# Buying a GTX970, which one shall I look for?



## ithehappy (Mar 21, 2015)

*Bought a 970. Temperature related queries*

First of all sorry for coming back here but I need some suggestions regarding my purchase, so pardon me for that.

I am buying a GTX970 but I am unsure as to which one to get? I mean there are different models and I just want to purchase the best one out there inside my budget. I have read quite a bit and I have gathered some informations like Gigabyte G1 is a very good card, but it has some VRAM issues? Then I have also heard good things about Asus Strix edition and some MSI one too, and there is another EVGA FTW version which turns off its fans when temperature goes below some certain level etc., so I am actually confused.

I just want the best performing card, which will run cool and will be power efficient. Budget is 30k, could be added if needed.

Thanks in advance.

PS: Forgot to mention that my cabby is kind of small, its a CM 690 II Plus version, so I need to make sure that the card fits the cabinet properly and after installation have decent amount of space (I mean not touching the hard disk trays and all that).


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## sam_738844 (Mar 21, 2015)

Buy Online ZOTAC GeForce GTX 970 ZT-90101-10P Graphic Card in India 

ZOTAC NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 4GB AMP Omega Edition - Buy Graphics Card Online @ Best Prices on Snapdeal.com

ASUS GRAPHICS CARD GTX 970 4GB DDR5 DC II OC STRIX EDITION (STRIX-GTX970-DC2OC-4GD5 - STRIX-GTX970-DC2OC-4GD5 - )

MSI Geforce GTX970 4GB DDR5 Nvdia PCI E Graphic Cards (GTX 970 GAMING 4G) price in india Rs.31400. Buy MSI Geforce GTX970 4GB DDR5 Nvdia PCI E Graphic Cards (GTX 970 GAMING 4G) online : Theitdepot.com

VRAM issue am not sure what you are referring to specifically with G1, if you could post a link where you have came across, would be good. Apart from that, VRAM issues with GTX 970 is spread all over internet. I have made posts here how big it is, where does it matter and also why you can still buy this card for 1440P gaming with very high settings and still get brilliant gaming experience despite its lack of alleged 0.5 gigs of VRAM out of advertised full speed 4GB. Google and read-up everything  about GTX 970 and decide. 

BTW all GTX 970, MSI, Asus, EVGA ( board partners for nvidia) has implemented silent or 0dB Fan control, which ensures the fans turn off when temp drops below 60-62 deg. You can manually override it in their proprietary software and set your own fanspeed-temp curve.

P.S. G1 is a big card, and not really up too high in factory OC compared to STRIX or MSI, speaking of which MSI is pricier in India for some convoluted reason. Better go with STRIX. I personally dont like the zotac non-amp versions coz it looks bland ( my opinion ).


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## SaiyanGoku (Mar 21, 2015)

+1 to Zotac GTX 970 Amp! and Asus GTX 970 Strix


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## ithehappy (Mar 21, 2015)

sam_738844 said:


> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Thanks for replying mate. I actually have no detailed info about that VRAM usage thing, I just read it on Newegg and posted here, I had no idea that it was about the lack of memory usage or something like that. Well I am quite sure that 0.5 GB won't make that much difference.

Anyway, do you think that going for a 980 would be rather worth it than 970? I mean 980 is quite steep at this moment and I don't think the price difference with 970 doesn't justify the performance difference right?

And also I don't play at 1440p, but 1200p. However I am thinking about moving to a 1080p 120 Hz monitor. Its becoming indecisive for me whether to choose more frames or more resolution, while I am having a slight preference for the former over the latter.

So I am guessing that going for the Asus makes sense then huh? I mean I don't think I will manually OC the card (I always plan to do that but ultimately don't do it anyway!), so I am ruling out the G1 as you are saying its not as high in frequency than Strix or the MSI, so I will have to choose the one which comes with more freq from factory settings itself. My current 580 is an MSI and the 560 before that was an Asus, so I guess I will just go for the Asus to keep the rhythm, LOL!


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## sam_738844 (Mar 21, 2015)

Prices in india+1080P gaming+ GTX 980=* OVERRKILLL!!!!*

GTX 970 is perfect for 1080P 120Hz. Check the MSI GTX 970 card-height once, yes the height *with the protruding heat pipes*, and then check cabinet width if it touches your bays or side walls of cabinet. If not, buy it eyes closed. It fits in ur budget too. I have this card, top notch performance.


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## ithehappy (Mar 21, 2015)

All right brother, checking both of them out now. Height shouldn't be a problem as I don't remember where my cabinet's side panel is 

PS: Actually the temptation of getting a 980 came when I saw an ad on Ebay where a user is selling his 980 at 39k (Asus Strix) and I can get it with coupon for 35.5k, LOL, but its used, so that's a bummer


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## sam_738844 (Mar 21, 2015)

ithehappy said:


> All right brother, checking both of them out now. Height shouldn't be a problem as I don't remember where my cabinet's side panel is



One word. Dust. BTW MSI GTX 970 is very sexy. very.


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## ithehappy (Mar 21, 2015)

Ha ha I know, however I clean it when I see that it looks like, well a non-cabinet 

Anyway, just seeing the dimensions of the card, well according to MSI's site the card is, 269 x 141 x 35 mm, while my current one is 305x127x45mm, so its much smaller except in height (as you said), now I need to understand how much difference (or problematic) this additional 14 mm will be!

The Asus Strix is 280x140x40 mm, so its bigger than the MSI 970.

This is the conclusion after reading review of both cards, 


> Together with the ASUS GTX 970 STRIX, the MSI GTX 970 Gaming is the best GTX 970 on the market; honestly, I couldn't decide which to pick. They are both awesome and very similar in what they deliver. The only significant difference I could find is that the MSI GTX 970 runs 8°C cooler during gaming while producing the same amount of noise, which could help avoid potential throttling (82°C) if you live in an extremely hot climate with room temperatures far above 30°C. The thermal difference doesn't make a difference to anyone else. ASUS, on the other hand, offers a baseplate, which the MSI card does not. Both cards are also similarly priced. The choice is yours!



Coin flip basically.

What's a baseplate though?


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## sam_738844 (Mar 23, 2015)

^^Did you mean backplate?


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## bssunilreddy (Mar 23, 2015)

Prices in india+1080P gaming+ GTX 980=* OVERRKILLL!!!!*

Zotac GTX960 4GB -18k is better


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## sam_738844 (Mar 23, 2015)

^^ Duh! he wants a 970


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## Nerevarine (Mar 23, 2015)

Q2 2015 is so close
Y U NO wait for the R9 3xx, considering its brand new tech (HBM) and every source on the internet says there's massive performance difference between DDR5 and HBM
Sure the 970 is a solid card for it's price but the 3xx series doh, so close

PS: welcome back to the forum


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## sam_738844 (Mar 23, 2015)

Nerevarine said:


> Q2 2015 is so close
> Y U NO wait for the R9 3xx, considering its brand new tech (HBM) and every source on the internet says there's massive performance difference between DDR5 and HBM
> Sure the 970 is a solid card for it's price but the 3xx series doh, so close
> 
> PS: welcome back to the forum



799$ Card wont come cheap in india, also overkill for 1080p , makes more sense to wait for R9-380X or something. Untill then have to play one game, the WAITING GAME!


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## ithehappy (Mar 23, 2015)

Nah don't want to go the AMD route, no disrespect but I've seen too many complaints about them, especially on software part!

Nah, no more waiting, I've waited long enough, I just don't have any intention to wait any more. Besides I've plan to use this card for two years or something, so I guess it's all right.

I hope this card and the X5675 I'm about to order will help me to play the GTA V and upcoming games at highest settings.

- - - Updated - - -



sam_738844 said:


> ^^Did you mean backplate?



Yes, backplate.


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## SaiyanGoku (Mar 23, 2015)

ithehappy said:


> Nah don't want to go the AMD route, no disrespect but I've seen too many complaints about them, especially on software part!
> 
> Nah, no more waiting, I've waited long enough, I just don't have any intention to wait any more. Besides I've plan to use this card for two years or something, so I guess it's all right.
> 
> ...



How much is that x5675 costing you?


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## sam_738844 (Mar 23, 2015)

ithehappy said:


> Nah don't want to go the AMD route, no disrespect but I've seen too many complaints about them, especially on software part!
> 
> Nah, no more waiting, I've waited long enough, I just don't have any intention to wait any more. Besides I've plan to use this card for two years or something, so I guess it's all right.
> 
> ...



A backplate , essentially is a metallic plate attached to back side of a Graphics Card, covering it entirely to conceal the chip-ends and circuitry from anything outside. 

Pros.

-Enhances the rigidity and durability of the card.
-Prevents the card from warping/bending in its own weight
-Makes the card look more clean neat and cooler.

Cons

--None except it DOES NOT help in performance, it does NOT help in cooling, it does NOT help in noise reduction or anything related to core attributes of a Graphics card.

Conclusion- Its nice to have one, but it doesnt hurt not to. Not a deal breaker. If a better card has no backplate and an inferior(in terms of vcore/mem/boost/price ) one does , buy the former.


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## ithehappy (Mar 24, 2015)

Oh ha ha, its more of an aesthetic thingy then, nothing much of usage when its about performance or cooling, so having it or not, both are okay, as you said.

I am getting it this Thurs or Friday, I will just get whatever is cheaper to be honest. Buying it locally, from MD Computers, not seeing any advantage of buying online as the prices are not any better than the shop.

   [MENTION=150630]sam_738844[/MENTION]: I am reading all these reports that a 970 bottlenecks (or can) older CPUs! Hmm, knowing I have a i7 950 running at stock clock rate, well could that be a problem? I mean I will get the X5675 all right but that's still same frequency, unless I overclock it! Should I be worried about this?


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## sam_738844 (Mar 24, 2015)

A great many things matter alongside with frequency when judging a processor. IPC, cache, boost, efficiency...X5675 is more than cabaple.


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## ithehappy (Mar 24, 2015)

sam_738844 said:


> A great many things matter alongside with frequency when judging a processor. IPC, cache, boost, efficiency...X5675 is more than cabaple.



Oh okay thanks. No problem then.

Off topic query, how much do you think I can get for my 580? It was bought from a member called tkin here some two years ago. It's the MSI Lightning Twin Frozr or something.


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## sam_738844 (Mar 24, 2015)

I know that card, GTX 580 Lightning performs very close to a mobile GTX 780M which i had in my previous laptop, which performs very close to a R9-270X if we try to compare it with a latest gen card. I would say 7-10K depending on warranty left.


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## ithehappy (Mar 25, 2015)

sam_738844 said:


> I know that card, GTX 580 Lightning performs very close to a mobile GTX 780M which i had in my previous laptop, which performs very close to a R9-270X if we try to compare it with a latest gen card. I would say 7-10K depending on warranty left.


Damn if it performs as good as a 780 then how much gain could I expect from a 970! 

Anyway, thanks for your reply, don't think it has any warranty left, so 7-7.5k seems like a fair price for it.


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## SaiyanGoku (Mar 25, 2015)

ithehappy said:


> Damn if it performs as good as a 780 then how much gain could I expect from a 970!
> 
> Anyway, thanks for your reply, don't think it has any warranty left, so 7-7.5k seems like a fair price for it.



780*M* =/= 780 

You never replied how much that x5675 is costing you.


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## arthasdk (Apr 1, 2015)

guys I am also thinking of buying one 2-3 days later, can you suggest which brand to buy MSI/Asus Strix? Please help! thanks

edit : Not April Fool... ffs


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## ithehappy (Apr 29, 2015)

Okay, so I am bringing this topic up, after seeing the other 970 topic about temperature and all that.

The thing is, mine reaches 78°C after playing Advanced Warfare for 45 minutes (and it was a rainy day, so it will only be higher on normal summer days), now to my experience with previous GPUs it's normal, but still, shall I install any software and increase the fans' RPM to make that temp cooler? A CD is provided by Asus with the 970, I didn't bother to see what it contains, does it come with some kind of app which I should install?

Kindly provide your valuable suggestions.


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## shadem99 (May 9, 2015)

*Re: Bought a 970. Temperature related queries*

zotac amp extreme....go for it blindly or zotac amp extreme core edition


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## sam_738844 (May 9, 2015)

ithehappy said:


> Okay, so I am bringing this topic up, after seeing the other 970 topic about temperature and all that.
> 
> The thing is, mine reaches 78°C after playing Advanced Warfare for 45 minutes (and it was a rainy day, so it will only be higher on normal summer days), now to my experience with previous GPUs it's normal, but still, shall I install any software and increase the fans' RPM to make that temp cooler? A CD is provided by Asus with the 970, I didn't bother to see what it contains, does it come with some kind of app which I should install?
> 
> Kindly provide your valuable suggestions.



I have shared this before. Download MSI afterburner or dig the asus app to find out two things, what is the fan-temperature curve your card is currently following and what temperature and fan speed you are getting in realtime, It should be a straightforward curve with fanspeed in Y and temp in X axis, usually set us flat 60 then stepped. 

Meaning if you choose to customize the fan  curve the above programs will allow you to override the existing fan settings, it will bring up the graphic area where you can add your own co-ordinates which will modify the curve and its linearity or curvature and that  profile you can save and apply to make effective. ASUS MSI or other AIB now follow ZerodB protocol which only allows the fans to spin-up after the card reaches > 60 deg c, above that it will follow a standard curve upto allowed threshold temp level.

But if you are not happy with that, you can adjust the curve to let the fan spin at all time but at X=Y factor upto 60 or ++, example at 40 deg c, the fan speed factor is 40~ some RPM, at 50 deg C it will exactly increase to the point where fan speed is exactly equivalent to that X=Y rule factor.

78 deg is not alarming, but no doubt high, and AW has a bad habit of pushing VRAM hard, i got max 70 deg with that game AFAIR. If you download afterburner, you turn it on, you immediately will find rivatuner Statistics Server is active. Open Afterburner, go to On Screen Display Tab, select GPU fanspeed, and temperature and vram usage check boxes to have on OSD, and then go to rivatuner Stat Server to turn OSD service on.

It will display your fanspeed, temp, gpu and vram usage in-game as a HUD on some corners of your screen, that will help you get a better understanding.


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