CamEngineering

Thanks guys. Ultimately I wasn't happy with the +/- 1.0GHz speed of the R9 390, and I also wasn't happy with the gtx970 only being 4GB (and somewhat old). So I went with the 1.6 GHz version of the 8GB gtx 1070. It is rated a notch above the 980ti. BTW, you'll be lucky to get a 1070 now for under $450 after applicable taxes/shipping/insurance. And I got the 4.0 GHz i7-690 and some DDR4-3000 RAM. With this combo, if X8 doesn't run a lot better (or perfect for that matter), then I give up.

"Get the best one"... this is the reason for my post to begin with; I need advice on which card is indeed "the best one" (under $300).And yes, I'd like to somewhat future-proof the upgrade; if even possible at that price range.

R9 390 vs GTX 970 (or anything else under $300) Please give your thoughts on this comparison. Please rate the importance of speed (970 +/- 22% faster, according to some) and memory size (390 has +/- 100%!! more memory), and any other relevant characteristic as they pertain to Chief. Note, I am primarily concerned about in-model performance; I'm fine with running raytraces overnight or while at my day job as needed. Last note: the older GTX 960 still tests to be faster than 970 (which is odd in itself); if you consider speed to be of #1 importance, would you get the 960 instead?... Btw, I'm leaning towards the R9 390.