Advice on replacement gaming GPU please.

[Dr.Rock]

Hi,

My nVidia GTX 580 graphics card that's been serving me for six years has started to fail with one of the fans running slow, so within a few minutes of playing any game the GPU overheats and causes my PC to black-screen, needing forced-reboot in order to return to desktop. This problem doesn't happen when I'm doing anything less graphics intensive the PC (office software, Internet browsing, etc). Anyway, this is the perfect excuse to treat myself to a new and more up-to-date GPU, so what would people recommend for these days that would fit my current system? I'm looking at the nVidia GTX 1060 6GM RAM, but there are so many different ones out there with differences in prices, clock speeds (MHz), boosted clock speeds, output sockets, etc. Can someone please recommend me a GTX 1060 card? I can't justify the costs of a GTX 1070, but how well will a GTX 1060 6GHz RAM serve me for current and future games compared to a GTX 1070, and will there be that much of a difference to justify the additional cost? I was thinking that if I get the GTX 1060 instead of the 1070, by the time I'll eventually need a better GPU, I can get something better than the GTX 1070 with the money I've saved.

I would like something that's capable of 3D Vision as per my current card and play latest games at full settings as possible.

Current PC specs:
CPU: Intel i7 2600K 3.4 MHz
RAM: 16 GB
Motherboard: Asus P8Z68 Deluxe
GPU Slot: PCI Express x16 2.0
GPU: MSI N580GTX TWIN FROZR II/OC (to be replaced with ???)
OS: Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
Monitor: Asus with full HD and 3D (I don't know model name at time of writing)

I know my CPU is old but I don't want to upgrade it yet just for the sake of games as it still kicks ass, and the dropped framerates I'm getting with current games at full setting I'm sure are due to GPU rather than CPU, as GPU is the only failure highlighted in the game spec tests. Because of my current monitor, I am looking at 1080p gaming rather than 4K.

Thanks.

 

[Eddy555]

You'd probably be best with a 1060. Go for something from MSi, Asus or EVGA.

 

[messenger]

GTX 1070 would be my choice for 1080p gaming. With a 1070 there is still room to keep the card for a couple of years before game GPU power requires an upgrade.

 

[oska]

It depends on what you are playing and how fussy you are about having everything on the highest settings. I run a Gigabyte GTX 960 Windforce and it plays most games I want at very high or ultra with some other settings turned down. Handles GTA5, Fallout4 and Just Cause 3 very well. I'd be looking at a 1060 to replace it at some point.

 

[Barnold]

If you're only at 1080p/60 then the 1060 is more than enough. If you go 1440p or 144hz (or preferably both, it's amazing!) then you should go for the 1070. If you're happy with your monitor then you'll. Be good for many years with a 1060

 

[paulst10]

Might be worth looking for a second hand GTX970, I have a 970 in my main PC and a 1060 in my HTPC and there's not a lot between them, the extra vram in the 1060 will future proof the card a little more but you could probably pick up a 970 for around half the price of a 1060 and put the money saved toward the next batch of cards whenever they're released..

 

[Delvey]

Unless you can get the 6GB version for a similar price of the 3GB version in wouldn't buy one. The performance difference at 1080p is minimal. I would personally go for the 1070

 

[Dr.Rock]

Thanks for your suggestions so far. So onw I'm deciding between a GTX 1060 6GB or I spend an extra £100+ and go for a GTX 1070. The most I've ever spent on a GPU was £375 for my GTX 580 which was the top card at the time and took a good few years before it started showing a slight bit of age against new games.

So anyway, for each type of GPU (1060 and 1070), what would be the good models to consider? Do varying base clock speeds and boost speeds make a difference between GPU's? Some new 1060 cards come with 9GBps, whatever that means. Do all cards run silent or are some noticeably noisier than others?

Thanks.

 

[sykotik]

Thanks for your suggestions so far. So onw I'm deciding between a GTX 1060 6GB or I spend an extra £100+ and go for a GTX 1070. The most I've ever spent on a GPU was £375 for my GTX 580 which was the top card at the time and took a good few years before it started showing a slight bit of age against new games.

So anyway, for each type of GPU (1060 and 1070), what would be the good models to consider? Do varying base clock speeds and boost speeds make a difference between GPU's? Some new 1060 cards come with 9GBps, whatever that means. Do all cards run silent or are some noticeably noisier than others?

Thanks.

You want to be looking for a Asus , MSI , Gigabtye or EVGA i would say those are the ones to look for , if you can find a 9gb 1060 for a decent price then go for that . ( but keep away from the 3gb versions )
the 1060 and 70's are way over priced at the moment because for the mining craze , i seen a few reports that it has slowed down , so my guess is 2nd cards will start to show up on ebay or other auction sites , and may be at a decent price , just depends how desperate you are for a new/ish card if you can hold out .

 

[Delvey]

( but keep away from the 3gb versions )

Any reason why?

 

[sykotik]

Any reason why?

The more Vram the the better, having 6gb or even the newer 9gb will give a better performance over the 3gb version , when a game needs more video ram, which a lot of the newer AAA games do now, Vram help keeps the game running smoothly and stop stuttering with in a game .

 

[Barnold]

If you're sticking with 1080p gaming then 3gb will be more than enough. If you're potentially thinking of higher resolutions then you'd want more to be safe so you don't bottleneck yourself by the card not being able to handle the size of the higher resolution textures. From what I recall there's not much difference in price between the two so you play it safe and get the 6gb version, but in real world scenarios you won't see any difference at 1080p

 

[Delvey]

The more Vram the the better, having 6gb or even the newer 9gb will give a better performance over the 3gb version , when a game needs more video ram, which a lot of the newer AAA games do now, Vram help keeps the game running smoothly and stop stuttering with in a game .

First I do not think there is a 9GB version, simply a 9GBps model. Secondly, reviews seems to suggest that the 6GB version has a small advantage over the 3GB version, 2-5 FPS more which is not a great deal, even at 1440p.
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1060 G1 GAMING Review
So I would go for the 1070 if you are thinking of future proofing for 1440, or if at 1080p then stick with the 3GB version as the 6GB version does not justify the extra cost for slim performance. At anything over 1080p the 1060 itself is the limiting factor, not the size of its VRAM

 

[Dr.Rock]

I've been looking at 1080 cards, for example this one selling for £490: Gigabyte NVIDIA GTX 1080 8GB WindForce3 OC Graphics Card

It's a lot cheaper than other 1080 GPU's and there are many 1070 cards (lower spec cards) that are the same price or more. Am I not noticing something there? If this is a higher spec card, why would someone want to pay more for 1070 card of lower spec? This 1080 for £490 would still be a better deal than a similarly-priced or more expensive 1070 card, wouldn't it? Or is there any advantage that a similar/more priced 1070 card have over this 1080?

Thanks.

 

[ArmitageShanks]

I've been looking at 1080 cards, for example this one selling for £490: Gigabyte NVIDIA GTX 1080 8GB WindForce3 OC Graphics Card

It's a lot cheaper than other 1080 GPU's and there are many 1070 cards (lower spec cards) that are the same price or more. Am I not noticing something there? If this is a higher spec card, why would someone want to pay more for 1070 card of lower spec? This 1080 for £490 would still be a better deal than a similarly-priced or more expensive 1070 card, wouldn't it? Or is there any advantage that a similar/more priced 1070 card have over this 1080?

Thanks.

Ethereum mining has thrown the prices out of whack I think. A 1070 is probably more power-effecient for the hashes it can achieve per second than a 1080, hence more demand for them.

If you're gaming, it's a no-brainer: get the 1080 over the 1070 if they're similarly priced.

 

[TheNameIsJambo]

The prices of GPUs are all over the shop. The AMD 480/580s are selling like hot-cakes due to mining. That's including the GTX 1070; it has different VRAM (GDDR5), which makes it better for Ethereum mining than the GTX 1080 (GDDR5X).

If you can get a GTX 1080 for the cost of a GTX 1070, it's an absolute no brainer my man. It's 20% faster. Who cares if you only game at 1080P with a GTX 1080? You'll be able to crank the games to the max for years to come in that case - why compromise?

Also - Overclock that damn 2600K, you'll breathe new life into it! If you haven't done so already, dismount your CPU-HSF, give it a clean and apply fresh thermal paste