GTX 1060 6GB SCC and FTW difference

[djwarcr]

whats are the differences between SCC and FTW / FTW and FTW+ ?

I would like to know from the experts here and thank you

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LYN9KK6/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_9?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

 

[Math Geek]

check this list out http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-3047729/nvidia-geforce-gtx-1000-series-megathread-faq-resources.html#17902600 has all the specs of both cards.

some physical differences for sure. SSC is a reference card with custom cooling, with the FTW card being over-engineered custom pcb. however, performance difference is almost non-existent. grab the cheaper one and know it's just as good.

they are all the same size so if one fits, they all will

 

[djwarcr]

thank you sir, thats a good list !
what you mean by reference card?

 

[Math Geek]

founder's edition (FE) is a "reference card" that nvidia designs and offers to the brands to make if they wish. most brands make a copy of the FE card to sell identical to what nvidia provides, called a Founders Edition. that's why you see 20 cards that all look alike in the stores by the different brands. they will also take the board the FE is based on and add in custom cooling and sell it. these will have the same basic specs of the FE card but better clock speeds usually. they will also design their own completely custom board(s) to sell with various cooling methods.

that's where the list i maintain comes in handy. by looking at the specs such as power phases, power connections needed, you can see which are based on the FE card and which are not. for instance most of the EVGA cards are FE based like the SC and SSC. not until the FTW cards is there a custom design used. they even watercool/hybrid an FE card as well as their custom FTW design. that's why there are so many models.

MSI is terrible at this as well. they take an FE card and drop 6 different types of cooling on it. then make multiple customs designs and drop another 5 or 6 cooling solutions on it to make well over a dozen models for a given graphics chip.

looking down the EVGA line-up for 1060 cards you can see how they line up. the ACX 3.0 cards get an extra power phase so the board used is semi-custom since it uses the FE design but fills the open spot for an extra power phase. but the ACX 2.0 cards are pure FE design. then the FTW cards are all fully custom with the extra phases and other goodies under the hood including increased power needs and usage

 

[djwarcr]

Thank you Math geek, you have been very helpful with all your knowledge.
I really appreciate it Sir.

One last question
Im gonna be using 1080p only for gaming, so I guess 6bg vram should be enough

gtx 1060 6gb sc vs gtx 1060 6gb ssc, specs are similar, but, is it really necessary dual fan or we can save that extra money here?

 

[Math Geek]

the single fan SC card is shorter so it is useful for smaller cases. though the dual fan SSC is not completely needed, it will run a few degrees cooler and with 2 fans spinning slower, it'll be quieter as well. not that the SC will overheat but it will be notably warmer and noisier than the dual fan SSC card.

and a 1060 6gb will be ample for 1080p gaming for a good bit. is is slightly better to the last gen gtx 980 cards with some added vram. you'll be running at 1080p no problem for a good bit. over time you will find yourself lowering settings for the newest/latest/greatest games but that is always the case as newer games push the limits of old hardware. but you'll be enjoying games at 1080p for a few years easy. especially with a 60 hz monitor that the card will push easily.

 

[djwarcr]

I read somewhere, that anything over 6gb vram was meant for 4k, however, overkill for 1080p....

Im curious about something Math Geek, If my rig was build in 2011 when GPUs use to draw more energy, therefore we had to purchase over 800w PSU.
Now that we are upgrading to newer video cards which draw less power, is it recommended to get a smaller PSU for energy saving purposes ?

 

[Math Geek]

depends on the psu. most quality psu's are most efficient in the middle of the power abilities. you'd have to look at your psu and it's efficiency curve to know for sure but most get the highest efficiency at ~50% of max power. so if you have an 800w psu and now only need 400w, then you're right in the sweet spot.

it is a bell curve so at say 30% and 70% usage, you'd get similar efficiency and so on as you spread out from 50% power. any decent psu brand will have the curves available for you to see and of course if they have been reviewed by a reputable source, you'll also get good data that way.

really the only way a psu is wrong for a system is if it runs at the extremes. is if it is very close to using max power all the time or only uses 20% or less all the time. no reason to replace the psu unless you're now near the extremes of power usage. it won't hurt the psu to run at low %, but it does hurt the overall wasted power. of course the closer you get to the platinum ratings, the higher the efficiency even as you approach the extremes.

and 6GB of vram is usually more than enough for 1080p and some. where you may need it is when adding those texture pack mods and add-ons they keep releasing. those tend to increase the vram usage a lot. 4 gb is plenty for 1080p until you start playing with those texture packs and those silly "super realistic hair" type settings. they add a ton of extra work for a gpu while providing very little to the overall experience. i know folks will argue it somehow makes the game better but i've never really paid much attention to the shadows my character's hair makes on it's shirt while in the middle of a firefight.....

 

[djwarcr]

Allow me to show you the one I have Sir.
http://www.corsair.com/en-us/professional-series-hx750-80-plus-silver-certified-modular-power-supply

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0029F21LK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I bought it for my first 560 ti card, now I have a gtx770 2gb and planning to upgrade to gtx 1060 6gb

And that what you said about the hair, reminds me Lara croft so much texture just for her hair lol

 

[Math Geek]

here is the curve from the psu's product page.

as you can see the light blue line is for US power, while the dark line is for the rest of the world. i'll focus on the light blue one as i think you are in the US. at 375w, the psu hits peak efficiency and drops rather dramatically after that toward full power. below 50% it is actually still high down to 150w load. so for you, keeping that psu below 375w is actually better than running it higher. not that the psu can't handle the load, but it wastes more energy at higher loads.

noise levels are also at the minimum at these lower loads and only get noisy when the psu is really working hard and the fan is at max speeds. i see no reason to replace the psu and actually see solid reasons to keep it and let it run at the lower power usage you'll use it for now.

 

[RobCrezz]

To be fair the drop isnt that dramatic, its like 3% :lol:

 

[Math Geek]

all depends on who says it. 3% is not dramatic here but if it was a 3% fps increase in a game from a gpu, many would claim that was a MASSIVE increase!!!

either way, it's not worth changing the psu. the HX is a quality unit and will last a long time especially at lower usage 😀

 

[RobCrezz]

I do like the scaling on that graph though, makes it look dramatic!

 

[djwarcr]

Thanks again, Sir.
and actually I am in Costa Rica, however, we use same voltage I think, 120V

That completely answer my question and I forgot that my UPS can monitor the wattage used.

right now is showing 216W, and thats only my pc and my led tv, so pretty much when Im not playing games only my pc uses around 140W maybe..

 

[Math Geek]

you're very welcome 😀

glad i could help clear it up.