GTX 980 a Good Buy?

[Stonep11]

I just found a guy willing to sell a very lightly used (3 months) GTX 980 EVGA Superclocked for $400. I am worried after the 980ti came out and Linus discredited the 980 as a good buy option. I plan on gaming at the highest settings at 2560x1600 and on the Occulus when it comes out. I play high demand titles and may look at going triple monitor in the future (very much considering 2x 980, 2x 290x, or 2x 970), but I often remove one card and stick it in my mobile PC and still want performance. What's my best option?

I currently own a 680 DCUII OC and it has started to chug at 2560x1600 in BF4 and I know it will not handle Star Citizen which I want to be able to max in VR play.

If you think the 980ti is a better option, I can afford any single card now and the second one later if needed.

[AlwaysFSX]

$400 isn't bad, they were $550-600 new.

[Gale]

I would go for it.

[MrYuriy]

GTX 980 will be steadily dropping in price in the coming weeks/months.

The 980Ti will eat into the 980's market share, therefore NVIDIA will have no other choice but to lower it.

 

So IMHO, patience is a virtue in this scenario. I would wait a little while and see what happens.

Not to mention, with some very solid reports that the 300-Series by AMD is set to give NVIDIA a run for their money, this is even more reason to wait - whether you're waiting for the AMD GPU itself, or the fact that it's bound to eat into the 980's market share also, therefore lowering its price (probably...)

 

That's my 2 cents on it. Plus, it's not like that's a once-in-a-lifetime type of deal, anyways.

[GrimNeo]

I just found a guy willing to sell a very lightly used (3 months) GTX 980 EVGA Superclocked for $400. I am worried after the 980ti came out and Linus discredited the 980 as a good buy option. I plan on gaming at the highest settings at 2560x1600 and on the Occulus when it comes out. I play high demand titles and may look at going triple monitor in the future (very much considering 2x 980, 2x 290x, or 2x 970), but I often remove one card and stick it in my mobile PC and still want performance. What's my best option?

An EVGA 980 ssc for $400. That is a good price. I would just register the serial code under your EVGA account profile on www.EVGA.com to get the warranty for it. I beleive EVGA allows the warranty to be transferred as well but don't quote me on this.

[Jacktastic-Mofo]

What are you waiting for! GOOO!

[n0mahd]

Not sure if EVGA has a step up from the 980 to 980ti. That could be an option too if you're unhappy with the purchase. I have a 980. I love it and it's awesome. Don't regret it except for the fact that watercooling my 980 cost about the same as a 980 ti.

[GrimNeo]

Not sure if EVGA has a step up from the 980 to 980ti. That could be an option too if you're unhappy with the purchase. I have a 980. I love it and it's awesome. Don't regret it except for the fact that watercooling my 980 cost about the same as a 980 ti.

They do but it is a 90 day period from when the card was first bought but I could be wrong. http://www.evga.com/support/stepup/

 

EVGA Step-Up® - Upgrade program

The EVGA Step-Up program helps you have the peace of mind to purchase your favorite product now, knowing you can upgrade to the latest parts that come out within the first 90 days from your purchase. In the computer hardware world, 90 days is a lifetime! With a valid part, once per purchase, you can upgrade your EVGA product by paying the difference between what you paid and the price on EVGA's website. It's really that simple!

Current cutoff for products purchased is 3/12/2015 in order to submit a request today. Products purchased on or after this date may be eligible for the Step-Up program.

EVGA Step-Up is currently only available to residents of the United States (not including outlying territories), Canada and EU Countries.

What products qualify for the Step-Up program?

You can unlock the Step-Up option for any Limited Lifetime Warranty or most 3 Year Warranty products as long as it meets the conditions listed below. Once the Step-Up option is unlocked, you will have 90 days from the original purchase date for your product to start the upgrade process through the EVGA website. Once the Step-up process is started you will receive a confirmation email.

•Register your Limited Lifetime Warranty product purchased new from an authorized reseller within 90 days of your original purchase date.

•Register your qualifying 3 Year Warranty product purchased new from an authorized reseller within 14 days of your original purchase date. ◦If you should happen to miss your 14 day registration window on your qualifying 3 Year Warranty product then you may also purchase an extended warranty within 90 days of your original purchase date to enable the Step-Up option.

◦Don't worry, your Extended Warranty and Advanced RMA (EAR) purchases now transfers to your new Step-Up product!

•The EVGA Step-Up program is currently only available to residents of the United States, Canada, and EU Countries.

How does the EVGA Step-Up process work?

There are several steps to the Step-Up program. Because we require that you send your original product to EVGA first, we have instituted a process that makes sure you have the least amount of downtime possible. Once you have gotten through the queue, approval and payment phases, you can send your product in to EVGA and once we receive it we will turn it around as quickly as possible. Shipping both directions will be your responsibility.

Stepping through the Step-Up

1.Register your valid product within 90 days from your original purchase i.If your qualifying product has a 3 year warranty purchased on or after 3/1/2013 and registered within 14 days of the invoice date by the original owner from an authorized reseller, then you will receive the option to step-up for the first 90 days of ownership.

ii.If your qualifying product has a 3 year warranty purchased on or after 1/1/11 and registered after 14 days of the original purchase date you must also purchase an extended warranty in order to be qualified for the step-up program.

2.Upload a copy of your invoice

3.Request to start your Step-Up within 90 days of your original purchase from your product detail page i.Navigate to My Products under Member Home

ii.Click on View Details of the product

iii.If your product qualifies, you will see the option to start your Step-Up

4.Wait in queue until approval - this step can last from a few days to many weeks depending on demand

5.EVGA will review your request and you will be approved if you have met the terms and conditions

6.You will have 7 days to pay for the difference between the two products, plus return shipping and applicable taxes, after you have been approved

7.You will be instructed to send your product in and you will have 14 business days to do so after your payment is verified

8.When EVGA receives your product, we will return your new in box upgrade

9.EVGA will automatically register your product so you will receive the full warranty on your Step-Up (as of 1/1/11) •Any product auto-registered will have its Extended Warranty transferred automatically.

10.You will receive your product shipped via the shipping option you chose and paid for - game on!

You will receive detailed emails at every step to instruct what must be done to continue. All Step-Up requests must go through this exact process, you may not purchase the new product and send your original product back for a refund afterward.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do I have to wait in queue?

We have a queue for our Step-Up process so you can keep your current EVGA product until we have your new product ready and waiting for you in our warehouse. Sometimes, very high demand will necessitate a longer than usual queue, but once you have made your request and you are in queue the 90 day limit no longer applies - you are considered in the Step-Up process.

If you are still within the 90 days from your original purchase, you can cancel your Step-Up and start a new process yourself. If you are out of the 90 days from your original purchase and you leave the queue, you will not be allowed to start a new Step-Up.

Can I get the new product first in a cross-shipment?

There are no options for cross-shipping a Step-Up product at this time. If you have purchased EVGA's EAR on your original product, this does not apply to Step-Up however the EAR will transfer to your new product.

Can I send in more than one product for one Step-Up?

No - Step-Up is available only for trading one product for another, not many products for one.

Can I Step-Up if I'm not the original owner?

No - Step-Up is available only to the original owner with a verified authorized invoice.

Can I Step-Up a product more than once?

No - A product received from Step-Up cannot be used in the Step-Up program.

Can I Step-Up my EVGA Power Supply or Mouse?

No – These products do not qualify for the Step-up Program.

What happens when I Step-Up to a cheaper product?

You will only have to pay for the return shipping at the time of paying for your Step-Up. EVGA will not credit you the difference.

What kind of product will I get?

All Step-Up replacements are new. There are limitations to what products are available to Step-Up TO, these are listed below.

Step-Up products are considered a special new product, warranty will start from the shipping date of your new product from EVGA Step-Up.

What do I need to send back to EVGA?

The original product and all accessories that came with the original package. The original packaging material and box are recommended to be returned for the best protection for your product. Free promotional items such as games, posters, shirts, etc. are considered gifts and are not required to be returned.

How long does "Verifying Transaction" take?

Once you have paid for your Step-Up, the next step will show "Verifying Transaction". Essentially EVGA customer service will do a final check on all the details and then send you the RMA number. This takes 1-2 business days.

How long does it take EVGA to ship out my new product once they receive my old one?

All RMAs, even Step-Ups, will be processed within 1-3 business days. This means from the day we receive your old product, we will process and ship out your new Step-Up product within 3 business days. If there are any problems with your shipment (No RMA number, no serial number sticket, damage, etc.), this will delay the processing time.

Can I use EVGA bucks to pay for my Step-Up?

EVGA bucks are good only for new purchases made at EVGA's online store. The EVGA Step-Up is considered a promotion and cannot be combined with EVGA bucks in any way.

Can I change my shipping once my Step-Up has started?

No, you must cancel your Step-Up and resubmit with your new shipping selected. Note: If you are still within the 90 days from your original purchase, you can cancel your Step-Up and start a new process yourself. If you are out of the 90 days from your original purchase and you leave the queue, you will not be allowed to start a new Step-Up.

Why did my price paid get changed during the approval process?

One of two reasons:

•After reviewing the price paid on your invoice, the Step-Up department will adjust pricing based on your invoice.

•If there was a rebate for your product, the Step-Up department will adjust pricing to reflect rebates.

Will my extended warranty transfer to my new product?

Yes, any product that is auto-registered through EVGA's RMA system will have its extended warranty transferred to the new product.

Will my unused EAR transfer to my new product?

Yes, any product that is auto-registered through EVGA's RMA system will have its EAR transferred to the new product.

Step-Up Inventory - What can I Step-Up to?

EVGA maintains a list of current graphics cards as well as motherboards available to Step-Up to. Products listed are mostly stock (not factory overclocked, or water cooled) due to stock limitations.

EVGA US

•Motherboards ◦EVGA Z97 FTW (142-HR-E977-KR) (PDF)

◦EVGA Z97 Classified (152-HR-E979-KR) (PDF)

◦EVGA X99 FTW (150-HE-E997-KR) (PDF)

◦EVGA X99 Classified (151-HE-E999-KR) (PDF)

◦EVGA X79 Dark (150-SE-E789-K2) (PDF)

•Graphics Card ◦EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti ACX 2.0+ (06G-P4-4991-KR) (PDF)

◦EVGA GeForce GTX 980 ACX 2.0 (04G-P4-2981-KR) (PDF)

◦EVGA GeForce GTX 970 SSC ACX 2.0+ (04G-P4-3975-KR) (PDF)

◦EVGA GeForce GTX 970 FTW+ ACX 2.0+ (04G-P4-3978-KR) (PDF)

◦EVGA GeForce GTX 970 FTW ACX 2.0 (04G-P4-2978-KR) (PDF)

◦EVGA GeForce GTX 970 ACX 2.0 (04G-P4-3973-KR) (PDF)

◦EVGA GeForce GTX 960 SuperSC ACX 2.0+ (02G-P4-2966-KR) (PDF)

◦EVGA GeForce GTX 960 4GB SuperSC ACX 2.0+ (04G-P4-3966-KR) (PDF)

◦EVGA GeForce GTX 750 Ti (02G-P4-3751-KR) (PDF)

◦EVGA GeForce GTX 750 (01G-P4-2751-KR) (PDF)

◦EVGA GeForce GTX 660 Superclocked (02G-P4-2662-KR) (PDF)

◦EVGA GeForce GTX 650 Ti BOOST Superclocked (01G-P4-3656-KR) (PDF)

◦EVGA GeForce GTX 650 (01G-P4-2650-KR) (PDF)

◦EVGA GeForce GT 610 2GB (02G-P3-2619-KR) (PDF)

EVGA EU

•Motherboards ◦EVGA X99 Micro (131-HE-E995-KR) (PDF)

◦EVGA X99 FTW (150-HE-E997-KR) (PDF)

◦EVGA X99 Classified (151-HE-E999-KR) (PDF)

•Graphics Card ◦EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti ACX 2.0+ (06G-P4-4991-KR) (PDF)

◦EVGA GeForce GTX 980 ACX 2.0 (04G-P4-2981-KR) (PDF)

◦EVGA GeForce GTX 970 SSC ACX 2.0+ (04G-P4-3975-KR) (PDF)

◦EVGA GeForce GTX 970 FTW+ ACX 2.0+ (04G-P4-3978-KR) (PDF)

◦EVGA GeForce GTX 970 FTW ACX 2.0 (04G-P4-2978-KR) (PDF)

◦EVGA GeForce GTX 970 ACX 2.0 (04G-P4-2972-KR) (PDF)

◦EVGA GeForce GTX 960 SuperSC ACX 2.0+ (02G-P4-2966-KR) (PDF)

◦EVGA GeForce GTX 960 4GB SuperSC ACX 2.0+ (04G-P4-3966-KR) (PDF)

◦EVGA GeForce GTX 750 2GB Superclocked (02G-P4-2754-KR) (PDF)

◦EVGA GeForce GTX 750 (01G-P4-2751-KR) (PDF)

◦EVGA GeForce GTX 650 (01G-P4-2650-KR) (PDF)

◦EVGA GeForce GT 730 2GB (02G-P3-2738-KR) (PDF)

Products can be removed from or added to Step-Up availability at any time.

Calculating Step-Up Costs

Simply put, the cost of EVGA Step-Up is the difference between what you paid for your original product and the new product as listed at the EVGA Store. To calculate what you paid, follow these simple steps:

•Add line item price

•Do not include taxes

•Do not include shipping

•Subtract rebates from the line item price

•Subtract from MSRP as listed on EVGA.

Example

You have purchased a graphics card for $299.99, tax was $26.25 and $10.25 in shipping, you also took advantage of a $30.00 rebate from EVGA. The product you wish to Step-Up to is listed as MSRP of $399.99.

•Add $299.99

•Ignore $26.25 tax and $10.25 shipping

•Subtract $30.00 for rebate to get $269.99

•Subtract $269.99 from $399.99

•$130 is the cost of this example, plus return shipping and applicable taxes

Return shipping (from EVGA back to you) is variable dependent upon your location, current rates and shipping speed you select.

Residents of California are required to pay sales tax for Step-Up transactions.

Terms and Conditions

Only EVGA products are eligible for the Step-Up program.

EVGA Step-Up is currently only available to residents of the United States, Canada and EU Countries.

EVGA Step-Up is available only to the original end-user purchaser of the product from a valid reseller.

The EVGA Step-Up program is available to EVGA graphics cards and motherboards for customers within 90 days of their original purchase date based on invoice verification.

Graphics Cards

•EVGA will only release reference versions of its products, NVIDIA reference spec and clock, to the Step-Up program.

•Step-Up is limited to pre-approved graphics cards only and can only be used for exchange to a different and higher performing GPU.

•Products known to have a limited availability will not be made available to the Step-Up program. (Limited availability determined by EVGA.)

•Customers who received their EVGA graphics card as part of a complete computer system are not eligible - except for those listed on our approved system vendor list.

Graphics Cards Examples:

•GTX 460 → GTX 580: YES (Upgraded GPU)

•GTX 460 768MB → GTX 460 1GB: YES (Upgraded Memory)

•GTX 970 FTW → GTX 970 FTW+ : YES (Upgraded Model)

Motherboards

•EVGA motherboard products are limited to pre-approved models and same socket-type only.

•Products known to have limited availability will not be made available to the Step-Up program. (Limited availability determined by EVGA.)

•Customers who received their EVGA motherboard as part of a complete computer system are not eligible - except for those listed on our approved system vendor list.

Motherboard Examples:

•P55 SLI (Socket 1156) → X58 SLI (Socket 1366): NO (Different CPU Socket)

•P55 SLI (Socket 1156) → P55 FTW (Socket 1156): YES (Same CPU Socket)

 

A qualifying invoice must be dated on 3/12/2015 or after in order to submit a request today. If your invoice is dated as purchased before this date, you do not qualify for Step-Up.

Only products that carry a valid limited lifetime warranty, or products that have purchased an extended warranty, qualify for the Step-Up program.

Only new purchases qualify for the Step-Up program. Products received from EVGA RMA may qualify for the Step-Up program if your original product's purchase date is still within 90 days from the time you start the request and qualified for Step-Up before your RMA.

Products received from EVGA Step-Up do not qualify for the Step-Up program.

Products received from EVGA Step-Up are not considered full retail purchases and therefore do not qualify for any rebates.

Products must be purchased from an authorized reseller, retailer, e-tailer or distributor of EVGA products. Products purchased through unauthorized channels, such as second hand or through eBay, do not qualify for the Step-Up program. Products received free through promotion or contest do not qualify for the Step-Up program.

Verification and approval requires a valid copy of your original receipt (proof of purchase).

Products must be returned in their original factory condition (back plates, brackets, etc. will be removed and discarded) and must be free from physical modification or damage per the terms of our warranty.

Products made available for EVGA Step-Up are of limited availability and will be distributed on a first-come first-serve basis.

Once EVGA has received your original product, the Step-Up process is non-reversible and non-refundable.

The EVGA Step-Up cannot be combined with any other promotions or coupons.

EVGA reserves the right to cancel the Step-Up program at any time.

EVGA reserves the right to change the terms of the Step-Up program at any time without notice.

If you have any questions about the Step-Up program, please contact customer service or by calling 888-881-EVGA (3842) M-F 9AM - 5:30PM Pacific.

  

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[Statecat]

I just found a guy willing to sell a very lightly used (3 months) GTX 980 EVGA Superclocked for $400. I am worried after the 980ti came out and Linus discredited the 980 as a good buy option. I plan on gaming at the highest settings at 2560x1600 and on the Occulus when it comes out. I play high demand titles and may look at going triple monitor in the future (very much considering 2x 980, 2x 290x, or 2x 970), but I often remove one card and stick it in my mobile PC and still want performance. What's my best option?

I currently own a 680 DCUII OC and it has started to chug at 2560x1600 in BF4 and I know it will not handle Star Citizen which I want to be able to max in VR play.

If you think the 980ti is a better option, I can afford any single card now and the second one later if needed.

Wait for the aftermarket 980 Ti cards if your monitor is above 60hz. Good things come to those who wait and you may be spending more money, but you won't regret it. The aftermarket coolers for the new cards look really good and you could squeeze some serious performance out of them. But, if you are using a 60 hz panel, two 970s in SLI would work well. I can't really recommend SLI as much as the normal person can because I'm more of a single card guy, but it is more stable these days and many people use it. So why not?