Which 680 should i get?

[kenshin333]

Hey guys, i am doing an upgrade and would like to know which one of the gtx 680 to get. I am a mid range gamer, but plan on keeping the card for at leats 2 years. Or should i get a card other than the 680. my budget is 500 US. please help, thanks
P.S. since the card is pci e 3.0, will it work in a normal pci e slot? i will be running an x6 amd 100t, corsair 850w professional edition, 1080p monitor, hope to upgrade to 3D soon. motherboard is the asus m4A88TD-EVO/usb 3.0. also 16 gigs corsair vengence. mother board, ram, processor already have. i got it in a deal. any advice?

 

[sham_z]

GTX 680. NICE CARD AND YES IT WILL WORK ON YOUR MAINBOARD. IT IS BACKWARD COMPATIABLE AND NOT TO WORRY THERE WONT BE PERFORMANCE DIFF FROM PCI E 3.0 TO 2.0

 

[kenshin333]

thanks, but which version should i get? there is the signature SC, then there is the gtx 680 FTW [better heat-sink i think, almost same heat as signiture SC] then there is the normal gtx680. does it matter which one i get? the 4gig vram is for multi displays mostly, so, does it matter which one i choose? thank you.

 

[lt_dan_zsu]

I would go with this 680 if I were you
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130768
It seems like the most reasonably priced 680. I would also look at the 7970 ghz if I were you. According to the gpu hierarchy, it is a better gpu and costs less. the hierarchy was updated just a few days ago.

 

[DarkSable]

Don't get a 680. It's only 5% faster than a 670 (3% after overclocking both cards), and $100 more expensive. If that's not enough to convince you, the fact that both cards will max out any game out there should.

Since you seem to like EVGA, get the 670 FTW, or FTW Signature 2. (Don't get the + or LE editions, and don't bother with 4GB of VRAM... good for you for knowing that it doesn't make the card faster, though.)

That being said, although EVGA has bloody amazing customer service, and the best reference coolers around, other 670s will have slightly better cooling options and will be able to overclock higher.

 

[lt_dan_zsu]

I have to agree with DarkSable. If you must go nvidia, be smart and get a 670.

 

[The_Assassin]

Get the Lightning hands down. Overclocks better than any other 680.

 

[kenshin333]

In terms of 3D, will there be much difference? Between the gtx 670 ftw and the gtx 680? Will it be any significant difference?

 

[determinologyz]

If you not in a big rush i would wait on the 700 series thats about to drop in a few months. The 680 is a great card but for me i would rather wanna hear the specs of the new card before spending

 

[cookybiscuit]

In terms of 3D, will there be much difference? Between the gtx 670 ftw and the gtx 680? Will it be any significant difference?

Nope. And after running 3D for a while you'll probably want to SLI them, and two 680's are a hell of alot more expensive than two 670's.

 

[fil1p]

Hey,
^+1 DarkSable

The gtx680 is a beast, but for less $$$ you could get a non-reference model of a gtx670, like a gigabyte windforce X3, asus direct cu, or a msi lightning edition. Then you can overclock it to match a gtx 680. Also thanks to their custom coolers and non reference boards the cards will run cooler, and have a longer lifespan. They are not only custom cooled, but they have non reference PCB's, the windforce x3 for example has the board of a gtx680, with 5 power phases. The asus has 6 power phases, and also features a backplate. The msi power edition card comes with voltage adjustment for better overclocking. All three of the cards have some nice power circuitry but their voltage is locked at 1.175v (unless you do a BIOS mod for it), only the msi power edition supports overvolting out of the box. So unless you really want a gtx680 consider getting one of those cards.

Also as Darksable said eVga has great customer service, but their coolers are not as good as the brands I listed above. If you want to go with evga, then you are right with choosing the FTW edition, it has a better cooler, and I believe it runs on a gtx680 pcb, but im not 100% sure about that.

Hope this helps!

 

[kenshin333]

If you not in a big rush i would wait on the 700 series thats about to drop in a few months. The 680 is a great card but for me i would rather wanna hear the specs of the new card before spending

how long exactly would i hav to wait? I can wait untill may/june. i just need the psu, video card and SSD drive. Other than that i would take the GTX 670. I dont do any major overclocking, besides from what the sofware provides and i just like the blower type fans that exhaust to the back of the case, leaving no hot air inside the case.

 

[fil1p]

how long exactly would i hav to wait? I can wait untill may/june. i just need the psu, video card and SSD drive. Other than that i would take the GTX 670. I dont do any major overclocking, besides from what the sofware provides and i just like the blower type fans that exhaust to the back of the case, leaving no hot air inside the case.

At the moment there is not much concrete evidence or rumors, however it is speculated that the hd8000's from AMD will be arriving later this year. Nvidia might release new cards around then.

 

[BigBAWZ]

Skip out on the 680 and go with the MSI R7970. It is the best bang for your buck.
I used to be a EVGA kind of guy but im about to buy me one of those for myself.

 

[determinologyz]

how long exactly would i hav to wait? I can wait untill may/june. i just need the psu, video card and SSD drive. Other than that i would take the GTX 670. I dont do any major overclocking, besides from what the sofware provides and i just like the blower type fans that exhaust to the back of the case, leaving no hot air inside the case.

Why people saying next year..They not skipping 700 series nor both companys isnt going to go with out eating (making money) im guessing march april for nvidia. I still think waiting waiting is the better option but if you need one at this very moment thats a different story. I just dont see nvidia dropping cards next year or to late into the year so prob will be on the same route or close as the 600 series

 

[iceclock]

the 680 is expensive for nothing u want an evga 4 gig gtx 670 that u can overclock to 680 levels and beyond somethimes.

for less money. better bang for bucks.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130824

 

[kenshin333]

thanks alot guys!!! i will wait a bit and if the new line doesnt release, i will purchase the gtx 670 ftw. thank you all for the help and for your time ^^

 

[iceclock]

sounds good

 

[determinologyz]

thanks alot guys!!! i will wait a bit and if the new line doesnt release, i will purchase the gtx 670 ftw. thank you all for the help and for your time ^^

I think waiting would still be the better option..Many people buying 670/680 now and when specs drop they will end up selling/step up program if they within 90 days which would cost more with shipping etc

 

[iceclock]

step up program is with a limited number of vendors, and these cards are quite zippy.

u can always get faster.

 

[helper800]

I would recommend the 7970 ghz edition models because there better in every way with few exceptions like being slightly less "smooth" game play and they use a little more energy while also being 2-12 dbs louder. Other than that they are better. I would wait for new GPU's to be announced first though.

 

[kenshin333]

I would recommend the 7970 ghz edition models because there better in every way with few exceptions like being slightly less "smooth" game play and they use a little more energy while also being 2-12 dbs louder. Other than that they are better. I would wait for new GPU's to be announced first though.

true, but at the moment, the nvida 3d is better, in my opinion. and i will upgrade to 3D in the future.

 

[iceclock]

well yes nvidia has better support for 3d glasses, but that tech is nowhere near what u want it to be, if u want something cool check the oculus rift, now thats something

http://www.oculusvr.com/

 

[kenshin333]

well yes nvidia has better support for 3d glasses, but that tech is nowhere near what u want it to be, if u want something cool check the oculus rift, now thats something

http://www.oculusvr.com/

now that is pretty cool man. thats awesome.... games still need to be oculus ready and u might need a fast video card for that.

 

[iceclock]

yea except its far-out dude, looks emazing