/1070 you can get good performance from both 1080p and 1440p. Vega 64/1080 may be overkill for 1080p. 1080ti go for 4k.

Someone said earlier not to look at any of the Vega's cause they are garbage. That is hog wash. There are a lot of people in pc gaming with bias. I say as a Nvidia owner, Vega 56 is a very good card for the right price. It is power hungry and hot, but it can game. The 1070ti was released to compete with it. Your PSU is enough to push a Vega 56. So if you can find a good deal on one, go for it and you can use a free sync monitor. The problem is, there are not many Vega 56's and they are overpriced. MSRP is $399 and you wont find one at that price.

If I were to list the specs in order that are most important for a monitor to me, I would choose:

Refresh Rate 144hz vs 60hz
Resolution 1440p vs 1080p
Adaptive Sync Gsync vs Freesync
IPS vs TN or VA panel

Some people will never get a TN panel. They only want IPS. IPS panels have a better picture and wider viewing angles, but they are expensive, suffer from backlight bleed, and have a longer response time (although not enough that I can see).

Getting a monitor that checks all those boxes will cost over $500 and even more for gsync and 1400p.

This is a good price for a 1080p monitor that may not be available where you are located, but it has everything I like to see in a monitor except it is a TN panel. It comes with a free game and it is a good price from a good vendor.

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236821

Pairing that with a 580 would be really nice. With a Vega 56 you would be able to push the fps closer to 144.



 
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Hmmm, I've heard some of those points before, but I do really appreciate having it all laid out in one clear decision making process. I happened to come across this today, yes it is $100 more, but it is 4k.

https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/asus-asus-28-4k-ultra-hd-1ms-led-gaming-monitor-mg28uq-black-mg28uq/10453592.aspx?

I like the monitor you posted and the fact that the one I posted was also an Asus speaks volumes

I expected that I would be getting an Nvidia GPU but if I do, it is going to have to be without Gsync. I just cannot spend that much on a monitor.

Also I noticed that you said my PSU can power a Vega 56, but you clearly omitted saying Vega 64. Is it safe to assume you did that on purpose?

I definitely cannot afford both a new gpu and a monitor right now (even the 1060/580), so it is important to get the monitor I want and get back to saving for a new GPU.
 
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I also read an article on Videocardz where they flashed a Vega 64 bios onto the Vega 56 which boosted memory speeds and resulted in it being only 2% worse than a Vega 64. I'll keep my eyes open on videocard prices...here's to hoping.
 
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Be careful flashing a bios of a different card. It can be something you will regret. But if you tinker with the Vega 56 settings, under volting and overclocking, you can have some decent results.
 
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