As far as PC gaming goes you have absolutely nothing to worry about at all. The only worry you had in the past two years was "If my GPU dies during this drought what can I afford to replace it with?"
PC gaming has not moved on as any one thought it would. Like, graphics have not shifted dramatically in a very long time. OK so there's RT, but that is an option. It's an extra. And IMO it doesn't change the graphics does it? it just adds shadows and lights that are more realistic. The problem is it's not a photo. It's a game. It moves, and so do you. And your brain is focussing on the action, ignoring your eyes. It is thinking one step ahead and so on.
Like when I compare PUBG's graphics to something like Stray that I just got? lol it's light years away. However, when I am in PUBG jiggling around trying to keep my head moving so it doesn't get shot off? I am not thinking "Oh wow look at those lovely lighting effects and shadows !". I am thinking "crap, if I become a statue I am dead".
So at the end of the day? a 1080Ti is still enough. And will be for the foreseeable.
We've created a monster. Mostly because we insist on having a new tech and new cards every two years. But deep down it is getting harder and harder for Nvidia and AMD to do that, and it is getting exponentially more expensive. Because new techs cost a lot, new wafers cost more than ever before and so on. So all of the benefits we would have gotten from a new node are now lost because of competition. IE, instead of them giving us smaller cheaper dies and cards they are making bigger and bigger cards in order to pee the highest. And they are passing that cost onto us.
Ada? 60%. The exact same as Ampere, and Turing, and Pascal, and Maxwell. Do you see? people complain about the price but it hasn't changed. What has changed? is the R&D, the cost of the wafers, the cost of the dies per die, the cost of the coolers and so on and so forth.
If a 4060 becomes £600? lol. Right this second I could go and get a brand new 6800XT for around that much. And that is a high end, high cost GPU. If I wanted to take a risk? I could go and get a 3090 FE for £750. A 3090FE that cost almost that to make.
So there is nothing to worry about at all. Nothing. No one needs a 40 series. If any one tells you they do? they have issues. Big issues. Some may say they need it for work but TBH? that's BS. It can't do anything a 3090 can do it will just do it faster. So that is better for your business? well that's a shame isn't it. Think yourself lucky you can do it at all.
People have been spoiled. And are spoiled. Like when Intel used to release a refresh we would all laugh and point fingers and say "TCHOH 14NM+++++++!!!!". Thing is? all the time they were on 14nm (+++++++++++++
) the prices remained the same. And if you were buying new you did get more performance. If you were upgrading? well that's a shame isn't it Timmy? you will have to make do with the CPU you bought a year ago you poor little dear you.
I will be honest here. My 6800XT has gained me nothing but an extra GPU. I suppose a little peace of mind also, but yeah, it doesn't do anything my 2080Tis can't. I mean sure I get an extra 40 FPS in PUBG but I'm still crap at it, so there you go.
Personally I don't feel £720 every two years is too much tbh. It's about what? £30 a month. Less than the cost of my internet.
People are not thinking realistically, man. Realistically you can go on Ebay right now and get a banging GPU for less than £400. That's 3070 territory, and the 3070 is amazing for 1440p. OK so it isn't the top end, or even last gen top end. So what?
People spend far too much time talking about the games they play than actually playing them. I don't ever bother with the OCUK graphics card forum any more unless a new release is here (I just like laughing at every one fighting tbh...) and not playing them. Because let's face it, all of the time you are camped on a forum talking about GPUs and gaming you are not actually gaming.
Me? I play PUBG nearly every night. I don't have time to sit around and talk about buying GPUs etc. I do take some time out in the daytime when a new launch happens but yeah, you don't need these cards. At all.
There is a glut of 30 series cards on Ebay right now, and there will continue to be a glut for a long time to come. Maybe even enough to last until the recession we are now sitting in is over.
No one needs a 40 series card. No one. Two weeks ago they did not exist and life went on as normal.
If AMD are smart and don't get greedy they actually stand a real chance of cornering the GPU market this time around, but somehow I think the $$$ are going to get to them too.
