I was going to upgrade my GPU to a 7870 but while I was browsing I decided I would also look into 660 ti's. I came across a brand I'm not too familiar with, "Zotac". There seems to be an explosion of there GPUs around the Futureshops here in Canada, I had assumed it was just a store brand or something, but I've come to find out that they are actually carried by everyone.
How do they rate up? All of my GPUs have been primarily EVGA, I've come to trust them but I am not tied to them, I'll go with wherever there is quality/reliability. The three GPUs I was looking at (including that 7870 above) are as follows.
The only reason I even ask is because the specs show Zotac's core clocks to be, just a smidgen higher, something that is likely not even noticeable anyway, but the price is identical (the MIR doesn't matter).
I was just curious if anyone has any knowledge or experience with Zotac's products, and possibly even an recommendation of which one to go for out of the three cards. I use a dual monitor setup (game on primary, random junk on the other), and I don't really plan on overclocking.
Zotac is a bit too expensivve for what you are getting. I had never heard of them, but then a few months ago, I came across them. After a bit of research, and talking to my friends who have their cards, I would recommend EVGA. Brands like MSi might have better deals, but the quality of EVGA is something that I can vouch for. But, all products are pretty much going to be made at a Foxconn factory. It is really up to you.
I bought a Zotac a couple years ago, still using it (GTX 560Ti). I'd highly recommend them, they're almost a new BFG if you remember them - they overclock almost all their video cards.
Anyway, the card runs like a beast and Zotac's customer support is the best I've ever experienced along with Newegg's. In my opinion, you can't go wrong with Zotac. Their cards are quality built and can handle anything. I also LOVE the coolers they put on their cards. Even with the fan running at 100% I can't hear it, yet it keeps my card wicked cold.
I cannot for the life of me, tell the difference between these two. The glaringly obvious one is that one has two fans, and one has 1. The only difference other than that is the weight is ever so slightly heavier. Does it matter which one I choose? Or are they exactly the same card and it's purely aesthetic?
Yeah I was assuming that, I was unsure if the "Ghost thermal whatevermabob" was a gimmick, or if it provided better cooling than the two fanned version. I tried googling the Core Ed. but I couldn't find anything regarding it outside of sales =/. Thank you for your response!
Zotac is a good brand. There AMP! cards are pretty beast from what i've seen. Evga is my favorite company only because of there sick warranty. Also XFX DD coolers are garbage compared to other companies competitive cards, they dont cool well. If the price is right, you cant go wrong. But I would avoid DD cards.