Which GPU should I buy, and when?

[StormLightningSL]

Hi. My old 1080 Ti is end-of-life (extreme artifacting) and will be junked as soon as possible.

I currently have an AMD Ryzen 5900 PC (specifications in profile) with a 1440p 27" G-Sync monitor which supports up to 144 Hz refresh rates. I mostly use the PC for general office work @ 120 FPS and, up to now, for gaming at 1440p @ 40-60 FPS. Going forward I intend to use it for gaming at 1440p @ 120 FPS+, as the monitor is capable of up to 144 Hz refresh rates. I expect to use this PC for the next 4-5 years with component upgrades when necessary, possibly getting a decent 4K monitor if/when the current one dies on me. My list of demanding games to play would include titles like Cyberpunk 2077, Baldur's Gate III, Starfield (when), and Star Citizen (if), etc., to give some examples.

I've been happy with ~60 FPS visuals so far, but gaming at higher FPS / refresh rates and taking advantage of ray-traced visuals is my preference going forward. Again, I am not a fan of extreme / fast-paced / action FPS games, etc., and am more inclined towards RPGs / Adventure / Strategy games, and I am looking for high-refresh rate (i.e. stable) visuals, rather than reflex-based gaming.

Currently, I feel the 3080 Ti seems to offer the best price-to-performance ratio for my needs, and is available at about US$1,150-1,200 where I am located. The 3090 Ti is retailing for about US$1700+ and I'm not really happy with spending that much. I know I would rather wait for a lower price, but I've been waiting to upgrade the graphics card since a while now and, with the old card becoming unusable, the situation is somewhat pressing.

I've also been reading articles that talk about the new AMD 7000 series and Nvidia 4000 series which are about to enter the market, but there is no information about the ray-tracing capability and availability of the AMD 7000 series, and the mainstream Nvidia 4000 series cards will debut in 2023. Some news reports say that the current generation GPU prices will fall even more in September.

So, is September the right time to buy a new GPU? Does it make sense to buy a current generation GPU when the new generation is almost here? Or, should I just get a really cheap stop-gap GPU and wait for the new generation of graphics cards to become mainstream?

Accordingly, which GPU should I be looking to buy? And, when is the right time to make that purchase?

 

[StormLightningSL]

Have decided to wait for the time being, and take a call based on the situation after the new series of graphics cards are announced.

Moderators, please delete this thread if appropriate.

 

[Mikael Andersson]

Have decided to wait for the time being, and take a call based on the situation after the new series of graphics cards are announced.

Moderators, please delete this thread if appropriate.

I will reply anyway... I have a GTX 1080 Ti as well that I bought used in 2019 and no issues so far... knock on wood.

What I'm looking at to upgrade to is a RTX 2080 Ti Founders Edition because those cards are the most compact, afaik.

The performance increase of the RTX 2080 Ti over the GTX 1080 Ti is on average +25% FPS in games so if I can find one below €500 then I might pull the trigger and buy one.

Or I will wait for the release of the RTX 4080 and then purchase a used RTX 3080 12GB.

The latter option is probably the most sensible one... for me.

 

[Splinterdog]

I'm considering an RTX 3080Ti, an Asus Tuf to be exact. That model, as opposed to the Strix, is only just in my price range and offers a significant jump in performance. Besides, it's about time I tried Nvidia again.
This is to replace my RX 5700 XT which is plagued by driver crashes.

 

[AdmiralThrawn]

If you plan to buy now when the prices are lowest shoot for a good quality 12GB 3080. I have found that the Ti does not offer enough of a boost to pay 300 dollars for. I play 144hz 2k max on just about any game with it. I have a MSI 3080 12gb Trio I got from work for $750 last month. I couldn't be happier with it.

 

[Lei]

@StormLightningSL
Don't know why you don't consider 2nd hand market. I got 3090 a month before you posted and it cost me 920$
Yeap, the 3080Ti is the best gaming card you can get in Nvidia line.
May be you can upgrade your monitor to 4k now, it helps you wait patiently for new products and prices to settle.

 

[DavidS]

There aren't many options available. There are only two options at any price point: one AMD card and one NVIDIA card. Simply purchase whatever you can afford. In your case, I would recommend the rx6700xt or, if you prefer NVIDIA cards, the 3060ti. Both are at the lower end of your budget, and based on what you said, I don't think you should spend any more.

 

[Lei]

There aren't many options available. There are only two options at any price point: one AMD card and one NVIDIA card. Simply purchase whatever you can afford. In your case, I would recommend the rx6700xt or, if you prefer NVIDIA cards, the 3060ti. Both are at the lower end of your budget, and based on what you said, I don't think you should spend any more.

Dude, he wants to upgrade to 4k monitor. A 3060Ti is not juicy enough for that many pixels.
Welcome to TPU

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

The GPU market is diving, not crashing, but headed down and will keep going down this close the 40series.

 

[GerKNG]

buy a used card like a 6600 for 200 bucks until 40 series comes out and then buy the highest end card you can afford.

 

[StormLightningSL]

If you plan to buy now when the prices are lowest shoot for a good quality 12GB 3080. I have found that the Ti does not offer enough of a boost to pay 300 dollars for. I play 144hz 2k max on just about any game with it. I have a MSI 3080 12gb Trio I got from work for $750 last month. I couldn't be happier with it.

This is not a bad idea, to be frank. But, I seem to have a psychological barrier that says the card must be a Ti version. Sounds stupid, I agree

@StormLightningSL
Don't know why you don't consider 2nd hand market. I got 3090 a month before you posted and it cost me 920$
Yeap, the 3080Ti is the best gaming card you can get in Nvidia line.
May be you can upgrade your monitor to 4k now, it helps you wait patiently for new products and prices to settle.

The second-hand / used market where I am is mostly very small. Only people who have broken their cards by mining or over-clocking try to sell used cards and it is very rare to find a good used card within warranty. So, I'm a bit skeptical about buying used.

Just saw a brand new 3080Ti for $925 today. If this trend continues, I *may* grab one at about $750 if I can get it at that price.

Anyway, let's see what the new series of cards brings to the table. I'm optimistic about the market going lower.

 

[Night]

Is raytracing a must? I'm asking because since yesterday I noticed that RX 6900 XT's price was discounted from 1800€ to 1000€ (which left me baffled) in local stores around me. Relative performance is 6% under RTX 3080 Ti, and 5% above RTX 3080. RX 6900 XT should be more than capable of running QHD with high refresh rates. What's the price for the 6900 XT there?

 

[N/A]

Judging by availability, the 3080 Ti is over and gone for good going for as low as 770 now. Only 4 models remaining on newegg. in addition to all other refurbished options. Nvidia found the ideal price for 4080 12GB successfully by testing the buyers. They voted with their wallets. 4060 turns into 4080. yay

 

[mama]

Have decided to wait for the time being, and take a call based on the situation after the new series of graphics cards are announced.

Moderators, please delete this thread if appropriate.

Yes, wait.