980Ti Overkill for 1080p/60 Gaming?

BlueWeasel

Limp Gawd
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Feb 27, 2006
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Currently I have a a 980 GTX with an overclocked 4790K. I could sell the 980 and upgrade to the Ti for roughly $150.

Running at 27" monitor at 1920x1080 and I don't anticipate upgrading to a 1440p or higher Vsync screen soon.

I'm considering the upgrade now since the 980 cards are holding their value, resulting in the $150 net cost. Is the 980Ti overkill for my setup?
 
In a word, yes. I'd seriously consider holding tight to see what develops with Pascal later this year before bumping up to a 980Ti from a 980. You definitely don't need the extra memory/performance for 1080p gaming. Until you decide to step up the resolution, I'd say that the 980 is plenty.
 
Question:

Is the 980 vanilla card requiring you to turn down settings?

If the 980 is too slow for maximum settings, than the 980Ti won't be a waste.

If the 980 is not slowing you down at all, the 980 ti will not make a difference.
 
I think for future proofing it's actually not a bad idea. Though most reviews show going from 1440 down to 1080 shows less scaling on the benefits recieved from a 980ti over a 970/980.

From what I remember it's like 10% benefit at 1080 on a 980ti, but increases to like a 20~25% increase on 1440p.
 
Is the 980 vanilla card requiring you to turn down settings?
Nope, not at all. Smooth gameplay is more important to me than eye candy, but I don't know of any setting that I've had to turn down. Maybe an Ultra setting on a few games. I'd still turn some settings down even with the 980Ti if it meant more or smoother frames.

Though most reviews show going from 1440 down to 1080 shows less scaling on the benefits recieved from a 980ti over a 970/980.

From what I remember it's like 10% benefit at 1080 on a 980ti, but increases to like a 20~25% increase on 1440p.

Ahh, that's a good point. I was expecting a 20% benefit (+/-) at 1080. If I only see a 10% increase, then it makes the upgrade less enticing. Although, I still want to do it. :)
 
4k@60fps

That is your goal. If you want quality graphics. 4k.
And if you want that 980ti to work for you. Then Yeah. Anyone saying 4k isn't ready or blah blah whatever. I have a 980m on a 17inch Alienware. With a 4k screen but also a 4k 55inch Samsung TV. Even before I had it it was worth it. 4k looks so amazing. Browsing and reading and everything. Then you get to the games. Sure there are games that need tweaking (like one or two settings and mxaa or something) and there are even games that simply won't work without too much sacrifice for me (in Thay case custom 2k resolution which looks good too.)
But for the most part I can do plenty of games to play in 4k. And it's amazing. Whether on a 17 inch screen (you CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE) or a 55 inch one (remember to calibrate the colors and have the right hdmi cable or a dp to hdmi) .

Dude
4k



4....k.


The only reason to stick to 1080 is if you are forced to via an old gpu, or an xbox one or ps4 or wii u. Don't waste your money on more 1080. If you are then get a console.

If you're really content on sticking with 1080p. Then I guess 1080@120fps or however high you can go. But still. Unless you have eye issues then you'll notice the difference.


So you said smooth gameplay over graphics. But why not have both? Don't live a life of extremes. It's not either this or that. Learn the grey and the middle. Learn about sacrificing shadows for 20fps or mxaa for 25. You can have both.

But 4k will change your mind.
 
4k@60fps

That is your goal. If you want quality graphics. 4k.
And if you want that 980ti to work for you. Then Yeah. Anyone saying 4k isn't ready or blah blah whatever. I have a 980m on a 17inch Alienware. With a 4k screen but also a 4k 55inch Samsung TV. Even before I had it it was worth it. 4k looks so amazing. Browsing and reading and everything. Then you get to the games. Sure there are games that need tweaking (like one or two settings and mxaa or something) and there are even games that simply won't work without too much sacrifice for me (in Thay case custom 2k resolution which looks good too.)
But for the most part I can do plenty of games to play in 4k. And it's amazing. Whether on a 17 inch screen (you CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE) or a 55 inch one (remember to calibrate the colors and have the right hdmi cable or a dp to hdmi) .

Dude
4k



4....k.


The only reason to stick to 1080 is if you are forced to via an old gpu, or an xbox one or ps4 or wii u. Don't waste your money on more 1080. If you are then get a console.

If you're really content on sticking with 1080p. Then I guess 1080@120fps or however high you can go. But still. Unless you have eye issues then you'll notice the difference.


So you said smooth gameplay over graphics. But why not have both? Don't live a life of extremes. It's not either this or that. Learn the grey and the middle. Learn about sacrificing shadows for 20fps or mxaa for 25. You can have both.

But 4k will change your mind.

Don't really 100% agree with this. 4k is nice. I run it on my BenQ 32 inch with a 980ti.

But gaming is more fluid and just as nice if not sometimes better at 1440 on my Acer xb270hu at 144hz with gsync.


If forced to choose only 1 I would agree 4k only because I do productivity stuff via photography on my 4k display. But if I was just gaming, the 1440p provides a better gaming experience overall imho. More fluidiity, more smothness, in all games from indie to mainstream.
 
Honestly, I'd save that money for a monitor upgrade. I know you said you aren't planning to anytime soon, but 1080p on a 27" display??

jim_carrey_vomiti_gif.gif
 
Don't really 100% agree with this. 4k is nice. I run it on my BenQ 32 inch with a 980ti.

But gaming is more fluid and just as nice if not sometimes better at 1440 on my Acer xb270hu at 144hz with gsync.


If forced to choose only 1 I would agree 4k only because I do productivity stuff via photography on my 4k display. But if I was just gaming, the 1440p provides a better gaming experience overall imho. More fluidiity, more smothness, in all games from indie to mainstream.

Can you tell the difference between 60 hz and 120 or 144?
 
Can you tell the difference between 60 hz and 120 or 144?

in one word?

YES.

But a more in depth explanation: Everything, including the desktop, feels smoother. If there were 40" 4K screens with 144Hz inputs, I'd be on those in a heartbeat. But 4K is more for productivity. If you are ALL about gaming, 4K does not make sense. if you are about casual gaming on the side of productivity, 4K makes a bit more sense.

Playing games at 100+ hertz is a different experience entirely, and one that is quite hard to come back from.
 
I did exactly this upgrade for 1080p @ 60fps, it was worth it.
I had a high clocked GTX980 that ran around 1550 to 1600MHz.
Even with that I had stutters in Project Cars and couldnt max Witcher 3, both caused by the GPU maxing out. GTA V also wasnt as smooth as I would like.
(Project Cars also suffered CPU bottlenecks, its one tough game! I fixed that by moving to Skylake)

The card developed a fault so I got a refund and bought a GTX980ti that initially ran around 1450MHz.
This solved the GPU problem with Project cars, GTA V and allowed me to max Witcher 3 apart from hairworks (I cant use hairworks and hug 60fps).
Gameplay is a lot smoother, I didnt expect it to be such a good improvement.
And DSR is ace.

Those that say theres no need for a 980ti at 1080p either dont mind compromises, dont play games that need it or are making it up because they have no experience.
And thats at only 60Hz 1080p !
 
I did exactly this upgrade for 1080p @ 60fps, it was worth it.
I had a high clocked GTX980 that ran around 1550 to 1600MHz.
Even with that I had stutters in Project Cars and couldnt max Witcher 3, both caused by the GPU maxing out. GTA V also wasnt as smooth as I would like.
(Project Cars also suffered CPU bottlenecks, its one tough game! I fixed that by moving to Skylake)

The card developed a fault so I got a refund and bought a GTX980ti that initially ran around 1450MHz.
This solved the GPU problem with Project cars, GTA V and allowed me to max Witcher 3 apart from hairworks (I cant use hairworks and hug 60fps).
Gameplay is a lot smoother, I didnt expect it to be such a good improvement.
And DSR is ace.

Those that say theres no need for a 980ti at 1080p either dont mind compromises, dont play games that need it or are making it up because they have no experience.
And thats at only 60Hz 1080p !


You make a good point:

If you are turning down ANY settings to reach your desired FPS, you have room for improvement. If you are the sort of person who doesn't mind running at 'high' instead of 'ultra', then you really have no need for the top-end. Some people MUST have ultra-level settings and NEED 60+ FPS. I'm not one of those people but I can definitely relate to wanting nice things.
 
:)
My way of thinking about it is this.
I usually only play a game once because there are too many to play and not enough hours in the day.
So I want the best experience and if its possible without too much trouble, why not.

Many other forms of entertainment cost much more, PC gaming is relatively cheap.
Even compared to driving!
Pranging a car in Dirt Rally costs very little :p
 
Can you tell the difference between 60 hz and 120 or 144?

It might be my old age, but does 144hz stand out to me as Killer must have? No. I play mostly smite, and I'm pretty good at it. My average kills/death ratio is the same on either machine. The 4k does look prettier in smite. In other games though the acer is a beast and is gorgeous.

I want to give a concrete answer like HELL YEAH I can see a difference, but to be honest it doesn't stand out to me that much. I've been gaming for over 20 years now and maybe it's me never having that "Videophile" eye, but +60fps visually isn't something that's radically different.

What is radically different though is feel of the game. I find having 120+ fps gives me consistently more fluid response time and feedback. It just felt better gaming on it.
 
I'm looking forward to getting a 980ti with income tax refund money for 2560x1080 gaming at max/ultra settings at 60+ fps. Lately, the R9 290 reference card has been having a rough time when I ramp anything up with newer games.
 
Honestly, a 980 is borderline overkill for 1080p/60. I play at that resolution and do fine with a 750. Sometimes I wish I had a 750 Ti, and a card with 3gb of vram may be useful for games that utilize a large amount of textures. Either way, the absolute most card I'd want for that resolution and refresh combo is probably a 970 4gb model.

I'm also not a fan of the "future proof" concept. My experiences buying something I don't actually need now with the intention that they will fulfill a future need always end up falling short of expectations. Specific to this topic, the current crop of Nvidia cards has dubious value in terms of DX12 gaming. The early numbers are not pretty, and as a result it may be a card generation or two before Nvidia gets it right (if, as I do, you believe the issue is one of GPU design and not driver optimization). If DX12 is as big as the hype leads one to believe, that means all of the current Nvidia card offerings are going to become undesirable in the near future. This is why I still own a 750.
 
Honestly, a 980 is borderline overkill for 1080p/60. I play at that resolution and do fine with a 750. Sometimes I wish I had a 750 Ti, and a card with 3gb of vram may be useful for games that utilize a large amount of textures. Either way, the absolute most card I'd want for that resolution and refresh combo is probably a 970 4gb model.

I'm also not a fan of the "future proof" concept. My experiences buying something I don't actually need now with the intention that they will fulfill a future need always end up falling short of expectations. Specific to this topic, the current crop of Nvidia cards has dubious value in terms of DX12 gaming. The early numbers are not pretty, and as a result it may be a card generation or two before Nvidia gets it right (if, as I do, you believe the issue is one of GPU design and not driver optimization). If DX12 is as big as the hype leads one to believe, that means all of the current Nvidia card offerings are going to become undesirable in the near future. This is why I still own a 750.

A 980 is not remotely overkill or near overkill for 1080p.
 
A 980 is not remotely overkill or near overkill for 1080p.

You either did not read carefully, or do not know what you're talking about. The OP is specifically asking about 1080p at 60hz, something that a 970 is more than capable of reaching on all but a game or two with ultra settings. Example review - http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/graphics/2014/09/19/nvidia-geforce-gtx-970-review/6

In game after game, a 970 is plenty. That makes a 980 overkill.

The bottom line, though, is that there is zero reason for the OP to upgrade, since they already have a 980. So going to a 980 Ti, when they already have more gpu power than needed, becomes gross overkill.

8da661fa253d8d54eab4d606cdb873fc.jpg
 
Honestly, a 980 is borderline overkill for 1080p/60. I play at that resolution and do fine with a 750. Sometimes I wish I had a 750 Ti, and a card with 3gb of vram may be useful for games that utilize a large amount of textures. Either way, the absolute most card I'd want for that resolution and refresh combo is probably a 970 4gb model.

I'm also not a fan of the "future proof" concept. My experiences buying something I don't actually need now with the intention that they will fulfill a future need always end up falling short of expectations. Specific to this topic, the current crop of Nvidia cards has dubious value in terms of DX12 gaming. The early numbers are not pretty, and as a result it may be a card generation or two before Nvidia gets it right (if, as I do, you believe the issue is one of GPU design and not driver optimization). If DX12 is as big as the hype leads one to believe, that means all of the current Nvidia card offerings are going to become undesirable in the near future. This is why I still own a 750.

1. I own a 980 Ti, 1080P screen, and also have a 970 (PhysX) (AND a 750 Ti in my file server). Yeah, fuck that noise. 980 Ti beats the shit out of a highly overclocked 970 when cranking up the eye candy at 1080P. Even the 980 Ti can't handle 100% max settings in some games and maintain 60 or greater FPS (looking at you Assassin's Creed Syndicate).

2. Future proofing is a misnomer for enthusiasts, but not for an average Joe. Each person makes their call on that, and future proofing might be a real thing for them (5 years later).

3. DX 12 won't be a huge game changer unless you are CPU bound. Source That COULD change when we see more DX12 titles.
 
You either did not read carefully, or do not know what you're talking about. The OP is specifically asking about 1080p at 60hz, something that a 970 is more than capable of reaching on all but a game or two with ultra settings. Example review - http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/graphics/2014/09/19/nvidia-geforce-gtx-970-review/6

In game after game, a 970 is plenty. That makes a 980 overkill.

The bottom line, though, is that there is zero reason for the OP to upgrade, since they already have a 980. So going to a 980 Ti, when they already have more gpu power than needed, becomes gross overkill.

8da661fa253d8d54eab4d606cdb873fc.jpg

Unlike you I have a 980 and have experience using it at 1080p. Even limiting it to 60hz I'd say the 980 is not overkill. I'd call it about right. Unless a card can max out every game on the market (discounting the obvious shitty ports and the like) at well above 60fps 100% of the time I don't see it as overkill. You can throw all the canned benchmarks you want at me, they are meaningless next to actual REAL WORLD experience.
 
Honestly, I'd save that money for a monitor upgrade. I know you said you aren't planning to anytime soon, but 1080p on a 27" display??

LOL...yeah, I know.

The monitor is several years old but it still works great for me.
 
Currently I have a a 980 GTX with an overclocked 4790K. I could sell the 980 and upgrade to the Ti for roughly $150.

Running at 27" monitor at 1920x1080 and I don't anticipate upgrading to a 1440p or higher Vsync screen soon.

I'm considering the upgrade now since the 980 cards are holding their value, resulting in the $150 net cost. Is the 980Ti overkill for my setup?

Definitely yes to overkill if you are gaming at 1080P. I am gaming perfectly happy at 1080P on an ASUS Strix GTX 960 4GB card driving two 27" ASUS monitors.

But, you are positioned well should you decide to go to 4K later. At the same time, 4K today is not the same as 4K tomorrow. Tomorrow you may want more than a 980 or a Ti might offer.
 
In another thread I saw something that makes me reconsider my comment above. The refresh rate of your monitor should be taken into consideration. Now that we have 144mhz refresh rates you may need more card for 1080P if you are pushing higher frame rates. A 75hz monitor would be happy at 1080P with a card like mine, but not a higher refresh rate that almost doubles the demand for new frames. Keep this in mind as I forgot all about it.
 
In another thread I saw something that makes me reconsider my comment above. The refresh rate of your monitor should be taken into consideration. Now that we have 144mhz refresh rates you may need more card for 1080P if you are pushing higher frame rates. A 75hz monitor would be happy at 1080P with a card like mine, but not a higher refresh rate that almost doubles the demand for new frames. Keep this in mind as I forgot all about it.

I know this is just a typo, but a person can dream, right? Well unless the lowercase "m" means "milli", in which case that would just be horrible.
 
Currently I have a a 980 GTX with an overclocked 4790K. I could sell the 980 and upgrade to the Ti for roughly $150.

Running at 27" monitor at 1920x1080 and I don't anticipate upgrading to a 1440p or higher Vsync screen soon.

I'm considering the upgrade now since the 980 cards are holding their value, resulting in the $150 net cost. Is the 980Ti overkill for my setup?

NOT overkill. For $150 I would do it without hesitating. It is worth it for the extra VRAM alone which will extend the life the card and open up more settings down the road. It is a sound upgrade option, for sure. I think that is a no brainer.

BTW I have two 980s in SLI. I probably would have upgraded already if I didn't have two of them. Even at 1080p.

Future proofing, at one time, was not possible. I think it is more possible today than at any other time because the games are evolving more slowly. But if you run out of VRAM, which is possible at 1080p with anti-aliasing, dynamic super resolutions, ect, or just jacking up GTA V for example, you are DONE. The 980Ti is the card the 980 should have been from the start.
 
Can you tell the difference between 60 hz and 120 or 144?

Lol, big YES.

I been sending monitors to a buddy for use. I upgraded him from 24'' 1ms(60hz) 1080 to 27'' 1ms(60hz) 1080 to 27'' 1ms 1080 (120hz). He noticed a huge difference going from 60hz to 120hz.

I also noticed a difference going through that series of monitors. Now im on 144hz 1440p (rog swift)and noticed another, slight, difference than the 120hz 1080p I was using before

As far as OP, save for a new screen. Afterward, get a new GPU. 780ti's / 970's run 1080p very well atm let alone a 980 wil sit pretty.
 
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980ti is not overkill for 1080p by any means.

While I agree with others, upgrade to ultra wide and/or high hz monitor while you are at it.
 
980ti is not overkill for 1080p by any means.

While I agree with others, upgrade to ultra wide and/or high hz monitor while you are at it.

Wait up. That means if he goes ultrawide he isn't doing 1080P anymore although 1080P at 120Hz is more demanding then 75 or 60hz. He might need more card for that. But if he is consciously wanting to saty at 1080P / 75Hz or less, he can do just fine with even a good GTX 960 card like my 4GB Asus Strix. I know, I am doing just fine right there myself.

But that is the trick, I did this consciously as in I had a plan, I made a decision. I didn't want to spend the money for more card and better monitors. That stuff really adds up. At the time I rebuilt my system it would have cost me about $600 more to go to a GTX 980 and 1440P Monitor. Instead I saved that $600 and since then I used some of that savings to buy a second matching monitor which I have been very happy with. A pair of ASUS MX279h displays suite me very well.

Is there better, I am certain there is. But I figure my decision saved me $600 up front and in a couple of years I can give those monitors to my wife for use with her two Apple TVs, (they have decent speakers), and I can upgrade to 2K or 4K at far less cost again.

That's just my values, I don't expect it to be yours. I just don't agree that if a guy wants to stay at 1080P right now, and doesn't have a high refresh rate monitor, that unless his card died, there is a good reason to spend money on top of the line video cards for this level of display. Still, anyone can do whatever they want and as far as I am concerned, "just because they want it" is good enough reason.
 
Honestly, I'd save that money for a monitor upgrade. I know you said you aren't planning to anytime soon, but 1080p on a 27" display??

jim_carrey_vomiti_gif.gif

I run two 27" at 1080P, ASUS MX279h monitors with IPS panals. They look just fine to me and movies look good too. I don't have any 4K content to need anything higher for now.

Maybe later when 4K is reasonable but when the monitors and cards cost more then the rest of the machine, I'll wait.
 
Over the last 6 months I've been averaging around 40-60% GPU load in everything I play... So, I would call that overkill. Useful for DSR, I suppose.
 
It's not overkill, it's that almost all games for it run perfect except for the exceptions. Witcher 3, GTA V with everything maxed, 980 ti still isn't enough for people with high standards AND have everything maxed.
 
It's not overkill, it's that almost all games for it run perfect except for the exceptions. Witcher 3, GTA V with everything maxed, 980 ti still isn't enough for people with high standards AND have everything maxed.

That's because "maxing" everything is complete bullshit when many of the settings maxed give you next to no image quality improvement or something that you'll only notice in screenshots.

A 970 or 980 is plenty for 1080p. 980 Ti is useful when going above that resolution.
 
That's because "maxing" everything is complete bullshit when many of the settings maxed give you next to no image quality improvement or something that you'll only notice in screenshots.

A 970 or 980 is plenty for 1080p. 980 Ti is useful when going above that resolution.

You have your standards, I have mine.

You have your games, I have mine.

They are obviously not all the same. I will concede, however, for the majority of games a 980 Ti is not needed for 1080P. I'm finding that that is changing with each new game that comes out.
 
Do you need to play every single game on ultra? I've never done so but if you think it'll make it magical experience then go for it. I have a gtx 760 and a 27" G-Sync monitor 2560x1440 and all my games have more than playable settings. Bf4, helldivers, CS:GO. I mean my fps went from like 300fps to 150 in CS:GO but I think I'll be fine lol.
 
Do you need to play every single game on ultra? I've never done so but if you think it'll make it magical experience then go for it. I have a gtx 760 and a 27" G-Sync monitor 2560x1440 and all my games have more than playable settings. Bf4, helldivers, CS:GO. I mean my fps went from like 300fps to 150 in CS:GO but I think I'll be fine lol.

This was already answered:

You have your standards, I have mine.

You have your games, I have mine.

They are obviously not all the same. I will concede, however, for the majority of games a 980 Ti is not needed for 1080P. I'm finding that that is changing with each new game that comes out.
 
It's not overkill, it's that almost all games for it run perfect except for the exceptions. Witcher 3, GTA V with everything maxed, 980 ti still isn't enough for people with high standards AND have everything maxed.

If a markedly cheaper card does the same thing, it's overkill.

But so what if it's overkill?

It's not a sin. St. Peter isn't going to ask you about your 1080P gaming on a GTX 980 Ti right?

The guy is already running more card then he needs unless he's running a high refresh rate monitor.

But then again, so what? If it's what he wants I sure am not turning him into the excessive gamer police :cool:
 
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