Hello guys!
Soon I am buying a new PC and I don't know what graphic card I should get. I can't decide between GTX 970 and R9 390, as they both are in quite similar prices.

The other parts of the PC are gonna be i7-4790K and 16GB RAM. It will be used for gamedev - I'd like to start a project in UE4 - and of course for gaming. I won't be switching to anything bigger than 1080p now.

At first I was sure about getting GTX 970 as it

  • is rather quiet and has low TDP
  • has got a good OC potential
  • comes with a copy of Arkham Knight

But on the other hand some people say there are some memory issues with this card when more than 3.5GB is used.

However, after release the R9 390 turned out to be better than I had expected.

  • it has 8gb VRAM and higher memory bus (512 vs 256), which may make a difference if the new games would be able to use that VRAM
  • supports dx12

but it

  • has much higher TDP
  • can be barely overclocked
  • has got some driver issues?

GTX 970 seems to be a little bit better choice due to better culture of work and better drivers (and Batman of course). But, because of bigger memory and dx12 support, R9 390 may be more efficient in future. GTX 970 can be nicely overclocked, but it would still have only 4GB of VRAM (or even 3.5).

So these are my thoughts that keep arguing with each other and preventing me from making a final decision. I would really appreciate if you helped me choose one and maybe share some opinions or experiences you had with those cards.

Thanks in advance! (All GAs ended.)

EDIT.: I finally made the decision and ordered a GTX 970. Thanks for all the help!

9 years ago*

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Which card should I get?

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GTX 970
R9 390

Bbump for a MM

9 years ago
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GTX 970 will FULLY support dx12 while R9 390 will only support lowest level of it (12_0). So in your case there is only one pluss for R9 390 and it is meaningful in 4K, but this card not powerfull enough to run games in that resolution smoothly with 60 fps with high graphics setting. In most cases it will be 30 fps with middle, if game optimized well (rare today :)) or low setting. In my opinion, if you going to get 4K monitor you definitely will need to take GTX 980 Ti (or even make SLI).

9 years ago
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DX12 has 4 levels it seems. NVidia support some specific things known as 12.1, where as AMD supports certain resource management fully that NVidia does not. So it pretty much evens out, and we really don't know if any devs will ever use the brand specific features.

9 years ago
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Next week jayztwocents will come out with a video showing the 290 beating the 970 at the same price point, so he can no longer recommend the 970. So unless you have a super weak PSU or live in the desert with super high temps, then go for the 390.

Free games are nice, but Arkham Knight has been pulled from steam, due to being a horrible defective port.

9 years ago
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Bump! :)

9 years ago
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nviadia

9 years ago
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bump!

9 years ago
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Deleted

This comment was deleted 1 year ago.

9 years ago
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I don't know enough to give any advice but have a bump! :)

9 years ago
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Better go safe and go NVIDIA for now. In a couple of years we'll see where AMD cards stand. Who knows, things might change.

9 years ago
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970 if you're gonna stick with 1080p for now. 390 if you plan to upgrade res.

9 years ago
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I use a 660ti for 1200p. A 970 can handle a res lower than 4k.

9 years ago
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buuump!

9 years ago
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Bump!!

9 years ago
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I would like to ask you how much they cost @ your place.

9 years ago
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Bump! You've chosen the reliable variant.

9 years ago
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r9 290'x is more than enough than any current gpu and performs as well as a 980 in most cases and sometimes even better. while being cheaper than the 980.

while 970gtx in a long term investment is not a good idea due to the 3.5gb cap go any higher and you lose a lot of fps.

9 years ago
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Bump!

9 years ago
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Bump

9 years ago
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Bump!

9 years ago
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Bumpy bump. Yes.

9 years ago
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i know nothing but has a bump

9 years ago
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See if you can get some combo pack deal with one. Honestly, with those cards, they are both high quality so just look for the best deal

9 years ago
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Seems like you already made a decision, bump

9 years ago
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Bump.
I'm not sure i'm the right person to advise you on specs, been a bit uninformed for a while, but i'm kinda biased towards Nvidia, so i voted for the 970. Also, however slightly uninformed, as far as to my knowledge, it still has the best cost/performance ratio.

9 years ago
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Who said the 970GTX doesn't supports directx 12? "If you want the best experience, the fastest speeds, DirectX 12 support, and image quality-enhancing features that just work, the new GeForce GTX 980 and GeForce GTX 970 are your best options."

9 years ago
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At the moment, I'd say go with nVidia.

9 years ago
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Closed 9 years ago by LightningX94.