Upgrade to 1080 sc now or wait for 3060

[scampaboy]

Hi 

 

I’ve got a 1660 super currently and I’m running a 1080 resolution monitor 60hz. I get 30-40 FPS on campaign missions with better than medium settings. I haven’t tried a Syria campaign yet I will probably cry. 
 

Other specs are i5 9600 and 32gb of ram. Im not sure if people are au fait with CEX but they have a 1080 sc in stock second hand that I would get a good deal on if I took in my current 1660. Is it worth paying out the extra £245 for the 1080 would I get a performance boost with the same settings or is it better to save and wait a month or two and get a 3060 if I can find one? I would still have to sell the 1660 up front so would be grounded for a few days while I wait for delivery of the new card. 

[Hector45]

20 minutes ago, scampaboy said:

Hi 

 

I’ve got a 1660 super currently and I’m running a 1080 resolution monitor 60hz. I get 30-40 FPS on campaign missions with better than medium settings. I haven’t tried a Syria campaign yet I will probably cry. 
 

Other specs are i5 9600 and 32gb of ram. Im not sure if people are au fait with CEX but they have a 1080 sc in stock second hand that I would get a good deal on if I took in my current 1660. Is it worth paying out the extra £245 for the 1080 would I get a performance boost with the same settings or is it better to save and wait a month or two and get a 3060 if I can find one? I would still have to sell the 1660 up front so would be grounded for a few days while I wait for delivery of the new card. 

Every comparison I've seen shows 3-8 FPS increase between the two, not worth it at all imo. What AA settings are you using? You should be able to get better FPS than that. I was running an i5 3570k with a 1070Ti not too long ago and it gave me better FPS at 1080p than what you're getting.

[LucShep]

Ok, let's go in parts.... 

 

First, to get some real sense of performance differences, some real time benchmarks on same system, comparing GTX1660Super VS GTX1080 VS RTX3060:
 

GTX1660Super VS GTX1080

 

GTX1660Super VS RTX3060

 

GTX1080 VS RTX3060

 

Now, after those benchmarks and specs...

As you can see, on average, going from your GTX1660Super, you will gain about 10~15 FPS boost if going to GTX1080. And another 10~15 FPS more from GTX1080 to RTX3060.

It's more or less that, also depending on game and other system hardware.

But more than the framerate increase (both max. and min.), and especially with DCS, what you'll gain the most by upgrading from your GTX1660Super to either of those two is the increase in VRAM (video memory):

• GTX1660Super: 6GB
• GTX1080: 8GB
• RTX3060: 12GB

If we consider that DCS uses more than 6GB VRAM in 1080P resolution (even at medium/low settings), that's where your GTX1660Super is certainly struggling a bit, so you'll definitely notice a smoother experience with a GTX1080, and more even with an RTX3060.

Of course, the rest of the system is important and, even more than that, so is your in-game settings (take a look at THIS, as it may help you).

 

All in all...

I'd say the RTX3060 is obviously the better GPU, it has a little more performance and a lot more VRAM than the GTX1080.

The thing is, with these current stupidly inflated prices of GPUs, my guess is the deal you can get with CEX for that 2nd hand GTX1080 will end up being half the real price of a new RTX3060, and one thing is certain..... that RTX3060 is not double the performance of a GTX1080, very far from it (as you've seen).

 

Specifically for DCS, either will be a decent upgrade from a GTX1660Super.

Just don't go expecting to see DCS cranked up on every option, because that won't happen. Heck, even top high-end systems can struggle (it still lacks optimization).

A noticeable performance boost with the same settings is the most realistic expectation. 

Edited September 9, 2021 by LucShep

[scampaboy]

44 minutes ago, Hector45 said:

Every comparison I've seen shows 3-8 FPS increase between the two, not worth it at all imo. What AA settings are you using? You should be able to get better FPS than that. I was running an i5 3570k with a 1070Ti not too long ago and it gave me better FPS at 1080p than what you're getting.

Thanks for the replies. 
im running 0 MSAA and 2 x SSAA ( because it got rid of my jaggies/shimmering) 

Both textures on high, low traffic and water. 
Flat shadows and high visibility. 
my trees are at 80% 

My frame rate is slow but it’s quite smooth it’s prob easier to get a screenshot later, I can reduce aliasing  for performance but the jaggies come with a vengeance. 

[Wdigman]

Thanks to miners these cards are FINALLY available but way overpriced. I am waiting for either the prices to drop or hold out for the RTX40XX series... At first it was a joke but I may be getting serious.

 

 

[Hector45]

1 hour ago, scampaboy said:

Thanks for the replies. 
im running 0 MSAA and 2 x SSAA ( because it got rid of my jaggies/shimmering) 

Both textures on high, low traffic and water. 
Flat shadows and high visibility. 
my trees are at 80% 

My frame rate is slow but it’s quite smooth it’s prob easier to get a screenshot later, I can reduce aliasing  for performance but the jaggies come with a vengeance. 

Interesting, like LucShep said, its probably the VRAM making the difference. My old 1070Ti wasn't much faster than a 1660 super but it did have 8GB of VRAM.

[Черный Дракул]

2 hours ago, scampaboy said:

or is it better to save and wait a month or two and get a 3060 if I can find one?

Nice one

The inavailability issue may start sorting out in 2025 according to some analysts, but I have my doubts. I'd guess that video cards will start becoming available somewhere around 2027 (after new microchip production plants are up to speed and the market is at least somewhat saturated) -- if nothing drastic happens and no one screws up the long chain which is video card production and distribution. And if PC gaming will still be a thing by that time.

[Eaglewings]

Nice one:megalol:
The inavailability issue may start sorting out in 2025 according to some analysts, but I have my doubts. I'd guess that video cards will start becoming available somewhere around 2027 (after new microchip production plants are up to speed and the market is at least somewhat saturated) -- if nothing drastic happens and no one screws up the long chain which is video card production and distribution. And if PC gaming will still be a thing by that time.

I want to believe you meant reasonable priced availability when you mentioned availability. These cards are actually available if you really want to buy but the prices are prohibitive.
2027 is a very long projection. It is interesting to see all this news about amd multichip gpu and Nvidia Lovelace planned for next year. Where would they get the silicon to produce all these gpu if the the world is short of production capacity.

[scampaboy]

I think I will wait for a lot longer and hang on to what I already have. 2.7 couldn’t be any more demanding than it already is  I was thinking to throw some money down on an i9 but I only use my computer for dcs nothing else so it would just be spending more money on cores that I don’t use. 
stay with what I’ve got and see what happens 

[Черный Дракул]

2 hours ago, Eaglewings said:

I want to believe you meant reasonable priced availability when you mentioned availability

Obviously. When the card is not an investment to make more money (via "mining") but an entertainment, the price matters. $3K for a video card (3080 in this case) in mining is just a somewhat longer-term investment, while for entertainment purposes it's completely impractical and for the total most it's more sensible to switch the entertainment platform as a whole. It's just like some cool magnetic force-feedback joysticks which are totally available for similar prices -- several people have probably got these, but the rest doesn't even consider these as an option. 

 

2 hours ago, Eaglewings said:

2027 is a very long projection. It is interesting to see all this news about amd multichip gpu and Nvidia Lovelace planned for next year. Where would they get the silicon to produce all these gpu if the the world is short of production capacity.

They'll have to get these same as everyone else -- either on their own lines, or put a request for the bigger manufacturers to do it. So it'll be another bunch of products which fof the most of us exists only on paper. And no, I don't believe those who say that in 2025 everything will become if not as it was before, then at least sensible. While video cards are used as an industrial appliance, general users have to compete against industrial ones (with obvious results). And that will be a direct blow against the whole platform. Only the global crackdown and total ban on cryptocurrency infrastructure -- trading sites, miners, users, everything connected -- can alleviate this. 

 

 

33 minutes ago, scampaboy said:

I think I will wait for a lot longer and hang on to what I already have

Sadly, it's the only sensible move in this situation. 

[scampaboy]

So I'm back again ...... still humming and arrring

The 1080 is still in CEX and I've worked out after swapping my card in it would cost me £250. 

My biggest issue currently is with performance of AA with 2x MSAA and 1.5 SSAA I get 30 fps in single player in a home made mission with max 20 units and it looks nice and is smooth. If I use 4x MSAA I can get about 55 - 60 FPS on the Damascus taxi mission but its just not quite as visually appealing. I am happy with the look of the sim just not the shimmering jaggies. To play through the inferno for example I need to drastically reduce my settings. 

Would I be able to employ the SSAA with the 1080 and get better frames? If I could run 1.5 SSAA and get more like 60 fps I would be very happy and that to me would be worth £250 but if it won't make a difference I would throw the money at a different cpu which may help with the larger missions.

 

Any advice on getting rid of shimmering and jaggies would be greatly appreciated. it seems to be where clouds meet mountains and on the surface of water. I can get rid of the jaggies from lines with MSAA

[spacemishka]

actually there is a revamped 3060 on the release path. But in general i see that the 1080 and 20xx perform well enough for DCS in FullHD. DCS is not that hungry like more recent GTA-Things. My GTX1650 does ok

[Hector45]

1 hour ago, scampaboy said:

So I'm back again ...... still humming and arrring

The 1080 is still in CEX and I've worked out after swapping my card in it would cost me £250. 

My biggest issue currently is with performance of AA with 2x MSAA and 1.5 SSAA I get 30 fps in single player in a home made mission with max 20 units and it looks nice and is smooth. If I use 4x MSAA I can get about 55 - 60 FPS on the Damascus taxi mission but its just not quite as visually appealing. I am happy with the look of the sim just not the shimmering jaggies. To play through the inferno for example I need to drastically reduce my settings. 

Would I be able to employ the SSAA with the 1080 and get better frames? If I could run 1.5 SSAA and get more like 60 fps I would be very happy and that to me would be worth £250 but if it won't make a difference I would throw the money at a different cpu which may help with the larger missions.

 

Any advice on getting rid of shimmering and jaggies would be greatly appreciated. it seems to be where clouds meet mountains and on the surface of water. I can get rid of the jaggies from lines with MSAA

SSAA and MSAA in general are FPS killers. When I had my 1070Ti I basically had to choose between jaggies or FPS. I notice low FPS way more than jaggies. Don't get me wrong they are noticeable when in F2 view or on the carrier but while in the cockpit I won't notice jaggies as much as a low frame count.

 

Even with my current setup if I run full SSAA and 4X MSAA my FPS in multiplayer is in the 40-50 range on the ground, though in 1440p jaggies are less noticable. I currently run SSAA on and MSAA at 2x.

 

Have you tried leaving SSAA off and just running 2x MSAA? I believe that's what I settled on with the 1070Ti. 

 

 

[scampaboy]

25 minutes ago, Hector45 said:

SSAA and MSAA in general are FPS killers. When I had my 1070Ti I basically had to choose between jaggies or FPS. I notice low FPS way more than jaggies. Don't get me wrong they are noticeable when in F2 view or on the carrier but while in the cockpit I won't notice jaggies as much as a low frame count.

 

Even with my current setup if I run full SSAA and 4X MSAA my FPS in multiplayer is in the 40-50 range on the ground, though in 1440p jaggies are less noticable. I currently run SSAA on and MSAA at 2x.

 

Have you tried leaving SSAA off and just running 2x MSAA? I believe that's what I settled on with the 1070Ti. 

 

 

Hi I tried all combinations on Damascus taxi, I settled with 4 x MSAA for best performance and no shimmering for my rig.
I’m wondering if investing in a 1080 with the greater ram will help run SSAA because I like the look with it on or will it not make a difference and I would be better with a more modern architecture. 
The ability to use SSAA would be worth the £250 for me if the gpu could support it. 

[Hector45]

Well depends on what FPS are acceptable to you, 1070Ti and 1080 are very close in performance, I didn't run SSAA because FPS was to low. Id say wait for a more modern architecture. 3060 or 3060Ti would be about perfect for 1080p.

[scampaboy]

So I got a new single fan 3060 for £480 sold my 1660. 
I can hold 60 fps in Syria 55 over Damascus with msaa x4 and SSAA at 1.5 and most of the settings on high. 
 

I’ve just been playing with over clocking I’m getting quite good results with my 9600k 

It was worth the £180 after I sold my old card 

[Thinder]

If you're in the UK, you can exchange your old card plus cash for a decent 1080 Ti with two years warranty as I did and I am certain it was one of the best buy I've done with my motherboard and RAM.

Product photo × 18 people have viewed this product today NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB GDDR5X