Worth the Extra $$$ XFX vs MSI RX 480

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GeekJump

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Nov 17, 2014
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XFX Radeon RX 480 8GB XXX OC VS MSI Radeon RX 480 GAMING X

Building a build for my bro and was originally going to order the XFX Radeon RX 480 8GB for it. But I stumbled on the MSI 480. Is it worth the extra ~$40 to go with the MSI?

I'm already slightly over his budget as if. But, if the performance and cooling is worth the extra $$, he says to go ahead with whatever is better. The case is kinda small and I'm worried about overheating with the XFX (it looks like the GPU will be pretty close to the PSU shroud).

Currently ordering parts for the build now. This is the current build plan if you're wondering > https://pcpartpicker.com/list/hvzND8
 
Solution
C
Regardless, an overclockable i5 and an RX 480 vs a regular i5 with a 1070 will net half the frames.
You may argue that it is overkill for 60Hz, but its actually alright for graphically intensive stuff.
Point is, you're paying MORE for less performance, there's no benefit to that at all.

Saying that before it mattered the new GPUs would be out implies that you would need a graphics upgrade at that point due to the shortcomings of the RX 480, games will gradually get more demanding at 1080p and you'll be regretting not getting the 1070 when the RX 480 is chugging along at 30fps, hence why I made the recommendations I did above. 🙁
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LOL. Well he did originally want a red theme but, after some part swaps, it become a more black with red accents theme. But besides the look is there a significant difference performance wise to justify the price difference?
 
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The build is somewhat time sensitive. The latest I could wait is the end of next week. I don't imagine any sales popping up around then (unless I have crap luck)

 
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Get this build, much more powerful.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU Cooler: CRYORIG M9i 48.4 CFM CPU Cooler ($19.88 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2800 Memory ($94.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.33 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1070 8GB SC Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card ($379.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT S340 (Black/Red) ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ B&H)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 620W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($47.89 @ Newegg)
Other: AsRock Z170M Pro4S Microcenter Combo + Rebate ($34.99)
Other: i5 7600k Microcenter Bundle ($199.99)
Total: $887.05
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-02-28 22:08 EST-0500
 
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I'm not near a microcenter so I can't get that deal (CPU in store only)
 
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If you want to do right by your bro, don't forget to throw in a halfway decent SSD. Doesn't have to have a ton of storage space, but there are plenty of inexpensive options that'd make a noticeable difference in the overall performance and speed of his system.
 
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Thats already done. Got a PNY 120gb for the OS
 
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Ah I see, no worries at all. :)
Get this.
This comes with a solid cooler as a free gift with the motherboard.
The mobo is fantastic value as it sports an ALC 1150 sound chip which virtually no other mid range B150/B250 boards have.
You'll need to update the BIOS for Kaby Lake, google a guide on how to do it, quite simple.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-7500 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($196.33 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus B150 PRO GAMING/AURA ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($91.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Aegis 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($88.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.33 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1070 8GB SC Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card ($379.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT S340 (Black/Red) ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ B&H)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 620W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($47.89 @ Newegg)
Total: $914.50
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-03-01 03:58 EST-0500
 
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That's a good build but it's over budget. Plus, maybe it's because of our locations, but when I go to newegg the free cooler isn't offered (im in the US)

The original budget for the build was $850 that's why I was sticking with a 480. I already mentioned to him that if he puts an extra $140-150 he can get a 1070 but he doesn't want to go over that much. He said he is okay with an 480 for now and if it's not good enough in a few years, just upgrading it to w/e is good at the time.
 
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After showing him the 2, he liked the MSI one. They're priced similar right now but he liked the design of the MSI dragon more. Plus I have a good relation with MSI parts in terms of reliability so those 2 reasons helped make up his mind.
 
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Let OP choose the best response, the thread is also not solved yet. :)
Here's a slightly cheaper one, for the extra $45 you're getting much more for the money, well worth the upgrade, trust me here.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-7500 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($196.39 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B250M-DS3H Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($71.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Aegis 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($88.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1070 8GB SC Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card ($379.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT S340 (Black/Red) ATX Mid Tower Case ($60.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 620W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($47.89 @ Newegg)
Total: $896.22
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-03-01 15:53 EST-0500
 
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Something to consider: If you register your card within 30 days of purchase, XFX gives you a LIFETIME warranty. That means if 6 years down the road, the card dies, they'll repair or replace it for free. That alone puts them above MSI in my book. The only other company that I know of to offer a similar deal is EVGA.
 
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He already picked the MSI Gaming X this morning. I mentioned the 1070 route but, since he is only gaming on a 1080p screen he didn't want to spend an extra ~$150 on a card that he wouldn't see the performance benefits of without going more over budget and getting a higher end monitor.

The final parts were ordered this morning and the build ended up being https://pcpartpicker.com/list/Q7yghq. Slightly over budget but allows for overclocking and better performance than the original $850 build with the ref card.
 
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It actually costs more than my build with much worse performance...
Dunno why you made a forum thread if it was already decided lol.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-7500 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($196.39 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B250M-DS3H Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($71.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Aegis 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($88.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1070 8GB SC GAMING ACX 3.0 Black Edition Video Card ($374.00 @ Amazon)
Case: NZXT S340 (Black/Red) ATX Mid Tower Case ($60.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 620W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($47.89 @ Newegg)
Total: $890.23
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-03-01 17:01 EST-0500
 
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Excluding the GPU, mine has a overclockable cpu, better mobo, and includes an SSD. The only big difference is the GPUs. If you go back to my original post the thread was purely about which gpu was better between two. I even mentioned I already started ordering the other parts in the first post.

Can you give a sound argument to sacrifice on the other parts and get a 1070 for a 480? A 1070 would be overkill for the 1080p/60hrz monitor being used. And, by the time the difference would be noticeable, the newest gtx would be released.
 
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Regardless, an overclockable i5 and an RX 480 vs a regular i5 with a 1070 will net half the frames.
You may argue that it is overkill for 60Hz, but its actually alright for graphically intensive stuff.
Point is, you're paying MORE for less performance, there's no benefit to that at all.

Saying that before it mattered the new GPUs would be out implies that you would need a graphics upgrade at that point due to the shortcomings of the RX 480, games will gradually get more demanding at 1080p and you'll be regretting not getting the 1070 when the RX 480 is chugging along at 30fps, hence why I made the recommendations I did above. 🙁
 
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Solution


Now you're getting in my head >.<. I might just gift him the $150 and swap the 480 for 1070. I don't want to go through the hassle of returning all the parts but wouldn't mind returning one.

What about swapping my CPU with yours and using the extra $50 saving towards the 1070? Would the 7500 bottleneck?

*EDIT*
If I remove the overclock-ability (since swapping the cpu) I could also swap the mobo and get this. https://pcpartpicker.com/list/htphTH
 
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No it wouldn't, at stock speeds the 7600k only offers a small increase in clock speeds vs the 7500 as well as overclocking capabilities which may not be a good idea in the first place since I assume he is new to PC gaming.
Make a list of all the parts you currently have and i'll tell you what to return.
Return the GPU, CPU and mobo, the rest of the parts should be relatively good.
Get the 1070 SC Black edition for $374.99 on Newegg that I mentioned earlier, an i5 7500 and the B250 DS3H from gigabyte.
 
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He's going with the 1070. Laziness beat out and he's keeping all the parts on my list except the gpu lol The $150+ won out over having to upgrade in 2 years. Plus we have a shield so that might be a fun extra
 
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