marlowe221 wrote:
1. What about the 3.5gb/4gb controversy? Much ado about nothing?
As far as I can make out - yup.
I suppose that if you're planning on playing in 4k that there could be something to think about. I don't know. But you'd have to tax your card so much that the first 3.5GB of VRAM is being pushed before there'd be an issue. To put it another way, I have a 4GB card because I don't think I'll encounter a game (during the life of this build) that will require 4GB. Ya dig?
Another way of putting it is I've had the 970 for just short of a year now, and every game I play is maxed out. And I've played quite a few new releases.
To put it yet another way, when the whole thing came about New Egg offered me a full refund on my 970 if I wanted it. I looked at both AMD alternatives and even considered paying the diff to up to a 980. Y'know what? I couldn't justify either.
Anecdotal, all of this, of course.
2. What's wrong with EVGA?
This is the only 970 that I've heard numerous legitimate complaints on. Not for performance, but for noise. It is apparently infamously loud when it comes to coil whine.
3. Why does the 390 have 8gb of VRAM? Do I need that for... something?
If you do, I haven't found it. Again, maybe for 4k gaming? I don't really know. I haven't investigated that - and I don't plan to in the immediate future. I thought of maybe VR will require more... but the Rift's specs call for a 970/290. So I don't know.
4. Which Zotac do you have?
Here you go sir:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814500362
I believe Jmustang has the same one as well.
I totally recommend it... even if for some reason this model will yield you Assassin's Creed Syndicate or Rainbow Six Siege instead of the Heroes Of The Storm stuff.
(Actually, it looks like all 960's come with Heroes DLC and all 970's come w/ Ubisoft games).
Anyway, back when I bought mine they were almost always out of stock. Like, I'd set up alerts - and I'd get an email that it was in stock at New Egg. And in the 5 mins it took me to log in and hit purchase, they'd be sold out again. I was between the Zotac and the MSI. The only reason Zotac won was because it came in stock long enough for me to buy it first.
