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GPU brands hierarchy...

  • Thread starter Thread starter zer
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i think its best to look at individual reviews and teardowns.

also some companies dont have a UK based warranty return as far as i remember
 
ChocAndGray said:
From what I've read Sapphire are the go to high end amd card though aren't they?
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The Sapphire cards have often had great cooling and build quality, but having owned both, I'd say that PowerColor and MSI Gaming X cards are just as good (if not better), for the latest generation of cards. Sapphire seem to optimise their BIOS for low noise, which leads to higher temps. Can't comment on warranty/RMA, but from what I've seen on OCUK, Sapphire have a longer warranty.
 
Tetras said:
The Sapphire cards have often had great cooling and build quality, but having owned both, I'd say that PowerColor and MSI Gaming X cards are just as good (if not better), for the latest generation of cards. Sapphire seem to optimise their BIOS for low noise, which leads to higher temps. Can't comment on warranty/RMA, but from what I've seen on OCUK, Sapphire have a longer warranty.
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Really my Sapphire never goes above 70 and is whisper quiet.
 
EVGA, ASUS, and Gigabyte seem to have the best warranties. I have no idea what the RMA experience is like for those brands though. It would be interesting to hear about that as my next upgrade will be coming in a few months and I'd like to make a smart choice.
 
Gigabyte are the only company that I know to have a UK RMA centre for GPUs. That alone puts them at the top of my list for any future GPU purchases. I believe that Zotac do too (they certainly did as recently as 2020), but I'm not 100% sure. EVGA used to have one, but closed it and you now have to send things to Germany. All the others are in mainland Europe or China.

Might as well decide purely on warranty and potential RMA experience, as all of them make both good and bad products, fanboyism and marketing budgets aside.
 
Aretak said:
Gigabyte are the only company that I know to have a UK RMA centre for GPUs. That alone puts them at the top of my list for any future GPU purchases.
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That helps but would you not prefer to deal with the retailer direct if given the choice?

I had an issue with a graphics card and the retailer swapped it over for me. Even had the RMA centre been in the UK I'd not have had that same result as quickly.
 
ChocAndGray said:
That helps but would you not prefer to deal with the retailer direct if given the choice?

I had an issue with a graphics card and the retailer swapped it over for me. Even had the RMA centre been in the UK I'd not have had that same result as quickly.
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you deal with the retailer for the duration of the warranty, after that its manufacturer
 
ChocAndGray said:
That helps but would you not prefer to deal with the retailer direct if given the choice?

I had an issue with a graphics card and the retailer swapped it over for me. Even had the RMA centre been in the UK I'd not have had that same result as quickly.
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Problem is, most retailers won't do that, especially if we're talking a year or two down the line. Usually they'll forward the card on to the manufacturer for you, which is a process that can take weeks or even months when international shipping is involved. I've read plenty of horror stories about people waiting months to get cards back that had to go to China. And you have to be dealing with a place like OcUK to even get that. If you buy from somewhere that doesn't primarily sell PC parts, they won't have those relationships in place. I once tried to RMA a card that I'd bought somewhere like that direct with Asus and they were having none of it. Said I had to go through the retailer, who were also having none of it and told me my warranty was with the manufacturer. Got nowhere with either of them and ended up selling the card as faulty on Ebay. Fortunately, it was a fairly cheap card that I could afford to just write off.
 
Alt0153 said:
you deal with the retailer for the duration of the warranty, after that its manufacturer
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What I meant was having the part replaced with the retailer.

Not every retailer will act as a middleman with the manufacturer, some do and will just forward the card on to the manufacturer on your behalf, some will fob you off to the manufacturer and some would offer a refund/replace.

When I buy things I always take into account a return/faulty process. There are certain retailers I wouldn’t use due to their after sales.

And in general I would always avoid dealing with the manufacturer where possible as the service is often poor.

Also the point you make about dealing with the retailer for the duration of the warranty isn’t correct in my experience. Some fob you off to the manufacturer after 30 days.

You’re always free to contact the manufacturer at any point but some of them try and fob you off back to the retailer.

Aretak said:
Problem is, most retailers won't do that, especially if we're talking a year or two down the line. Usually they'll forward the card on to the manufacturer for you, which is a process that can take weeks or even months when international shipping is involved.
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Yes that’s a fair point and you’re right that after a certain time most retailers would fob you off to the manufacturer.

I have a power supply with a 12 year warranty and I know I’d have no chance of the place I bought it swapping it out in 3 years lol
 
Well, then another aspect is who the best retailers are. No question mark there as any comparison is probably a forbidden topic. But what is OcUK's policy on that front?
 
Wucked said:
Well, then another aspect is who the best retailers are. No question mark there as any comparison is probably a forbidden topic. But what is OcUK's policy on that front?
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I know we can't give recommendations (or names) but there's one that offers a 48 hour warranty replacement on eligible products which is very good.

Otherwise if it's a different product you're pretty much the same position as with everyone else where they'll just forward it onto the manufacturer on your behalf.

There's only one retailer where you'd stand a good chance of getting a full refund during the warranty period. But even their customer service isn't what it once was
 
For AMD cards I always seem to gravitate towards Sapphire first, then XFX and Powercolor as equal seconds.

For Nvida Cards I would pick EVGA or Zotac first because of the 5yr warranty, I've had Palit and Inno3D cards before and have always been pleasantly surprised by the build quality.

Asus always seems to strike me as quite overpriced for what you actually get compared to most of the above so I would probably dodge them.

That said I've never had to RMA a gpu in the 16 years I've been a PC gamer so I don't think I can really comment on the customer experience with any of them.
 
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