Should I buy a FE 1080Ti? or Should I save up and buy an AIB card?

[Varun Kamath]

Ok, so here's the deal. I am currently able to purchase a GTX 1080Ti Founders Edition card from the Nvidia India website for Rs. 57,000 (USD 828). For reference, the Asus  ROG STRIX GAMING 1080Ti is slapped with a Rs. 82,000 Price tag (USD 1192).  To be honest, that is the cheapest 1080Ti that I can afford. I have my apprehensions though, because I borrowed a 1080 FE from a friend and his card turns really hot really fast (82°C within few minutes of playing Witcher 3 on all settings maxed). I also read online that blower style coolers are why Founders edition cards are not so popular, their heat dissipation is supposedly far inferior to thermal solutions in place by Add-in Board partners.

 

I really like the looks of the Founders Edition card, but if I do buy it, will it overheat too soon and die on me? I want to be able to stretch it for at least 6 to 7 years before needing to upgrade.

 

Yes, I know the new generation of Nvidia GPUs are around the corner, but lets face it. Us Indians always get the short end of the stick, and whatever the new cards retail at, I will simply not be able to afford it, nor will I get it within a reasonable amount of time (shipping is a bitch). Which is why I am fine with a previous generation card.

 

Please give me some advice or opinions that might help me make a decision.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Varun

[Dedayog]

My Gigabyte 1080Ti with 3 fans runs 84c at load, with good case airflow.  Ti's run hot as shit, don't worry about that.

 

Sorry the aftermarket stuff is so expensive, that just seems really odd.  But honestly, get the Founder's Edition, the AIB isn't worth the money, they'll perform very closely with the turbo boost deal.

 

Get decent air into  your case, and your 1080Ti will be more than fine for many years.

 

Edit: Get one, then you can be in the Elite Class of the PC Master Race!  

[spqt]

The founders addition card will last you a long time, whether or not it heats up to 83 degrees. sure the aftermarket gpu is better for cooling and will probably get you a little bit more life on the card, but it is not worth the 300+ dollar premium. you should definitely go for the 1080ti fe if you are able to purchase it

[Agonizel]

I own a FE 1070 myself. It indeed runs hotter and louder than aftermarket cards. But, if you have a headset around you ears when gaming, it's actually fine. I think the GPU is built to sustain the heat, I wouldn't worry about it breaking because of that.

But let me say this: If you're not too tempted to buy something, most of the time you should not. It really has to shine like "I NEED THIS OMGAAHD" for it to be worth it. Because spending 828 USD in a state of uncertainty is - risky to say the least

[TheGlenlivet]

Like everyone above said, the FE card is fine, and all 1080tis are within a few points of each other in benchmarks and can be OC'd to match each other. 

Unless you are getting a liquid cooled card of course.

Pick the cheapest one that you like the design of and buy that.

[Dedayog]

Also, be sure to get a monitor that uses what the 1080Ti puts out.  Ultrawide, 1440p 144Hz, 4K etc. if not, it's actually cheaper to get a good 1080p card now and another in a few years vs that huge lump sum and unused potential.

[Varun Kamath]

Thanks a lot, everyone!

 

I was apprehensive about the card heating up, and my cam software notifying me about the heating wasn't helping. Guess I should go ahead with the FE card.

 

Really appreciate the inputs 

[Colb]

Buy the Fe . If you are worried buy a nzxt bracket and an aio for it further down the road . Chances are though you will be perfectly happy . I am running blower Vega 64 and even that I would say is acceptable once you turn the sound up a little