Differences in the Same Graphics Cards

[corbet31]

I'm looking to upgrade my graphics cards to the Geforce GTX 660 TI and had a few questions...

What's the difference between the different models of the same card? I see that there are several, and apart from some having more memory I can't tell the difference. The same card is under different brands like Asus, Msi, and EVGA.

Would I need to upgrade my power supply or anything else if I upgraded from my current card? (Current system info listed below). I am also running a few case fans and LEDs if that would factor in at all.

Last, about how long will this card last me gaming wise? I know there's no for sure but a rough estimate would be nice. I don't mind not being able to play on ultra or anything but I'd like to not lose anything in game play due to graphics.

Also if you have any other suggestions for GPU upgrades other than the 660 let me know!

Computer Info:
OS: Windows 7 64-bit
CPU: AMD Phenom II X6 1090T
RAM: 16 GB
GRAPHICS: 1023MB GeForce GTX 460
MOTHERBOARD: Asus M4A88TD-M/USB3
POWER SUPPLY: OCZ 700W ModXstream Pro

 

[mubin]

With that amd cpu there will be some bottleneck with 660ti.

Difference between different models of card are OC'ed edition, green edition, memory capacity, cooling, output port.

As there are more demanding game engine coming out(cryengine 3, frostbite 2), its difficult to tell how long a 660ti will give good gaming performance. But you can sli it if you need more performance in future.

 

[corbet31]

What do you mean when you say it would bottleneck? Which would be holding it back? And do you have any suggestions as to which is the "best"? About how long would you say until I needed to SLI? A few months or a couple years or what?

 

[mubin]

Yeah, holding it back in some cpu intensive games like skyrim.

If you consider crysis 3, you need to use sli now. Single HD7970 Ghz edition will be best atm. And can be crossfire later. But it depends on your budget.

 

[corbet31]

Best answer selected by corbet31.