Another GPU brand question.

[Toothless]

So I'm itching to pull the trigger on a GPU upgrade but I want to hear from you guys on what you use. I'm used to EVGA, MSI, and PNY for cards and Gigabyte and ASUS for board and the only brand I've had issues with was ASUS and their stuff dying in three months and horrid RMA.

I'm tempted to give ASUS one more go with the 1080TI but I wanna hear from you all how you feel about all the brands.

I see stuff from Zotac because I like big cards and I cannot lie.

 

[alucasa]

I generally go with brands that offer better warranties or have better warranties reviews.

Or sometimes I choose one with an appearance I like, like backplate, being shorter than the rest, and so on. In that sense, I don't care at all about brands themselves.

 

[Toothless]

I'm really picky on customer service and so far the best customer service I've had is from G.Skill when I sent them an email about a feature and a month later the feature was released. Asus mailed a RMA to the wrong state.

 

[alucasa]

I've never had a GPU die on me ever for almost 20 years, so I wouldn't know.

I had MSI 760GTX. My GPU now is PNY 1060 6gb. I also Powercolor ATI GPU, EVGA, ASUS... Pretty much all brands at some random points.

 

[LFaWolf]

If customer service is what you value the most, hands down EVGA is my choice. If you open a ticket, you will usually hear back within the day, if not hours. I have never had issues with EVGA, whereas ASUS took a week to respond to my initial ticket. Then another week for the next response.

 

[MrGenius]

MSI, PNY, and PowerColor are brands I would buy a graphics card from again. The only other brand I've bought in the past is BFG. They no longer exist, but I'd consider them too if they did.

Bottom line: I haven't had a bad experience with any brand of GPU...yet. Knock on wood...

 

[Kanan]

Well Asus and Evga are supposed to have the best (longest) warranties/services but I wouldn't bet on it. Aside from that, EVGA/Asus/MSI are the best brands, you can't do anything wrong buying one of their custom (top) GPUs.

 

[Grings]

Zotac have the longest warranties (5 year), evga only give 3 nowadays (and asus & msi)

 

[Vayra86]

I'm really picky on customer service and so far the best customer service I've had is from G.Skill when I sent them an email about a feature and a month later the feature was released. Asus mailed a RMA to the wrong state.

If you're picky about customer service, ASUS should be rock bottom on your priority list. When it comes to RMA on individual components they suck monkey balls. Strangely, when it comes to prebuilt systems like laptops, they do fine.

Personal order of preference:

MSI - top dog. Good cust. service, always top of the pack cooling/noise deltas. Hands down most silent open-air cooling (with most pleasant noise curve too, no strange fan spin up noises - I only (faintly!) hear my TwinFrozR VI at 75% fanspeed or more!)

Palit/Gainward - released the coolest Pascal open-air solutions this round. Good cooling/noise delta. Can't speak of cust. service but haven't seen anything that made me frown. I do know Qubit was super unlucky with his GameRock.

Zotac - looks good, no personal experience. Good warranty policy. Good results on cooling.

Gigabyte - drops the ball on noise and cooling solutions in the top end. Decent allrounders, no more. Decent cust. service. Have yet to receive the first good binning on a Gigabyte GPU - my 780ti could barely hit 1 Ghz.

EVGA - always fucks up their cooling in one way or another, but has the highest % of top-end binned cards. My 1070 could reliably hit 2176mhz on the core! Very solid cust. service, but also a high chance of actually needing to use it.

ASUS - it's always a surprise what new tricks Asus has up its sleeve, like a Strix card that can't OC versus one that can, or reusing coolers so heatpipes don't connect. It's hit or miss, their Pascal line up is pretty solid though. Cust service is shit.


All my personal experience comes from:
EVGA GTX 660 SC x2 SLI (bought and used)
EVGA GTX 1070 FTW (returned)
MSI GTX 1080 Gaming X (bought and used)
MSI GTX 770 Gaming (2nd hand bought and used)
Gigabyte 780ti (2nd hand bought and used)
MSI 7970 Lightning (returned)
ASUS 280X (returned)

Not going further back because pre-Kepler shouldn't be a metric anymore IMO.

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

If you're picky about customer service, ASUS should be rock bottom on your priority list. When it comes to RMA on individual components they suck monkey balls. Strangely, when it comes to prebuilt systems like laptops, they do fine.

Personal order of preference:

MSI - top dog. Good cust. service, always top of the pack cooling/noise deltas. Hands down most silent open-air cooling (with most pleasant noise curve too, no strange fan spin up noises - I only (faintly!) hear my TwinFrozR VI at 75% fanspeed or more!)

Palit/Gainward - released the coolest Pascal open-air solutions this round. Good cooling/noise delta. Can't speak of cust. service but haven't seen anything that made me frown. I do know Qubit was super unlucky with his GameRock.

Zotac - looks good, no personal experience. Good warranty policy. Good results on cooling.

Gigabyte - drops the ball on noise and cooling solutions in the top end. Decent allrounders, no more. Decent cust. service. Have yet to receive the first good binning on a Gigabyte GPU - my 780ti could barely hit 1 Ghz.

EVGA - always fucks up their cooling in one way or another, but has the highest % of top-end binned cards. My 1070 could reliably hit 2176mhz on the core! Very solid cust. service, but also a high chance of actually needing to use it.

ASUS - it's always a surprise what new tricks Asus has up its sleeve, like a Strix card that can't OC versus one that can, or reusing coolers so heatpipes don't connect. It's hit or miss, their Pascal line up is pretty solid though. Cust service is shit.


All my personal experience comes from:
EVGA GTX 660 SC x2 SLI (bought and used)
EVGA GTX 1070 FTW (returned)
MSI GTX 1080 Gaming X (bought and used)
Gigabyte 780ti (bought and used)
MSI 7970 Lightning (returned)
ASUS 280X (returned)

Not going further back because pre-Kepler shouldn't be a metric anymore IMO.

I'd like to add that MSI still has the best software on that list.

 

[R-T-B]

EVGA has some excellent customer service, I've even documented them paying for a mobo they wrecked with a bad GPU here.

That said, I can't say their build quality is top notch, I have used their returns a bit too much afterall, but if you get a good unit, it tends to be solid.

 

[Dippyskoodlez]

EVGA has some excellent customer service, I've even documented them paying for a mobo they wrecked with a bad GPU here.

That said, I can't say their build quality is top notch, I have used their returns a bit too much afterall, but if you get a good unit, it tends to be solid.

I've had I think 4-5 RMAs with EVGA, and their service is I'd say.. adequate/good. Hardly "excellent". Apple is a good instance of what I would refer to as excellent.

The only problem is that there's so many instances of bad support, adequate EVGA support gets considered highly because they just don't screw you over every time like ASUS.

 

[R-T-B]

I've had I think 4-5 RMAs with EVGA, and their service is I'd say.. adequate. Hardly "excellent". Apple is a good instance of what I would refer to as excellent.

The only problem is that there's so many instances of bad support, adequate EVGA support gets considered highly because they just don't screw you over every time.

It is indeed all relative. I was comparing to ASUS and similar afterall.

 

[Toothless]

I think the only issue MSI has which they might fix quickly is their overheating ARMOR card which is oh so pretty.

Though I'll probably get the normal red one.

 

[Vayra86]

I think the only issue MSI has which they might fix quickly is their overheating ARMOR card which is oh so pretty.

Though I'll probably get the normal red one.

Oh yes, I didn't mention this, but when you go to the cheaper cooled versions, Palit/Gainward has the top spot no questions asked, because they just copy/paste their cooling solution to the entire GPU stack, and only differentiate with binning and a few LEDs.

 

[Toothless]

Went with the red/black MSI one.

 

[jboydgolfer]

Went with the red/black MSI one.

You bought a 1080 TI?

 

[R-T-B]

You bought a 1080 TI?

It's official, my GPU is outperformed by a toothless dragon.

 

[Toothless]

@jboydgolfer @R-T-B

 

[DRDNA]

Nice!!!! I have heard great things about MSI...I normally go with Asus stuff but only because of their over cocking potential at the time of purchase...I have lost a couple of ATI cards do to the roasting VRMS but never hindered me with AMD/ATI. I think i use to get the SAPPHIRE cards normally.

 

[Toothless]

Nice!!!! I have heard great things about MSI...I normally go with Asus stuff but only because of their over cocking potential at the time of purchase...I have lost a couple of ATI cards do to the roasting VRMS but never hindered me with AMD/ATI. I think i use to get the SAPPHIRE cards normally.

I had an MSI GTX 660 a while back and loved everything about it. Ran at good temps and didn't stutter besides overclocked which no GPU of mine has ever liked to overclock.

Actually the only thing that likes oc'd is my laptop.

 

[EarthDog]

So I'm itching to pull the trigger on a GPU upgrade but I want to hear from you guys on what you use. I'm used to EVGA, MSI, and PNY for cards and Gigabyte and ASUS for board and the only brand I've had issues with was ASUS and their stuff dying in three months and horrid RMA.

I'm tempted to give ASUS one more go with the 1080TI but I wanna hear from you all how you feel about all the brands.

I see stuff from Zotac because I like big cards and I cannot lie.

Every single brand is just gosh darn fine. You are going to get so much useless anecdotal BS from people like, "my card died" or "mine lasted forever" or "my customer service was great", "mine was horrible"...YADAYADAYADA....If shit was half as bad as people say, none of these places would be in business.

The difference in RMA's and such are 1-2% between them. Drop the 'one bad apple' most tend to have at one point or another, and that margin shrinks. Need to know more differences? Look at the reviews to tell you noise and VRMs, etc. Otherwise, brand really doesn't matter much in the scheme of things.

 

[Nicholas Peyton]

So I'm itching to pull the trigger on a GPU upgrade but I want to hear from you guys on what you use. I'm used to EVGA, MSI, and PNY for cards and Gigabyte and ASUS for board and the only brand I've had issues with was ASUS and their stuff dying in three months and horrid RMA.

I'm tempted to give ASUS one more go with the 1080TI but I wanna hear from you all how you feel about all the brands.

I see stuff from Zotac because I like big cards and I cannot lie.

If you're picky about customer service, ASUS should be rock bottom on your priority list. When it comes to RMA on individual components they suck monkey balls. Strangely, when it comes to prebuilt systems like laptops, they do fine.

Personal order of preference:

MSI - top dog. Good cust. service, always top of the pack cooling/noise deltas. Hands down most silent open-air cooling (with most pleasant noise curve too, no strange fan spin up noises - I only (faintly!) hear my TwinFrozR VI at 75% fanspeed or more!)

Palit/Gainward - released the coolest Pascal open-air solutions this round. Good cooling/noise delta. Can't speak of cust. service but haven't seen anything that made me frown. I do know Qubit was super unlucky with his GameRock.

Zotac - looks good, no personal experience. Good warranty policy. Good results on cooling.

Gigabyte - drops the ball on noise and cooling solutions in the top end. Decent allrounders, no more. Decent cust. service. Have yet to receive the first good binning on a Gigabyte GPU - my 780ti could barely hit 1 Ghz.

EVGA - always fucks up their cooling in one way or another, but has the highest % of top-end binned cards. My 1070 could reliably hit 2176mhz on the core! Very solid cust. service, but also a high chance of actually needing to use it.

ASUS - it's always a surprise what new tricks Asus has up its sleeve, like a Strix card that can't OC versus one that can, or reusing coolers so heatpipes don't connect. It's hit or miss, their Pascal line up is pretty solid though. Cust service is shit.


All my personal experience comes from:
EVGA GTX 660 SC x2 SLI (bought and used)
EVGA GTX 1070 FTW (returned)
MSI GTX 1080 Gaming X (bought and used)
MSI GTX 770 Gaming (2nd hand bought and used)
Gigabyte 780ti (2nd hand bought and used)
MSI 7970 Lightning (returned)
ASUS 280X (returned)

Not going further back because pre-Kepler shouldn't be a metric anymore IMO.

EVGA's new ICX fixes all cooling issues.

The only cooling issue was with lack of pads which would of brought VRM temps down. (The vital pads were NOT missing). But the issue was; there was room for more pads that could have helped.
Moreover even without the "extra" OPTIONAL pads, even FURMARK couldn't put VRM temps above spec. They were indeed still "marginally within spec". The "marginally" being the issue.
The press went mad on this, and it was blown all out of proportion.

EVGA also handled the situation like no other company would have. Other companies would have brushed this under the carpet and simply said "VRM temps are within spec" and closed the door. The press wouldn't of had anymore to "report" on; and the issue would of died. And cards would of continued problem-free for years.

But what EVGA done; is what no other company would of done, they decided to confront the problem. They provided extra. free optional thermal-pads for backplate to reduce VRM temps during Furmark. Bear in mind normal gaming was also NEVER an issue.

They have the best customer service, have highly active forums that talk about REAL issues on a daily basis. And there are ALWAYS staff online. Day and night. They don't just drop in now and again, they try to get to everybody,.

Their new ICX cooling solution is also unprecedented. it features thermometers right across the PCB (including VRM) which you can read in windows. No other card manufacturer offers this. And it PROVES WITHOUT A DOUBT there is NO cooling issues on EVGA cards. How could there be? They have temp sensors on everything and you monitor it all from Windows.

They also use top-quality VRM components. That partly explains why Vayra86 mentions his EVGA's always overclock further. Smooth power delivery = higher overclocking card. ASUS use good quality components too, but when something goes wrong; you're on your own!

Zotac have also recently started building big VRM's but they've went with high phase count on low quality components (an advertising stunt). With EVGA you get numbers and quality.

I know people who recently stepped up from GTX 1080 to GTX 1080 TI for free (only paid shipping). They do many other programmes as amazing as that one!

Their warranty also allows water-cooling. You are allowed to take your card apart to re-paste or add a waterblock without voiding warranty. (as long as card is returned in original condition your RMA will be honoured).
I accidently broke a fan plug when I was messing around, they sent a courier to my door with replacement in 3 days and uplifted the old card. This was all done for free. And I never even had to leave the house!

EVGA =

• great programmes
• great cooling (with sensors)
• the best customer service
• the fastest cards
• the highest phase counts using the best components (power delivery system)
• you're allowed to water-cool
• their forums friendly, active and easy to join
• cards look great

 

[MrGenius]

EVGA Fanboy...to the rescue!!!

You do realize you're too late to influence the OP's decision right?

 

[Toothless]

EVGA's new ICX fixes all cooling issues.

The only cooling issue was with lack of pads which would of brought VRM temps down. (The vital pads were NOT missing). But the issue was; there was room for more pads that could have helped.
Moreover even without the "extra" OPTIONAL pads, even FURMARK couldn't put VRM temps above spec. They were indeed still "marginally within spec". The "marginally" being the issue.
The press went mad on this, and it was blown all out of proportion.

EVGA also handled the situation like no other company would have. Other companies would have brushed this under the carpet and simply said "VRM temps are within spec" and closed the door. The press wouldn't of had anymore to "report" on; and the issue would of died. And cards would of continued problem-free for years.

But what EVGA done; is what no other company would of done, they decided to confront the problem. They provided extra. free optional thermal-pads for backplate to reduce VRM temps during Furmark. Bear in mind normal gaming was also NEVER an issue.

They have the best customer service, have highly active forums that talk about REAL issues on a daily basis. And there are ALWAYS staff online. Day and night. They don't just drop in now and again, they try to get to everybody,.

Their new ICX cooling solution is also unprecedented. it features thermometers right across the PCB (including VRM) which you can read in windows. No other card manufacturer offers this. And it PROVES WITHOUT A DOUBT there is NO cooling issues on EVGA cards. How could there be? They have temp sensors on everything and you monitor it all from Windows.

They also use top-quality VRM components. That partly explains why Vayra86 mentions his EVGA's always overclock further. Smooth power delivery = higher overclocking card. ASUS use good quality components too, but when something goes wrong; you're on your own!

Zotac have also recently started building big VRM's but they've went with high phase count on low quality components (an advertising stunt). With EVGA you get numbers and quality.

I know people who recently stepped up from GTX 1080 to GTX 1080 TI for free (only paid shipping). They do many other programmes as amazing as that one!

Their warranty also allows water-cooling. You are allowed to take your card apart to re-paste or add a waterblock without voiding warranty. (as long as card is returned in original condition your RMA will be honoured).
I accidently broke a fan plug when I was messing around, they sent a courier to my door with replacement in 3 days and uplifted the old card. This was all done for free. And I never even had to leave the house!

EVGA =

• great programmes
• great cooling (with sensors)
• the best customer service
• the fastest cards
• the highest phase counts using the best components (power delivery system)
• you're allowed to water-cool
• their forums friendly, active and easy to join
• cards look great

The EVGA cards look like alien skeletons. If it had the ACX cooler my 780s have then I would've hit up EVGA.