Should i just buy a refernce gtx 980 if im not gonna overclock it?

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lord hircine

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Jan 4, 2013
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Is it better to just get a reference gtx 980 if i don't plan on overclocking it at all? are there any benefits to spending extra on a non reference one for someone who doesn't overclock?
 
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George Mulligan
Two answers to your question:

First, the reference cards are sold in normal clock speeds or "superclock"/"overclock" versions. The latter have proven to be more stable at higher clock speeds (which is why they can sell them that way), so you can pay a small premium for that without looking at the non-reference designs.

Second, traditionally the game cards or non-reference cards are overclocked, but they mostly achieve this by providing additional cooling schemes. If you look at the numbers out there, the game cards (with their additional cooling) are achieving about the same clock speeds as the super/over clocked reference cards (which have the basic cooling, of course). This seems strange until you realize what has already been...
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cst1992

cst1992

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Nov 8, 2013
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If the leaks are true, then the 980 consumes very little power and has a titan's cooler.
It should overclock pretty nicely even with a reference design.
If you're not looking to overclock, then sure, go with a reference card. You'll save some money.
 
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dexgen

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Sep 18, 2014
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A lot of the non-reference cards are overclocked out of the box and will provide better performance. Some might actually be very aggressively overclocked (from what I've seen in posts) and that would mean much better performance without you tinkering with it at all.
 
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George Mulligan

George Mulligan

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Sep 20, 2014
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Two answers to your question:

First, the reference cards are sold in normal clock speeds or "superclock"/"overclock" versions. The latter have proven to be more stable at higher clock speeds (which is why they can sell them that way), so you can pay a small premium for that without looking at the non-reference designs.

Second, traditionally the game cards or non-reference cards are overclocked, but they mostly achieve this by providing additional cooling schemes. If you look at the numbers out there, the game cards (with their additional cooling) are achieving about the same clock speeds as the super/over clocked reference cards (which have the basic cooling, of course). This seems strange until you realize what has already been publicized- that these GPUs are much more efficient, so temperature effects are not as big a deal. I (and others) have wondered if the non-reference cooling is worth the additional money AND the additional heat they are putting into your box).

I wouldn't recommend a non-reference card for the 980, because I don't see it gaining much. I would recommend an overclocked reference card if the additional clock speed is worth the extra $20.
 
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