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Which brand has the best GTX 980Ti

Hello everybody!

 

I'm looking to build a new PC for gaming and will (most probably) end up buying a 4K monitor so I'm looking at a 980Ti as my GPU. I wanted some suggestions on which brand and model to buy since there are so many. From the little I've read, Zotac's AMP Extreme seems to be the most powerful but I could be wrong. What do you guys think? Also, while I know Asus, EVGA and Gigabyte, for example, to be famous and reliable companies, I'm not too familiar with others like Palit or Zotac. Any problems with these guys - or the others - that I should be aware of?

 

Also, of course, 'best' means different things to different people depending on pure performance, the price to performance ratio, personal experience, reliability, failure rate, noise and so on so when you make a suggestion, instead of a simple "Go with the Asus Strix", can you also please explain why you think it's the best?

 

Thanks a lot!

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Heyyo,

Gigabyte G1 Gaming or MSI's Gaming. They're both so darn close.

Otherwise? If you're willing to spend the extra cash? EVGA GTX 980 Ti Hybird is supposed to be stupidly good.

Zotac's is good for especially the price. It easily spanks the stock coolers and has solid warranty (3 to 5 years depending on where you are and register within 28 days of purchase).

Zotac's cooling solution isn't quite as efficient as the Gigabyte G1 Gaming or the MSI Gaming editions though.

Heyyo,

My PC Build: https://pcpartpicker.com/b/sNPscf

My Android Phone: Exodus Android on my OnePlus One 64bit in Sandstone Black in a Ringke Fusion clear & slim protective case

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Heyyo,

 

:D

 

Also, does no one look for previous topics? There's something literally titled almost the same thing with five pages...


 

[spoiler = "My Computer Stuff"]

My ITX:

240 Air ; Z87I-Deluxe ; 4770K ; H100i ; G1 GTX 980TI ; Vengeance Pro 2400MHz (2x8GB) ; 3x 840 EVO (250GB) ; 2x WD Red Pro (4TB) ; RM650 ; 3x Dell U2414H ; G710+ ; G700s ; O2 + ODAC + Q701 ; Yamaha HTR-3066 + 5.1 Pioneer.

 

Things I Need To Get Off My Shelf:

250D ; 380T ; 800D ; C70 ; i7 920 ; i5 4670K ; Maximus Hero VI ; G.Skill 2133MHz (4x4GB) ; Crucial 2133MHz (2x4GB) ; Patriot 1600MHz (4x4GB) ; HX750 ; CX650M ; 2x WD Red (3TB) ; 5x 840 EVO (250GB) ; H60H100iH100i ; H100i ; VS247H-P ; K70 Reds ; K70 Blues ; K70 RGB Browns ; HD650.


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There's a few:

Gigabyte G1 

Gigabyte G1 

Gigabyte G1 

also the Gigabyte G1

Born too early to explore the galaxy, born too late to explore the seas, born just in time to make memes.

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Gigabyte G1 or MSI gaming

CPU - i5 4690K @ 4.5Ghz l CPU Cooler - Nepton 240m l GPU - MSI GTX970 gaming 4g 2-way SLI l SLI Bridge - MSI Gaming 2-way L Pro l Mobo - MSI Z97-G45 Gaming l RAM - 2x8GB Vengeance Pro 2133mhz DDR3 l PSU - Corsair HX750i l SSD - 2x Samsung 840 Evo 250GB in raid 0 | HDD - WD Black 2TB | Case - NZXT H440 Red/Black l OS - Windows 10 l Mouse Logitech G502 l MousePad - XTRFY NiP lightning l KeyBoard - Corsair Vengeance K70 RGB (Red) | Headset - Asus ROG Spitfire | Monitor - Asus PG279Q - VG248QE l PCPP - http://pcpartpicker.com/p/sxTpsY | Please don't buy CX PSU for a high end PC

 

 

 

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:D

 

Also, does no one look for previous topics? There's something literally titled almost the same thing with five pages...

 

I did read it and I've already seen the Hardware Canucks video, for example. Like I'd said in the OP, however, I wasn't only looking for suggestions. I wanted the 'meat' on why on card was better than the other. The other thread - and unfortunately this one as well - only have one liner answers like Gigabyte G1, without an explanation. I, of course, am grateful for you guys taking your time to answer but if all I get is the name of the card, I really can't make a decision because someone will say the G1, like the last post, others will name another card and so on. If I know why everyone said what they did, I can then make my own decision based on the strengths and weaknesses of each cards.

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Heyyo,

Gigabyte G1 Gaming or MSI's Gaming. They're both so darn close.

Otherwise? If you're willing to spend the extra cash? EVGA GTX 980 Ti Hybird is supposed to be stupidly good.

Zotac's is good for especially the price. It easily spanks the stock coolers and has solid warranty (3 to 5 years depending on where you are and register within 28 days of purchase).

Zotac's cooling solution isn't quite as efficient as the Gigabyte G1 Gaming or the MSI Gaming editions though.

 

So, the G1 is more efficient at cooling but the AMP Extreme is the fastest card, overall?

 

About the EVGA Hybrid, I'm not familiar with liquid cooling at all. Do I just buy the card, plug it in and call it a day or do I have to change the liquid or do extra maintenance or whatever?

 

 

There's a few:

Gigabyte G1 

Gigabyte G1 

Gigabyte G1 

also the Gigabyte G1

 

Gigabyte G1 or MSI gaming

 

Why?

Why?

Why?

Also, Why?

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if you want to watercool, either the gigabyte G1, or the stock pcb with whatever cooler you want.

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So, the G1 is more efficient at cooling but the AMP Extreme is the fastest card, overall?

 

 

 

 

Why?

Why?

Why?

Also, Why?

Well, I should re word that. The G1 is really good for cooling, and performs better than Titan X in majority of benchmarks. Zotac ArcticStorm is really good if you have a full loop and plan on liquid cooling a gpu because it can be liquid cooled + air cooled at the same time. It's pretty dank.

Born too early to explore the galaxy, born too late to explore the seas, born just in time to make memes.

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Evga 980 it kingpin ( not available yet)

Evga hydro copper (water cooled )

Evga Hybrid (all in one cooler)

Zotec Amp extream

Gigabyte/msi

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I did read it and I've already seen the Hardware Canucks video, for example. Like I'd said in the OP, however, I wasn't only looking for suggestions. I wanted the 'meat' on why on card was better than the other. The other thread - and unfortunately this one as well - only have one liner answers like Gigabyte G1, without an explanation. I, of course, am grateful for you guys taking your time to answer but if all I get is the name of the card, I really can't make a decision because someone will say the G1, like the last post, others will name another card and so on. If I know why everyone said what they did, I can then make my own decision based on the strengths and weaknesses of each cards.

 

Okay, sorry, I'm just used to lazy idiots starting these threads. I love my G1 for a lot of reasons. Some applicable in general, some not.

 

1. Golden Chip. Gotta love those. That's luck though. The rest will apply to you.

2. Power delivery on the G1 is top notch. The PCB is gorgeous, and it has a solid backplate. The Classy is similar in this, though it does have unlocked voltage unlike the G1.

3. The cooler for the G1 is probably the best around. Far better on air than the Classy, though the Classy would do far better under water.

4. The coloring though. ;)

5. They are binned, and I've yet to hear of a chip not at least making stock 1200MHz. Mine does around 1600MHz.

6. Coil whine might be an issue, mine has none, and it's silent up to 75% fan speed.

 

I love my G1. :)


 

[spoiler = "My Computer Stuff"]

My ITX:

240 Air ; Z87I-Deluxe ; 4770K ; H100i ; G1 GTX 980TI ; Vengeance Pro 2400MHz (2x8GB) ; 3x 840 EVO (250GB) ; 2x WD Red Pro (4TB) ; RM650 ; 3x Dell U2414H ; G710+ ; G700s ; O2 + ODAC + Q701 ; Yamaha HTR-3066 + 5.1 Pioneer.

 

Things I Need To Get Off My Shelf:

250D ; 380T ; 800D ; C70 ; i7 920 ; i5 4670K ; Maximus Hero VI ; G.Skill 2133MHz (4x4GB) ; Crucial 2133MHz (2x4GB) ; Patriot 1600MHz (4x4GB) ; HX750 ; CX650M ; 2x WD Red (3TB) ; 5x 840 EVO (250GB) ; H60H100iH100i ; H100i ; VS247H-P ; K70 Reds ; K70 Blues ; K70 RGB Browns ; HD650.


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Evga 980 it kingpin ( not available yet)

Evga hydro copper (water cooled )

Evga Hybrid (all in one cooler)

Zotec Amp extream

Gigabyte/msi

this.

Laptop: Thinkpad W520 i7 2720QM 24GB RAM 1920x1080 2x SSDs Main Rig: 4790k 12GB Hyperx Beast Zotac 980ti AMP! Fractal Define S (window) RM850 Noctua NH-D15 EVGA Z97 FTW with 3 1080P 144hz monitors from Asus Secondary: i5 6600K, R9 390 STRIX, 16GB DDR4, Acer Predator 144Hz 1440P

As Centos 7 SU once said: With great power comes great responsibility.

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Heyyo,

 

classified 980 ti

That's not even released so it doesn't even count. :P

 

So, the G1 is more efficient at cooling but the AMP Extreme is the fastest card, overall?

 

About the EVGA Hybrid, I'm not familiar with liquid cooling at all. Do I just buy the card, plug it in and call it a day or do I have to change the liquid or do extra maintenance or whatever?

Zotac AMP! only has passive cooling on the VRM. Just a heatsink that doesn't have heat pipes that connect to the main heatsink so it is a little inferior in overclocking. What I'm saying though is for the price-bracket? The Zotac AMP! easily beats out the stock cooler which it competes against at the entry cost selection of GTX 980 Ti GPUs but it is not the king of cooling solutions, it's just the most cost-effective solution is all.

As shown here:

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zotac/GeForce_GTX_980_Ti_Amp_Edition/4.html

And you can see for aircooled solutions? Gigabyte G1 Gaming is still the king here:

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zotac/GeForce_GTX_980_Ti_Amp_Edition/33.html

As for the EVGA Hybird? It's an all in one solution. You don't need to mess around with liquids or anything. It's a sealed kit. You're good to go. No maintenance. :)

The only downside to all in one cooling kits like that? They tend not to have as long of a life expectancy as regular heatsink and fans due to liquid cooling pumps not lasting as long as fans. That's the only thing to keep in mind is all.

Heyyo,

My PC Build: https://pcpartpicker.com/b/sNPscf

My Android Phone: Exodus Android on my OnePlus One 64bit in Sandstone Black in a Ringke Fusion clear & slim protective case

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So, the G1 is more efficient at cooling but the AMP Extreme is the fastest card, overall?

 

About the EVGA Hybrid, I'm not familiar with liquid cooling at all. Do I just buy the card, plug it in and call it a day or do I have to change the liquid or do extra maintenance or whatever?

 

 

 

 

Why?

Why?

Why?

Also, Why?

the hybrid is the best performing and needs no maintenance

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Well, I should re word that. The G1 is really good for cooling, and performs better than Titan X in majority of benchmarks. Zotac ArcticStorm is really good if you have a full loop and plan on liquid cooling a gpu because it can be liquid cooled + air cooled at the same time. It's pretty dank.

Only thing is that it kind of sucks at cooling both on air or water.

Intel Core i7-5820K (4.4 GHz) | Gigabyte GTX 970 G1 Gaming | Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB  | 2x 360mm Custom Loop (Noctua iPPC) | ASRock X99 Extreme6 | Samsung 840 EVO 250GB | Fractal Design Define S | Corsair HX750 | Windows 10 | Corsair M65 RGB PRO | Corsair K70 RGB LUX (CherryMX Brown) | Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro & Creative Sound Blaster Z | Nexus 6P (32GB Aluminium) | Check out my setup: Project Kalte Here!

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Heyyo,

 

That's not even released so it doesn't even count. :P

 

Zotac AMP! only has passive cooling on the VRM. Just a heatsink that doesn't have heat pipes that connect to the main heatsink so it is a little inferior in overclocking. What I'm saying though is for the price-bracket? The Zotac AMP! easily beats out the stock cooler which it competes against at the entry cost selection of GTX 980 Ti GPUs but it is not the king of cooling solutions, it's just the most cost-effective solution is all.

As shown here:

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zotac/GeForce_GTX_980_Ti_Amp_Edition/4.html

And you can see for aircooled solutions? Gigabyte G1 Gaming is still the king here:

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zotac/GeForce_GTX_980_Ti_Amp_Edition/33.html

As for the EVGA Hybird? It's an all in one solution. You don't need to mess around with liquids or anything. It's a sealed kit. You're good to go. No maintenance. :)

The only downside to all in one cooling kits like that? They tend not to have as long of a life expectancy as regular heatsink and fans due to liquid cooling pumps not lasting as long as fans. That's the only thing to keep in mind is all.

 

Thanks, that was very helpful. Exactly how long do these all in one cooling kits last, then?Also, what's so special about the classified (if it's very good, I can wait a while for it)?

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Thanks, that was very helpful. Exactly how long do these all in one cooling kits last, then?Also, what's so special about the classified (if it's very good, I can wait a while for it)?

 

It has unlocked voltage and amazing power delivery. As I was saying, on air I give it 90% odds that it cools less than the G1 on air, but on water you can crank the voltage to levels only limited by your radiators heat dissipation capabilities, which means even higher overclocks.


 

[spoiler = "My Computer Stuff"]

My ITX:

240 Air ; Z87I-Deluxe ; 4770K ; H100i ; G1 GTX 980TI ; Vengeance Pro 2400MHz (2x8GB) ; 3x 840 EVO (250GB) ; 2x WD Red Pro (4TB) ; RM650 ; 3x Dell U2414H ; G710+ ; G700s ; O2 + ODAC + Q701 ; Yamaha HTR-3066 + 5.1 Pioneer.

 

Things I Need To Get Off My Shelf:

250D ; 380T ; 800D ; C70 ; i7 920 ; i5 4670K ; Maximus Hero VI ; G.Skill 2133MHz (4x4GB) ; Crucial 2133MHz (2x4GB) ; Patriot 1600MHz (4x4GB) ; HX750 ; CX650M ; 2x WD Red (3TB) ; 5x 840 EVO (250GB) ; H60H100iH100i ; H100i ; VS247H-P ; K70 Reds ; K70 Blues ; K70 RGB Browns ; HD650.


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Heyyo,

 

Thanks, that was very helpful. Exactly how long do these all in one cooling kits last, then?Also, what's so special about the classified (if it's very good, I can wait a while for it)?

Well? I'm sure they're still good for a minimum of three years. I've had a corsair H80 for about that long and she's still running strong. I have my i7-3770k from the stock 3.5GHz up to 4.2GHz without any issues and when gaming she never even touches 70ºC (158ºF)... but my stock GTX 680 SLI setup easily does lol. :P

Heyyo,

My PC Build: https://pcpartpicker.com/b/sNPscf

My Android Phone: Exodus Android on my OnePlus One 64bit in Sandstone Black in a Ringke Fusion clear & slim protective case

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Heyyo,

 

Well? I'm sure they're still good for a minimum of three years. I've had a corsair H80 for about that long and she's still running strong. I have my i7-3770k from the stock 3.5GHz up to 4.2GHz without any issues and when gaming she never even touches 70ºC (158ºF)... but my stock GTX 680 SLI setup easily does lol. :P

 

I have an H60 from release week that's been running since then. It's not in my main, but it's chugging along just fine in my file server.


 

[spoiler = "My Computer Stuff"]

My ITX:

240 Air ; Z87I-Deluxe ; 4770K ; H100i ; G1 GTX 980TI ; Vengeance Pro 2400MHz (2x8GB) ; 3x 840 EVO (250GB) ; 2x WD Red Pro (4TB) ; RM650 ; 3x Dell U2414H ; G710+ ; G700s ; O2 + ODAC + Q701 ; Yamaha HTR-3066 + 5.1 Pioneer.

 

Things I Need To Get Off My Shelf:

250D ; 380T ; 800D ; C70 ; i7 920 ; i5 4670K ; Maximus Hero VI ; G.Skill 2133MHz (4x4GB) ; Crucial 2133MHz (2x4GB) ; Patriot 1600MHz (4x4GB) ; HX750 ; CX650M ; 2x WD Red (3TB) ; 5x 840 EVO (250GB) ; H60H100iH100i ; H100i ; VS247H-P ; K70 Reds ; K70 Blues ; K70 RGB Browns ; HD650.


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Heyyo,

 

Well? I'm sure they're still good for a minimum of three years. I've had a corsair H80 for about that long and she's still running strong. I have my i7-3770k from the stock 3.5GHz up to 4.2GHz without any issues and when gaming she never even touches 70ºC (158ºF)... but my stock GTX 680 SLI setup easily does lol. :P

 

OK, and when the cooling kits breaks or degrades, what happens then? Is my whole $750 card gone or do I just need to change the cooler or something and can still sell it?

 

After everything that's been said, it looks like the G1 or the AMP Extreme seem to be the best option. Since I'm paying so much for the card, I'd rather not go for the Hybrid, given that it might not last as long and that even if the whole card doesn't go down the drain and I just need to replace the cooler, it's still an extra $100 before reselling. On a card already costing me $750 (probably $900 where I live, though I have to check), spending more just so I can resell it before upgrading to another seems...insane.

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OK, and when the cooling kits breaks or degrades, what happens then? Is my whole $750 card gone or do I just need to change the cooler or something and can still sell it?

 

After everything that's been said, it looks like the G1 or the AMP Extreme seem to be the best option. Since I'm paying so much for the card, I'd rather not go for the Hybrid, given that it might not last as long and that even if the whole card doesn't go down the drain and I just need to replace the cooler, it's still an extra $100 before reselling. On a card already costing me $750 (probably $900 where I live, though I have to check), spending more just so I can resell it before upgrading to another seems...insane.

 

Keep in mind that the Amp! Extreme is a 3 slot card, and therefore huge. As much as a like the G1, the A!E isn't a bad option. :)


 

[spoiler = "My Computer Stuff"]

My ITX:

240 Air ; Z87I-Deluxe ; 4770K ; H100i ; G1 GTX 980TI ; Vengeance Pro 2400MHz (2x8GB) ; 3x 840 EVO (250GB) ; 2x WD Red Pro (4TB) ; RM650 ; 3x Dell U2414H ; G710+ ; G700s ; O2 + ODAC + Q701 ; Yamaha HTR-3066 + 5.1 Pioneer.

 

Things I Need To Get Off My Shelf:

250D ; 380T ; 800D ; C70 ; i7 920 ; i5 4670K ; Maximus Hero VI ; G.Skill 2133MHz (4x4GB) ; Crucial 2133MHz (2x4GB) ; Patriot 1600MHz (4x4GB) ; HX750 ; CX650M ; 2x WD Red (3TB) ; 5x 840 EVO (250GB) ; H60H100iH100i ; H100i ; VS247H-P ; K70 Reds ; K70 Blues ; K70 RGB Browns ; HD650.


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Heyyo,

OK, and when the cooling kits breaks or degrades, what happens then? Is my whole $750 card gone or do I just need to change the cooler or something and can still sell it?

 

After everything that's been said, it looks like the G1 or the AMP Extreme seem to be the best option. Since I'm paying so much for the card, I'd rather not go for the Hybrid, given that it might not last as long and that even if the whole card doesn't go down the drain and I just need to replace the cooler, it's still an extra $100 before reselling. On a card already costing me $750 (probably $900 where I live, though I have to check), spending more just so I can resell it before upgrading to another seems...insane.

That is correct good sir. I don't know how many years you plan on keeping the GTX 980 Ti, but the safest bet is regular heatsink and fan cooling. Liquid cooling is good and all in one liquid cooling kits are awesome but there's always that risk. Since the GTX 980 Ti Hybrid does use a reference PCB I believe, it is possible to just buy a cheap stock cooler for it on eBay later or buy something like the NZXT Kraken G10 and a cooler, but of course it won't be nearly as effective as the EVGA Hybrid solution.

Either way? I'm freaking jelly lol... I'd love to sell of my GTX 680 2GB Two-Way SLI setup for even a single GTX 980 Ti... but real life money things get in the way like a wedding next year and stuff lol. Oh well. :P

Heyyo,

My PC Build: https://pcpartpicker.com/b/sNPscf

My Android Phone: Exodus Android on my OnePlus One 64bit in Sandstone Black in a Ringke Fusion clear & slim protective case

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amp!extreme would be, and was my first choice. If it dont fit, the G1. In the End, all 980Ti´s are fast Cards.

CPU i7 6700k MB  MSI Z170A Pro Carbon GPU Zotac GTX980Ti amp!extreme RAM 16GB DDR4 Corsair Vengeance 3k CASE Corsair 760T PSU Corsair RM750i MOUSE Logitech G9x KB Logitech G910 HS Sennheiser GSP 500 SC Asus Xonar 7.1 MONITOR Acer Predator xb270hu Storage 1x1TB + 2x500GB Samsung 7200U/m - 2x500GB SSD Samsung 850EVO

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