GTX 780 Ti GHz Edition vs GTX 980 G1 Gaming benchmarks

[Artas1984]

Greetings!

It's been 3 years and i have finally decided to upgrade my GTX670, which i tested 3 years ago in this thread.
The current candidates for an upgrade are:

Gigabyte GeForce GTX780 Ti GHz Edition and Gigabyte GeForce 980 G1 Gaming

So these are the fastest graphics cards in their own class, respectively from the same manufacturer, and i've bought them both! GTX980 G1 is a totally new graphics card out of the box and GTX780 Ti GHz is a used graphics card, but still has a warranty and in good condition.

Now, techpowerup made this fine review of the GTX980 G1 a year ago and according to it, GTX980 G1 is 15 % faster than the reference GTX780 Ti. That reference GTX780 Ti card is obviously a far cry from the GTX780 Ti GHz Edition, which comes with a massive 210 MHz overclock on top of the reference card's 875 MHz core clock, with that in mind the GTX780 Ti GHz should be much closer to GTX980 G1 and that assumption is the basis and cornerstone of this benchmark.

I am not going to include GTX670, but let me just say this - GTX670 looks like a piece of crap compared to both GTX780 Ti GHz and GTX980 G1, let me just give you one example of how did the FPS change in Metro Last Light Redux.

Metro Last Light Redux (minimal frame rate, fraps 15 seconds custom scene benchmark)

GTX670 WF SOC 4 GB - 42 FPS
GTX780 Ti GHz 3 GB - 83 FPS

About power consumption, noise and heat...

Both cards use dual 8 pin 12V connectors, so you should expect power draws in excess of 300 W if you overclock them further. In my Thermaltake Element V case, both cards seem to peek at 65 degree C after load, so this is not the case of "GTX980 runs cooler".

All the benchmarks were made on 1920X1200 resolution with custom AA settings in each game to stretch the cards to the limit. Since i do not have a larger monitor, custom AA was all i could do, or there would be nothing for the cards to "chew upon". All the game settings were set to maximum possible, and custom ambient occlusion was used for each game.

The benchmark rig is

Core i7 3770 3900 MHz
Asus P8Z77-V LX
Crucial 16 DDR3 1600 MHz CL8 in dual channel config.
Crucial M500 120 GB sata3 Windows drive.
WD RE4 1 Tb sata2 game drive

Windows 7 Pro 64 bit.
NVIDIA Forceware 355.82 drivers.

Click on the video to see the presentation GTX780 Ti GHz Edition vs GTX980 G1 Gaming benchmarks

Alan Wake American Nightmare (fraps 15 second benchmark)



Arma 3 (fraps 15 second benchmark)



Batman Arkham Origins (game benchmark)



Battlefield 4 (fraps 15 second benchmark)



Bioshock Infinite Burial at Sea (fraps 15 second benchmark)



Call of Duty Advanced Warfare (fraps 15 second benchmark)



Company of Heroes 2 (game benchmark)



Crysis 3 (fraps 15 second benchmark)



Dragon Age Inquisition (fraps 15 second benchmark)



F1 2015 (fraps 15 second benchmark)



Far Cry 4 (fraps 15 second benchmark)



FEAR 3 (fraps 15 second benchmark)



Hard Reset (game benchmark)



Hitman Absolution (game benchmark)



Max Payne 3 (fraps 15 second benchmark)



Metro Last Light Redux (fraps 15 second benchmark)



Rainbow Six Siege (fraps 15 second benchmark)



Serious Sam 3 BFE (fraps 15 second benchmark)



Starcraft 2 Legacy of the Void (fraps 15 second benchmark)



Tomb Raider (game benchmark)



Watch Dogs (fraps 15 second benchmark)



Witcher 3 Wild Hunt (fraps 15 second benchmark)



PERFORMANCE SUMMARY (average FPS)



CONCLUSIONS

Both cards are roughly equal in performance, with GTX980 G1 having a very slight advantage.

 

[Bo$$]

couldn't you just paste these graphs into the post rather than make a youtube video.

you also haven't discussed the differences that boost clocks between the two cards behave and how that will skew results

 

[eidairaman1]

Just go 980 non ti

 

[Artas1984]

I've updated the thread - included pictures with results.

 

[Kanan]

If you have more time you could make the same benches (or just a few of them) with max overclocks on both cards, would be interesting too - but I guess the 980 will win this easily.

 

[centaurius]

Yup nice benchmarkss. Basically a stock 780 TI is close also with a stock 980.

 

[Fluffmeister]

I thought Kepler was supposed to be gimped?

 

[rtwjunkie]

I thought Kepler was supposed to be gimped?

If you remember when W1zzard did his 980 reviews last year that at stock they paired alot like the above tests. I believe he said the 980 was the 780 Ti replacement. I'm pretty sure it has more overclock room than the Ti, so that is probably where it runs away and Kepler gets "gimped" as you say.

 

[Artas1984]

UPDATE - i have included a performance summary screenshot of average FPS.

If you have more time you could make the same benches (or just a few of them) with max overclocks on both cards, would be interesting too - but I guess the 980 will win this easily.

Well, the GTX780 Ti GHz is so so over-clocked out of the box, that there is almost no headroom left for further overclocking. GTX980 G1, despite being also heavily overclocked from the box has a bit more headroom for oc, but Gigabyte is not a brand known for extensive overclocking capabilities - am i right?

 

[Bo$$]

extensive overclocking capabilities - am i right?

they've overclocked like trash in my limited experience, but each card is different. via board design you'll likely get more out of an MSI or EVGA card than a gigabyte

 

[Kanan]

UPDATE - i have included a performance summary screenshot of average FPS.




Well, the GTX780 Ti GHz is so so over-clocked out of the box, that there is almost no headroom left for further overclocking. GTX980 G1, despite being also heavily overclocked from the box has a bit more headroom for oc, but Gigabyte is not a brand known for extensive overclocking capabilities - am i right?

Depends. The good Gigabyte cards like G1 Gaming 980 Ti overclock very good, at least 1450 MHz, my friends got over 1500. I think you should give it a try.

 

[EarthDog]

Well done, again!

But, doesn't w1zzard do this anyway with the summary on all of his reviews (yes)?
https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NVIDIA/GeForce_GTX_980/26.html

I like the zeal, but I think your focus would be better for users on things that are not already tested...I mean the HT vs no HT... already done multiple times... this... old news and many comparisons out like it already. About the only thing we can take away from this that would be 'fresh' information are the newer drivers used.

 

[BarbaricSoul]

Well, the GTX780 Ti GHz is so so over-clocked out of the box, that there is almost no headroom left for further overclocking.

You don't say?

and it'll go farther

 

[Kanan]

You don't say?

and it'll go farther

Nice, water cooling? How far will it go?

 

[BarbaricSoul]

I can get to 1.4 GHz, but with the stock heatsink, it'll over heat

it just a EVGA GTX780ti SC with the ACX heatsink on it.

https://www.evga.com/Products/Specs/GPU.aspx?pn=E4755EA0-12DF-4F22-ABA3-650C494D83DC

edited: I don't think my ACX cooler is the 2.0 version, so that was removed from the card description.

 

[Ithanul]

Yeah, those 780Tis can fly, but keeping them cooled off is the trick.
But they are power hunger buggers. Kind of the reason I never allowed my two OG Titans to run 24/7 while folding. Darn things pulled a buttload of Watts just on stock clocks.

? Over 1400MHz is consider a good OC for a Maxwell? Stares at my cards....I must be lucky with used ones I nab or something. Got three of the buggers running at 1540MHz, one on stock volts, the other two have modified BIOS for higher volts.

 

[Kanan]

Yeah, those 780Tis can fly, but keeping them cooled off is the trick.
But they are power hunger buggers. Kind of the reason I never allowed my two OG Titans to run 24/7 while folding. Darn things pulled a buttload of Watts just on stock clocks.

? Over 1400MHz is consider a good OC for a Maxwell? Stares at my cards....I must be lucky with used ones I nab or something. Got three of the buggers running at 1540MHz, one on stock volts, the other two have modified BIOS for higher volts.

I'd say 1450+ is good for Maxwells (2nd gen). 1500+ is very good and everything even higher than let's say 1520 is somewhat lucky.

@BarbaricSoul : did you increase the voltage, what mods are you using? Stock bios? I have a 780 Ti myself but without mods I can't reach anything higher than about 1220 MHz on the GPU - DCUII and 92% ASIC. Are your clocks 3DMark/Game stable?

 

[Ithanul]

I'd say 1450+ is good for Maxwells (2nd gen). 1500+ is very good and everything even higher than let's say 1520 is somewhat lucky.

@BarbaricSoul : did you increase the voltage, what mods are you using? Stock bios? I have a 780 Ti myself but without mods I can't reach anything higher than about 1220 MHz on the GPU - DCUII and 92% ASIC. Are your clocks 3DMark/Game stable?

Hmmm, I tend to see many peeps on a different forum always getting over 1500MHz on stock volts. Most there try to aim for 1600MHz. One guy had two 970s that could go over 1600MHz.

My two Tis can go higher if I game with them. But while folding they stay at 1540MHz. Highest I pushed one was 1570MHz.

 

[Kanan]

Hmmm, I tend to see many peeps on a different forum always getting over 1500MHz on stock volts. Most there try to aim for 1600MHz. One guy had two 970s that could go over 1600MHz.

My two Tis can go higher if I game with them. But while folding they stay at 1540MHz. Highest I pushed one was 1570MHz.

Wow that's impressive. I thought ~1520 is somewhat maximum most could achieve (@GM200 w/ 2816 shaders), seems I'm wrong. My friends 980 TI G1 Gaming only can do over 1500 if he ups the voltages. What's the best 980 Ti card in your opinion?

 

[EarthDog]

With these, it is common to see 1475-1525. Below that is a dud, above 1525 is a solid card.

Same with 980 TI's and its core clock.

 

[Ithanul]

Wow that's impressive. I thought ~1520 is somewhat maximum most could achieve (@GM200 w/ 2816 shaders), seems I'm wrong. My friends 980 TI G1 Gaming only can do over 1500 if he ups the voltages. What's the best 980 Ti card in your opinion?

I only have the two EVGA ones. I could go look at the chart they keep up on the OCes peeps manage to get.
But seems the Gigabyte G1s are big fav atm over there.
Though, silicon lottery is the big thing with computer parts. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don't.

The little 960 I have runs 1540MHz on stock volts with no probs while folding. Have yet to push farther, but it probably can.
The 980Tis I have yet to bench run them. But previous owner said he got them 1560MHz-1570MHz while benching them. Their modded BIOS allow me 1.274V, so I can get a good amount of headroom.

Well, got bored and benched one of the 980Tis. 1571MHz/8001MHz. Darn, hardy bugger.

 

[Artas1984]

Well done, again!

But, doesn't w1zzard do this anyway with the summary on all of his reviews (yes)?
https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NVIDIA/GeForce_GTX_980/26.html

I like the zeal, but I think your focus would be better for users on things that are not already tested...

I have pointed in the beginning of the thread, earthdog, that i saw wizzard's Gigabyte GTX980 G1 review stating that Gigabyte GTX980 G1 is 15 % faster than stock GTX780 Ti and then you linked a summary stating than stock GTX980 is 7 % faster than stock GTX780 Ti. So if you think about it, there are no benchmarks about Gigabyte GTX980 G1 vs Gigabyte GTX780 Ti GHz, which makes my thread not a thing that already has been tested. Also, with this benchmark, i have "brought" the GTX780 Ti to the closest ever result in comparison with GTX980. If stock GTX980 was just 7 % faster than stock GTX780 Ti according to w1zzard, then the GTX980 G1 is just 1 % faster than GTX780 Ti GHz, so there was definitely a point to this benchmark, earthdog.

Besides, in my tests you can find games not used in techpowerup reviews, so my benchies will always be a bit different.. Perhaps you can finally agree with this. And besides, even if it has been done, i get "fun and satisfaction" from making these tests.

The video cards, obviously, could be overclocked like hell, if properly tried, but sorry, guys, it's been a long time since i prefer not to overclock video cards, i wish that you respect this decision of mine. Only very rarely do i oc video cards. These GTX780 Ti and GTX980 were expensive, you know, so i'd rather not risk in any actions, that might lead to premature wearing...

You don't say?

and it'll go farther

Nice one BarbaricSoul, truly, but it's an Evga model, not a Gigabyte. Anyway, my point was correct - the Gigabyte GTX780 Ti GHz Edition is the most heavily overclocked video card out of the box that you can buy. Even the reviewers themselves note that this video card is hard to overclock:

http://www.eteknix.com/gigabyte-gtx-780-ti-ghz-edition-3gb-graphics-card-review/19/

"Unsurprisingly there wasn’t much further we could go with this card given how high it was already clocked. The tiny 12MHz boost speed jump over the reference Nvidia GTX 780 Ti means the Gigabyte GHz edition just about tops our charts"

http://www.bjorn3d.com/2014/01/giga...-review-super-overclock-now-sleeker-cooler/4/

The GPU Clock was able to be raised from a boost clock of 1150 to 1185 which is a 3% or modest increase overall. But you must remember that the card is already increased over 222MHz over a default clocked card.

http://hexus.net/tech/reviews/graphics/63057-gigabyte-geforce-gtx-780-ti-ghz-edition/?page=12

Can the GHz Edition go further? Yep, a little bit. We were only able to add another 40MHz to the core before running into stability issues

These days i have to back-up my words it seems, that's ok, as long as i prove my statements.