On Buying a New GPU for the Neurotic

I recently bought a new GPU for my gaming setup. It was an angst-ridden process filled with worry about the future and whether I was spending money wisely.

Bigger. Better. Faster. Shinier. More Frames!

I recently purchased an NVidia GTX 1060 for my primary gaming rig. Prior to that, I was running an old Radeon HD 7850. This jump should have been a no-brainer, but I agonized for months about what new GPU to buy.

GTX 1060 or RX 480?

Based on my gaming history and behavior, I determined NVidia’s GTX 1060 and AMD’s RX 480 as my best options for a new card. After researching performance benchmarks across multiple titles, I landed in the NVidia camp. At that point, I started a new round of decision making between the 1060 and 1070 cards.

The 1070 wasn’t in the mix before, so where did it come from? I couldn’t escape the specter of “more!”

Decision Paralysis in Buying a New GPU

GPU technology moves fast. There’s constantly the shadow of a more powerful something looming. I hemmed and hawed for months, knowing that the GTX 1060 perfectly suited for my needs but unable to escape the “what ifs” of imagined behavior. What if I started playing more demanding games that the 1060 couldn’t handle? What if I suddenly picked up a hobby that was more GPU intensive?

In the end, I determined I could come up with stuff I might do forever; in reality I’m not doing any of it and the more powerful card wasn’t needed.

References

Latest GPU Benchmarks from PassMark

http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html

Radeon RX 480 VS. Nvidia GTX 1060 game performance

http://wccftech.com/rx-480-gtx-1060-dx12-vulkan-tested/

http://gpuboss.com/gpus/Radeon-RX-480-vs-GeForce-GTX-1060