Anyone just given up on looking for a new GPU?

[hola_adios]

Why would you not use a cheap Intel CPU like the 11400 with integrated graphics for the kids' rig and the small backup rig?

I like building future proof systems, they are little now, but in a couple of years they'll want to start playing more gc intense games. The same applies for my back up machine, as technology moves on I'll want this machine for something else, it's just my own preference, I don't like onboard graphics, if the situation carries on like this for the next few years, might need to change this, though.

 

[TheVoice]

I like building future proof systems, they are little now, but in a couple of years they'll want to start playing more gc intense games. The same applies for my back up machine, as technology moves on I'll want this machine for something else, it's just my own preference, I don't like onboard graphics, if the situation carries on like this for the next few years, might need to change this, though.

You can add a GPU at any point though. Future-proofing makes sense when you spend a little extra to give yourself an upgrade path in the future, not spending hundreds on a GPU that isn't required.

 

[FoxEye]

Maybe, just maybe, there might be some decent APUs in future, which probably won't be (as) cost effective for mining purposes.

I wouldn't bet my house on it, tho. Nor could you guarantee that miners wouldn't buy them anyway..

 

[Aretak]

I've had a couple of faulty Polaris cards from them recently. A 4GB RX 480 that worked fine for a few days and then locked to its base clock and wouldn't shift above it, and an RX 580 that arrived with a broken fan. People just dumping sketchy mining cards there I suppose. They don't seem to have much in the way of quality control. Also had a 660 Ti arrive just plain dead from them recently, and a 780 Ti that had been put back together incorrectly to the point that a screw just fell out of it when I took it out of the box, mainly because it's not even the right screw for the card.

Just to add to this post, I received yet another broken card from CeX today, a 980 Ti Matrix Platinum. Bunch of screws missing from it, the plastic piece that holds the LED board in place is snapped, looks like it's been dropped since the I/O shield and brace it screws into are both bent and displays artifacts immediately on starting up, even in the BIOS. Somewhat heartbreaking to see such an amazing beast of a card in such a state.

On the other hand, if you're looking to offload any dead graphics cards, take them to CeX. They clearly don't test them.

 

[Andythe Random]

Oh, I think I almost bought that one, I hope they get a decent one to replace it for you.

 

[Stu]

I like building future proof systems, they are little now, but in a couple of years they'll want to start playing more gc intense games. The same applies for my back up machine, as technology moves on I'll want this machine for something else, it's just my own preference, I don't like onboard graphics, if the situation carries on like this for the next few years, might need to change this, though.

I understand future proofing, but you are not really making sense... your are complaining that you can't find a graphics card for "a small computer for the kids, no games, just really something to play videos and let them have some silly games." Such a build does not need a dedicated gfx card.

An 11400 gives you everything you need right now, and then you can later add a gfx card when your needs change and hopefully supply has improved.

 

[Lethagized]

Just to add to this post, I received yet another broken card from CeX today, a 980 Ti Matrix Platinum. Bunch of screws missing from it, the plastic piece that holds the LED board in place is snapped, looks like it's been dropped since the I/O shield and brace it screws into are both bent and displays artifacts immediately on starting up, even in the BIOS. Somewhat heartbreaking to see such an amazing beast of a card in such a state.

On the other hand, if you're looking to offload any dead graphics cards, take them to CeX. They clearly don't test them.

It looks like every 980ti matrix platinum goes like this in the end. I sold one the same on ebay with the same problem and I've seen several on ebay the same. It's obviously a manufacturing Problem with them.

 

[Psycho Sonny]

I like building future proof systems, they are little now, but in a couple of years they'll want to start playing more gc intense games. The same applies for my back up machine, as technology moves on I'll want this machine for something else, it's just my own preference, I don't like onboard graphics, if the situation carries on like this for the next few years, might need to change this, though.

You like to build impossible to build systems?

I've never in my life seen a future proof rig in 20+ years of building custom pcs myself.

Please do explain how you manage this?

Faster CPU come out every 12-18 months. Faster GPU every 2-3 years.

Sure you can future proof ram as 16GB is more than enough and lasts a full generation and it's cheap as chips. However CPU and GPU are expensive so impossible to future proof.

Even if you buy your kids a 3090. There will be new features like ray tracing, dlss, resizable bar in the future it won't have and therefore not exactly future proofed at all.

Build what they need now or if you can get a lot more power for a few quid more buy that. However spending £1500 on a gpu when on board will do is just dumb.

 

[Squink]

You like to build impossible to build systems?

I've never in my life seen a future proof rig in 20+ years of building custom pcs myself.
.

Depends how you class “future proof”. If you mean “a pc that will play every new game at max frames” then a PC will be outdated as soon as a new, faster part is available.

However if you simply intend a PC to last two or three years longer by buying better parts at the outset, then future proofing is feasible.

E.g. my daughter is using my 980ti system that I bought nearly six years ago. She’s not old enough to play anything taxing, but I bet that PC would run every modern game playable at 1080p and will continue to do so for several years.

 

[Aretak]

It looks like every 980ti matrix platinum goes like this in the end. I sold one the same on ebay with the same problem and I've seen several on ebay the same. It's obviously a manufacturing Problem with them.

That sucks. Might be because of the complete lack of cooling on the VRAM cooking it over time. None of the DirectCU coolers give the VRAM anything except whatever airflow from the fans manages to make it down there.

 

[HangTime]

'Future proofing' is possible but it it doesn't necessarily mean it is a good idea. It usually just translates as "buy really good hardware, so it will remain competitive for longer" which can be very expensive, in some cases providing worse value than buying hardware for half of the price and then upgrading sooner for the other half of the price, providing a system that outperforms the future-proofed one. The future proofed system will of course perform better in the short term, but in some cases it will be 'overkill' and the excess power is a bit wasted / diminishing returns. In other words the "double upgrade" has more of a just in time approach to boosting performance, keeping you abreast of the curve rather than being way ahead in the early years, and behind in the latter years.

You get the odd exception, like some of those hex-core xeons from ages ago, or perhaps a 1080ti, but by and large I think future proofing is only worth it if you are e.g. building a system for someone who doesn't have the skills/interest in upgrading.

 

[Psycho Sonny]

'Future proofing' is possible but it it doesn't necessarily mean it is a good idea. It usually just translates as "buy really good hardware, so it will remain competitive for longer" which can be very expensive, in some cases providing worse value than buying hardware for half of the price and then upgrading sooner for the other half of the price, providing a system that outperforms the future-proofed one. The future proofed system will of course perform better in the short term, but in some cases it will be 'overkill' and the excess power is a bit wasted / diminishing returns. In other words the "double upgrade" has more of a just in time approach to boosting performance, keeping you abreast of the curve rather than being way ahead in the early years, and behind in the latter years.

You get the odd exception, like some of those hex-core xeons from ages ago, or perhaps a 1080ti, but by and large I think future proofing is only worth it if you are e.g. building a system for someone who doesn't have the skills/interest in upgrading.

This post is spot on.

Value for money. Is what counts.

It's why I went from a 1600X to 3600X. Sure I could have bought a 1800X to start with. But then I'd be both out of pocket more and have terrible gaming power currently in comparison to what I have now.

https://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/AMD-Ryzen-7-1800X-vs-AMD-Ryzen-5-3600X/3916vs4041

It's why I've always opted for value for money GPU and upgraded often. The last GPU I bought for example was a 2070 Super. Sure the previous gen I could have spent double or triple the money and got a 1080ti but now I'd have a very old card on its last legs with zero warranty and unable to take advantage of ray tracing, dlss, etc.

There is absolutely no such thing as future proof as far as I am concerned you just buy stupidly more expensive to begin with and then end up lagging behind with your aging system because you spent so much it has to last 10 years.

It's why I didn't bother with 8 cores or more and I'm currently on a 3600X by the time I need 8 cores ther will be far better CPU available than a 3700 or 3800, etc.

 

[HangTime]

Yeah I got a Ryzen 1600 and then later a 2700X for under £300 total, cheaper than a 1700X/1800x would've been plus it means I now have the 1600 in my son's PC.

Although, it's potentially a bit of an anomaly with Ryzen in that motherboard longevity has been decent, normally when doing an upgrade worth doing you need a new mobo as well.

 

[shamus21]

You need to be careful with the S/H graphic cards i see a lot of very old cards now going for over the top prices almost double in some cases and with out any guarantee when they go pop that`s your money gone. false economy really.

 

[Lethagized]

You need to be careful with the S/H graphic cards i see a lot of very old cards now going for over the top prices almost double in some cases and with out any guarantee when they go pop that`s your money gone. false economy really.

A used 1080ti for £650 on ebay the other day. Lovely.

 

[silversurfer]

Hoping Elon can please continue to do his thing and flush these gpu into open market via a crypto sell off and let me buy a nice RT card. A prior multi year high is surely fair game for the worlds most volatile trillion sized asset. Sooner or later every free market tests the boundaries so I advise caution when paying premiums, I dont think asset price inflation in any sector is linear and so reliable that we have seen the last of any lower pricing.
On the other hand Taiwan has a problem with rising cases, a very important area for chip production so I'd guess effects supply also

 

[Ultraman1966]

Hoping Elon can please continue to do his thing and flush these gpu into open market via a crypto sell off and let me buy a nice RT card. A prior multi year high is surely fair game for the worlds most volatile trillion sized asset. Sooner or later every free market tests the boundaries so I advise caution when paying premiums, I dont think asset price inflation in any sector is linear and so reliable that we have seen the last of any lower pricing.
On the other hand Taiwan has a problem with rising cases, a very important area for chip production so I'd guess effects supply also

I'm crossing my fingers and toes too that the cryptocurrency market cools a bit. Crazy that these things are apparently worth hundreds of billions but yet are not backed by any official institutions or organisations so could just go puff into the air with no safety nets.

 

[Gigapig]

All you crypto kids and serial upgraders are killing the environment. I still enjoy the PC I bought from Panrix in 1998 with the ATI Rage Fury, it still runs Duke Nukem and Half Life.
Bean soda anyone?

 

[Twinz]

All you crypto kids and serial upgraders are killing the environment. I still enjoy the PC I bought from Panrix in 1998 with the ATI Rage Fury, it still runs Duke Nukem and Half Life.
Bean soda anyone?

Were it not for the HP Reverb and VR, my 1080Ti would still do well on my 1080p Ultrawide. The Reverb needed more horsepower than the 1080Ti could muster though.

 

[Twinz]

I'm crossing my fingers and toes too that the cryptocurrency market cools a bit. Crazy that these things are apparently worth hundreds of billions but yet are not backed by any official institutions or organisations so could just go puff into the air with no safety nets.

I'm no crypto expert but I think decentralization is one of the main selling points.