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[Naked Snake]

490 EUR? Holy crap.

I paid 320 EUR for my MSI 970 G4. Looks like the store has raised the price since then though.

I live in Jordan and we were used to insanely overpriced electronics, but recently prices have stabilized at a USD = JOD conversion (i.e. something that costs $100 would cost 100 JOD here, even though 1 USD exchanges to 0.71 JOD). And that's a huge improvement and has pretty much eliminated the need to personally import these things online, since after paying for shipping and customs tax you're pretty much paying the same price (if not more), and losing warranty.

I paid 360 JOD for my G1 970 and I feel great about it (even though that's over $500 in real terms)

 

[wilflare]

so did anyone get that Zotac 970?

my Zotac 970GTX arrived (local retailer)

I'm currently using 280X... anything I should use to ensure a good clean-up of the drivers?
do I just download the nVidia drivers off their site?

---
would my monitor color profile get lost or something? :X

sorry for the noob questions

 

[Dennis]

Will you ever come back to the lands of good cheese and social democracy?

I don't know. Will depend on career options.

Warms my cockles to see so many posts in a thread about GPUs.

 

[Elsolar]

Are there any known issues with the 970/980 drivers that can cause low GPU utilization in games? Check out this Arkham Origins screenshot. I'm using a EVGA 970 and a i5-3570k (stock speeds) and I run 99% of the game at locked 60 FPS, but for some reason this area refuses to go above ~45 FPS.

GPU utilization is only 75%, CPU utilization is even lower. It's not a thermal throttling issue, and it's not a memory issue either. I tried changing all graphics settings to the lowest possible and it fixed the framerate (went back up to 60) so it is a GPU bottleneck. And the monitoring software shows GPU and CPU utilization go up to 99-100% in other games (and even other points in Arkham Origins) so I don't think it's a monitoring issue. Is it possible I have a faulty card? I'm really not sure what to think, has anyone else here seen this?

 

[Naked Snake]

would my monitor color profile get lost or something? :X

I think it might. Mine was definitely affected and Lightroom (or photoshop can't remember) told me my monitor profile is incorrect. I went from Intel to Nvidia.

 

[Addnan]

Are there any known issues with the 970/980 drivers that can cause low GPU utilization in games? Check out this Arkham Origins screenshot. I'm using a EVGA 970 and a i5-3570k (stock speeds) and I run 99% of the game at locked 60 FPS, but for some reason this area refuses to go above ~45 FPS.



GPU utilization is only 75%, CPU utilization is even lower. It's not a thermal throttling issue, and it's not a memory issue either. I tried changing all graphics settings to the lowest possible and it fixed the framerate (went back up to 60) so it is a GPU bottleneck. And the monitoring software shows GPU and CPU utilization go up to 99-100% in other games (and even other points in Arkham Origins) so I don't think it's a monitoring issue. Is it possible I have a faulty card? I'm really not sure what to think, has anyone else here seen this?

If it is just Batman and that one area it's a bug in the game.

 

[Kezen]

Are there any known issues with the 970/980 drivers that can cause low GPU utilization in games? Check out this Arkham Origins screenshot. I'm using a EVGA 970 and a i5-3570k (stock speeds) and I run 99% of the game at locked 60 FPS, but for some reason this area refuses to go above ~45 FPS.



GPU utilization is only 75%, CPU utilization is even lower. It's not a thermal throttling issue, and it's not a memory issue either. I tried changing all graphics settings to the lowest possible and it fixed the framerate (went back up to 60) so it is a GPU bottleneck. And the monitoring software shows GPU and CPU utilization go up to 99-100% in other games (and even other points in Arkham Origins) so I don't think it's a monitoring issue. Is it possible I have a faulty card? I'm really not sure what to think, has anyone else here seen this?

Happened to me with the 344.11 drivers, no issues with later drivers.

 

[Elsolar]

If it is just Batman and that one area it's a bug in the game.

This is the only area I've seen in Batman, but I've also noticed it in Serious Sam 3. It doesn't happen on a per-game basis but rather a per-scene basis. Like If I look in a very specific direction my framerate will drop into the mid 40s and stay there, but GPU utilization won't go up like you'd expect.

It seems to only happen in older games, I haven't noticed anything like this in BF4, Metro Redux, Crysis 3, Ryse, or Far Cry 4, which makes me think it's a driver issue. But who knows. I just want to be sure it isn't a defective card.

Happened to me with the 344.11 drivers, no issues with later drivers.

If it is a drier issue then hopefully it gets fixed quickly.

 

[kek_lel]

Man this sucks.
I recieved a Gigabyte 970 G1 Gaming today.

Set it up in my PC and fired up some games only to notice that it has that horrible coil whine and buzzing so many people are talking about when it comes to these new cards.
Also the cooler was not silent at all.

Have already put it back in the package and sent it back because it was unbearable.

(Im kind of sad to send it back because after using the hd4600 igpu with my newly built PC the 970 was like the promised land of gaming performance)

People who had similar issues: Did you try a replacement 970?
Im concerned that a replacement card could have the same noise issue since Ive read that the PSU and mobo can make a card whine too. (Mine are CM V550 and Asus z97i-plus)

Im looking for an alternative that is silent and that is less of a lottery for annoying noises.

 

[garath]

Man this sucks.
I recieved a Gigabyte 970 G1 Gaming today.

Set it up in my PC and fired up some games only to notice that it has that horrible coil whine and buzzing so many people are talking about when it comes to these new cards.
Also the cooler was not silent at all.

Have already put it back in the package and sent it back because it was unbearable.

(Im kind of sad to send it back because after using the hd4600 igpu with my newly built PC the 970 was like the promised land of gaming performance)

People who had similar issues: Did you try a replacement 970?
Im concerned that a replacement card could have the same noise issue since Ive read that the PSU and mobo can make a card whine too. (Mine are CM V550 and Asus z97i-plus)

Im looking for an alternative that is silent and that is less of a lottery for annoying noises.

Both my ASUS Strix and EVGA FTW have the buzzing in certain games and certain scenes (if anything the EVGA has the buzzing in more games). But the ASUS was loud and unbearable. The EVGA I can live with. It's a lot more subtle. Still noticeable but not nearly as bad. As such, I've opted to keep the EVGA as I'm really happy with the performance and can tolerate the buzzing.

 

[Cimarron]

Nvm. Apparently the code is supposed to be on the reciept. I will check it out later when I get home. Has anyone used the MSI gaming app for the pre-baked oc modes? Is it worth it or should i do it on my own? i have never overclocked before.

 

[KePoW]

Im looking for an alternative that is silent and that is less of a lottery for annoying noises.

There is no such version that is literally silent

 

[undercoverb0ss]

Man this sucks.
I recieved a Gigabyte 970 G1 Gaming today.

Set it up in my PC and fired up some games only to notice that it has that horrible coil whine and buzzing so many people are talking about when it comes to these new cards.
Also the cooler was not silent at all.

Have already put it back in the package and sent it back because it was unbearable.

(Im kind of sad to send it back because after using the hd4600 igpu with my newly built PC the 970 was like the promised land of gaming performance)

People who had similar issues: Did you try a replacement 970?
Im concerned that a replacement card could have the same noise issue since Ive read that the PSU and mobo can make a card whine too. (Mine are CM V550 and Asus z97i-plus)

Im looking for an alternative that is silent and that is less of a lottery for annoying noises.

My Gigabyte 980 G1 Gaming is baically silent, of course if the fan goes about 55% I can hear it, but no coil whine etc.

 

[kek_lel]

There is no such version that is literally silent

I see. Would be nice though

My Gigabyte 980 G1 Gaming is baically silent, of course if the fan goes about 55% I can hear it, but no coil whine etc.

Happy to hear that yours is working nicely.

Both my ASUS Strix and EVGA FTW have the buzzing in certain games and certain scenes (if anything the EVGA has the buzzing in more games). But the ASUS was loud and unbearable. The EVGA I can live with. It's a lot more subtle. Still noticeable but not nearly as bad. As such, I've opted to keep the EVGA as I'm really happy with the performance and can tolerate the buzzing.

Thanks for your response.

I think Ill try another 970 with the 'idle=fans off'- feature from MSI or ASUS, whichever comes back in stock first and see if they are any better.

 

[Naked Snake]

I haven't tested my 970 G1 in games yet (people not giving me a breather the last couple of days) but in Unigine with 150fps the coil whine was very faint, totally can live with it. And fan noise has been a non issue too, even when they spin to 100% I find them acceptable. Maybe I have high tolerance for noise.

Today I was unraring some archives and there was a fan noise ramping up and down every minute or so, I don't know why I thought it was the GPU and i kept trying to adjust the fan curve in MSI Afterburner to eliminate it with no luck. Then I realized it was my CPU cooler :/

 

[Lunar15]

That's weird, most of the Gigabyte 970 G1 reviews have said it's a relatively quiet card compared to its contemporaries.

I just bought one, so hoping that's not the case. My current card (an old radeon 5780) is pretty loud, so I can't imagine this being any worse.

 

[shandy706]

I swing by this thread here and there to enjoy looking at all your 900 series cards.

I'm patiently waiting for the EVGA step-up of my 780 to 980 and my best guess is I MAY get through the line in December.....maybe.


Sigh

^^^Me on November 26th...one week later and I just got an email that I'm approved and can start the trade in process.

Woohoo!

 

[nextgeneration]

Anyone in this thread have a gtx 980 and play Grim Dawn? I get very noticeable, annoying stutters in Grim Dawn and was wondering if anyone else has had similar experiences with their 980's with the game.

 

[Mengy]

There is no such version that is literally silent

My Superclocked EVGA 970 isn't completely silent but the coil whine is so low decibel that I literally can't hear it unless I have the case cover off and my ear is right next to the card. The CPU fan makes more noise. I guess I just got super lucky with my card, but I've not had a single game yet cause me problems, not even at 144 Hrz and 144 fps.

 

[kek_lel]

That's weird, most of the Gigabyte 970 G1 reviews have said it's a relatively quiet card compared to its contemporaries.

I just bought one, so hoping that's not the case. My current card (an old radeon 5780) is pretty loud, so I can't imagine this being any worse.

I dont think you should be too concerned.
The only con I see with the Gigabyte (apart from potential coil whine which is about equally likely amongst 9x0 cards) is that its a little bit louder on idle (compared to MSI/evga/asus/palit whose fans dont even spin).
Its got really good temps though and has a nice built quality.

There even is a workaround I found somewhere on a german forum where some guys modded their gigabyte 970 g1 bios to make the fans spin slower on idle and making their cards inaudible/barely audible.

Edit:
Dont know if something like this was posted before or is interesting for some of you:
videos of different cards' noise levels on youtube, including some 970/980 iterations
Comparison channel
also a 970 noise compilation

very helpful, especially when listening with headphones

 

[Dinosur]

I can't build my new PC until xmas, but I had to buy the Gigabyte G1 970 today since it was looking like every normally priced 970 was quickly becoming sold out everywhere this season.

Not looking forward to the coil whine gamble, but I use headphones anyways so hopefully it's not a big deal.

 

[Afro]

I can't build my new PC until xmas, but I had to buy the Gigabyte G1 970 today since it was looking like every normally priced 970 was quickly becoming sold out everywhere this season.

Not looking forward to the coil whine gamble, but I use headphones anyways so hopefully it's not a big deal.

I use open back headphones and purposely positioned my PC about 4-5 feet away. Don't even notice the coil whine.

edit: evga ftw 970

 

[Parhelion69]

I have the MSI 970 4G and it's close to silent. It's a huge difference with my previous 7950, which sounded like a plane engine.
My CPU/case coolers are more audible. They overpower the cards' coolers

 

[Pancakes]

Ah come on don't be dissapointed. Your score is pretty normal. Just guessing from the numbers in your screenshot I'd say you are running you CPU maybe @ 4,2ghz/4,3ghz and you are useing a 'normal' gtx 970 closer to nvidia reference clocks (something like the normal zotac, galax etc.) and not some 'crazy' OCed stuff.

As I am running an i5 3570k myself (@4,1hz), and I have nothing to do atm I did some testing for you. Please keep in mind I am a hardware noob and know nothing

Thanks for the testing, it helps.

Yea I got the cheaper MSI 970, the one with the tiger on the cover. I thought about swapping it out but it's doing a fantastic job and running quietly so I'll leave it as is. I just recently unlocked the voltage controls in afterburner so I'll see how far I can push it.

 

[garath]

I use open back headphones and purposely positioned my PC about 4-5 feet away. Don't even notice the coil whine.

edit: evga ftw 970

Yeah. My EVGA FTW is definitely quieter on the buzzing than the Asus was. I'm at a small disadvantage because I'm regularly playing games with very low sound, my case has very good airflow with quiet fans and is about 1.5ft from my head on my desk. I hear every little noise from the case. The buzzing is annoying but tolerable. The Asus was intolerable.

 

[Kezen]

Yeah. My EVGA FTW is definitely quieter on the buzzing than the Asus was. I'm at a small disadvantage because I'm regularly playing games with very low sound, my case has very good airflow with quiet fans and is about 1.5ft from my head on my desk. I hear every little noise from the case. The buzzing is annoying but tolerable. The Asus was intolerable.

I know what you mean. I got an ASUS Strix last week and this was unbearable, I always notice power noise coming from my GPUs but the Strix was something else, totally broke immersion.

I don't know what to do now, skip the 900 series or try the MSI. I wish the 970 FTW was available where I live.

 

[Naked Snake]

There even is a workaround I found somewhere on a german forum where some guys modded their gigabyte 970 g1 bios to make the fans spin slower on idle and making their cards inaudible/barely audible.

I also found it on English forums (there's a link to how to do it inside this thread: http://forum.giga-byte.co.uk/index.php?topic=15086.0), but what concerned me about it is that I believe it also lowers RPM of the fans across the whole speed spectrum. So 100% fan speed becomes slower than it was before the bios mod.

It would be great if Gigabyte released an official bios update to allow it properly.

 

[Kezen]

I also found it on English forums (there's a link to how to do it inside this thread: http://forum.giga-byte.co.uk/index.php?topic=15086.0), but what concerned me about it is that I believe it also lowers RPM of the fans across the whole speed spectrum. So 100% fan speed becomes slower than it was before the bios mod.

It would be great if Gigabyte released an official bios update to allow it properly.

You can modify your fans speed with MSI Afterburner. The G1 is a very good card but as with any 970 we do have reports of severe coil whine (Faith for instance).

I wish you silent and very fast gaming, my ASUS was the polar opposite of silent.

 

[lilltias]

The fuck has happened to AMD? I want to pull the trigger on the 970 but also want to wait for AMDs next offering, and then maybe Nvidias answer to that.

 

[Naked Snake]

You can modify your fans speed with MSI Afterburner. The G1 is a very good card but as with any 970 we do have reports of severe coil whine (Faith for instance).

I wish you silent and very fast gaming, my ASUS was the polar opposite of silent.

I don't think you can go lower than the the minimum speed set in the bios, which is effectively 50% (~ 1614-1622 RPM -- even though MSI Afterburner shows it as 34%), and for some people the minimum allowed speed is on this card is loud. That's the whole point of the thread I linked to in the post you quoted.

 

[Prophet Steve]

The fuck has happened to AMD? I want to pull the trigger on the 970 but also want to wait for AMDs next offering, and then maybe Nvidias answer to that.

You can go endlessly like that. Right now the most recent batch of Nvidia cards is the best in their price class, that can change again when AMD bring out their cards.

Nothing has really happened.

 

[Kezen]

I don't think you can go lower than the the minimum speed set in the bios, which is effectively 50% (even though MSI Afterburner shows it as 35%), and for some people the minimum allowed speed is on this card is loud.

I would advise against modded bios, if you screw up so is your GPU.
Speaking for myself I'm not at all bothered by fan noise, what irks me is the buzzing sound (excessive power noise) and of course coil whine (when too extreme).

All my MSI (570/670/770/780) had no coil whine and were whisper silent even at full load. I tried the 670 ASUS and this was a nightmare, sadly this happened to me again with the 970.

I just ordered the MSI 970. We will see how lucky I am. Is there a way to know from which batch your GPU is ? Like how recent is the card, I'd hope by now MSI, ASUS, Gigabyte and pretty much everyone else are aware of the coil whine plaguing their cards and have fixed that in their latest batch.

 

[Mairu]

I have an ASUS 670 and I never had any issues with coil whine. Reviews of all of them are mixed in their references to whether the ASUS or other models exhibit coil whine or not. I have an ASUS 970 on the way and hopefully I won't experience severe coil whine, but if I do I suppose I'll swap it for the MSI 970. I haven't seen any specific brand of 970 that hasn't had someone somewhere complaining about coil whine.

 

[Naked Snake]

I would advise against modded bios, if you screw up so is your GPU.

I'm not afraid of tinkering with my hardware. I'm very thorough and careful when I do that, and I've never screwed any piece of electronics while modding it. And hundreds/thousands of people report doing it successfully online. But I understand the "standard disclaimer" you've given

And the Gigabyte card is supposed to have a fail safe bios (advertised as dual bios, but not user selectable), that the card automatically reverts to in case the main bios is screwed. This card is specifically built to be extremely overlocked and tinkered with.

 

[Gestahl]

Mini Gigabyte is in and working like a charm. 30 C at idle, hasn't gone over 70 in some light tests. It's able to chew up just about anything at 1080p right now, Crysis games, Witcher 2, etc. I can definitely see this being relevant for a long ass time

 

[lilltias]

You can go endlessly like that. Right now the most recent batch of Nvidia cards is the best in their price class, that can change again when AMD bring out their cards.

Nothing has really happened.

You are right. Just afraid of that buyers remorse...

 

[Naked Snake]

I'm overclocking my 970 G1 (first time overclocking anything) and I'm running Heaven to look for artifacts. So far I've pushed the Core +150Mhz (with Power Limit set to 112%), I don't see any artifacting, but I'm getting screen blackouts that last a few seconds... is that a sign that the OC is unstable?

 

[Felix Lighter]

I'm overclocking my 970 G1 (first time overclocking anything) and I'm running Heaven to look for artifacts. So far I've pushed the Core +150Mhz (with Power Limit set to 112%), I don't see any artifacting, but I'm getting screen blackouts that last a few seconds... is that a sign that the OC is unstable?

Yes, if you check your event log they are most likely driver crashes and recoveries.

 

[Naked Snake]

Yes, if you check your event log they are most likely driver crashes and recoveries.

Where do I check the event log? Nv cp?

For what it's worth, I'm running heaven with 4x DSR (3840x2400) and AA on top (both in nvcp and Heaven). I wonder if disabling DSR would help with stability.

 

[wowzors]

What's the best way to check my oc? I used precision on my gigabyte 970 g1 and set it for +150 and +350 and ran unigine heaven on extreme. Is that good enough if it didn't crash?

Edit: not sure if it's because the card is brand new but it smelled a little when I was running it. Like hot electronics but it was maxing at 67 degrees.

 

[Pepiope]

Have: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 Superclocked ACX
Exchanging for: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 FTW ACX 2.0

I thought you can't use the Step-up to get the same GPU? If that's the case I may try to upgrade to the FTW as well.

 

[Deleted member 102362]

I thought you can't use the Step-up to get the same GPU? If that's the case I may try to upgrade to the FTW as well.

You can. When I started it, I actually had a bunch of 970 choices, but only one 980 option.

 

[Pepiope]

You can. When I started it, I actually had a bunch of 970 choices, but only one 980 option.

I just did it too. Going from the 970 SC to the FTW. Hopefully the cooler/quieter card is worth the $40. Thanks.

 

[Dennis]

Are we expecting a Titansaurus Rex version with 8 GB RAM instead of 4 GB?

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

Have: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 Superclocked ACX
Exchanging for: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 FTW ACX 2.0

How is the process and how is the wait ?. do you have to send them the card and then wait or do they tell you when to send it?

 

[piratepwnsninja]

You are right. Just afraid of that buyers remorse...

I'm the same way. I so nearly put a 970/980 in my cart once a day, but then think that my 680 really hasn't had any issues yet and don't buy it. It's been getting more difficult though, and for no real reason other than people talking about how they love the card (other than the coil whine, etc.)

 

[Deleted member 102362]

I just did it too. Going from the 970 SC to the FTW. Hopefully the cooler/quieter card is worth the $40. Thanks.

np!

How is the process and how is the wait ?. do you have to send them the card and then wait or do they tell you when to send it?

Here's EVGA's official Step-Up information page. It should contain everything you need to know. Basically, you register the card, pick what you want to step up to, upload your invoice, and when that's all done, pay the difference, including shipping.

The next step, which I'm waiting for them to contact me about, would be to send the old card back to them. BTW, I was in the queue for nearly nine weeks, so be prepared to wait a while if you do this.

 

[Cesky]

Are we expecting a Titansaurus Rex version with 8 GB RAM instead of 4 GB?

Not in the immediate future.
Also, I quite do not get this spasmodic need for an 8Gb GPU. Isn't 4 Gb not enough for almost anything?

Inb4 nothing is ever enough

 

[ISee]

Not in the immediate future.
Also, I quite do not get this spasmodic need for an 8Gb GPU. Isn't 4 Gb not enough for almost anything?

Inb4 nothing is ever enough

Some people seem to be afraid because of future mega / ultra textures in games. I understand them, as I myself like the feeling to be 'safe for the future' when buying new hardware, but I am a long time PC gamer and learned one thing: that feeling is almost every time an illusion in the mid-high level range (like a single 970/980).

4gb VRAM should be enough in most cases, even in two years or so, especialy with consoles having only ~6gb of shared ram for games. Of corse there will be some exceptions, as always. The big difference is 4k+ gaming. I think 8gb will be the minimum for that and even then a single 980 isn't strong enough.

 

[ISee]

What's the best way to check my oc? I used precision on my gigabyte 970 g1 and set it for +150 and +350 and ran unigine heaven on extreme. Is that good enough if it didn't crash?

Edit: not sure if it's because the card is brand new but it smelled a little when I was running it. Like hot electronics but it was maxing at 67 degrees.

1. Obviously the smell of burned electronics is never a good sign. Could be the voltage transformers or whatever...

2. 150/350 from the getgot is a bit aggresive to start with. I start with +20 mhz and then test with furemark, 3d mark 11 and heaven (20 min each in a loop). If temperatures are stable, drivers do not crash, no artifacts appear I increase the mhz further and repeat the procedure. E.g. the maximum stable OC for my card is @1470 mhz without having to increase voltage (good card imo). I am still running the card only at 1450 mhz, just to be a little bit more safe.

3. +350 Vram is high. Try something like +100 max. Higher ram clocks above +100mhz seem to have a bad cost to performance ratio because of the 256bit interface.