Old high end card or new mid range cards?

[Ungari]

Right RX480, but would it be OK if I chose 4GB instead of more expensive 8GB?

I'm not sure what the pricing over there is, but here on reference cards it's only a $40 difference to get the 8GB; well worth it especially since there are already several games that exceed 4GB VRAM usage.
But then again, if you go for reference card you might be one of the lucky ones to buy a box labeled 4GB, and be able to unlock it to 8GB with the BIOS flash.
There was a member of these forums who was successfully able to do this on his card, but I don't recall his name.

If pricing makes it a choice between 4GB RX 480 and 8GB RX 470, get the 480, you'll be glad you did. (Hope you get one of those 4GBs that unlock to 8GB and save the money!)

https://www.techpowerup.com/223913/...b-memory-unlock-mod-works-we-benchmarked?cp=4

 

[P4-630]

There was a member of these forums who was successfully able to do this on his card, but I don't recall his name.

I believe it was W1zzard:
https://www.techpowerup.com/223913/...to-8gb-memory-unlock-mod-works-we-benchmarked

 

[Apocalypsee]

I'm not sure what the pricing over there is, but here on reference cards it's only a $40 difference to get the 8GB; well worth it especially since there are already several games that exceed 4GB VRAM usage.
But then again, if you go for reference card you might be one of the lucky ones to buy a box labeled 4GB, and be able to unlock it to 8GB with the BIOS flash.
There was a member of these forums who was successfully able to do this on his card, but I don't recall his name.

I already told you the pricing and the non availability of RX 480 4GB reference in my country, distributor says they won't bring the model in, only the AIB 3rd party cooling is available. The price of RX 470 4GB is slightly under RM1000 (~USD243) while RX 480 4GB/RX 470 8GB is around RM1200 (~USD292) and the cheapest RX 480 8GB reference is RM1250 (~USD304) and other AIB RX 480 8GB costs at least RM100 (~USD24) more. I have the money to buy at least RX 480 4GB but I don't want to spend more than RM1000 since now my priority is my child.

 

[Nergal]

Rx480 4GB is great for 1080P gaming.
The number of games impacted because you run out of memory is low and even then it will only happen very rarely

Hell, else, why would NV release the 1060 with 3GB?
That would be an absolute outrage now wouldn´t it be? (lol)

I already told you the pricing and the non availability of RX 480 4GB reference in my country, distributor says they won't bring the model in, only the AIB 3rd party cooling is available. The price of RX 470 4GB is slightly under RM1000 (~USD243) while RX 480 4GB/RX 470 8GB is around RM1200 (~USD292) and the cheapest RX 480 8GB reference is RM1250 (~USD304) and other AIB RX 480 8GB costs at least RM100 (~USD24) more. I have the money to buy at least RX 480 4GB but I don't want to spend more than RM1000 since now my priority is my child.

The Rx470 4GB has the same performance as a 970GTX
(without the 3,5 +0.5 memory issue AND DX12 support)

 

[Ungari]

Hell, else, why would NV release the 1060 with 3GB?
That would be an absolute outrage now wouldn´t it be? (lol)

Not to mention that there nothing on the box that tells us there are less CUDA than the 6GB.

 

[Kanan]

I already told you the pricing and the non availability of RX 480 4GB reference in my country, distributor says they won't bring the model in, only the AIB 3rd party cooling is available. The price of RX 470 4GB is slightly under RM1000 (~USD243) while RX 480 4GB/RX 470 8GB is around RM1200 (~USD292) and the cheapest RX 480 8GB reference is RM1250 (~USD304) and other AIB RX 480 8GB costs at least RM100 (~USD24) more. I have the money to buy at least RX 480 4GB but I don't want to spend more than RM1000 since now my priority is my child.

I'd take the 470 (custom model) with 8GB then, I don't see that 4GB is safe but also depends on how long you want to use the card. If you want to use it 2 years take the 8GB 470 because the price is good. 480 8GB seems too expensive and 470 is only 10% slower and even less comparing custom 470 to ref 480. There's simply no point in taking a 480 with 4GB, the few percent more perf isnt better than 4GB of ram more.

 

[Ungari]

I'd take the 470 (custom model) with 8GB then, I don't see that 4GB is safe but also depends on how long you want to use the card. If you want to use it 2 years take the 8GB 470 because the price is good. 480 8GB seems too expensive and 470 is only 10% slower and even less comparing custom 470 to ref 480.

The only way I'd go 470 is for Ethereum Mining since you cannot see the Ether, but if you want eye candy you must go 480 even if it's 4GB.

 

[Kanan]

I'm only talking games, and again the 4GB more ram is in my eyes more worth than maybe 5-10% perf. If you run out of ram you'll have more problems than a few fps less.

Edit: amds cards simply aren't famous for shader scaling. It's always 5-10% only. Taking the 8GB card is playing it safe for at least 2 years. Taking the 4GB is a risk.

 

[ASOT]

Why not consider a R9 390/X or something like GTX 980/Ti second hand ?

RX 470 is best value for 1080p if better get 480 wich u can 4gb..because those 8 gb are only marketing,u will not reach it and the performance will be bad.

 

[Ungari]

If it's not too far, you might ask the Sultan of Brunei for help importing a reference card. He imports about a 1000 girls from the US each year, one of them could carry-on a RX 480 8GB in her bag.

 

[NDown]

"I sold my 290X"

Well there goes your wrong, nothing worth replacing that cards right now (not the 980,RX 480,1060, let alone 970)

unless you're going for at least the 1070.

anyway i usually goes for the older high end card, it actually boggles my mind there are still people buying cards like the GT 610,220 or anything similiar to it

their performance doesnt worth a shit and usually cost the same/more expensive than second hand GTX 470/560Ti/7850/7870 etc you name it and with an additional $20 you can grab the 7950/7970 if you're lucky

at least in my place

 

[Apocalypsee]

I already bought a card but before I reveal it let me tell you a story...

I have targeted to buy RX 470 4GB G1 Gaming which priced for RM999 but before leaving I bought extras because I worry the card might not be in stock. I also been thinking of buying more expensive MSI RX 470 8GB or RX 480 4GB which priced similarly at RM1199 or perhaps MSI GTX 1060 6GB OC for RM1187. When I got the the shop I usually go, my favorite shopkeeper is busy with some other customer, I looked at the boxes and see all the card mentioned are in stock. I say to myself I should look around there might be some other shops got better offer or better cards. So I went to the biggest PC store there which I asked about Sapphire Nitro+ RX460 4GB few weeks ago they said they don't have in stock but as I walk past by inside I saw two Sapphire boxes, one RX480 8GB Nitro+ and the other one is, and I can't believe my eyes, RX 470 8GB. That is one card that I haven't thought of finding because it's been selling like hotcakes everywhere since it's the only card that comes with the same VRAM speed as RX 480 8GB and sold out everywhere. One card I thought I going to find one but there it is! I check the prices...it's RM1169, cheaper than all the MSI cards! There is promotion where I could get half price for Plextor 128GB SSD if I bought it but I don't have budget for it. I bought it without hesitation, and the card apparently the last one they have in stock!

Gonna try some games now

 

[Kanan]

Good choice have fun with it!

 

[Apocalypsee]

Thanks Kanan, the card performs very well. Stock fan profile is too slow (under 1000 rpm) and made the card reach it's target temperature of 75C so I ramp up the speed to minimum 1000rpm, temperature now below 70C during gaming. The reviewer that say the card is noisy is wrong, my case fan is a lot noisier than this fan at ~1000rpm. I undervolt it from 1137mV to 1037mV and overclock it slightly from 1260MHz to 1300MHz and lowers the memory voltage from 1000mV to 900mV. It seems like using Wattman the maximum memory is at abysmal 2100MHz from 2000MHz. All games runs buttery smooth, most reviewer say is true though that I don't need 8GB now but I love the headroom, and since Doom in Nightmare setting use more than 5GB VRAM I love the extra VRAM that I have now

 

[Kanan]

You got it, good job.

 

[Nergal]

Glad to hear you got somehting you wanted
If you dont have an SSD yet, consider getting one asap

 

[Apocalypsee]

Glad to hear you got somehting you wanted
If you dont have an SSD yet, consider getting one asap

Thanks, it's something I don't expect but I got it. And I just found out new driver now allows vBIOS editing so after quick fiddling with vBIOS now the memory is clocked at 2200MHz. Such bliss
I already use SSD for Windows. Can't afford those big SSD to install games.

 

[Nergal]

Don´t forget to post some test results!

 

[Apocalypsee]

I don't run much benchmark, so this is normal FireStrike stock clock (but tweaked memory timing on all setting). Nevermind the total score and Physics score since I'm using quad core CPU. Graphic score is 13336

This is overclocked to 1360MHz core with 2200MHz memory, graphic score went up to 14369

 

[Recon-UK]

Good scores.

 

[Nergal]

nice!

 

[Apocalypsee]

I'm replaying Wolfenstein: The New Order. The game I clearly remember using nearly all my 4GB VRAM on my R9 290 (around 39xxMB). I set everything to the max on the setting menu and play one level, I quit and see what's the VRAM usage on GPU-Z and the number surprise me, it's only 3100MB!

 

[Nergal]

drivers doing a better job

Also AMD cards age well; they perform better in time
(or how drivers arent optimal at release for months)

 

[Kanan]

Yep plus a lot of other variables - just because R9 290 used 39xx MB of vram it doesn't mean it needed all of those at the same time for the game. But maybe the difference is the architecture, RX 480 has memory compression, R9 290 not. Yeah I think this is it.

 

[Nergal]

Interesting; does it impact performance?
Would a 4GB Rx480 than perhaps really be enough for 1080p?