Which GTX 680 to buy?

[Iamazn]

I'm going to buy a GTX 680 soon and I don't know which brand/model to buy. I'm looking for:
-GTX 680 (obviously)
-High factory overclock
-Lots of headroom for self overclocking (in addition to the high factory overclock)
-4GB VRAM (I plan to go dual monitor eventually)
-GOOD cooling.
-PREFERABLY two expansion slots. I MIGHT go SLI in the future and I don't think my motherboard (Maximus V Formula) can hold two three-slot GPUs.
Price is not really a factor as all non reference 680s (that I've seen) are $550-650.

 

[kevin83]

You don't need the 4gb of vram unless you're doing something insane like 2560x4800 triple monitor.
My favorite card is the msi gtx 680 lightning, it has the best voltage regulation technologies for extreme overclocking combined with a cooler that rivals gigabyte's slightly superior windforce 3x solution. It's also a 2 slot card, but it only has 2gb of vram.
If not then I'd go for msi's twin frozr 4gb solution, which misses out on some of the overclocking technologies. EVGA is the only other decent option in the 4gb segment.

 

[spookyman]

As the above user stated. Go with EVGA card.

You can get a their 680GTX FTW 4gig or the 680GTX 4gig Classified.

Great warranty and support.

 

[geofelt]

In theory, the EVGA GTX680 classified would meet your requirements. At stock, the boost clock is 1176.
The card is taller, with an oversized direct exhaust cooler.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130801

As a brand, I like EVGA. They have good customer support, and a 90 day step up program if we should see the GTX780 launch before the end of the year.

But, I really think that just a normal 2gb superclocked version would be a better buy.

Dual monitor does not seem to need 4gb of vram. I have two 2560 x 1600 monitors, and my 2gb seems to work just fine.
You will be gaming on the primary monitor, and the secondary monitor takes little resource. If you were to get into triple monitor gaming, then the situation might be different.

Vendors are wise to graphics card overclocks. They select the best bin samples so they can sell them overclocked for a premium.
Once you get past a basic overclock, I think there is little more OC room left on any card.
I think I would just go with the EVGA FTW overclocked card @$500 :
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130793

If price is not a problem, look at a GTX690.
It will have 4gb and a hefty price tag of $1000
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130781

 

[Iamazn]

My original choice was the Classified, until I read that EVGA's type of fan causes a lot of dust build up and it was a bad overclocker. Can anyone verify or deny this? The Classified's cooling system also looks kinda "wimpy" compared to other cards. Will heat be a problem for the classified? My ambient room temperatures range anywhere from 70f to 80f

One of my current choices is the MSI Lightning, but 2GB VRAM bothers me. In the small chance I go triple monitors (1080p), will 2GB VRAM suffice? I wouldn't want VRAM to bottleneck such an expensive card...

Geofelt:
-What games do you run on your dual monitor setup?
-As for the step up program: If the 780 launches by the end of the year, do we get a free upgrade or something?

 

[geofelt]

My original choice was the Classified, until I read that EVGA's type of fan causes a lot of dust build up and it was a bad overclocker. Can anyone verify or deny this? The Classified's cooling system also looks kinda "wimpy" compared to other cards. Will heat be a problem for the classified? My ambient room temperatures range anywhere from 70f to 80f

One of my current choices is the MSI Lightning, but 2GB VRAM bothers me. In the small chance I go triple monitors (1080p), will 2GB VRAM suffice? I wouldn't want VRAM to bottleneck such an expensive card...

Geofelt:
-What games do you run on your dual monitor setup?
-As for the step up program: If the 780 launches by the end of the year, do we get a free upgrade or something?

I an a civilization fan, and CIV-V runs just fine, at the 60FPS limit mostly.. I have also played shogun2, crysis, and COD. I suck at shooters, but keep trying, so experience there is not great.

You need to go to the web site for the details, but if you qualify, and have registered your card, then the full invoice price you paid will be credited to an upgrade when you trade in your GTX680 on a stronger card.

I think the normal superclocked cards have sufficiently good cooling. I don't hear mine, and my room is hot too.
I think the key is the direct exhaust cooler. The oem coolers, like the lightning do a great job of cooling in an open testbed. But in a case, they depend on case cooling to get the hot air out of the case. Hotter air inside the case heats up both the graphics card and the cpu. Not good.

As to Vram, I think it is more for marketing than for any real benefit. Excepting for triple monitor gaming, and not much then perhaps.
Here is one GTX680 study:
http://www.pugetsystems.com/labs/articles/Video-Card-Performance-2GB-vs-4GB-Memory-154

 

[XXStavrosXX]

Gigabyte 680 is the more well-rounded (low temp-low noise-performance-price)

ASUS 680 TOP is the strongest single GPU, along with MSI 680 Lighting, and have a lot of room for overclocking. EVGA 680 Superclocked (or whatever it's OCed version is named) stays a bit behind in performance but has a much more affordable price.

You may also want to check new Inno 3D 680 it's the coolest 680, see here:

http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/4934/inno3d_gtx_680_ichill_black_series_accelero_hybrid_4gb_overclocked_video_card_review/index18.html

However bear in mind than in resolutions higher than 1080p paired with high lvls of antialiasing HD 7979 GHz Edition perform better because of the wider memory bandwidth.

 

[Iamazn]

Currently looking at the GTX 680 Classified. Any other cards I should consider?
How much better is the Classified vs the FTW+?

 

[computernoob29]

msi lightning edition