Reference 680 vs Classified 680

[jgonzo]

Building a rig for my friend and need some help with choosing between the reference based 680 (4gb) and the classified 680 (4gb). For starters the classified is more expensive and I read that the overvolting is what makes this card "better" than the reference based card. Furthermore, I read that you have to buy the EVbot to do these overvolts? I am going to be watercooling the gpu b/c my friend will be overclocking them. To summarize what I am asking, does the extra price for the classified justify a performance difference from the reference card or is it more of a marketing ploy? Thank you.

 

[maestro0428]

You can no longer overvolt Nvidia cards. Nvidia put their fist down on that. The classified has much higher clock speeds that in turn add more fps. In some games it will add 10 fps. Whether that will get your more real world performance depends on the resolution you play at. If its 1080p, you won't actually see that difference in most games. At higher resolutions and ultra settings though, it adds to playability.

 

[jgonzo]

At some point he will be running 3 1080 monitors thats why I chose the 4gb over the 2gb version. So would you say that the extra $167 dollars will make that big of a difference versus the stock 680 at ultra settings x3 displays? Because if it is minuscule it would make more sense to save the $ for the difference and put that toward the wc loop.

 

[kitsunestarwind]

Take into consideration if your planning on the water cooling the 680, the reference may be the way to go, due to water block compatability.
I would check to see if you can get a water block that will fit the classified 680 before deciding

 

[jgonzo]

Evga sells a waterblock specifically for the classified, but the cost will add up quick with having to do the waterblock, then having to buy the EVbot to even overvolt the card if I get lucky and get a card with an evbot slot. Seems to me like the reference 680 is most cost efficient, I would be close to spending what a 690 would cost if I went with the classified.

 

[jgonzo]

Best answer selected by jgonzo.