Why are there so many variations of the same GPU, and what is the difference?

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92hatchattack

92hatchattack

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Feb 12, 2017
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Hello all,

Newbie here. I am trying to figure out why there are so many variations of the same GPU cards, and what is the difference between them all. Lets take the 1080 for example. There seem to be 10+ different cards that are all labeled as a 1080. What is the difference between them and how do I know which one to buy?

Full explanations are welcome, or just a link to video or write up would be great s well.

Thank you!

---Joe
 
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T
All GTX 1080s use the same GPU (chip at the heart of the video card), the GP104. Manufacturers then produce their own PCBs (either using Nvidia's reference design or a custom one) and coolers. They can also increase the clock speeds and/or power limits. Finally, apparently some premium cards have binned chips, which means that the manufacturers have chosen GPUs that perform above average (i.e. can hit higher clock speeds at lower voltages) for those cards.

-Coolers affect temperature and noise. I would say this is probably the biggest difference between cards to the typical consumer.
-PCB design determines power delivery, which can influence overclocking to some extent, although I'm not sure if it really matters outside extreme...
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Gam3r01

Gam3r01

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Jan 12, 2013
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Each card is from a different manufacturer. Each one can choose to design and install a custom cooling solution for it as well as offering different factory clock speeds (this is why some cards look different).

In addition, the actual PCB itself can be different compared to others, the only thing that has to stay uniform for each card is the actual GPU die itself (and most of the time the memory).

Generally speaking, there isnt a "bad" version to buy, some arent worth the premium though. Reviews are your friend for that kind of information.
 
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TJ Hooker

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Apr 15, 2014
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All GTX 1080s use the same GPU (chip at the heart of the video card), the GP104. Manufacturers then produce their own PCBs (either using Nvidia's reference design or a custom one) and coolers. They can also increase the clock speeds and/or power limits. Finally, apparently some premium cards have binned chips, which means that the manufacturers have chosen GPUs that perform above average (i.e. can hit higher clock speeds at lower voltages) for those cards.

-Coolers affect temperature and noise. I would say this is probably the biggest difference between cards to the typical consumer.
-PCB design determines power delivery, which can influence overclocking to some extent, although I'm not sure if it really matters outside extreme overclocking
-Binning means that, in theory, you should get a good overclocker, rather than having to play the silicon lottery and hope you get lucky

It's up to you whether you want to pay the extra for a premium card. Personally, I went with the cheapest card I could find for a given GPU the last two cards I've bought, and I've been quite satisfied with both.
 
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