Most factory overclocked cards are "binned", right?

[razorpakk]

Let's take the 1080 ROG as example: their OC version has to guarantee the base boost of 1936 Mhz, while their non OC version has the safe stock frequencies.

Asus tests all of their chips (unless Nvidia already provides the information when they ship them) and saves the best one for the OC, leaving the rest for non OC and Founders.

This would happen with every AIB with highly overclocked models and different tiers among their library - am I right thinking this?

To me it seems common sense and quite obvious, yet I've seen people disagreeing

 

[MooMoo444]

Some don't bin the chips, they just use conservative overclocks that all cards should reach.

Basically you're paying for the convenience in that case, rather than a cherry.

 

[Razor Time]

Evga rep confirmed that they didn't use binned chips for the 980ti classified and only binned chips were on the kingpin edition.

 

[new boy]

Binned chips are a selling point, they would likely mention it.

 

[razorpakk]

So between Palit Jetstream and GameRock Premier edition there is zero difference, besides the Bios settings?

Wouldn't Palit place their chips among their 4 identical cards based on their speeds? It just seems counter intuitive.

 

[new boy]

Binning takes time, they probably dont bother. + it would make their low end cards look less attractive if you had zero chance of getting a good one because the the best had already been skimmed off.

 

[nashathedog]

Evga rep confirmed that they didn't use binned chips for the 980ti classified and only binned chips were on the kingpin edition.

This is one of the disappointing things about the Classified now there's a Kingpin, I had a 780 Classified that didn't seem to be anything special in the clocking market so now that Classy's aren't binned I probably won't bother with one again and instead will just go with a SSC or more likely an FTW, The addition of an extra expensive limited stock Kingpin card should not of been a reason to remove features from the Classified model.

 

[kalniel]

Generally not binned. You're paying a premium that basically covers a manufacturer's higher return rate if the cards fail to live up to the OC (ie you're kind of buying a warranty).

 

[tyler_jrb]

At this point your just better off going for the card that's the quietest, coolest and best looking. Then hope you get a decent chip. All cards seem to overclock very similarly.

Even most FE cards are clocking better than AIB cards. So proof non are binned as of yet.

 

[andybird123]

Evga rep confirmed that they didn't use binned chips for the 980ti classified and only binned chips were on the kingpin edition.

Binned chips are a selling point, they would likely mention it.

Generally not binned. You're paying a premium that basically covers a manufacturer's higher return rate if the cards fail to live up to the OC (ie you're kind of buying a warranty).

with past cards this was mostly true, but what seems to be happening with the 1080 is that they are struggling to get enough cores to hit the clocks on their "top" overclocked cards, which is why Asus have introduced a non-OC strix to give them somewhere to sell the rejected OC strix's

maybe its just a marketing ploy... I had an Armor OC come in (with a faulty HDMI port meaning I couldn't use it with my Vive where my old 980ti works perfectly), and it would only do 2050 sustained, trying to go any higher and as soon as it hit 65C it would fall over... where as other people with GamingX's and Strixes are saying they are hitting over 2100 at 70-75C, so their chips are hitting higher temps but staying stable at higher settings

now, my sample size of 1 on the armor is not conclusive, but the fact that all of the manufacturers have the same PCB available at different clock speeds and prices along with comments that stock of the top part is slow to come through due to chips not hitting those clocks, it certainly sounds like a certain amount of "binning" of a sort is going on

where you are probably completely open to silicon lottery is on the reference-based cards, as nvidia themselves will not be binning, they will just be slapping cores in boards, so if you want the cheapest "chance" of getting a good core, a base level board is probably the one to go for, if you are planning to replace the cooler, but if you want to be "guaranteed" to get a good core then you probably need to go for one of the cards with stock clocks over 1850, as it will have been tested to be able to hit those clocks on the stock (low noise) fan settings - with better cooling you should also be able to push the clocks even higher

 

[Greebo]

So between Palit Jetstream and GameRock Premier edition there is zero difference, besides the Bios settings?

Wouldn't Palit place their chips among their 4 identical cards based on their speeds? It just seems counter intuitive.

Gainward bin their chips for the GLH versions and have confirmed it. Pallit is the same company/sister company so I would expect them to do the same especially since both their top cards are the same board, cooler and speeds AFAIK.

However, it all depends on numbers. Take the GLH. Put a chip in, does it run at the stock oc speeds? Yes, sell as a GLH. If it doesn, drop it to GS speeds and test. If fail again drop it to the normal card board.

However there may not be enough failed binned chips to supply demand for the lesser cards so some chips may be put straight on them untested.

 

[razorpakk]

Gainward bin their chips for the GLH versions and have confirmed it. Pallit is the same company/sister company so I would expect them to do the same especially since both their top cards are the same board, cooler and speeds AFAIK.

However, it all depends on numbers. Take the GLH. Put a chip in, does it run at the stock oc speeds? Yes, sell as a GLH. If it doesn, drop it to GS speeds and test. If fail again drop it to the normal card board.

However there may not be enough failed binned chips to supply demand for the lesser cards so some chips may be put straight on them untested.

Yep did read that on Gainward's website, and I'm still going to assume most others with clocks above 1870 do the same

 

[Greebo]

This is one of the disappointing things about the Classified now there's a Kingpin, I had a 780 Classified that didn't seem to be anything special in the clocking market so now that Classy's aren't binned I probably won't bother with one again and instead will just go with a SSC or more likely an FTW, The addition of an extra expensive limited stock Kingpin card should not of been a reason to remove features from the Classified model.

Yeah once Kingpins were introduced there really isnt any reason for the classified. You have all that lovely better chokes and power phases and the hole board designed to get maximum performance but ends up with rejected chips from Kingpins.

 

[Greebo]

At this point your just better off going for the card that's the quietest, coolest and best looking. Then hope you get a decent chip. All cards seem to overclock very similarly.

Even most FE cards are clocking better than AIB cards. So proof non are binned as of yet.

Gainward LGH are definitely all hitting top clocks, better than Flounders, from the results I have seen which certainly backs up their claim they are binned chips

However, getting a binned GLH doesnt guarantee you the best overclocks, jsutb that it will do the claimed speed.

For example, lets say a tested chip just passes the claimed clock speeds for a GLH. Thats okay and is sold as one. However, the chip might have been right at its limit and may top out at 2000Mhz.

In general though you will have a better chance of a higher maximum overclock from the binned cards like the GLH.

However, since the performance difference between the best and worst overclock as about 1 or 2 fps, does it matter?

 

[sand_dune]

Let's take the 1080 ROG as example: their OC version has to guarantee the base boost of 1936 Mhz, while their non OC version has the safe stock frequencies.

Asus tests all of their chips (unless Nvidia already provides the information when they ship them) and saves the best one for the OC, leaving the rest for non OC and Founders.

This would happen with every AIB with highly overclocked models and different tiers among their library - am I right thinking this?

To me it seems common sense and quite obvious, yet I've seen people disagreeing

They are not binned, because they are all the same chips. You are not getting any special chips. All those chips overclock well with the right cooling and power supply.

 

[bloodkil]

Out of curiosity, I presume the MSI Lightning cards are also binned?

 

[yoyo59]

Gainward LGH are definitely all hitting top clocks, better than Flounders, from the results I have seen which certainly backs up their claim they are binned chips

However, getting a binned GLH doesnt guarantee you the best overclocks, jsutb that it will do the claimed speed.

For example, lets say a tested chip just passes the claimed clock speeds for a GLH. Thats okay and is sold as one. However, the chip might have been right at its limit and may top out at 2000Mhz.

In general though you will have a better chance of a higher maximum overclock from the binned cards like the GLH.

However, since the performance difference between the best and worst overclock as about 1 or 2 fps, does it matter?

The ''Flounders'' part, it has been shown more than once founders seems to overclock much better than aftermarket partners.

also I flashed a asus strix oc bios on my ''flounders'' and it goes to 2088mhz without touching anything

 

[Brazo]

Founders only clock higher as they are lower clocked to begin with.

It's really not worth the time and effort of a fancy card with the 1080's as a clown edition will match the most expensive Seahawk edition. They all clock the same (within what seems a narrow band of 2050-2100(+).

Choose a card on colour (if your that way inclined) or better coolers will be less noisy but all 1080's are equal when it comes to power output.