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GTX 770 or GTX 970? Thoughts?

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  • Nvidia
  • Graphics Cards
  • Graphics
Last response: in Graphics & Displays
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September 25, 2014 7:15:42 PM

Hello Good People of Toms Hardware,

I recently purchased an EVGA 770 Superclocked. This was before the 9xx series was released. Should I use the EVGA step up program to upgrade do the 970 card? I already talked with EVGA and both of the cards are the same price and it would cost me nothing to swap them out. What are people opinions on this?

Here are the 2 cards that I am talking about....

770 -http://www.evga.com/Products/Product.aspx?pn=02G-P4-277...

970 - http://www.evga.com/Products/Product.aspx?pn=04G-P4-097...

More about : gtx 770 gtx 970 thoughts

a b U Graphics card
September 25, 2014 7:18:38 PM

Yes! you should get the GTX 970!
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September 25, 2014 7:18:45 PM

Go for the 970 as it is the replacement for the 770
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a c 163 Î Nvidia
a c 428 U Graphics card
September 25, 2014 7:19:11 PM

You would gain a lot of performance doing so, but in doing you are going to the new ACX layout, which has had issues with the 970.
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September 25, 2014 7:22:15 PM

Gam3r01 said:
You would gain a lot of performance doing so, but in doing you are going to the new ACX layout, which has had issues with the 970.


What kind of issues has the 970 had? It is a new card and it is on the cheaper end for a reason, from what I am told.
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a b U Graphics card
September 25, 2014 7:25:13 PM

GTX 970
i would avoid SC , cus too much clocking


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a c 163 Î Nvidia
a c 428 U Graphics card
September 25, 2014 7:26:12 PM

The 970 is a great card, EVGA's cooler is misaligned however, meaning only 2 of the 3 heatpipes are making contact with the GPU die itself, rendering higher temps and more noise.
http://www.guru3d.com/news-story/evga-geforce-gtx-970-a...

If you were to get a 970, get an MSI or ASUS model.
Since it comes at no cost to you to step up, if you can handle the noise go for it.
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September 25, 2014 7:47:22 PM

hmm... i'm not a big fan of noise. Other that a high pitch mosquito wine coming from my liquid cooled cpu cooler (which I am in the process of replacing), my computer is silent. I recently got a noctua fan to replace my radiator fan.

and according to this site ( http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html ), The 970 specs are so much better than the 770. I am kind of iffy on these benchmarks though, because I thought the 780 and the titan were still better cards than the 9xx series
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September 25, 2014 7:51:42 PM

Definitely go with the MSI GTX 970 Gaming http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NN0GEXQ. You'd be crazy to get a 770 over the 970 unless the price was sub-$200.

The 970 performs better than the 780. The 770 is not even close.
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a b U Graphics card
September 25, 2014 7:53:38 PM

i have seen a lot of benchmarks the result is the same , yes there some difference on different resolutions .

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a c 163 Î Nvidia
a c 428 U Graphics card
September 25, 2014 7:56:34 PM

The 970 stands out as the go to card right now. It outperforms the 780, and the 780Ti with an OC depending on resolutions. Its a tough spot, lose out on 25% free performance increase, or keep the silence.
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September 25, 2014 7:57:36 PM

well I can't get an MSI, i have to stick with EVGA because it is through their Step Up program. I have 90 days to swap out my card for another one. I bought the 770 a little over a month ago.
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September 25, 2014 7:59:55 PM

ewwww.... The EVGA ACX cooler is not very good on the new 970.
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September 25, 2014 8:00:45 PM

is it really that bad? the cooler is the only complaint I am getting about it
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a b U Graphics card
September 25, 2014 8:00:52 PM

Poor EVGA, bad marketing :( 
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September 25, 2014 8:11:48 PM

ok, well evga will only swap my 770 with the 970 with the acx 1.0 cooler. I think that is pretty messed up. so at this point, i may just stick with the 770, unless i can convince newegg to let me exchange it.
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a c 163 Î Nvidia
a c 428 U Graphics card
September 25, 2014 8:28:50 PM

The ACX 2.0 havent been shipped in large numbers yet, there were some available but not many.
The 760 at launch at the same issue, 2/3 heatpipe contact. In this case, the maxwell architecture is better built, so the thermals are a bit more manageable, so the card can still run on the two heatpipes.

I would honestly go through the stepup program. Chances are you will get a card that will run mildly louder, but it will still kick more performance, and if it dosent, EVGA will likely return a 770 to you. Ask their customer support about that, if you arent satisfied with the card, can you step back down?
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September 25, 2014 9:12:44 PM

Gam3r01 said:
The ACX 2.0 havent been shipped in large numbers yet, there were some available but not many.
The 760 at launch at the same issue, 2/3 heatpipe contact. In this case, the maxwell architecture is better built, so the thermals are a bit more manageable, so the card can still run on the two heatpipes.

I would honestly go through the stepup program. Chances are you will get a card that will run mildly louder, but it will still kick more performance, and if it dosent, EVGA will likely return a 770 to you. Ask their customer support about that, if you arent satisfied with the card, can you step back down?


hmm... I never thought about that. "evga's new step down program." XD I will have to ask them about that.
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a c 163 Î Nvidia
a c 428 U Graphics card
September 25, 2014 9:25:08 PM

Yeah, it may seem redundant, but EVGA is known for their service. If something is wrong with a product they upgraded you to, they could be understanding as to why you want the old card back.
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September 25, 2014 10:09:41 PM

but is the acx 1.0 cooler even worth it even thought it doesn't work too good and it is very loud? they won't step me up to an acx 2.0 cooler.
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September 25, 2014 10:30:54 PM

Konker said:
but is the acx 1.0 cooler even worth it even thought it doesn't work too good and it is very loud? they won't step me up to an acx 2.0 cooler.


How much do u have to pay for this step-up?

Sounds like to me they are just trying to get rid of the messed up batch of rushed 1.0 coolers. Thats some shady shit. But none the less If the price is right I think even with the 1.0 cooler it will still be a better upgrade for you.

You could also try doing some shady shit back to them and saying there is some made up issue with it, and try getting them to give u one with a 2.0 acx cooler.

None the less after this I would recommend never buying another EVGA product. They can preach that good customer service bullshit all they want, but They released a rush product to meet a dealine they knew full well have issues and wasn't up to par and now they try to force it on to people to get rid of them.
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September 25, 2014 10:31:17 PM

Ask them why they would step you up to a faulty cooler.
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September 26, 2014 12:15:38 PM

iamlegend said:
Poor EVGA, bad marketing :( 


They messed up so it's their fault.
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a c 163 Î Nvidia
a c 428 U Graphics card
September 26, 2014 3:55:04 PM

The stepup has been around for a while now, its not EVGA trying to get rid of cards.
They had some similar issues with the 760 at launch, but they remained one of the best cards around once the issue was fixed.

Would I recommend buying one at will? No, but 25% is too much to pass up on.
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September 26, 2014 7:34:23 PM

yeah, according the benchmarks, it is an amazing card. My buddy from work just got his in the mail today. I'll see what his conclusion about the card once he test's it and I will get back to you guys.

and yes, the step up program has been around for a while. They may someday add a different model to step up to, but no time soon.
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!