Performance difference between SLI Reference GTX 680 4gb and SLI GTX 680 FTW 4gb

[computeguy]

I need to know the the performance difference between these 2 cards. I know the FTW is factory clocked higher, but is the performance increase really noticeable/worth it? If it isn't worth it, what would another good 4gb card other than a reference be? What about the MSI Twin Frozr (which is actually less than the 4gb reference on EVGA's website)?

Also, I would like to know what temperatures I would get if the 2 cards in SLI were side by side (I don't have enough space to move the 2nd card down farther) with blower style fans. I've seen many people do it, so I assume the temperatures are safe. I also have 2 front case fans blowing through the drive bays (only one drive on top) onto the graphics card area.

 

[17seconds]

Without getting too much into the specifics, the difference in performance will only be noticeable if you have a CPU capable of preventing bottlenecking.

The reference and FTW should both use the same cooler which will vent all exhaust heat outside the PC case, good if you don't have a lot of room. The FTW Signature 2 is the one that uses a custom cooler that vents heat inside the case, same as the MSI Twin Frozr, not as good for your situation.

 

[computeguy]

Without getting too much into the specifics, the difference in performance will only be noticeable if you have a CPU capable of preventing bottlenecking.

The reference and FTW should both use the same cooler which will vent all exhaust heat outside the PC case, good if you don't have a lot of room. The FTW Signature 2 is the one that uses a custom cooler that vents heat inside the case, same as the MSI Twin Frozr, not as good for your situation.

Well, I have 2500k, so no bottleneck (I will even be OCing +1ghz and up). How noticeable is the performance in, say, FPS? And you are saying 2 blower style fans would be better because mine are really close together?

 

[17seconds]

Without getting too much into the specifics, the difference in performance will only be noticeable if you have a CPU capable of preventing bottlenecking.

The reference and FTW should both use the same cooler which will vent all exhaust heat outside the PC case, good if you don't have a lot of room. The FTW Signature 2 is the one that uses a custom cooler that vents heat inside the case, same as the MSI Twin Frozr, not as good for your situation.

Well, I have 2500k, so no bottleneck (I will even be OCing +1ghz and up). How noticeable is the performance in, say, FPS? And you are saying 2 blower style fans would be better because mine are really close together?

Yes, the blower fans will be better for venting heat outside the case.

It's hard to quantify the difference between the FTW and reference solutions if you are planning to overclock. Ultimately, the performance will depend on how high your overclocks and Turbo Boosts go, which will depend on the individual GPU and your cooling/ventilation setup. If you are planning to overclock, the FTW has just a bit extra in terms of components to make it more consistent, in theory, when overclocking.

 

[computeguy]

Without getting too much into the specifics, the difference in performance will only be noticeable if you have a CPU capable of preventing bottlenecking.

The reference and FTW should both use the same cooler which will vent all exhaust heat outside the PC case, good if you don't have a lot of room. The FTW Signature 2 is the one that uses a custom cooler that vents heat inside the case, same as the MSI Twin Frozr, not as good for your situation.

Well, I have 2500k, so no bottleneck (I will even be OCing +1ghz and up). How noticeable is the performance in, say, FPS? And you are saying 2 blower style fans would be better because mine are really close together?

Yes, the blower fans will be better for venting heat outside the case.

It's hard to quantify the difference between the FTW and reference solutions if you are planning to overclock. Ultimately, the performance will depend on how high your overclocks and Turbo Boosts go, which will depend on the individual GPU and your cooling/ventilation setup. If you are planning to overclock, the FTW has just a bit extra in terms of components to make it more consistent, in theory, when overclocking.

I'm talking about performance in terms of FPS in games, not temperature. Or is that what you were describing?

 

[17seconds]

Without getting too much into the specifics, the difference in performance will only be noticeable if you have a CPU capable of preventing bottlenecking.

The reference and FTW should both use the same cooler which will vent all exhaust heat outside the PC case, good if you don't have a lot of room. The FTW Signature 2 is the one that uses a custom cooler that vents heat inside the case, same as the MSI Twin Frozr, not as good for your situation.

Well, I have 2500k, so no bottleneck (I will even be OCing +1ghz and up). How noticeable is the performance in, say, FPS? And you are saying 2 blower style fans would be better because mine are really close together?

Yes, the blower fans will be better for venting heat outside the case.

It's hard to quantify the difference between the FTW and reference solutions if you are planning to overclock. Ultimately, the performance will depend on how high your overclocks and Turbo Boosts go, which will depend on the individual GPU and your cooling/ventilation setup. If you are planning to overclock, the FTW has just a bit extra in terms of components to make it more consistent, in theory, when overclocking.

I'm talking about performance in terms of FPS in games, not temperature. Or is that what you were describing?

With Kepler cards, the temperature has a direct relationship with the Turbo Boost clock speeds. Better coolers, better system ventilation will lead to higher, more consistently sustained Turbo Boosts.

Here's more on the subject:
http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/hardware-canucks-reviews/56432-gtx-660-ti-roundup-asus-evga-gigabyte-galaxy-msi-24.html
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NVIDIA/GeForce_GTX_680/30.html

 

[computeguy]

Without getting too much into the specifics, the difference in performance will only be noticeable if you have a CPU capable of preventing bottlenecking.

The reference and FTW should both use the same cooler which will vent all exhaust heat outside the PC case, good if you don't have a lot of room. The FTW Signature 2 is the one that uses a custom cooler that vents heat inside the case, same as the MSI Twin Frozr, not as good for your situation.

Well, I have 2500k, so no bottleneck (I will even be OCing +1ghz and up). How noticeable is the performance in, say, FPS? And you are saying 2 blower style fans would be better because mine are really close together?

Yes, the blower fans will be better for venting heat outside the case.

It's hard to quantify the difference between the FTW and reference solutions if you are planning to overclock. Ultimately, the performance will depend on how high your overclocks and Turbo Boosts go, which will depend on the individual GPU and your cooling/ventilation setup. If you are planning to overclock, the FTW has just a bit extra in terms of components to make it more consistent, in theory, when overclocking.

I'm talking about performance in terms of FPS in games, not temperature. Or is that what you were describing?

With Kepler cards, the temperature has a direct relationship with the Turbo Boost clock speeds. Better coolers, better system ventilation will lead to higher, more consistently sustained Turbo Boosts.

Here's more on the subject:
http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/hardware-canucks-reviews/56432-gtx-660-ti-roundup-asus-evga-gigabyte-galaxy-msi-24.html
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NVIDIA/GeForce_GTX_680/30.html

Ah, yes I understand turbo boost. I also have a fairly large case (CM Storm Trooper). The 2 front fans that are used to cool the drive bays are blowing air on the GPUs, since I only have 1 dive at the moment at the very top. The temperature of my one 680 was 65-70C (playing Crysis 2, which I would think would boost the temperature quite a bit), which, according to the graphs in your link, would keep the clock at 1097-1111Mhz. What do you think my temps would be like with a second card right next to it?

 

[17seconds]

Looks like maybe a 4c increase in GPU temps:
http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/geforce_gtx_680_sli_review,5.html

 

[17seconds]

I saw your other thread comparing the 680 SLI with the 7970 Crossfire setups and wanted to give some feedback here. On that thread you are going to get a bunch of what I would call biased "fan" type responses. Here is a recent review that uses GTX 680's in SLI and 7970 GHz's in Crossfire. Check out the numbers and do your own analysis, which will be much more valid.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NVIDIA/GeForce_GTX_Titan_SLI/

If it were my decision, I would stop at the quality of the drivers, which for AMD have been well-documented as lacking. It's even mentioned in the above referenced article.
Quote:
"AMD's HD 7970 GHz Edition CrossFire setup has its moments, but flunks far too many tests due to poor multi-GPU driver optimizations by AMD."
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NVIDIA/GeForce_GTX_Titan_SLI/24.html

One thing is clear to anyone doing the research, Nvidia does a better job of smoothing out SLI frame times for a smoother gaming experience.
http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Graphics-Cards/Frame-Rating-Part-3-First-Results-New-GPU-Performance-Tools

 

[computeguy]

I saw your other thread comparing the 680 SLI with the 7970 Crossfire setups and wanted to give some feedback here. On that thread you are going to get a bunch of what I would call biased "fan" type responses. Here is a recent review that uses GTX 680's in SLI and 7970 GHz's in Crossfire. Check out the numbers and do your own analysis, which will be much more valid.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NVIDIA/GeForce_GTX_Titan_SLI/

If it were my decision, I would stop at the quality of the drivers, which for AMD have been well-documented as lacking. It's even mentioned in the above referenced article.
Quote:
"AMD's HD 7970 GHz Edition CrossFire setup has its moments, but flunks far too many tests due to poor multi-GPU driver optimizations by AMD."
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NVIDIA/GeForce_GTX_Titan_SLI/24.html

One thing is clear to anyone doing the research, Nvidia does a better job of smoothing out SLI frame times for a smoother gaming experience.
http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Graphics-Cards/Frame-Rating-Part-3-First-Results-New-GPU-Performance-Tools

Thank you for this information!