Video Card Solution Suggestion

[kiddsupreme]

My apologies up front if this has been asked (most likely it has, but I haven't had any luck find it). I wanted to get your opinion on something. I am about a little less than a month away from doing a complete new gaming build. I know that I want to do water cooling, but I am saving that until early next year (waterblocks, pumps, tubes, etc). Right now, I am only concentrating on having a air cooled (or at the most, something like a AIO from a company like Corsair to cool the CPU) system. I have everything selected except the video card.

 

I know I want to go with a Geforce GTX 780 Ti solution. My general plan was to get one card now, and when I'm preparing for the water cooling upgrade next year to pick up a second 780 Ti to run in SLI. My question is this: The prices between different versions of the 780 Ti seem to fluctuate between $630-900 dollars depending on on the core/boost clock, cooling solution, etc. So it seems that I am at a bit of a crossroads. Do I:

 

1. Get a vanilla 780 Ti was the normal clock - Then when I water cool it, try to overclock it and its twin at that time
2. Get something along the lines of a EVGA Kingpin (and pay a $150+ premium) - Then when I water cool it, try to over clock it and its twin even more
3. Stick with my underpowered 650 Ti, and gamble that the rumors about the new NVIDIA cards coming out in October/November are true and pick a Maxwell based card up.

Not really sure what the best course of action, although I'm leaning towards Solution #1 since I am guessing that by the time I purchase a second card, the next generation of Maxwell based cards will have driven down the price of 780 Ti. Anyways and comments and suggestions would be welcomed. Thanks in advance.

 

(P.S. - Nothing against Team Red, but I am only considering NVIDIA at this time. Thanks)

[CowsGoRoar]

(P.S. - Nothing against Team Red, but I am only considering nVidia at this time. Thanks)

It's NVIDIA. nVidia was when PNY owned the company. I'll make a thread about this, it's a big pet peeve of mine.

[kiddsupreme]

It's NVIDIA. nVidia was when PNY owned the company. I'll make a thread about this, it's a big pet peeve of mine.

Noted and fixed 

[TheKDub]

Wait for the new GPUS to come out so the current ones drop in price then get a 780/780TI.

[samcool55]

Get a vanilla one, most watercooling blocks are designed for these cards, and a kingpin edition is designed to handle liquid helium and extreme voltages that isn't safe to run 24/7.

Maxwell cards will probably be delayed until 2015, so unless you want to wait for a couple of months, just get the 780 ti.

[CowsGoRoar]

The ref. coolers aren't good for overclocking. Check EKWB for their 780 Ti waterblocks, and buy that 780 Ti edition.

 

Maxwell cards are made for low energy consumption, and low energy = low performance.

[kiddsupreme]

Thanks for the help. I decided on the 780 TI from EVGA. I figure since I will be watercooling, this would be a good card to go with. If anyone is interested in my particular build, you can find it here --> http://pcpartpicker.com/user/kiddsupreme/saved/7r7G3C

[kiddsupreme]

Guess I spoke too soon. 780 Ti arrived from Amazon today. To say I had a huge grin on my face would be an understatement... that is, until I opened the box, and noticed some odd things.Like the box being upside down. And the yellow no-tamper tape already being opened. Plastic covers on individual connectors missing (DisplayPort, HDMI, etc.). Dust on the fans. Needless to say, I hopped on the Chat Line with Amazon Customer Service to ask why, after dropping over $700 on a NEW card, I received ANYTHING but. They said they'd be sending out a new one next day. I'm glad I'll be getting what I paid for, but it just makes me wonder how something like that happens?