GTX 1080 FE or Wait for Custom?

[Technical GGG]

I am interested in purchasing a GTX 1080, but after watching some videos about the thermal throttling and high temps of the FE 1080, I am not sure if I should get the FE or wait for a custom. I use fan cooling and I am a noob to all of this so I am not sure what differences there is between the FE and a custom. Could anyone explain? Thanks

[MotorboatMyGoat]

custom

[DioOmicida]

I'd wait. 

[MJ...]

The 1080 FE will be more expensive than the custom ones + the FE is a blower-style cooled pc with probably higher temps as rhe custom 1080's so wait!

[Megazero]

1 minute ago, Technical GGG said:

I am interested in purchasing a GTX 1080, but after watching some videos about the thermal throttling and high temps of the FE 1080, I am not sure if I should get the FE or wait for a custom. I use fan cooling and I am a noob to all of this so I am not sure what differences there is between the FE and a custom. Could anyone explain? Thanks

I think you just answer your own question there. Wait for the custoe one.

The custom card from the 3rd party will have 2 main different (or 1 depend on the maker), 1st is the cooler, which will be their (the 3rd parties) cooler which will cool the GPU way better than the FE design. And I mean it when I said way better. 2nd one is the custom PCB which some but not most of the 3rd parties will do, which will do stuff like adding 1 more 6 pin power to the card, let the card draw more power = no more power throttling, also that additional power can be use for the fans as well as (going by the rumor) alot of LED on the card.

[ImBleu]

Nvidia creates the reference design cooler and PCB (board layout) for their Founders Edition Cards. There have traditionally been blower-style dual slot cards with a vapour chamber design, as with the GTX770 and newer cards (including the 1080).

 

Nvidia also licences the GPU core to Tier-1 third parties, such as Asus, Gigabyte, MSI, EVGA and other board partners who then improve upon the FE's layout (adding a second 6 or 8pin PCI-E power connector to deliver more power, using more premium mosfets/capacitors or changing the location of these on the PCB). Board partners also traditionally make their own cooler designs, such as Asus's Strix DCU, EVGA's ACX2.0 and Gigabyte's WF3 among others which add better cooling options, rgb lighting, more fans, different colours or different aesthetics to the card. 

 

Pound for Pound, FE and custom cards will perform pretty much identically and there is no major performance increase between FE cards and any of the customs. You'll just find more cooler design options in the custom cards.

[Technical GGG]

Thank you guys for the explanation, I will definitely keep an eye out for the customs

[DELTAprime]

Only reason you should buy the Founders Edition is if you have a SFF case that works best with a blower design. Otherwise always go with a non-reference card.

[ImBleu]

2 minutes ago, DELTAprime said:

Only reason you should buy the Founders Edition is if you have a SFF case that works best with a blower design. Otherwise always go with a non-reference card.

Or Multi-GPU setup where cards are stacked next to eachother **

[Simon771]

reference might be cool, because EKWB have already water block for it

But it cost more

Also non ref cards might have 2x8pin for more OC

But then again, after 2000MHz on core, this GPU doesn't scale good, so difference between 2000MHz and 2300MHz can be just around 1-3fps

 

Who knows