What to do: 1060 3GB vs 1060 6GB?

[custom90gt]

Hey,
I figured I'd ask for some help deciding on what to do here.

A couple of weeks ago I came across a smoking deal on a Zotac Mini 1060 3GB card (80 bucks from a kid at school). I was planning on running it in my server until I decided to sell off my 980ti. Now the 1060 is in my desktop (at least temporarily).

I just found another deal on a MSI 1060 6GB card ($200) and am tempted to buy it. My thought would be selling this zotac 1060 for $160 or so and paying for most of the 6gb card that way.

So after all that back story, my question is - what would you do? The benchmark performance between the two cards isn't near as much as I thought it would, but it would be nice to future proof a little bit. The final goal for the card is to go into the server so it can act as a steam stream machine to my steam link.

 

[wingman99]

If your not intending on gaming then 3GB is fine for Vram.

 

[custom90gt]

If your not intending on gaming then 3GB is fine for Vram.

Yeah I don't have a ton of time to game, but thought maybe the 6GB card would be a little more future proof. What I should probably do is invest that extra 40 bucks into a new video card for the desktop (well eventually, lol).

 

[wingman99]

Gaming on BF1 1080p uses maximum Vram of 3GB.

 

[custom90gt]

Gaming on BF1 1080p uses maximum Vram of 3GB.

You're right. With the desktop on my U3415W I'm sure it would use more, but moving it to the server eventually would mean it would be running at 1080p...

 

[GTXJackBauer]

Gaming on BF1 1080p uses maximum Vram of 3GB.

Yes but with max settings, I believe it would use up more iirc. Because of my limit, I can't have max settings to keep a constant 60 FPS @ 1080p.

OP, I'd go with the 6 GB for whatever reason, game or not. 3 GB is just too little nowadays for gaming, that's if you choose to do as so or someone else in your household say in a few years from now.

 

[wingman99]

I run on ultra 1080p with BF1 all the time and maximum usage is 3GB. If the OP is not going to use the card for gaming, more than 3GB Vram is not needed.

 

[Alaric]

The OP is talking about a total end investment of $140 for a GTX 1060 6GB card. That sounds like a pretty good deal, and the 6 GB card will have more resale value down the road. If it's not coming out of the server until it dies, the 3 GB should do the job just fine and save the money. (Nice score, BTW!)

 

[EarthDog]

I run on ultra 1080p with BF1 all the time and maximum usage is 3GB. If the OP is not going to use the card for gaming, more than 3GB Vram is not needed.

there are several titles which can use more than 3gb at 1080p...that list will only grown longer with time. If it's just needed to put a picture on the screen, not sure why we are even talking this class of card... why not a 1050?

 

[NewbieOneKenobi]

According to tests I've seen and explanations I've read, if you like to have the best textures, ultra everything etc., then 3GB may indeed sometimes prove too little at 1080p. Interestingly, RX 480 4GB apparently avoids the problem. 480 would be more future-proof because of better DX12 support and the option to go Crossfire, whereas 1060 can't SLI.

Next, Zotac AMP is already good, but if that MSI is Gaming X, then it's the best standard cooler available plus a strong VRM section. Might be a better overclocker and in any case should be quieter.

Not sure about VRM etc., but the same cooler on MSI's 480 is almost equally silent (something like 32 dbA vs 30).

 

[custom90gt]

Hah thanks for all the input everyone.

I have two main reasons to go up to 6gb:
1. It's currently my desktop card which I do occasionally game on (at 3440x1440).
2. Even when I move it to the server I will be using it as a steam stream machine to my steam link (read it will be used for 1080p gaming occasionally). I only want to do that because I have every steam game installed on the server since it has the space.

I'm still on the fence about it. $40 isn't a lot of money, but then again I think "well that's 1/10 of 400 which would help with funding a new card for the desktop..."

I had considered a RX 480, but I like the lower power usage of the 1060, especially in something that runs 24/7.

 

[NewbieOneKenobi]

I was going to say the expense didn't seem to be a big problem from your post, so why not go ahead and save deliberation time. At 3440x1440 you're going to see the difference, especially if you like nicer textures or more AA.

 

[EarthDog]

3440x1400... a 1060 3gb won't like that... 5gb for sure. That said a 1060 isn't powerful enough to run many titles at ultra with AA with that res...it's barely a 2560x1440 card... none the less that many more pixels..

 

[custom90gt]

3440x1400... a 1060 3gb won't like that... 5gb for sure. That said a 1060 isn't powerful enough to run many titles at ultra with AA with that res...it's barely a 2560x1440 card... none the less that many more pixels..

Right, it's just a hold me over until I can find a decent deal on a 1080 or similar. I'll probably wait to see what AMD brings to the table in March.

 

[DaveB]

Yep, I have a mini EVGA 160 3GB card in my server. Runs nice and cool and quiet with a 23" 1080p monitor and I only paid $167 for it. Not for gaming at 1440p or beyond though. When I was gaming at 1440p, I had a 6GB GTX 980 Ti and then an 8GB GTX 1070. Could have picked up the 6GB version at Microcenter last week for $211 but I've got to curb the spending since I'm looking to build a Ryzen next month.

 

[custom90gt]

Yep, I have a mini EVGA 160 3GB card in my server. Runs nice and cool and quiet with a 23" 1080p monitor and I only paid $167 for it. Not for gaming at 1440p or beyond though. When I was gaming at 1440p, I had a 6GB GTX 980 Ti and then an 8GB GTX 1070. Could have picked up the 6GB version at Microcenter last week for $211 but I've got to curb the spending since I'm looking to build a Ryzen next month.

Yeah I've pretty much had the same experience. I had a 980ti for 3440x1440 and everything ran great. I got a wild hair and decided to sell it since I picked up the 1060 but I find it lacking in the desktop. It would be great for the server, but I'm still leaning toward the 6gb for $40 more (maybe a little less).

 

[wingman99]

there are several titles which can use more than 3gb at 1080p...that list will only grown longer with time. If it's just needed to put a picture on the screen, not sure why we are even talking this class of card... why not a 1050?

Do you have a list of games that use more than 3GB with 1080p?

 

[Saul Goodman]

"We re-ran our Rise of the Tomb Raider benchmark at 1080p with the very high textures engaged - something the developer warns against specifically. There are three sections to this bench: in the first, the three gig GTX 1060 keeps up with its more expensive sibling, but as we move into the second and third areas, we hit a short period of stutter followed by sustained, lower frame-rates.

And what we find here is that the RX 470 - demonstrably the weaker card when VRAM is not being tested - actually moves into the lead during the majority of the bench, and it seems that it's just about capable of housing the required texture data without dropping performance. Of course, it's just a limited set of data on a test that the developers specifically recommends we don't run. But the point is that we can demonstrate that there are some applications where four gigs at 1080p is indeed better than three - even factoring in Nvidia's superior memory compression technology."

Source - Eurogamer.net

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2016-nvidia-geforce-gtx-1060-3gb-vs-6gb-review

 

[EarthDog]

Do you have a list of games that use more than 3GB with 1080p?

Google does. We (funsoul, in a thread) did some testing here in 2012 showing a title or two back then sniffing/breaking 3gb. Fast forward 4 years...

 

[Vishera]

I'd say 6GB if you wanna touch on 1440p. You'll still need to lower settings, but at least it'd be playable in some form. The 3GB can't offer you that. Plus, selling the 6GB will get you more cash. Save up for part of a 1070 or 1080 and sell the 1060 to make up the rest. 1070's can be found for $400-$500, and if you sell the 1060 on here or eBay for, say, the price of a 1050 ti, it should fly right out of your hands (for reference, a 1050 ti is $130-$150 give or take). That cuts your 1070's price down to $370-$250, depending on the price, and how much you sell the 1060 for.