Which 980 to get?

[defrost]

I currently got an old (5 years?) evga 680... And it still runs decently but I'm looking to get more frames in demanding games. So I've been looking at 900 series more specifically the 980. Has much as specs and brand loyalty can get me, I'm having a hard time figuring out if there's really significant improvement between cards other than heat management (more fans and stuff... which don't make much of a difference) and aesthetics (which I don't care much for). I don't have the patience to go through each card one by one and compare very slight differences in cards.

So my questions: is there any card I should be looking for and why, also at what point does said difference become overshadowed by price difference? Like let's say 2 cards very similar but with 50 bucks difference is the slight difference worth that much?

[Anarchyz11]

I currently got an old (5 years?) evga 680... And it still runs decently but I'm looking to get more frames in demanding games. So I've been looking at 900 series more specifically the 980. Has much as specs and brand loyalty can get me, I'm having a hard time figuring out if there's really significant improvement between cards other than heat management (more fans and stuff... which don't make much of a difference) and aesthetics (which I don't care much for). I don't have the patience to go through each card one by one and compare very slight differences in cards.

So my questions: is there any card I should be looking for and why, also at what point does said difference become overshadowed by price difference? Like let's say 2 cards very similar but with 50 bucks difference is the slight difference worth that much?

 

 

My rule of thumb is to get one that's slightly factory overclocked at only a slight price increase.

 

I.e. EVGA Superclocked line

 

You don't spend much extra ($10-20), but you're guaranteed a card that's at least decently binned.  Getting a stock speed card that can't overclock at all is always a let down. 

 

In reality your choice won't affect much of anything.  It's a preference type thing. 

[Jonathan W]

I know that as far as the 980 goes some manufacturers will do a slight factory OC. Like the ZOTAC GTX 980 AMP edition I have has a very slight factory OC. Probably nothing noticeable but they do it so they can say its got more Ghz for more FPS. As far as i'm aware Aesthetics and better heat management are really the only reasons to get a GF card that isnt just the bland stupid stock rear blower design

[Speaker1264]

My rule of thumb is to get one that's slightly factory overclocked at only a slight price increase.

 

I.e. EVGA Superclocked line

 

You don't spend much extra ($10-20), but you're guaranteed a card that's at least decently binned.  Getting a stock speed card that can't overclock at all is always a let down. 

 

In reality your choice won't affect much of anything.  It's a preference type thing. 

 

I hate those kinds of cards.  There is no proof that the manufacturer chose a higher than average binned gpu.  The small bit of overclock they give is easily obtainable on any of the reference cards, it's simply a joke.

 

Go for one that has the quitest/coolest aftermarket cooling solution.  Your best bet is to look at reviews and comparisons from other websites.

[maizenblue]

I think the things to consider are cooling, asthetics, overclocking potential, and price.

 

Cooling-mainly do you want a reference that pushes the heat out of the case but runs hotter and louder, or a non reference that keeps it in the case but keeps the card itself cooler and quieter(aiding in overclocking).

 

Asthetics- Do you have an open side panel and want it to look purdy and match other components.

 

Overclocking-Does it have a good factory overclock, is it binned(usually comes with a little price premium for that, but the gigabyte g1 isn't too much more expensive) , and does it have a good cooler and quality components that would aid in overclocking

 

Price-obviously youd want the cheapest one that fits your criteria.

 

Im looking to sell a used but unopened evga gtx 980 SC ACX 2.0 and will probably put it in the classifieds shortly.

[Anarchyz11]

I hate those kinds of cards.  There is no proof that the manufacturer chose a higher than average binned gpu.  The small bit of overclock they give is easily obtainable on any of the reference cards, it's simply a joke.

 

Go for one that has the quitest/coolest aftermarket cooling solution.  Your best bet is to look at reviews and comparisons from other websites.

It's still a manufacturer guarantee.  If the card can't hold the factory overclock stable, then it can be RMA'd.

 

As for a guarantee it's binned higher, they're guaranteeing the card can run faster than its stock configuration, which was set at a certain clock for a reason.