https://imgur.com/a/ywmiT As the title says really, I'm looking to upgrade to a 1080ti, and it is more than likely going to be a 3 slot card. With this is mind, am I going to struggle to fit the 1080 in? If it's possible to tell from the picture I've linked? Build is: Gigabyte Z68MA-D2H-B3 I5 2500K OC to 4.2ghz GTX 970 16GB DDR3 Vengeance XFX psu
I have already measured and I would say the extra height of the GPU would not fit on my board; not only would it possibly block the third pci slot, it looks like it would block the Sata ports. But, the reason I ask, is because I was told that my 970 wouldn't fit when I purchased that, but it does. Just thought I would see if anyone has experience with this card and a similar mobo. I'm guessing I want someone to say, it will fit, Otherwise I guess I'm looking at a full system upgrade, as once the mobo goes so does the cpu and ram, rather annoyingly.
Depends on the card. If you get one with the same cooler as the picture (MSI Twin Frozr) then you should have no problems. FYI, there is no need to get a triple slot card. Dual slot should be sufficient, as long as the cooler is efficient (triple fans are really good, but there are some good dual fan designs as well, Twin Frozr being one of them).
Check the dimensions of the 1080Ti and compare them to the size of your existing card. If it's no bigger at all, it will fit. Looking at the pic, you can't make it even 3mm thicker due to the sata cables. This way you don't actually need to measure anything manually, just compare the specs. If the manufacturer's page only laconically states 2/2+/3 slot, check some decent review for the exact thickness.
Thanks for the replies. So, I've gone out and checked the measurements of my existing 970, which are: Width 140mm. Length 277m. Depth 35mm. And for reference, a Gigabyte Aorus: Width 142mm. Length 293mm. Depth 55mm. If I'm correct, I think the Gigabyte 1080 is only a 2 slot? It's the depth measurement that's the problem, I have a bad feeling the extra thickness of the 1080ti and the backplate will put it over my SATA ports.
They have a mini version of the 1080Ti, if that helps. https://www.hardwaremax.it/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/zotac-gtx-1080ti-mini-box.jpg
Thanks for the idea, but I've checked the specs and it would still be too thick and cover the Sata ports.
I guess I'm stuck here then, if I want the 1080 ti, it's gonna have to be a change of mobo and subsequently cpu and ram. Can anyone recommend the best upgrade options from my current build? I'm guessing it's best to go Kaby Lake? Thanks.
You might want to check out some EVGA models, like FTW3. They could be a bit thinner than some other brands/models out there. But do some research to make sure.
I've just checked out the Evga FTW as suggested, and in a few reviews, it says it is 3.5cm thick which is the same thickness as my current 970. The only thing which I'm not sure about is the reviews mention that it has a backplate that's adds 0.5cm, so I'm not sure if this would put it too close too my ram slot clips.. I will try to double check and measure the difference. Slightly off this topic, what is the consensus of my i5 2500k running 1440p at 144hz? As @mikev190 you mentioned I may struggle with the 2500k at 1080, so will I struggle when I try to run 1440p and 144hz? Thanks.
I think the CPU becomes less of a bottleneck when you go higher in resolutions. It also depends on the game as well. It all depends on how you like your games to look and run and how much money you have. If you are thinking of a 144Hz monitor then probably go higher with the video card i.e. 1080/1080Ti and it also depends on the game again. You should seriously start thinking of overclocking it at least. I got another system that my lil' brother uses and it has a 3570K/GTX 970 and we still haven't ran it stable at overclocking speeds and he's had that system for over three years already. You are putting in a lot of factors that most people hardly even think about, but I hope you figure it all out, good luck.
Thanks for the advice @Guru01. Since last posting, I've changed my plans and all but decided to upgrade my system. So, to go along with my new 1440p 144hz monitor, I will be getting a 1080ti (not decided on brand yet). I'm going to upgrade my cpu, mobo and RAM, I will either be going with an i5-8600k, Gigabyte Aorus Z370 gaming and 16gb 3200mhz RAM. Or the AMD equivalent; Ryzen 7 1700x with an Aorus mobo and similar RAM. They both come out at a similar price so it will be down to who I prefer, which I haven't decided yet (although I've always been Intel and never AMD). That's where I am at the minute with my plans
could always get http://www.galax.com/en/graphics-card/10-series/galax-geforcer-gtx-1070-katana.html which may be better paired with your system?