980ti, are all cards the same at this point?

[ixobelle]

I see PNYs in stock at newegg, with ASUS ans EVGA sold out.

I *JUST* bought 2x 970s at 329 apiece, and with the performance gains between 980ti and 970x2 so minor (970x2 barely beating out a single 980ti), I figure I can still return the 970s and get a 980ti, and then have room to grow into a second 980ti down the road.

About to pull the trigger on a PNY, but just asking if there's a reason to avoid them for now, and wait? These are all 100% reference cards at this point, and until the specialized hardware comes out, they're all the same right?

I have until 6/20 to return my 2x 970s to Frys. At 329x2, the 980 is exactly 660 now, so... yeah.

Please excuse post count. I have an account I haven't used in a while, and the "forgot your password" thing doesn't seem to be working right now.

Thanks all! <3

 

[exar333]

I see PNYs in stock at newegg, with ASUS ans EVGA sold out.

I *JUST* bought 2x 970s at 329 apiece, and with the performance gains between 980ti and 970x2 so minor (970x2 barely beating out a single 980ti), I figure I can still return the 970s and get a 980ti, and then have room to grow into a second 980ti down the road.

About to pull the trigger on a PNY, but just asking if there's a reason to avoid them for now, and wait? These are all 100% reference cards at this point, and until the specialized hardware comes out, they're all the same right?

I have until 6/20 to return my 2x 970s to Frys. At 329x2, the 980 is exactly 660 now, so... yeah.

Please excuse post count. I have an account I haven't used in a while, and the "forgot your password" thing doesn't seem to be working right now.

Thanks all! <3

This is exactly why I didn't buy an extra 970 myself. I would go for a single 980Ti honestly. Get a good overclock on that and you will be in the same price-range and have a much more predictable experience. That means not worrying about SLI-scaling, issues with SLI and FCAT delays. A 980Ti will be a much better experience, plus almost twice the RAM (6GB vs. 3.5GB). This will be top-dog (or close to) for the next 12 months. With your resolution, I wouldn't think it will struggle too much on anything until new cards are out in 2016.

Just my $0.02.

 

[RussianSensation]

Welcome to AT!

PNY is a good brand as they make all of NV's Quadro cards. You do not need to worry about their quality. Just make sure to register the card or you will only get 1 year warranty:

"LIMITED 1 YEAR WARRANTY*

PNY Technologies, Inc. ("PNY") expressly warrants this Graphics Card (product) to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for a period of 1 year (*plus an additional 2 years upon completion of a registration form on PNY's website) from the date of sales receipt as sold to the original purchaser ("purchaser"), subject to all the terms and conditions hereunder. Product must be registered within 90 days of purchase date. This warranty is not assignable; products purchased second-hand sources are not warrantied by PNY."
https://www.pny.com/File Library/Su...e Graphics/Verto-Warranty---2-21-13_v2_v1.pdf

This doesn't apply to their XLR8 cards since they have Lifetime warranty.
https://www.pny.com/support/technical-support/geforce-graphics-cards/warranties-policies

Just be mindful that the NV reference card when overclocked will get hot and loud compared to after-market cards. It also can't turn off the fans at up to 65*C for light gaming/2D workloads like MSI Gaming G6 or Gigabyte Windforce G1 or Asus Strix 980TIs. If the noise level doesn't bother you as much and you have a case with poor airflow, enjoy your upgrade with a reference 980Ti! Overclocked to 1.45Ghz, it's a better buy than GTX970 SLI OC.

 

[TemjinGold]

Barring a price reason, when performance between 2 cards and 1 is almost the same, it's always smarter to go with the single card.

 

[thehotsung8701A]

Are reference card smaller, is that the reason people buy reference card over CLC?

 

[RaulF]

Are reference card smaller, is that the reason people buy reference card over CLC?

From my understanding it has to due with standard circuitry so that is easier for water blocks.

 

[thehotsung8701A]

From my understanding it has to due with standard circuitry so that is easier for water blocks.

Do they still sell reference cards after CLC is out, or is it only limited in quality?

 

[RaulF]

Do they still sell reference cards after CLC is out, or is it only limited in quality?

You can still find reference cards for while. I just looked for 290X and GTX780 and both are available in reference models.

 

[ViRGE]

Are reference card smaller, is that the reason people buy reference card over CLC?

At 10.5" they're often smaller; the customized open air cooled cards tend to be 11-12". They're also blowers, which are sometimes nice since they exhaust their own heat rather than dumping it in the case.

 

[chubbyfatazn]

At 10.5" they're often smaller; the customized open air cooled cards tend to be 11-12". They're also blowers, which are sometimes nice since they exhaust their own heat rather than dumping it in the case.

Aren't waterblocks generally made using reference card layouts as well? (I've never dealt with custom loops.)

If they are, then that'd be another reason.

 

[ViRGE]

Aren't waterblocks generally made using reference card layouts as well? (I've never dealt with custom loops.)

If they are, then that'd be another reason.

Correct. Since reference designs are the most widely used designs, 3rd party waterblock makers will build around the reference design. Waterblocks for 3rd party board designs happen as well - typically for designs that are sold with the waterblock pre-installed - though they much rarer.