GTX 970 OC editions (pick the best one !)

The G1 gaming is the best card out of the box, and the best OCer. (So out of those 3, I chose the G1)
However, it also has the highest failure rate of all the 970s.

I recommend taking a slight step down in initial clock speeds, and pick up the MSI Gaming if you can, it has a great cooler, OCs well, and has a low failure rate.
 

wildfire707

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You can't really go wrong with any of them. As far as design goes, the Gigabyte card has (arguably) the best design. I really like the heat pipe system on the Gigabyte card as well as the fact that they are one of the few manufacturers to put all of the DisplayPort connectors in a single block on the back of the card - Most go for a 1 DisplayPort / 1 HDMI / 2 DisplayPort connectors layout.

It is true that the Zotac card has the fastest stock clock speed, but anyone who uses MSI Afterburner to overclock one of the cards that you listed should be able to go faster.

The EVGA card has the best fans of the ones that you listed, but the cooling system isn't quite as good as the others. They are the best company if you are in the USA, though, as their support department is excellent.

Overall, you could pick any of those cards and be fine.

If you are in the USA then EVGA has the best technical support to RMA or if you want to use the EVGA upgrade program (if you register your card you can upgrade to a better EVGA branded card within 90 days of the purchase price for the retail price difference between your current card and the one you want to upgrade to - some cards are not eligible for the upgrade, though, if they are limited production cards).

I hope I didn't overwhelm you with information.

Good luck!
 

alexander_iksander

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My last 2 cards were the 460 & 660 from MSI. I pushed them hard and they held pretty well; It just feels like MSI has gone down on quality a bit nowadays...but I will consider it !
 

alexander_iksander

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Lots of info is welcomed on these forums !
I am in the US, but by the time I get it, I will be moving out of the country so EVGA customer service wont really matter in that regard... I like the way the Zotac looks but I don't know how reliable it is since it's not one of the top GPUS. Someone here mentioned that G1's have a high rate of failure (i'm guessing because of aggressive overclocking !?) so maybe it would be safer to not aim for the absolute number 1 and more like for the middle ? maybe an EVGA SSC or FTW+ at this point I'm even considering MSI. What gpu do you have ?
 

alexander_iksander

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does the backplate affect the card besides looks ? does it get cooler in any way ?
 

wildfire707

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As my signature states, I am running a PNY GeForce GTX 970 - one of the first 970s to come with 3 DisplayPorts on it. I am running a 3 monitor setup, so that was a big plus at the time. Now many of the high end GeForce GTX 970 cards come with 3 DisplayPorts on them, so I would not opt for a PNY card if I was looking today (they use a lower quality PCB and an average fan).

As far as going with a moderate overclocked card, manufacturers bin the chips that they get. That means the best ones go in the highest overclocked cards. Normally, faster is better since the manufacturers test them before release. Most of the people having trouble with the Gigabyte cards seem to be cooking them due to poor ventilation (in my opinion from discussions).

Before the Gigabyte card came out, MSI and ASUS were the top favored brands of overclocked GeForce GTX 970 cards. I have had good luck with an ASUS STRIX-GTX970-DC2OC-4GD5 as well as an MSI GTX 970 GAMING 4G.
 

ael00

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the 970s arent small cards, it prevents PCB warping. No way anything is sagging in my case.

Mainly the reason why the other cards are considerably shorter, and got the 2x fan treatment.

besides that .. not much. some say it helps with heat dissipation but I have yet to read a plausible article on that.