GPU brands differences ?

[dave28]

I know this info is online somewhere and i am going to look at reviews closer to the time i get a new card but i thought i would ask anyway, you never know things might have changed recently or whatever or someone is at a lose end and doesnt mind answering.....

Of course there are the FE editions but im more interested in the brands like MSI, Plait, Zotac, EVGA and others.

Are there significant differences between the brands, what are the best brands, is one more reliable than another, do they all have lower, mid and high end cards of various quality, what to look for in a card etc etc.... Anything else important to know.....

thanks in advance

 

[rumple9]

Nvidia & AMD sell the pcb to AIB's with the gfx chip and memory soldered on. So the only difference between brands is the capacitors, the heatsink and fans. Some AIB's put 2 hdmi 2.1 ports on instead of one. Different cards have different overclocks.

For example the EVGA 3080TI FTW Ultra (1800Mhz boost clock) at 4k is 3-9% faster (dependant upon the game) than the 3080ti founder's edition (1670Mhz boost clock). This might sound a lot but in reality it's only a few fps. However the EVGA costs 20% more at rrp

In essence all cards are pretty much the same, the only real difference being cooling solution and the price

 

[robj20]

Nvidia & AMD sell the pcb to AIB's with the gfx chip and memory soldered on. So the only difference between brands is the capacitors, the heatsink and fans. Some AIB's put 2 hdmi 2.1 ports on instead of one. Different cards have different overclocks.

For example the EVGA 3080TI FTW Ultra (1800Mhz boost clock) at 4k is 3-9% faster (dependant upon the game) than the 3080ti founder's edition (1670Mhz boost clock). This might sound a lot but in reality it's only a few fps. However the EVGA costs 20% more at rrp

In essence all cards are pretty much the same, the only real difference being cooling solution and the price

It can't be that simple.
I think they have the option of a reference design layout, but I've had cards that are completely different. 670 FTW for instance was a 670 processor using a 680 PCB.

 

[Aretak]

Nvidia & AMD sell the pcb to AIB's with the gfx chip and memory soldered on. So the only difference between brands is the capacitors, the heatsink and fans. Some AIB's put 2 hdmi 2.1 ports on instead of one. Different cards have different overclocks.

For example the EVGA 3080TI FTW Ultra (1800Mhz boost clock) at 4k is 3-9% faster (dependant upon the game) than the 3080ti founder's edition (1670Mhz boost clock). This might sound a lot but in reality it's only a few fps. However the EVGA costs 20% more at rrp

In essence all cards are pretty much the same, the only real difference being cooling solution and the price

That's untrue. There's always a reference PCB design that manufacturers can use if they wish, but most design their own beefed-up (or sometimes costed-down) PCBs too. Just a few examples of 3080 Tis:

Founders Edition:

EVGA FTW3:

Asus Strix:

All very different designs and shapes. The only part the AIBs buy from Nvidia is the package with the GPU die mounted on it. Everything else is their own choice, so long as it meets Nvidia's specs. The actual real-world difference in modern cards is almost nothing though. They're all so locked down and power/voltage limited that unless you're getting into extreme overclocking or physical modification, one PCB is as good as another, with the most effective and quietest cooler being the biggest concern for most people.

 

[Purgatory]

Nvidia & AMD sell the pcb to AIB's with the gfx chip and memory soldered on. So the only difference between brands is the capacitors, the heatsink and fans. Some AIB's put 2 hdmi 2.1 ports on instead of one. Different cards have different overclocks.

For example the EVGA 3080TI FTW Ultra (1800Mhz boost clock) at 4k is 3-9% faster (dependant upon the game) than the 3080ti founder's edition (1670Mhz boost clock). This might sound a lot but in reality it's only a few fps. However the EVGA costs 20% more at rrp

In essence all cards are pretty much the same, the only real difference being cooling solution and the price

Thats not right. Nvidia sell the gpu chip and memory only to the aibs. The reference design is given to the AIBs by Nvidia and they can make it better if they decide and they make the boards the AIBS not Nvidia. Nvidia then will approve the boards if they pass the Nvidia reference levels or match it. Same with cooling that is upto the AIBs how they cool their cards, Air or water or anything they think will sell.

 

[Purgatory]

I know this info is online somewhere and i am going to look at reviews closer to the time i get a new card but i thought i would ask anyway, you never know things might have changed recently or whatever or someone is at a lose end and doesnt mind answering.....

Of course there are the FE editions but im more interested in the brands like MSI, Plait, Zotac, EVGA and others.

Are there significant differences between the brands, what are the best brands, is one more reliable than another, do they all have lower, mid and high end cards of various quality, what to look for in a card etc etc.... Anything else important to know.....

thanks in advance

The real question should be , which card are you after 3080,3080ti,3090, AMD ? Then people can tell you which model is good from which AIB, some AIBs have more than one model , one maybe really good another average.


A good example right now is to avoid the EVGA FTW3 cards as they have a design fault that bricks the card in time.

 

[dave28]

The real question should be , which card are you after 3080,3080ti,3090, AMD ? Then people can tell you which model is good from which AIB, some AIBs have more than one model , one maybe really good another average.


A good example right now is to avoid the EVGA FTW3 cards as they have a design fault that bricks the card in time.

Was aiming for 3070 later this year, still find them pricey at the moment so im holding back

 

[CuriousTomCat]

The main difference to worry about between brands is RMA location. MSI RMA for example, is based in Poland and you have to pay your own postage which is expensive when you insure it for the full price of the GPU.

 

[dave28]

The main difference to worry about between brands is RMA location. MSI RMA for example, is based in Poland and you have to pay your own postage which is expensive when you insure it for the full price of the GPU.

That is a fantastic point that never even crossed my mind. Do you know what ones are UK RMA because that could decide it for me since im not keen on sending internationally if i can avoid it

 

[KompuKare]

The main difference to worry about between brands is RMA location. MSI RMA for example, is based in Poland and you have to pay your own postage which is expensive when you insure it for the full price of the GPU.

Plus due to something starting with 'B' and sounding like exit, any brand whose RMA isn't in the UK will mean having to fill in custom forms.
In theory warranty returns should be VAT + import duty free both ways, but there have been horror stories.

 

[ASMB]

There can be a big difference in the quality of cards from an individual brand, let alone between brands, eg see this video for an example of 3060 cards,

This is why when some people buy an Asus card they want a Strix or if they get a Gigabyte an Elite or Master Aorus card. My Aorus Elite 3060 has 2 power connectors compared to the one power connector on many 3060 cards and overclocks better than the Gigabyte cards below it. Review - AORUS GeForce RTX 3060 ELITE 12G (tech-critter.com)

 

[dave28]

Plus due to something starting with 'B' and sounding like exit, any brand whose RMA isn't in the UK will mean having to fill in custom forms.
In theory warranty returns should be VAT + import duty free both ways, but there have been horror stories.

Yeah i hear you, an added thing that can go wrong / delayed / cause a sudden headache

 

[CuriousTomCat]

That is a fantastic point that never even crossed my mind. Do you know what ones are UK RMA because that could decide it for me since im not keen on sending internationally if i can avoid it

Gigabyte are UK based.

I'm not sure who else is UK based. EVGA used to be UK based but I believe the Germany office deals with returns these days.

 

[varkanoid]

Gigabyte are UK based.

I'm not sure who else is UK based. EVGA used to be UK based but I believe the Germany office deals with returns these days.

yeah EVGA is Germany for returns thats where my 2080ti went.

 

[dave28]

Gigabyte are UK based.

I'm not sure who else is UK based. EVGA used to be UK based but I believe the Germany office deals with returns these days.

thanks i will remember that, UK based ones will be a priority. im very glad this was pointed out to me at this stage