980 vs 1080

[DCC70]

I currently have a gtx 980 can get exact model later. However would it be worth upgrading to a 1080, I play BF4, iracing, and some other non-demanding games. My 980 can run everything at 60+ frames ultra on up to a 2k resolution. So my question is would it be worth upgrading to the 1080 before BF1 drops, or should I wait for next gen.

Thank you.

[TekNicTerror]

Well can the 980 run BF1?
Of course then it becomes, can the 980 run BF1 in ultra settings? If that is how you want to run it..

BTW, is it just a 980 or 980 Ti? If Ti, no matter what, I'd say wait for 1100's or even 1200's GTX models; a 980 Ti should be fine for a few more years even if you are rich.

If just 980, compare it to a 1070 and see if worth upgrading to that, cuz I do not feel the price difference between 1070 and 1080 is worth the performance gain; which is why my new PC has a 1070 in it instead of a 1080.

[Tymplar]

Well can the 980 run BF1?
Of course then it becomes, can the 980 run BF1 in ultra settings? If that is how you want to run it..

BTW, is it just a 980 or 980 Ti? If Ti, no matter what, I'd say wait for 1100's or even 1200's GTX models; a 980 Ti should be fine for a few more years even if you are rich.

If just 980, compare it to a 1070 and see if worth upgrading to that, cuz I do not feel the price difference between 1070 and 1080 is worth the performance gain; which is why my new PC has a 1070 in it instead of a 1080.

I agree on the 980 vs. 980 Ti point. There's absolutely no comparison between the 980 and the 1080. The 1080 will eat the 980's lunch all day long.

The only 10x0 card we're waiting on now is the GTX 1080 Ti. Well, the one that EVERYONE is waiting on, heh. I'm still just wondering what they're doing with their super sped-up release cycle (aside from just swatting away AMD like the fly that they are) and it makes me think that we could very well see the GTX 1080 Ti just in time for Christmas this year.

The only way they could get away with that would be if the other change they're making is something like a "Tick / Tock" release cycle (like what Intel used to do ). If that were the case, then what we would most likely see would be the GTX 1100 series as the "Tock" release to the GTX 1000's "Tick" release, but still on Pascal. That would most likely be where they would finally incorporate HBM2 if manufacturing would sort out. Or, they do what Intel just changed to, which is a three-step release cycle (Process --> Architecture --> Optimization) and then we could hypothetically see something like the GTX 1000, GTX 1100 and GTX 1200 series, all based on Pascal.

But then, I guess the only question remaining at that point is...will there be a GTX 1090? :)

(Duh...yeah there will be)

Pascal hasn't even began to hit what it's capable of so I say they should sit back and enjoy it and not have to try and rush to get Volta out the door. I mean, they are LITERALLY using partially disabled chips in all most of the cards.

And to your other point about performance gain from a 980 Ti to a GTX 1080...trust me...it's there. I did it and I'm not regretting it one bit.

[DCC70]

So would you advise either waiting for a 1080ti or 11xx series?

[Time]

There's really no major reason to upgrade just yet. The 10xx series is a massive gain over the previous gen, with the drop in fabrication levels to 16nm nodes - but we're yet to see anything to really take advantage of it. However, one 1080 is still not enough for 4K/Ultra, or 1440p/144Hz/Ultra. SLi can be, pending the title is decently optimised.

If you were on a 780ti or below, I'd say to definitely invest in the upgrade.. but the 980 -> 1080 just isn't worth it yet.

I'd say if you're on a 980/980ti, wait for the 1180ti. It'll likely be the first "real" 4K/Ultra / 1440p/144Hz/Ultra single GPU solution that we see. We're also likely to see similar 9xx -> 10xx leaps due to the looming introduction of HBM2 replacing GDDR/X.. so instead of a 30%~ gain from 980 -> 1080, you'll be seeing closer to a 50/60% gain. And at that point, you'll be safe to sit back for a few years, as honestly, we're hitting a point of diminishing returns with graphical fidelity in games. Our hardware is getting more powerful, but consumer-facing software just doesn't have the use for it.

Now, if you're running lots of complex renders, or machine learning algorithms though CUDA.. then yes, the upgrade would probably be worth your while :) Otherwise, I'd say to hold off for the next gen!

[ColossalGyro]

There's really no major reason to upgrade just yet. The 10xx series is a massive gain over the previous gen, with the drop in fabrication levels to 16nm nodes - but we're yet to see anything to really take advantage of it. However, one 1080 is still not enough for 4K/Ultra, or 1440p/144Hz/Ultra. SLi can be, pending the title is decently optimised.

If you were on a 780ti or below, I'd say to definitely invest in the upgrade.. but the 980 -> 1080 just isn't worth it yet.

I'd say if you're on a 980/980ti, wait for the 1180ti. It'll likely be the first "real" 4K/Ultra / 1440p/144Hz/Ultra single GPU solution that we see. We're also likely to see similar 9xx -> 10xx leaps due to the looming introduction of HBM2 replacing GDDR/X.. so instead of a 30%~ gain from 980 -> 1080, you'll be seeing closer to a 50/60% gain. And at that point, you'll be safe to sit back for a few years, as honestly, we're hitting a point of diminishing returns with graphical fidelity in games. Our hardware is getting more powerful, but consumer-facing software just doesn't have the use for it.

Now, if you're running lots of complex renders, or machine learning algorithms though CUDA.. then yes, the upgrade would probably be worth your while :) Otherwise, I'd say to hold off for the next gen!

A GTX 1080 could easily do 1440p and break 60fps no problem. Depending on the game of course. But for games like BF4, BF1, Overwatch, a single GTX 1080 can do 1440p no problem.

[DCC70]

It is just a normal 980, I mean I pull 130 fps in battlefield 4 with settings completely maxed at 1080p and 80 at 2k. Guess I will have to wait until bf1 drops. Only concern is then I won't be able to sell my 980 once these 1060s boom since they are on par with the 980.