GTX 970 questions

[Rokin]

Hello I'm confused on the different makers of the gtx 970 such as MSI EVGA and others. Is there a major difference between these major card makers? Also I was looking into the EVGA version by recomendatiom from this forum. If anyone could help me out on the different types of cards made by just EVGA such as the SC or FTW I would be very grateful. Thanks as always for the help.

[FloRolf]

The main difference is the cooler they use.

 

As for 970s, most people buy the Gigabyte G1 and this is for a reason. (I own one too)

[Najuno]

Gigabyte and EVGA are known to be the best nVidia brands at the moment. They both build very good cards with nice aftermarket designs. But EVGA is nVidia exclusive board partner as has the best customer service known out there.

Also they've got a step up program that allows you within 90 days to upgrade your GPU to a better one, and it is the only GPU manufacturer that allows you to take off their heatsink and put a watercooler on it without voiding the warranty.

 

If you want an EVGA GTX970 the SC, SSC or upcoming FTW would be all a good option. FTW will have a backplate though.

The Gigabyte GTX970 Windforce G1 is one hell of a card and makes many people out there super happy.

 

But also the Asus STRIX GTX970 is a nice choice because they run smooth and have also very good cooling design, only Asus's customer service lacks of quality a bit.

[ELSknutson]

I purchased the Zotec amp omega and it fits the look of the system its in great. For the most part the Gigabyte Windforce card is the best so far but it only beating the rest by vary little, so just get what looks good in your system and what feels best to your wallet 

[Imakuni]

There are 2 kinds of brands/card versions:

1. The ones are ACTUALLY bad. Bad OCing, temp problems, low performance, etc. Don't buy these.
2. The rest.

Amongst "The rest", the cards are pretty similar. Their differences is mainly the cooler looks and the overall combo. One is slightly cooler, other is more silent, another tries to get the best balance, etc.

 

My personal suggestions are: MSI Gaming 4G or Gigabyte Windforce OC. The first is the best "all around" card out there. The second runs cooler and OCs a bit higher, but makes more noise. Get the cheapest of the 2, they are both excellent.

[Rokin]

Thanks for the info , extremely helpfully as usual!

[Zweihander]

If you're dead-set on an EVGA card, get the new iteration of the SSC. 

 

Or simply wait for the FTW+ (included backplate). And please don't listen to people who say "these cards are bad" etc.