EVGA, ASUS, MSI, and Gigabyte would be what I'd classify as first class and if you're the type that really prefers quality over saving a few bucks, I'd stick with them. There are other manufacturers that end up making good cards, but these are the quality standbys in my experience.
Edit - also have fun with the upgrade. That should be a pretty satisfying bump.
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Also worth remembering that factory overclocked cards generally have higher failure rates than their non-OC'd counterparts. So if you can find one you like with a good cooler that you don't have to pay extra for a factory OC, opt for that. You can of course always go back later and do some OCing of your own if you want to.
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They seem to have very low failure rates in their boards of various kinds. They may not have as many bells and whistles as ASUS, but they don't cost as much and are excellent quality so they have my vote too :)
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Well, I think the best model is the Gigabyte G1. Gaming, but it's the most expensive, another good model is the MSI GTX 970 Gaming G4. These ones have more clock than their rivals, and OC quite well.
Anyway, I think you should wait to september, when AMD or Nvidia should launch their new lineup of GPUs (R9 390x or 980Ti), and the prices will be lower to actual prices, if you want to buy a GTX 970.
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Always better to let competition drive prices down for you, but 4 months is a long time to wait for a $30-50 price drop (likely in that range) when you've got a card that's frequently overheating now. /2cents
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I was looking at the Gigabyte G1, i have a Gigabyte mobo so thats why i'm considering it as an option.
I don't think i'll have the option of waiting, unless i severly lower the graphics in games the card is shutting down when it gets to hot, even with a high fan rate set on afterburner.
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You get more bang for your buck. IE, every dollar you pay for AMD will get you better performance than their Nvidia counterparts. Both brands have their pros and cons however.
For example, even though AMD cards are more powerful per dollar spent, they also use more electricity and produce more heat. So you gotta weigh what's more important to you. High-end cards of both brands are still more than will be needed for years in any videogame however, so either choice will do you well =)
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Well that's just a nonsensical brand war mentality. They both have their pros and cons and neutral differences. Through all my computers that used AMD I have received no problems running a game. Through every computer I used that used Nvidia I have received no problems running a game.
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No idea what you are talking about. The only issues I've had with either brand are their multi-gpu systems. Crossfire causes massive flickering when blood gets on the screen in Dying Light. And SLI crashes Shadow of Mordor every 10-20 minutes. Crossfire got drivers for DA:I first, and SLI got drivers for ED first. Both brands with their single-gpu systems are very efficient and very cut out for gaming. My gaming community has a large mix of persons using AMD and Nvidia, most actually switching around with each subsequent computer, and we are all very happy with our builds (Though the multi-gpu builds get some complaints sometimes =P). To say either is bad in that you SHOULD pick one over the other is to say oranges are edible and apples are not. It's nonsensical. They're both fantastic brands of hardware. To hate one is to add senseless stress to mind, unless you personally experience major issues with one, in which case it would be understandable.
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Asus 0dB Strix have nice cooling systems, Strix card cooling fans never kick into action unless the GPU temperature surpasses 65˚C, ASUS DirectCU II thermal design means that these new graphics cards can run, 20% cooler and 3X quieter than reference, which is a good result.
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Aftermarket cooler? Arctic accelero Hybrid 1 or 2? Silent and powerful. 970 are nice and can be had with great game bundle. Although the amd 390x is soon to be had for titan like perf. If you can wait 1-2months.
If you go nvidia route keep in mind most cards have agressive sidenoises coming from the coils which imho are unbearable. The msi 970 is least affected but keep that in mind if youre silent oriented.
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You realize he's been using a 1.5GB card this whole time, right?
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If you don't mind microstuttering, and in some games (dying light) crashes (with nvidia's recommended settings) then go ahead and buy it. (i have a gigabyte g1 gaming gtx970, i tried to do a refund, but shop didn't do it, "consumer proctection" just told me that deal with it, meanwhile in US ppl were able to get refund.. (TL;DR: it looks like its legal to scam in my country.))
EDIT: just wait for AMD 300 series....
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I cannot wait for the 300 series. Mostly I hope by the time I make my new PC the 300 series in in their 2nd or 3rd generation. I'm currently rocking 2 270Xs so I won't need an upgrade for awhile, I'm hoping it lasts me til the 300 series is in its prime ^_^
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As not many people buy several cards of the same series but with different manufacturers, it is actually a question of brand preference and/or performance test results. The first is subjective (though I can't really argue with the list of Tallpaul02), while the latter is just one google away. :)
I have a Gigabyte G1 970 for some time now and it runs well.
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Sounds like you made a solid choice. That card should serve you well. I probably would have bought the same thing, but I just got done upgrading my mobo, CPU, RAM, OS, and HDD. I'm broke. P
On the flip side, my GPU is now my bottleneck, so things will only get better with time. D
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I feel you pain with the heat problem. I had 2 x GTX480's in SLI and HAD to water cool the lot. Worked awesomely till now. I got myself 2 x GTX970 MSI Gaming cards and man what a difference. Playing Far Cry 4 on 5760x1200 glory =D Wishing you all the best with probably the best bang-for-buck card on the market.
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Nah, I close them too after they go quiet, I thinks it's better for the site's management too
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No, it's by design. Still, most games will only need 3Gb of ram at 1080p and it's still a great card
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Which for someone that has been getting by on 1.5GB this whole time will be completely unimportant.
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OMG me so jelly! That promotion of free Witcher 3 and Arkham Knight is just plain overkill, Nvidia is giving you 2 of the best games of the year for FREE! $120 in savings... man, have fun for all of us who will have to wait a couple of years for the discounts :]
Also, enjoy that sweet sweet GPU, the GTX 970 and the R9 290X are pretty much the best deals in the market right now.
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Idk what country you are from but this has been on sale all day.
After selling the two games, the price for the card is like $250.
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I'm having overheating problems with my EVGA GTX580 (it's almost 4 years old), i've ordered some thermal pads and paste to attempt to squeeze a few more weeks/months? of life from it but i'm not holding out much hope. I don't need advice or links for cards but i do need advice on card makers. Apart from EVGA i dont know much about the miriad of companies now making video cards so if some of the tech heads on here could point a guy in the right direction it would be much appreciated.
[edit]
ordered the Gigabyte GTX970 G1 (also get Witcher 3 AND Arkham Knight FREE), thanks to everybody who took the time to post, below is a little something for all y'all, hope you like.
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