GTX 780ti SC or standard clocked?

[Dave3000]

I'm might upgrade from a 4GB GTX 680 to a GTX 780ti and sell my GTX 680. I'm not sure if it's worth getting the EVGA GTX 780ti SC over the standard clocked version? Currently Newegg lists the SC version for $729.99 and Amazon lists it for $719.99 but I have to pay sales tax if I buy it from Amazon due to where I reside, hence ending up being more expensive for me buying it through Amazon than Newegg. I would rather go for the reference cooler because there might be a small chance that I might buy a 2nd one in the future for SLI, at least I would like to have that option open, and I read that the reference cooler is better for SLI than ACX cooler. Is the SC version louder than the standard clocked version? How reliable are factory overclocked cards? Is it worth the $30 extra to get the SC version? Already $700 is more than I would like to spend on a video card but if I can sell my GTX 680 for a good amount then it won't be so expensive for me in the end and I get 3 free games with it.

 

[imaheadcase]

Entirely up to you. If you are not wanting to worry get the SC version. However, the non-sc will prob overclock just as well from what we have been seeing.

I went with the SC version, simply knowing its working "as-is" and not having to worry about it. I can always pump up the speeds from reference if I want. OC cards are no more louder than standard, i've had a overclocked card for years without any problems.

Selling the games can make up for that $30 difference or whatever it is.

I'm going to prob sell my GTX 580 card as well for like $50 to make up a little cost.

 

[DooKey]

It's really not worth it to buy the SC version. You get a few more MHz on the core that you'll get anyway when you OC the card. Save your bucks and buy the regular 780ti.

 

[imaheadcase]

It's really not worth it to buy the SC version. You get a few more MHz on the core that you'll get anyway when you OC the card. Save your bucks and buy the regular 780ti.

Unless people don't want to mess with it, lots don't want to care about having to overclock it. Even so, its only $30 more when you are already spending $700 on one its not much.

 

[Majcric]

Do you overclock? If so, I'd get the vanilla card. If not, you could grab the SC version and have some overclock. I personally think anyone buying a GTX 780 needs to push that card to make it worth the upgrade from a gtx 680. Therefore, I would just buy the plain vanilla GTX780ti and try to achieve close to max OC. A heavily overclocked GTX 780/ti looks to be almost twice as fast as the 680.

 

[Pandora's Box]

GPU Boost 2.0 pretty much put the nail in the coffin to these "superclock" cards. If your card can maintain a decent temperature and stay below the power limit, GPU Boost will overclock it for you.

 

[blackened23]

Why would you pay 30$ for something you can easily do yourself? Superclocked reference cards are a ripoff. I personally would not pay 30$ for something I could do myself - this is aside from the fact that kepler cards boost FAR higher than the advertised nvidia boost clock anyway.

If you want to buy a premium overclocked card, buy a classified 780ti, lightning, HOF, Asus DC II, DO NOT buy one of those stupid reference superclocked cards. You're essentially falling into EVGA's "sucker" trap of paying for something you can easily do yourself, all of these cards are reference and all Kepler cards boost far higher than the advertised boost out of box anyway.

 

[Majcric]

The more I think about it, the GTX 780 definitely needs the OC coming from the individual not a half pre-OC from some vendorer. This makes it a decent upgrade.

If you're not looking to buy right now...the EVGA classified ti should be up your alley and I see no reason why you couldn't SLI it later down the road.

 

[toyota]

GPU Boost 2.0 pretty much put the nail in the coffin to these "superclock" cards. If your card can maintain a decent temperature and stay below the power limit, GPU Boost will overclock it for you.

um no

 

[Nintendesert]

um no

Well I don't know about anyone else, but I'm convinced.

 

[toyota]

Well I don't know about anyone else, but I'm convinced.

does this really have to be explained again after all this time?

 

[OCGuy]

Either standard or ACX cooler