[SOLVED] Best air cooled RTX 2080 (non-Ti) cards

[marek_shields]

After talking myself out of buying an RTX 2080 Ti due to the insane cost increase over the RTX 2080 and not enough of a performance increase to justify the cost, I have turned my sights on the RTX 2080s.

Looking around on Newegg and some review sites to try and narrow down which to buy, there seems to be a few of them that are on the top end of the available RTX 2080s:

• Gigabyte Aorus RTX 2080 XTREME
• ZOTAC GAMING RTX 2080 AMP Extreme
• MSI RTX 2080 GAMING X Trio
• ASUS ROG Strix RTX 2080 Overclocked
• EVGA RTX 2080 FTW3 ULTRA GAMING

There also seems to be a dual-fan model of the EVGA card but I can't see why you would get that over the triple fan model if you had the space. As for the brands themselves, I have never dealt with ZOTAC or MSI before but I can't say I wouldn't if someone had a compelling reason to go with one of those cards. Any help in narrowing down this list would be appreciated and might help some other users in the future.

 

[MrN1ce9uy]

The dual-fan EVGA is a different, cheaper model than the triple-fan FTW3.

When I have a list of GPUs or other parts I have to choose from, I prefer to go with the one with the best warranty. EVGA is typically the best when it comes to GPU warranty. They allow you to remove the cooler and have a transferable warranty. They also offer the longest warranty (same as a couple other manufacturer's as far as standard warranty length of 3 years) and they offer extended warranties of 5 and 10 years.

Zotac on the other hand, while they do make good graphics cards, have the lowest standard warranty of 2 years.

Personally, I like EVGA, Asus, and MSI when it comes to Nvidia graphics cards. EVGA for their superior warranty policies. But if I could get a Strix or GAMING X for around $100 less than the EVGA, then I would consider that also.

 

[marek_shields]

Seems like EVGA is a fan-favorite among PC builders for the warranties and build quality. That card is a bit more expensive than the ASUS and MSI cards. I assume it is the name and the warranty you are paying for?

 

[ElectrO_90]

The dual-fan EVGA is a different, cheaper model than the triple-fan FTW3.

When I have a list of GPUs or other parts I have to choose from, I prefer to go with the one with the best warranty. EVGA is typically the best when it comes to GPU warranty. They allow you to remove the cooler and have a transferable warranty. They also offer the longest warranty (same as a couple other manufacturer's as far as standard warranty length of 3 years) and they offer extended warranties of 5 and 10 years.

Zotac on the other hand, while they do make good graphics cards, have the lowest standard warranty of 2 years.

Personally, I like EVGA, Asus, and MSI when it comes to Nvidia graphics cards. EVGA for their superior warranty policies. But if I could get a Strix or GAMING X for around $100 less than the EVGA, then I would consider that also.

Totally agree with what he said.

 

[ElectrO_90]

Seems like EVGA is a fan-favorite among PC builders for the warranties and build quality. That card is a bit more expensive than the ASUS and MSI cards. I assume it is the name and the warranty you are paying for?

Mainly the warranty - since they have to make the money incase it does die in 4-5years time when the card won't be about anymore!