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Started by KRY_ | | 10 answers
I'm looking to upgrade to a GTX 970. I can't decide whether to buy an MSI, EVGA or Asus card.
EVGA caught my eye due to their talk of it being the most efficient GPU cooler ever, plus the aesthetics are quite nice and it's pretty short length-wise so it will easily fit in my case (CM Elite 430). Compared to other cards, however, people have been saying it's quite loud at idle. (They've said they're going to fix it through a BIOS update, but can you even update the GPU BIOS? How will people who already have the card receive this update?)
The MSI card looks good, plus it has a great cooler - however it doesn't have a backplate, which the other 2 have. It's also pretty quiet from what I hear.
The Asus Strix card looks good, is quiet, has a backplate, and if I remember correctly the fans don't even spin when it's at idle - however this might be another card - so I can't say for sure.
What do you recommend? The more opinions the better.
EVGA caught my eye due to their talk of it being the most efficient GPU cooler ever, plus the aesthetics are quite nice and it's pretty short length-wise so it will easily fit in my case (CM Elite 430). Compared to other cards, however, people have been saying it's quite loud at idle. (They've said they're going to fix it through a BIOS update, but can you even update the GPU BIOS? How will people who already have the card receive this update?)
The MSI card looks good, plus it has a great cooler - however it doesn't have a backplate, which the other 2 have. It's also pretty quiet from what I hear.
The Asus Strix card looks good, is quiet, has a backplate, and if I remember correctly the fans don't even spin when it's at idle - however this might be another card - so I can't say for sure.
What do you recommend? The more opinions the better.
EVGA_ChrisB
October 2, 2014 6:18:41 PM
Dear KRY_,
I am sorry to hear that you have decided against the EVGA model. I would still like to answer your question for anyone that is reading this thread.
KRY_ - "They've said they're going to fix it through a BIOS update, but can you even update the GPU BIOS? How will people who already have the card receive this update?"
The BIOS update will very simply change the fan profile to be less aggressive and is completely optional. The BIOS updater is a very simple executable program that is run inside of Windows and it upgrades your card and then asks you to restart the computer. I can assure you that I personally have not seen it ever fail, but if it did we are here to help.
I would also like to mention that we are now offering a free backplate with the purchase of a GTX 970 card from EVGA and more details on this promotion are available at: http://forums.evga.com/EVGA-GTX-970-Free-Backplate-Prom...
Please do not hesitate to let me know if you should have any additional questions or concerns on any of the EVGA products or services that we offer.
I am sorry to hear that you have decided against the EVGA model. I would still like to answer your question for anyone that is reading this thread.
KRY_ - "They've said they're going to fix it through a BIOS update, but can you even update the GPU BIOS? How will people who already have the card receive this update?"
The BIOS update will very simply change the fan profile to be less aggressive and is completely optional. The BIOS updater is a very simple executable program that is run inside of Windows and it upgrades your card and then asks you to restart the computer. I can assure you that I personally have not seen it ever fail, but if it did we are here to help.
I would also like to mention that we are now offering a free backplate with the purchase of a GTX 970 card from EVGA and more details on this promotion are available at: http://forums.evga.com/EVGA-GTX-970-Free-Backplate-Prom...
Please do not hesitate to let me know if you should have any additional questions or concerns on any of the EVGA products or services that we offer.
KRY_
September 26, 2014 11:27:32 AM
dovah-chan said:
Written by yours truly. Really all three brands make outstanding cards and are all really the best vendors on the market in my opinion. Having no backplate can be a good thing for people who want to SLI in a tight space as they sometimes get in the way. Really I prefer the reference titan cooler as its exceptional on its own. I just tried to update my 670's BIOS and as soon as I press any key it comes up with a load of code then shuts down, the longer I hold the key the more code that appears.
Edit: I don't think I'll bother with the EVGA card. Don't want to risk breaking it by messing with the BIOS. Now I'm stuck between Asus and MSI. Aesthetics are important to me, so I can't decide whether I want the nice full red and black of the MSI card, or whether to get the elegant black Asus card. The FPS and temps are so close that it's not worth letting it determine which one to buy.
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September 26, 2014 10:19:42 AM
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September 26, 2014 9:44:22 AM
Here is a bit-tech article that I was reading on the 970 lineup. MSI's is pretty much confirmed to be the favored card for overclockers and enthusiast alike.
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September 26, 2014 9:14:01 AM
Written by yours truly. Really all three brands make outstanding cards and are all really the best vendors on the market in my opinion. Having no backplate can be a good thing for people who want to SLI in a tight space as they sometimes get in the way. Really I prefer the reference titan cooler as its exceptional on its own.
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