Some upgrades

[Joe_The_Plumber]

Some of you may have remembered my previous posts about building my own PC, and my plan to add some things to it around winter break. Well I've been feeling like I'd like to build onto it some more but I'd like some input

here is a link to all of the parts I've bought:

http://pcpartpicker.com/b/Dhk


So what I was thinking about was just adding another 4gb of RAM, and going SLI with the 770s. I just ordered the RAM but I'm still not sold on buying another GPU. For one there's the cost:benefit ratio I'm thinking about, and the another is the ability of my power supply to keep up with an additional 4gb of RAM (does that even take that much power?) and another taxing GPU. For reference, in BF4 on ultra I'm getting about 40-50 fps...

So, I guess my question is just that... Will that be too much on my 750 watt PSU? And is it as simple as popping another card in and connecting it all, or do I have to mess with the BIOS? I've done some research at least in regard to adding another 770, and it seems pretty split. Whether you have any experience with SLI setups or not I would appreciate the input.

Thanks guys

 

[Wizekraker]

My Questions is why do you need another 770? From my point of view you have really good setup.

 

[Joe_The_Plumber]

My Questions is why do you need another 770? From my point of view you have really good setup.

Eh I guess that's really what it comes down to, and at this point I think that answer is no. The benefit of another card isn't really there I suppose... and I guess that's why I posted this before just buying one haha

 

[Wizekraker]

Eh I guess that's really what it comes down to, and at this point I think that answer is no. The benefit of another card isn't really there I suppose... and I guess that's why I posted this before just buying one haha

I could understand your rationale if your playing with higher resolutions or multiple monitors, otherwise IMO it seems to be waste of money.

 

[Azuki Bell]

It's not worth SLI'ing two 770s at this point. I honestly believe SLI/Crossfire is only worth if you have 2+ of the top end cards, otherwise always just get the best card available for your money. Save your cash for the next generation 880ti or whatever comes out next.

But I agree with wize here, there's absolutely no point. Your system is already future proof til 2015 minimum, at which point 770s won't be much to talk about. The RAM upgrade however, never hurts. Having more channels + more RAM is never a bad thing, just make sure you're getting RAM that is rated at 1600 with the lowest CAS timings you can find, if you're keeping your old ram, just get more sticks of that instead. Ram power use is really negligible, even with a full 32GB of ram, its only going to be using about 100-150w maximum.

At this point your CPU is your bottleneck, if you've got 350+ dollars burning a hole on your pocket, upgrade your motherboard/CPU instead.

 

[Spectre GT]

It's not worth SLI'ing two 770s at this point. I honestly believe SLI/Crossfire is only worth if you have 2+ of the top end cards, otherwise always just get the best card available for your money. Save your cash for the next generation 880ti or whatever comes out next.

But I agree with wize here, there's absolutely no point. Your system is already future proof til 2015 minimum, at which point 770s won't be much to talk about. The RAM upgrade however, never hurts. Having more channels + more RAM is never a bad thing, just make sure you're getting RAM that is rated at 1600 with the lowest CAS timings you can find, if you're keeping your old ram, just get more sticks of that instead. Ram power use is really negligible, even with a full 32GB of ram, its only going to be using about 100-150w maximum.

At this point your CPU is your bottleneck, if you've got 350+ dollars burning a hole on your pocket, upgrade your motherboard/CPU instead.

+1. I couldn't have said it any better than this. Listen to Azuki, he's giving you good advice.

 

[_Sushi]

It's not worth SLI'ing two 770s at this point. I honestly believe SLI/Crossfire is only worth if you have 2+ of the top end cards

Or if you have multiple monitors.

 

[Joe_The_Plumber]

Or if you have multiple monitors.

I could understand your rationale if your playing with higher resolutions or multiple monitors, otherwise IMO it seems to be waste of money.

Well I guess that was the thinking later down the road as well. I'm using two monitors right now, but only one for gaming. I guess my thinking was that if I did end up getting another GPU it would lead to me spending more money later on for the same monitor I have now. I guess I should have said that was my intention if I did get a second GPU.

I have some thinking to do haha. It seems a shame to change out the CPU already after only 6 months, but I can't argue with what's been said haha :/

 

[Spectre GT]

Or if you have multiple monitors.

This is true also; But if you're looking at doing a multiple monitor scenario, you could also do yourself the justice of spending a little bit more (if it's within your budget) by getting the GTX Titan, or waiting to get the Titan Black Edition.
Not only would you have drastically increased performance and computing with consistency, greater than the GTX 780 Ti (with multiple monitors) if you go for the 6GB GTX Titan Black Edition, but you wouldn't even need to worry about games that don't even support SLI/Crossfire, nor would you have to worry about microstutter issues from running two GPUs.
You could even go for the GTX 780 Ti (cheaper and benchmarks better than the GTX Titan) instead of going for two of the same significantly lesser-quality card (GTX 770) just for SLI.

Going SLI is great and all, if it's supported and you don't experience any microstutter, but if you find yourself having to turn off SLI then you will likely find yourself disappointed when you've spent good money on two cards and can't even use both of them. I say if your plans are to go SLI and are willing to pay $600 or $700 USD to get two 770's, you might as well just get a single GTX 780 Ti or go for a little bit higher and shoot for the GTX Titan (runs better than the 780 Ti when gaming or computing on multiple monitors). It'd also be more 'future-proof' to do it that way.

I hope you don't plan to make this GPU upgrade and are only thinking of increasing performance on Battlefield 4, and aren't even considering future-proofing. There are plenty of options for $600-$700 single GPU solutions, that you can even run SLI with later on down the road and do much better than a GTX 770 2-Way SLI, that are more 'future-proof' and are better options. Currently, the GTX 780 Ti is the absolute best single-card solution currently out on the market; and it's priceerformance ratio even beats the Titan by $300. For the price of two 770's on SLI, that indeed presents greater risk (microstutter issues, SLI incompatibilities, less 'future-proof', etc), you can get just one GTX 780 Ti and benchmark much better - and STILL go SLI.

On the other hand, you could also decide to stack your money and wait for one of the higher end Maxwell (GTX 8xx) GPUs this July, and get another monitor or two at the same time.
When the Maxwell comes out, do you know what's going to happen then? Two things that are really going to piss you off: 1. The prices you paid for your x2 GTX 770's are going to drop significantly and cost next to nothing, when you could've been more patient & waited for the 800 series and get much better performance for an even lower/equal price than the current cost of getting x2 GTX 770's; and 2. Newer games are going to have hardware demands that are going to end up leaving you in de_dust. The GTX 770 is already bottom-benchmarking in Battlefield 4 (see list below). The GTX 780 Ti will still be one of the very top cards by itself, and you will still have room to get a GTX 800 series if you so choose (when the time comes). See Law of Diminishing Marginal Returns; Do you really want to pay that much for something that will serve you significantly less, when you can go for something much better at the same price (780 Ti) or just a bit more (GTX Titan)?

Ultimately it's your call to make, and it's for you to decide what you feel is most worth it to you. All anyone else can do is tell you what the many options and consequences will be for going either route.

In any case, here are the Battlefield 4 benchmark results for the GPUs mentioned in this thread:

Keep in mind the Radeon HD 7990 and the GeForce GTX 690 are dual-GPU cards (also affected by microstutter). Your GeForce GTX 770 is at the very bottom of the list while the 780 Ti is the very top single card solution. Two 780 Ti's (2-Way SLI) annihilates all of the cards on this list.

Also remember that:

1. The more GPUs you are running together, the more prone to microstutter you are.
2. The less GPU power, the more prone to microstutter when running multiples of the same GPU.
3. The less computing power/capability, the more prone to microstutter when running multiples of the same GPU.
4. VRAM doesn't stack.
5. FPS and computing are two different things, but are both very important; especially if you plan to game on multiple monitors.

I guess my thinking was that if I did end up getting another GPU it would lead to me spending more money later on for the same monitor I have now. I guess I should have said that was my intention if I did get a second GPU.

Yes, you should have - to help us to better assist you. However, you did yourself a service by clarifying; Now you have more than enough information to make a wise decision.

 

[Azuki Bell]

if you go for the 6GB GTX Titan Black Edition

:scared:

6GB GTX Titan Black Edition

:cursing:

6GB

WAT?

I need a moment while I let that sink in...

Anyways... You're getting some good advice here Joe. Thanks for that post Spectre, I really enjoyed reading that , very informative! I didn't know those cards were even a thing yet.

 

[Spectre GT]

:scared:

:cursing:


WAT?

I need a moment while I let that sink in...

Anyways... You're getting some good advice here Joe. Thanks for that post Spectre, I really enjoyed reading that , very informative! I didn't know those cards were even a thing yet.

Hahahaha!! I got a good laugh in your post there Azuki :laugh:
Have you seen the new 10GB GTX 790? :biggrin:
If that doesn't tell you that more VRAM and computing power is going to become a thing of the present somewhere in the near future...

Yes, the new GTX Titan Black Edition is a powerhouse, a powerhouse that most wouldn't ever even need; the insane amount of things that you can do with it is so very competitive (which is why the GTX Titan is so favored by PC Enthusiasts). Not only are we talking 6GB to work with, but we're talking faster clock speeds and a bit better computing performance than the GTX 780 Ti and it's still a single GPU card (maintains consistency 100% of the time, no throttling or micro stutter, etc).
Not only will you reach top performance with multiple monitors or a 4K monitor (which is really the only reason why you'd want that 6GB), but you will be able to maintain top performance for a long time (future-proofing!).
To some, it's just not worth the investment; To me, I would do it if I planned to run x3 of my 1440p monitor or if I planned to get a 4K monitor.
If you plan to stay below 1440p with your monitor(s), then you're completely safe in just getting a GTX 780 Ti. It's a badass card, and is the top single-GPU card solution until the Titan Black Edition releases.

Summarized Conclusion: If you're working with a budget anywhere around $1,000 and are looking for great to tip-top performance with a multiple 1440p monitor scenario, and you want your investment to last for a good long while, go for the GTX Titan Black Edition (around $1300.00 USD) or, the next option down, the GTX Titan (around $1000.00 USD).
If you're looking for the next best option for $300.00 cheaper than the GTX Titan (that also performs better on single monitors than the GTX Titan), go for the GTX 780 Ti (around $700.00 USD). With the GTX 780 Ti, you may also consider going SLI if you're really looking for tip-top performance with a multiple 1440p monitor scenario.
If you plan to stay below 1440p with your multiple monitor scenario, then just get the GTX 780 Ti.
If you don't have a $700-$1,300 USD budget to work with, I really recommend stacking your cash and waiting until this June or July for when the top-end GTX 8xx (Maxwell) series GPUs release.

And @Azuki... just for a little extra lolz, imagine running the 6GB GTX Titan Black Edition with SLI :lol:
And no, I do NOT recommend it!

 

[C7R35]

That's a nice setup! How well does the i5 work with gaming? My friend has been looking at a build and I recommended him a 4670k (I can get them for $100 directly through Intel) instead of paying $198 for an i7-4770k.