On a positive note, by the time you decide what you want to do in regards to the card, the Super models might be available.
Yeah, I know - the thought had crossed my mind too! At least the delay isn't my fault this time, my system builder has a backlog and thus my machine (though paid for) will not be put together until 5 July, with delivery on the 9th!
Though pretty settled on the components, I can make changes any time up until the 5th. I have been keeping an eye on prices however as should anything drop during that time I can get the cheaper price - that's how I came across the FTW3, as opposed to actively seeking it out!
I have now paid for both cards (the FTW3 was very low on stock and am sure would run out by/over the weekend) so will do more research and then commit to one on Mon/Tues. Following that, we'll prob have the Super announcement which might shake things up again!
Originally I wasn't even considering the FTW3 due to the price, but they have it at £250 off, so £1,150 vs the £1,100 I paid for the XC Ultra. RRP for the FTW3 is £1,400 and the XC Ultra, £1,220 in the UK, or seems that way at least (the FTW3 has even been sold for an eye-watering £1,500!).
Now, I do have a bit a of a 'problem' when it comes to going with the top-end models (as noted!) but as SgtScream mentioned above, £50 in the grand scheme of the build isn't much + I'll be hanging on to it for a long time, so 'the best' is preferable. My dilemma now is, "Is the FTW3 actually the best, or to be more specific, 'better' card?"
Here are my pros and cons:
XC Ultra:
- Fits the case better (same length as the motherboard; neater look and more space between the intake fan)
- Runs quieter (apparently, need confirmation as regards fan profiles etc.)
- Lower power consumption
- Virtually identical to the FTW3 in stock config.
- Is not the flagship model (so what? - my freakishness strikes again!)
- less overclocking headroom (a feature I'm not sure I'd use, so...)
- Higher temps than the FTW3 (though still good, and lower than the FE, low 70s under load)
FTW3:
- Flagship model, custom design and higher power delivery (for overclocking)
- Fans operate independently, dependent on board temperature
- Runs super cool, low 60s under load (I believe the fans on both cards don't spin until hitting 60 degrees; in which case might the FTW3 remain silent for longer than the XC Ultra due to the much larger heat sink?)
- Should have the best overclocking potential, with gains of ~12%
- Large size places the end of the board ~2 cm from a main intake fan with the shroud at 1 cm (not sure if this is a good or bad thing really, but feels as though it might disrupt the airflow being so close?)
- For all the 'flagship' fan-fare and excitement (some reviews are quite gushing, especially considering the full price!) there is virtually no performance gain at stock over the XC Ultra.
- Uses a fair bit more power than the XC Ultra even at stock
- Possibly louder than the XC Ultra (again, pending confirmation)
Looking at the list it seems like the XC Ultra is the clear winner, particularly as I'm not a huge fan of overclocking! The primary draw of the FTW3 is that it's 'something special' and that the price is very good (LOL, you know what I mean!). All my other components (barring the RAM, which isn't shabby) are top-of-the line; the case (like it or not!), the motherboard, the PSU, the CPU and CPU cooler - the best, no compromise (thankfully decent reductions on most of them at least!) - they are also pretty large! When I saw the FTW3 for virtually the same price as the XC Ultra (actually cheaper, currently) I thought "What the hell, might as well just max it out and go the whole hog," particularly with the "What we have here is something very special" type reviews, but as I delve deeper into the specs I'm not so sure.
Spending vast sums over stock cards never seems to yield much in the way of performance and I really can't understand people paying almost half again for a uptick of 2-3% (says I, with my build...
). The basic Black edition is £1,020, but I plumped for the XC Ultra for the cooler and quieter operation (fans off at idle is a big deal to me and the Black is apparently a lot louder under load), particularly as it was reduced so 'only' £80 more. I'm really on the fence with the FTW3; despite these long posts I'm actually very busy right now, which makes research difficult.
Darkbreeze - would it be considered bad form to open a thread on this specific topic over on the GPU forums? I'd like to get some answers from owners if possible and it's somewhat buried in here under the 9900K title.
Thanks again guys for putting up with all the toing and froing... If it's any consolation, it's driving me nuts too!
Also, please don't think I want the top tier parts for 'bragging rights' or some such as aside from this topic no one but me will know (or likely care!). It's just a personal preference, I like knowing that the components are of the highest grade and therefore tend to last longer + I'm a sucker for well made/manufactured items.
Cheers!
(EDIT: Presumably the 850 W PSU I've chosen should be sufficient for which ever I go with, even if overclocking?)
(EDIT 2: I note some reviews are stating the FTW3 card costs $1,350, though that is the price of the non-Ultra version. EVGA's own site lists the price of the FTW3 Ultra at $1,499 [P/N: 11G-P4-2487-KR]. Odd, or did the price go up this year?)
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