GTX 670: EVGA FTW Sig2 vs ASUS DCU2 vs MSI PE Twin Frozr IV

[LeMonarque]

Can't decide on which GTX 670 to get.

EVGA GTX 670 FTW Signature 2:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130843

ASUS GTX 670 DirectCU II (non TOP):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121707

MSI GTX 670 PE Twin Frozr IV:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127685

I plan on overclocking. I think it really comes down to just the coolers on the cards. I love the reference design which exhausts air out the back of the case, but I also like axial (aftermarket) fan coolers better than blower (reference) fan coolers. Axial fans move more air but have lower pressure than blower fans and exhaust hot air into the case. EVGA's Signature 2 series has both axial fans and rear-exhaust. So right now I'm leaning toward that one. But...I really don't know anything about the other 2 cards. I've read that ASUS DirectCU II is a very silent cooler, and MSI Twin Frozr IV is a top-performing cooler.

So just based on coolers alone, which cards would you suggest based on
1) Performance, 2) Noise, 3) Value?

Or maybe list them in order of [best] > [neutral] > [worst]?
(for example Twin Frozr IV > Signature 2 > DirectCU II)

Also, I've allowed for 2 answers on the poll instead of 1.

EDIT: About my air flow, since that's something to consider - my case will be a Cooler Master CM Storm Stryker with 4xNoctua NF-S12A 120mm fans, 1xNoctua NF-A14 140mm fan, and will be cooling a 3770K overclocked (hopefully) to 4.8GHz with an H100i and 2xNoctua NF-F12 120mm fans pushing air through the radiator.

Case: www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119260
CPU Fans: www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608026
Case Fans:
www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608037
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AEGRGNO

2x120mm front intake, 2x120mm bottom intake, 2x120mm top exhaust, 1x140mm rear exhaust

Using a bottom-mounted 80+ Gold PSU which has a ground-facing fan that exhausts into the case. There...I think that covers everything.

 

[17seconds]

It's honestly a tough call. Rule out the Signature 2, it's a nice cooler, but not as good as the others in terms of temperatures. Cool temperatures are key for more consistently sustained Turbo Boost clocks.

Between the Twin Frozr and the DirectCU, I think the Twin Frozr keeps temps a little lower.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/MSI/GTX_670_Power_Edition/32.html

But my pick is the DirectCU simply because it is probably the quietest cooler on the market.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/ASUS/GeForce_GTX_670_Direct_Cu_II/27.html
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/MSI/GTX_670_Power_Edition/27.html

 

[LeMonarque]

What would you say if I swapped the FTW Sig2 for the 670 FTW? And also, I forgot to mention that one other reason I'm leaning toward EVGA is because of their step-up program: http://www.evga.com/support/stepup/

Which is great since the 700 series is being released this Summer.

 

[17seconds]

What would you say if I swapped the FTW Sig2 for the 670 FTW? And also, I forgot to mention that one other reason I'm leaning toward EVGA is because of their step-up program: http://www.evga.com/support/stepup/

Which is great since the 700 series is being released this Summer.

That's actually a very good reason to go with EVGA. The GTX 780 might even be out by the end of May.

I would not get anything other than the Signature 2 card and avoid the reference design blower-type cooler found on every other EVGA card. As I mentioned before, the Signature 2 is a really good cooler. Actually, you can now cross-reference all three cards on the same TechPowerUp test suite. I'm a little surprised, the EVGA card is the coolest of the three, although I have seen other reviews where that didn't hold true.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/EVGA/GTX_670_FTW_Signature_2/26.html

 

[LeMonarque]

That's actually a very good reason to go with EVGA. The GTX 780 might even be out by the end of May.

I would not get anything other than the Signature 2 card and avoid the reference design blower-type cooler found on every other EVGA card. As I mentioned before, the Signature 2 is a really good cooler. Actually, you can now cross-reference all three cards on the same TechPowerUp test suite. I'm a little surprised, the EVGA card is the coolest of the three, although I have seen other reviews where that didn't hold true.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/EVGA/GTX_670_FTW_Signature_2/26.html

There's a catch - only EVGA's reference design cooler cards are eligible to be "stepped up to". For example, you can't step up from their 570 to the 670 Signature 2 - only the 670 and higher (670 FTW, 680, etc). Is that a deal breaker? I imagine the step-up program would allow for the 770 and 770 FTW, but not the 770 FTW Signature 2.

EDIT: Actually they don't even let you step-up to a FTW edition. So just the 770 with its reference blower. ...I'd still be getting 2 cards for the price of 1 770. But I wonder if getting locked into the blower model makes it worth it to hold my money until the 770 release and get an ASUS or MSI version

 

[17seconds]

Reference cards are not the end of the world, and they do vent heat outside the case

 

[LeMonarque]

Reference cards are not the end of the world, and they do vent heat outside the case

One thing I just thought about: Taking into account the price of the 770 (which is likely to be around $450) and the cost of shipping the 670 (to my house, then to EVGA), and then shipping the 770 (to my house), would it be better to just forget the 770 and use that money to get a 680? In that scenario, the 680 will provide performance at lower temperatures, so the Signature 2 cooler becomes less necessary for me.

Specifically looking at the ASUS GTX 680 DirectCU II OC (non-TOP):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121635

I'd have to pay a bit more than the pinball 670-770 situation outlined above, but the shipping costs close the gap between listed prices.