I'm looking for some advice on my PC setup. I built my current rig in 2019, and while it still performs well, the heat from running dual NVLinked 2080 Ti GPUs is quite a lot, and it's getting expensive to run. My motherboard only has PCI-E 3.0 slots, and I'm wondering if it's worth replacing my two GPUs with one that's better or on par with them without having to invest in a new motherboard and tearing everything down. I have a strong PSU (1.3 kilowatt) and a solid Intel Core i9 9900K processor with 32 GB of RAM. I run dual ASUS 27" monitors and often game at 4k/120 Hz, but I'm mainly a single-player gamer, not really into competitive FPS. Does anyone think swapping to a single GPU would help with the heat while maintaining my gaming experience?
3 Answers
Just one question: How much do you want to spend? You could invest in better cooling or swap out the 2080s for a single powerful GPU, but it might still be hindered by your CPU. If you're up for a bigger change, a new system build could offer the best long-term results. What’s your budget looking like?
I’d definitely recommend going for one GPU instead of two. A single 2080 Ti should give you more stability, especially with newer Nvidia drivers focusing more on single player games. It'd help you avoid the frame stutters and input lag that can pop up with dual setups. Given that you want to keep your current build, this seems like the way to go!
Honestly, it all comes down to how much you’re willing to spend. If you're considering replacing the GPUs, maybe think about how much better cooling would be. You could look into better cooling options first. Or, if you do opt to replace the GPUs, just know that your CPU might bottleneck a new, more powerful card. Any thoughts on that?
But what about heat? If performance is solid, doesn't the heat matter more? I'd be worried about that.