Which GTX 1080 Is The Best For Less than $700?

[TC21]

My ASUS 970 never gave me any trouble in the past, but I am wondering if I should consider any of the other brands like MSi or EVGA before purchasing the STRIX 1080. Also is the EVGA SC 1080 at a disadvantage because it only uses 1 8 pin connector instead of an 8+6 pin design?

[ARikozuM]

JayzTwoCents did a review of an MSI card with an extra connector.

The Gigabyte 1080 with one 8-pin does just as well.

 

[LeapFrogMasterRace]

Asus, Gigabyte and Zotac have the best value 1080s I don't particularly like EVGAs lineup, they run hot and you don't get a custom PCB until you shell out for the FTW. I would probably just go Asus again if I were you but all I hear about is how bad their RMA is, more power connectors don't matter and I would rather have more power phases. 

[spenser_l]

I've heard that EVGA has some of the best customer support in the market - if I decide to get a 1080 I'm probably going to go with them.

 

It seems that most aftermarket 1080s perform about the same with manual overclocking.

[HKZeroFive]

The extra 6/8 pins allow for better power delivery for overclocking. If you're an avid overclocker, consider getting the EVGA FTW Gaming. Otherwise, most other models will do fine, it's more of a question of aesthetics and customer support at this point.

[ARikozuM]

The Gigabyte 1080 with an 8-pin matches the MSI with 6+8 pin. It's more up to power phases/delivery than it is pins. But yes, some cards with more pins do get better overclocks due to higher headroom.

[TC21]

15 minutes ago, LeapFrogMasterRace said:

15 minutes ago, LeapFrogMasterRace said:

Asus, Gigabyte and Zotac have the best value 1080s I don't particularly like EVGAs lineup, they run hot and you don't get a custom PCB until you shell out for the FTW. I would probably just go Asus again if I were you but all I hear about is how bad their RMA is, more power connectors don't matter and I would rather have more power phases. 

 

I've heard a lot about how bad their customer support is. Thankfully I haven't had to use it but I hope I don't have to with this card.

12 minutes ago, spenser_l said:

I've heard that EVGA has some of the best customer support in the market - if I decide to get a 1080 I'm probably going to go with them.

 

It seems that most aftermarket 1080s perform about the same with manual overclocking.

Are there any benefits to the ACX cooler vs. the triple fan design on the STRIX?

10 minutes ago, HKZeroFive said:

The extra 6/8 pins allow for better power delivery for overclocking. If you're an avid overclocker, consider getting the EVGA FTW Gaming. Otherwise, most other models will do fine, it's more of a question of aesthetics and customer support at this point.

The FTW is $749 so it is out of my price range. I haven't heard much about the MSi version so I guess I might go for the STRIX.

10 minutes ago, ARikozuM said:

The Gigabyte 1080 with an 8-pin matches the MSI with 6+8 pin. It's more up to power phases/delivery than it is pins. But yes, some cards with more pins do get better overclocks due to higher headroom.

I am planning to do some overclocking so I guess I will go for a card with the 6+8pin.

[ARikozuM]

4 minutes ago, TC21 said:

I am planning to do some overclocking so I guess I will go for a card with the 6+8pin.

Look for more power phases not pins. Refer to my two videos.

[HKZeroFive]

4 minutes ago, TC21 said:

The FTW is $749 so it is out of my price range. I haven't heard much about the MSi version so I guess I might go for the STRIX.

Huh, strange seeing how the STRIX is much more expensive than the FTW in the US. The ASUS STRIX will come clocked higher out of the box but the MSI has slightly better cooling and will likely achieve similar clocks once overclocked. Like I said, just a question of customer support quality and aesthetics.