# 980ti SLI or gtx 1080



## bamdaman14 (Jun 3, 2016)

Hi,

I am trying to get the best setup to runs games on 4k max settings at 60 fps. What would be better 980ti SLI or gtx 1080?


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## IINexusII (Jun 3, 2016)

1070 sli or 1080


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## rtwjunkie (Jun 3, 2016)

IINexusII said:


> 1070 sli or 1080


Not what he asked.

OP, you already have a 980Ti.  You don't step down from a top-tier card.  You'll regret it fairly quickly.  

Either wait past the 1080 for the 1080Ti or double your 980Ti inventory and do the SLI thing.  

Whatever you do, do not step down two levels in the next generation by going 1070 SLI.


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## erocker (Jun 3, 2016)

If you want 60 fps at 4k... 2 x 1080's


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## jaggerwild (Jun 3, 2016)

1080 will be a mid tier card, everyone itching to spend......................


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## D007 (Jun 4, 2016)

IINexusII said:


> 1070 sli or 1080


This is the kind of shit that drives me nuts around here.. Answer the dam OP question or don't respond.
He didn't ask for opinions about what you think. He asked a specific question..
I'd stay with the 980 Ti's If you have them already. Otherwise I'd go 1080's.


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## Caring1 (Jun 4, 2016)

GTX 1080.
No doubt about it.


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## johnspack (Jun 4, 2016)

Honestly,  I bet it will take 2x 1080ti for max 4k settings with full aa.......  and even then....


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## R-T-B (Jun 4, 2016)

johnspack said:


> Honestly,  I bet it will take 2x 1080ti for max 4k settings with full aa.......  and even then....



Do you really need AA with 4k though?

Maybe my eyes are old but I doubt it...


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## johnspack (Jun 4, 2016)

It helps with older eyes,  I should know.  And if I can't max a tech out,  then it's not enough.  Should be able to max out AA on a game.
I put away games until I can play them at all max.  I have a lot of games I'm playing right now.  I'm going to wait a long time before
I get a 4k monitor......  unless 2 1080tis fall from the sky....


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## terroralpha (Jun 4, 2016)

erocker said:


> If you want 60 fps at 4k... 2 x 1080's



980 Ti SLI with some moderate OCing will do 4K@60 FPS in pretty much any game with settings maxed out. the only exception that I ran into was GTA V. two cards running at 1500MHz each averaged like 55FPS for me.

but i have since ditched my 4k TV and second 980 Ti in favor of 3440x1440.

if you already have a 980 Ti, especially if it OCs well, there is no point in taking a big loss to get a 1080. 1080 doesn't seem to be as OC friendly as 980 Ti. all the 1080 benches i've seen could only muster a 10-14% FPS boost from OC. 980 Ti are generally capable of 30-35% increase.


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## Totally (Jun 8, 2016)

Feels like a no brainer to go with a second 980ti especially since you already have one, and now that a second can be picked up on the cheap...


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## ASOT (Jun 8, 2016)

Get one other and SLI,best choice. 2x980ti are verry powerfull even this days.


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## RCoon (Jun 8, 2016)

Assuming ~90% scaling with the 980ti SLI, W1z's own graphs show the 980ti SLI setup would perform beyond the capabilities of the 1080:







That said you're relying on multi-GPU profiles, which is a losers game in my opinion. I'd always opt for the more powerful single-GPU solution, however in this instance, it simply doesn't exist yet.

On a purely synthetic basis, the 980ti SLI is the "better" choice. That said, I personally would wait for the 1080ti.



johnspack said:


> It helps with older eyes, I should know





johnspack said:


> I'm going to wait a long time before
> I get a 4k monitor



You're making conflicting statements. You're claiming that AA on 4K is better for people with "older" eyes, and yet you don't own a 4K monitor and haven't seen the difference between AA and no AA on 4K.

As a 4K user with 20/20 vision in one eye and a completely crippled right eye (I can't read text 30cm away with it), AA makes no difference on 4K to me.


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## Ferrum Master (Jun 8, 2016)

R-T-B said:


> Maybe my eyes are old but I doubt it...



Used a 4K panel for a week. It needs unfortunately. Like GTA5 without AA there is shimmering in the distance. You got the idea... 

But yeah... GTX1080 all the way... Not even a question.


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## FreedomEclipse (Jun 8, 2016)

RCoon said:


> Assuming ~90% scaling with the 980ti SLI, W1z's own graphs show the 980ti SLI setup would perform beyond the capabilities of the 1080:
> 
> 
> 
> ...




are you going to be stepping up to 1080Ti?


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## Seba_82 (Jun 8, 2016)

you can´t wait for a 1080ti??


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## RCoon (Jun 8, 2016)

FreedomEclipse said:


> are you going to be stepping up to 1080Ti?



Depends how large the urge to toss this 295X2 out the window grows in the coming months


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## Ferrum Master (Jun 8, 2016)

RCoon said:


> Depends how large the urge to toss this 295X2 out the window grows in the coming months



Want to share something from your own experiences with the dual fire breathing hellish beast?


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## RCoon (Jun 8, 2016)

Ferrum Master said:


> Want to share something from your own experiences with the dual fire breathing hellish beast?



Sanity is worth more than "potential" FPS.


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## medi01 (Jun 8, 2016)

bamdaman14 said:


> Hi,
> 
> I am trying to get the best setup to runs games on 4k max settings at 60 fps. What would be better 980ti SLI or gtx 1080?



*980Ti in SLI will wipe the floor with 1080* in games that support multi-gpu.

1080 is roughly 20% faster than 980Ti, and if you OC 980Ti well, you can match at least the stock 1080.

Oh, and 1080 won't give you 60fps at 4k and max settings.
Namely:

bf4 - nope
battlefront - nope
tomb raider - nope
gta v - nope
crysis 3 - nope
quantum break - OMG nope (dropping below 30fps while not even maxed)
division - nope
witcher 3 - nope
ac unity - nope
ac syndicate - nope
dragon age - nope
rainbow six - nope
black ops 3 - nope

PS
If you are not upgrading every year or two, it's not the best time to upgrade anyhow.
Wait for 400-600mm2 chips to arrive.


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## FreedomEclipse (Jun 8, 2016)

RCoon said:


> Depends how large the urge to toss this 295X2 out the window grows in the coming months



I think i might depending on the price. Im getting sick of having bad SLi scaling. KF2 & ARMA III in particular runs so badly on SLi, though ARMA III's code is extremely badly optimised as it is.


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## dieselcat18 (Jun 9, 2016)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127912

If not interested in a 1070 or 1080...I bought this last month for 530 after rebate...can now be had for 489 after rebate...looks like prices on 980ti's are dropping fast. 
BTW...it's a great card. I upgraded from my ASUS R9 290x OC'ed version that I owned for past 2 1/2 years (loved it) that ran flawless. I still think 980ti's, at the right price are a good option.


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## Naito (Jun 9, 2016)

I would say there is no reason to upgrade. Wait for 1080 Ti or something. Multi-GPU not worth it.


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## trog100 (Jun 9, 2016)

the difference between AA on or off at higher resolutions may well be there but it would take some pretty close up peeping to spot it.. 

the problem here is some people feel the need to run all games fully maxed out come what may.. its a kind of daft obsession that makes not the slightest sense.. he he

the need for AA does go back to the days when when it really did provide positive visual benefits.. at 1440 and above (maybe even at 1080) i dont think it does now.. but the "need" still hangs about.. 

"fully maxed out" mostly means taking a hefty performance hit for no real visual gain.. 

trog


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## FreedomEclipse (Jun 9, 2016)

trog100 said:


> the difference between AA on or off at higher resolutions may well be there but it would take some pretty close up peeping to spot it..
> 
> the problem here is some people feel the need to run all games fully maxed out come what may.. its a kind of daft obsession that makes not the slightest sense.. he he
> 
> ...




Ita not daft, its the way its meant to be played


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## trog100 (Jun 9, 2016)

FreedomEclipse said:


> Ita not daft, its the way its meant to be played




so they would have you believe.. he he he

try a little test.. take the heaven benchmark.. its got plenty of eye candy.. run it at 1080.. 1440.. 4K.. turn AA on and off or up and down.. peer very closely at the monitor.. look for differences..

my eyes are old but i have difficulty spotting what differences there are.. certainly not enough to justify the cost of 4 K fully maxed out.. which is why i use the words daft and obsession.. he he

trog


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## qubit (Jun 9, 2016)

bamdaman14 said:


> Hi,
> 
> I am trying to get the best setup to runs games on 4k max settings at 60 fps. What would be better 980ti SLI or gtx 1080?


That's a helluvan ask and neither of your options will get you what you're after, a solid 60fps at 4K maxed out.

Wait for Big Pascal in the form of the 1080 Ti and perhaps even get two of them, but remember that SLI always tends to have issues. Also, your motherboard must be SLI capable - not looked at your specs to check.

Of course, these will likely cost stupid money, so it depends on how deep your wallet is.


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## ratirt (Jun 20, 2016)

I'd wait.
1st reason AMD releases cards. See what they will give and compare with current newest cards from Nvidia. You can still wait since you got damn awesome card which 980ti really is.
2nd reason if you decide to go eventually SLI 2x980ti the price will drop and you save cash.
3rd reason If you decide to go 1080 or even TI version it is still good to wait since AMD release will definitely make Nvidia prices for cards go down.
Knowing what card you got there ? I wouldn't do a thing now with newest NVIDIA cards. Knowing how it works always as marketing works? The cards will be faster and they will drop with price for sure. It's always like that when Vide Cards companies release something new. They bump the price up ridiculously for their new "super" cards.

All you need to pay for now is attention what's going on and a bit of waiting time


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## Vayra86 (Jun 20, 2016)

FreedomEclipse said:


> Ita not daft, its the way its meant to be played



I see what you did there...

OP: skip the 1080. Go 2x 980ti and get that second 980ti on the cheap, like second hand or in a sale or something, then sell them both when 1080ti comes out, or Vega.


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## FYFI13 (Jun 20, 2016)

trog100 said:


> the difference between AA on or off at higher resolutions may well be there but it would take some pretty close up peeping to spot it..


Few years ago when 1080p monitors came out first, everyone was "oh at this resolution you don't need AA anymore". Bullsh*t. I tried 2560x1440 on 23 inch monitor - with AA off you can clearly see all jaggy angles and lines. I tried playing on 4K 50 inch TV - same. I tried playing on my Nexus 5 (1080p on 5 inch screen) and still the same. 
Perhaps it depends on games you play. If it's Borderlands-like crap, then possibly you can play it without AA as it looks ugly anyways. 
If some game does not support at least x4 MSAA, i don't play it at all.

If you disagree with me - click here.


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## trog100 (Jun 21, 2016)

i think it comes down to how close you look and how much the odd jaggy bothers you.. or how much it affects the game play enjoyment..

with me i cant say as it affects it that much.. i am into still photography which is where the term pixel peeping comes from.. some people just take nice looking images and are happy with that.. others blow them up to full size and become obsessed with technical imperfections..

with still photography i pixel peep with the best but i am aware of the irrationality of it.. look at something "normally" and it looks perfect okay.. look too close and it dosnt.. 

i have the gpu power just to turn everything up to the max.. what interests me is why i feel i have to.. which i why i have tried lowering resolutions and some settings..

i also know that AA just blurs away the jaggies.. win some lose some..

i may need an eye doctor but you may need a mind doctor.. 

trog


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