mr91 :
You're welcome, I'm glad I could help - Getting 780 ti SLI will be a good choice if you wan't excellent performance for your high end gaming computer.
That's right I would go with the Asus Reference models for a single or SLI configuration.
15-20 fps increase in SLI give or take sounds right depending on the game. I will give you an example of the benefit that would effect people that don't plan on overclocking.
Prior to my upgrade to the Asus 780 ti I owned a EVGA gtx 780 when playing a game like Crysis 3 max settings with SMAA Anti aliasing my clock would be around 862 mhz after playing Crysis 3 for 5 minutes, I didn't get any boost clocks without adjusting settings on Precision X "BTW I suggest you use precision X or After burner for any card you get because Asus GPU tweak isn't very good in my opinion"
When I play Crysis 3 on my Asus gtx 780 ti I get an average of about 980 mhz that is 105 mhz boost without adjusting anything.
I agree with you stability and the absence of extreme coil whine and buzzing noises is more important than a slight performance increase out of the box especially when two 780 ti's are already extremely powerful and you can always overclock them if you decide to in the future.
I suggest you start by putting front intake fans blowing on the gpu's, another intake fan on the bottom and a rear exhaust fan.
I suggest you don't use the fans that came with your case and buy higher end fans separately.
Your case and cpu cooler are quite good, this combination should keep you 780 ti SLI cool and performing well. If you are not satisfied with the temperatures you can try to put more fans on the side door.
Thanks. I'm more and more checking out the prices of my trusted online vendors. Just a few thoughts im still having:
As for the fan situation, I have already replaced the 120mm rear fan. Can't really find a good one to replace the front 200mm with. The side door mesh is ideal for providing fresh air for both gpu's and the psu's, so i ll definately put 2 there. However, i didnt know i could place a bottom intake fan in my case?
In SLI, taking a reference model over bulky custom design that may be recycling hot air inside the case seems more and more like a wise choice. Is the noise level ok, though? I always thought the reference models were quite loud?
What's the deal with these superclocked/OC/Classified cards? I mean, sure i can oc my reference cards in future but i was always left under the impression that these oc-versions have better gpu's that are more capable... or is it really just a special version of a graphic card for people who are too lazy / scared to play around with the clocks themselves? Also, what are your thoughts on that ACX cooler that some evga cards come with?
And the final question, would you go for it if you had the money available? Or would you rather look into buying a "Black Titan" or 790? I've read that 2x 780Ti's are still better. The point is, playing around with the thought of getting 2 Ti's probably makes me look like a super-enthusiast but im also really concerned about future-proofing my rig. Correct me if im wrong, but apart from the cost, it seems like a lot of gpu-power for the time being?!
Sorry for the wall of text. I really appreciate your support!