In terms of best non-reference designs and coolers go, MSI, ASUS, and Gigabyte are the best. EVGA is great for their customer support, warrenty, and their watercooled cards.
I'm not knocking Zotac, they aren't bad (like Galaxy, have seen nothing but problems with those cards), they just don't stand out however. Their non-reference coolers just don't perform, and when it comes to reference cards they are all the same anyway no matter what brand you get them from.