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EVGA GTX-970: ACX 2.0 reference vs SC vs FTW, which one?

chris_gpvd
By chris_gpvd
in Graphics Cards
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Well, the title says it all.

 

My local pc parts shop has a deal on EVGA, 2 gpu's for 30% off and it couldn't come at a better time for me, since I'm building a new rig. At first I wasn't considering dual GPU's but, after watching Linus's videos about SLI scaling and comparing gtx 970s to 980s, I kinda have my mind set on it; Especially if I can get 2 970s for a little over the cost of a single 980 (at least here in Greece)! And, the wow factor of dual gpus is definitely a factor... ;)

The store only stocks EVGA gpus with the ACX cooler, not the blower style, FYI. Is it worth the investment, or should I settle for something else? 

 

Also, they do not stock SSC, only reference, SC and FTW.

 

Thanks guys!

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They're all going to perform fairly similarly. If one has a reference PCB (I'm not up to date on my 900 series), that will open up the option for water cooling. If not, just pick the one with the higher clock speed.

 

Keep in mind, although I love EVGA, their ACX 2.0 cooler does seem to have some issues.

~Remember to quote posts to continue support on your thread~
-Don't be this kind of person-

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All depends. I'm not too familiar with the FTW edition but from what i can recall the main difference between the reference and sc (assuming both hav acx cooler) will be clock speeds. If you aren't comfortable overclocking your gpu but want better than stock speeds get the SC. Otherwise it's a tossup. I myself plan on getting one of the reference designs and put a waterblock on it once i start my build. Then overclock it manually. But short answer is it depends on what you want to do and how you want to get there.

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Well, the title says it all.

 

My local pc parts shop has a deal on EVGA, 2 gpu's for 30% off and it couldn't come at a better time for me, since I'm building a new rig. At first I wasn't considering dual GPU's but, after watching Linus's videos about SLI scaling and comparing gtx 970s to 980s, I kinda have my mind set on it; Especially if I can get 2 970s for a little over the cost of a single 980 (at least here in Greece)! And, the wow factor of dual gpus is definitely a factor... ;)

The store only stocks EVGA gpus with the ACX cooler, not the blower style, FYI. Is it worth the investment, or should I settle for something else? 

 

Also, they do not stock SSC, only reference, SC and FTW.

 

Thanks guys!

They are all 4 phase power design the FTW version is the highest clocked and has dual BIOS. 

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Thanks for your replies, I think I'll go with the FTW edition, since I have no experience in overclocking, and having an already faster gpu is pretty good... Also, watercooling is still in play, 670 waterblocks fit, but there are new evga 970 waterblocks. see here: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/224551-gtx-970-fc-waterblock-dicussion/

 

I'm so glad I joined this forum, this is shaping up to be a great experience! Kudos to you all!

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