GPU recommendation for SC [970 vs 290]
GPU recommendation for SC [970 vs 290]
I'm uncertain about the best GPU choice for Star Citizen. Whether the GTX 970 or AMD R9 290 suffices for 1080p depends on your needs. For higher performance, SLI or CrossFire might be necessary.
The 970 performs significantly better than the 290... It's worth considering if you can afford it—it covers 1080p without requiring several GPUs.
I noticed the title, thinking it was for StarCraft. One of these cards should work well at 1080p, and the 970 performs better than the 290. If it's beyond your budget, opt for the 290 instead.
I considered it step by step as the game develops. With more material arriving, they might improve optimization to make it playable on 1080p using the best settings on a single card. Looking ahead, I’d go with AMD (4K low FPS crossfire) or GTX (1080p single), unless a new dx12 arrives to help. If you’re patient, as @rentaspoon advised, having a 1x970 might work, but I’m unsure if it still fits my needs.
I'm actually using SC on an MSI 290. It handles everything at 1080p with a steady 55 fps on average. I'm really impressed by its performance for a pre-alpha, non-optimized title. While my other games usually hit 75+ fps, a 290 works fine for SC at 1080p in my experience.
I hope they abandon mantle and focus on DX12 and Vulkan. Mantle has fulfilled its role, and AMD claims it shouldn't be used anymore.