Both $340, GTX 780 or 970?

[Neoash]

EVGA GTX 780 Classified ACX or EVGA GTX 970... both $340 +/- $10, which one to get?
Performance (fps) is my priority by far; power/heat aren't a selling point to me between these two.
Some benchmarks list the 780 beating the 970 by 5-10%, which is why I can't decide here!!!!

 

[Bhavneet Pannu]

Take a look at this

 

[Sohaib]

GTX 970 is only a bit slower then GTX 780Ti, uses 100W less power then GTX 780 and supports DX12 while 780 only supports upto DX11.2
I don't think if there is even a competition here, and if there is one then GTX 970 is a clear winner.

 

[Neoash]

The problem I have with that graph and other benchmarks, is that may be a reference 780 they're using. The one I'm looking at isn't reference.
OH I didn't know that about dx12 ! That's a good point actually.

Here are some recent benchmarks that are weighing heavily on me. I definitely plan to play Crysis 3 and Far Cry 3, GTA 5 in the future.
http://youtu.be/Eqz4tDM6Wl8?t=5m50s

 

[Sohaib]

Actually all of the gpu's in graph are reference except the Asus 970 Strix. So even if you compare the 970 reference with GTX 780 reference the 970 is about 12% faster then 780. Not to mention the increased RAM on 970 which helps with AA on higher resolutions and games like Watch Dogs.
There is a reason NVIDIA discontinued GTX 770/780/780 Ti.

 

[rustyfork123]

May I ask where you got your figures from? GPU Boss says different:

http://gpuboss.com/gpus/GeForce-GTX-970-vs-GeForce-GTX-780

So what's the deal?

 

[Neoash]

I was primarily going off the video I linked and their benchmarks that were just released today. The benchmarks they posted were of all cards, including both 780 and 970, being overclocked....this I KNEW. But after digging a lil more I read that their GTX780 they use is considered a "gold" binning specimen, which made it superior to the 970 in a couple games.
Since I almost certainly wouldn't get a perfect overclocker, I have decided to go for the 970. It's hard not to get excited when a GPU shows up on a flash sale tho

Thanks for the input guys.

 

[Neoash]

The comparison on GPUBoss is interesting though. It makes me ask "Why is the 970 superior in most games?". It has more render output processors, but the 780 has many more shaders and also more mapping units. I've always thought shaders were the primary reason high end Nvidia cards were better than the lower end ones.
Can anyone elaborate on this?? Out of curiosity.

 

[Ozmer]

Linus on YouTube did an OC to OC comparison with an Asus Strix 970. When pushed it traded blows with the 780 in benchmarks. However the 970 seems a clear choice when you consider dx12, and a more efficient AA. My guess is that the 780 drivers are more mature, and that once any bugs are worked out the 970 would consistently perform better in the long-term.
Also, the Strix performs this way on a single 8pin connector (most using 2x6pin, and MSI Gaming using 6pin+8pin) and can play less demanding titles without the fans even running. That kind of sells it for me.