EVGA’s reference GTX 780 meets the R9 290X OC

We received a reference 3GB EVGA GTX 780 video card on loan from EVGA so that we could build our GeForce GTX 780 SLI Battlebox.  The reference GTX 780s are preferred for SLI configurations where there is no extra space between the cards.  We also had a month to game almost exclusively with this card while we watched Nvidia adjust the price down from $649 to $499 in response to AMD’s R9 290X release.

Last Thursday, we saw Nvidia release its new $699 flagship.  The GTX 780 Ti is Nvidia’s brand-new single-GPU flagship video card based on GK110 just as the $1000 Titan and the GTX 780 are.  The GTX 780 Ti replaces the GTX 780 as flagship, and both are offered with a 3-game Holiday Bundle including Assassin’s Creed IV–Black Flag, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Blacklist and Batman: Arkham Origins.  EVGA also offers Rise of the Triad as an additional bonus.  In view of AMD’s new releases and focusing particularly on the reference $549 R9 290X and the $579 PowerColor OC (overclock) BF4 edition, we want to see if the $519 EVGA reference GTX 780 is a good value.

Please refer to our launch article to see the specifications and features of the reference GTX 780.  We are going to focus on its performance and especially on overclocking it beyond its base clocks as we set it against the GTX 780 Ti ($699) as well as versus the R9 290X/OC ($549/$579).

The EVGA GTX 780 Reference edition

There are many varieties of the GTX 780 with their suggested base price starting at $499 which also include some factory overclocked SKUs. Here are comparisons of some EVGA GTX 780 pricing, remembering that we chose the reference version for its ease of use in pairing with another in SLI:

· EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB with ACX cooler – $499.99

· EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB SC Superclocked – $529.99

· EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Reference Edition – $519.99

Currently the EVGA GTX 780 3GB ACX cooler version is $499.99 at Newegg and at Amazon. We need to ask, is the EVGA GTX 780 3GB reference version worth $519 and how does it compare to the more expensive 290X ($549) and to the 780 Ti ($699)?

For this evaluation, you will see us pit the EVGA reference GTX 780 3GB at factory clocks (863/6000MHz) and also further overclocked, against our PowerColor overclocked R9 290X (Uber 1030/1500MHz), and also with stock Uber and with Quiet modes at speeds of up to 1000MHz/1500MHz. We are also going to compare with the reference GTX 770 2GB plus 7 other enthusiast-class cards to give the reader ABT’s “Big Picture”.

For this evaluation, we are benching with 30 modern games and 4 synthetic benchmarks at 1920×1080 and 2560×1600 resolutions.  Since we do not want any chance of our CPU “bottlenecking” our graphics, we are testing all of our graphics cards by using our Ivy Bridge Intel Core i7-3770K at 4.50GHz, 16 GB Kingston “Beast” HyperX DDR3 at 2133MHz, and an EVGA Z77 FTW motherboard. The EVGA Z77 FTW motherboard features 16x + 16x PCIe 3.0 specification for CrossFire/SLI. The Core i7-3770K at 4.5GHz is more than enough to differentiate even high-end video cards at high resolution and at high detail settings.

Before we look at our test bed and run benchmarks, let’s unbox our EVGA GTX 780 3GB reference edition and look at its specifications.

The EVGA GTX 780 3 GB

The EVGA GTX 780 3GB is an interesting card but there is nothing fancy to see from the box. The card arrives in a large EVGA box that advertises the card without its specifications on its outside. It emphasizes 3GB of GDDR5 memory and mentions GPU Boost 2.0 and 3-way SLI. EVGA is proud to remind everyone that they are Nvidia’s number one partner in the USA.The back of the EVGA box goes into more detail about support for 4 concurrent displays with the card’s connectors, and we see the key features of the card as well as EVGA’s premium 3 year warranty are highlighted:Great utilities are included, including EVGA’s PrecisionX overclocking utility which includes an improved GPU voltage tuner.  The video card comes well-protected in anti-static plastic shell. We prefer to reuse, recycle and store static bags although we understand EVGA decision for the dual-purpose packing which keeps the card both safe and static free.Inside the box with the new GTX, we find a driver CD, manual, plastic EVGA decal, DVI to VGA connector and a dual Molex to 6-Pin PCI-E power connector. There is a really nice full-sized poster included which is beyond our ability to photograph and display properly here.The EVGA GTX 780 3GB uses the same PCB as the reference version.  We see Nvidia’s reference GTX 780 pictured above alongside the EVGA 780.  There are far more details on EVGA’s website.

The EVGA GTX 780’s SLI connectors and the ports arrive covered with plastic protectors. EVGA’s GTX 780 3GB is set up for 3-way SLI with one or two other GTX 780s. You can mix cards from different vendors with different clock speeds but you cannot mix cards with different amounts of cores or different framebuffers as you can with AMD’s competing multi-GPU solution, CrossFire.

Here are the connectors: 2 dual-link DVI, 1 HDMI 1.4a and 1 DisplayPort 1.1aLet’s turn it over.Below is the card from another angle which shows SLI connectors as well as the 6-pin plus 8-pin PCIe connectors.

The only visible difference from our reference GTX 780 is EVGA lettered on the PCB above the PCIe slot.

The EVGA GTX 780 3GB is a handsome card using the “industrial design” of the Titan/GTX 690.  The reference cooler is extraordinary for its ability to keep the GK110 GPU cool yet it runs very quiet.  The gamer using a GTX 780 or Titan gets treated to less-perceptible noise than a GTX 680, for example. When you listen to the fan alone – even running over 60 percent, it’s clean and smooth – and this is especially contrasted with the R9 290X, a very noisy card in Uber mode, and to a lesser extent even in Quiet mode.

Specifications & Features

 Here are the GTX 780 3GB’s features as found on EVGA’s site:

Here are Nvidia’s specifications for the reference GTX 780:

The EVGA GTX 780 3GB uses Nvidia’s reference design and it is perfect for SLI in cramped quarters.  Nvidia has a new lighted bridge for Tri-SLI which complements the lighted GeForce logo.  EVGA even includes a utility to synchronize the lights for a customized light show experience.

Why EVGA?

Let’s look at what EVGA offers us over other reference versions with their 3GB GTX 780:

• EVGA PrecisionX – This utility allows overclocking, monitoring and fanspeed adjustments as well as voltage adjustments with the latest version. It is located on the DVD that ships with the card. For more information, please visit http://www.evga.com/precision
• EVGA OC Scanner – EVGA OC Scanner is fully supported by the EVGA GTX 770 SC. This utility allows you to benchmark, monitor and stress test your EVGA card. For more information, please visit www.evga.com/ocscanner
• EVGA Customer Support – EVGA’s acclaimed customer support can be contacted by support ticket, email, and phone. For more information, please visit http://www.evga.com/support/warranty/
• EVGA Community – Active game servers, thriving forums, integrated chat and social networks allow users to ask questions or get help wherever they feel the most comfortable. For more information, please visit www.evga.com/community/
• EVGA Warranty – EVGA offers a variety of warranties to fit their customer’s needs. This card comes with a basic 3 year warranty which may be extended. For more information, please visit www.evga.com/warranty/
• EVGA Advanced RMA Program – EVGA offers this service to help reduce the downtime of a customer’s system by shipping a replacement product first and lets their customer deal with EVGA directly for quick and efficient service. For more information, please visit www.evga.com/ear/

The EVGA GTX 780 3GB is warrantied for at least 3 years and it is transferable.  EVGA has included their PrecisionX overclocking software on the driver DVD or as a download from their site, and you can even raise the voltage. This is a tool that we use with great results which including overclocking our GTX 780 well beyond the reference clocks. With a great warranty and advanced RMA options, EVGA offers great service!  Because of consumer demand EVGA recently made the following changes:

• Most EVGA products now carry a 3 Year Warranty (also upgradable to 5 or 10 years upon registration).
• Product warranty covers the product, not the user.
• Registration is no longer required for RMAs with the EVGA Guest RMA process.
• Step-Up and Extended Warranties will be available for all original owners registered with the new global RMA system within 30 days of the purchase.
• If you move, you can send your product back to your local warranty center no matter what region you purchased it in.
• A new Standard Cross-Shipping RMA service is available.

We can’t wait to test out our new card, but before we begin the testing, head over to our testing configuration.

Test Configuration – Hardware

• Intel Core i7 3770K (overclocked to 4.5GHz); Turbo is on. Supplied by Intel.
• EVGA Z77 FTW motherboard (Intel Z77 chipset, latest beta 03-12-13 BIOS, PCIe 3.0 specification; CrossFire/SLI 16x+16x using Plex chip), supplied by EVGA.
• 16GB Kingston DDR3 Kingston RAM (8x2GB, dual-channel at 2133MHz; supplied by Kingston)
• Noctua NH-DH14 CPU cooler plus 7 case fans, supplied by Noctua.
• GTX 780 Ti 3GB at reference speeds and also overclocked, supplied by Nvidia
• EVGA GTX 780 3GB, reference speeds; on loan from EVGA
• GTX Titan 6GB at reference speeds, supplied by Nvidia
• GTX 690 4GB at reference speeds, supplied by Nvidia
• Nvidia GeForce 770, 2GB, reference clocks, supplied by Nvidia
• VisionTek R9 290X 4GB at VisionTek’s +30MHz overclock speeds in Uber mode (1030MHz)
• VisionTek R9 280X 3GB, reference speeds; supplied by VisionTek
• VisionTek HD 7970 3GB at reference speeds; on loan from VisionTek
• PowerColor HD 7970 3GB at GHz Edition Boost speeds
• Onboard Realtek Audio
• Genius SP-D150 speakers
• Two identical 500 GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 hard drives configured and set up identically from drive image; one partition for Nvidia GeForce drivers and one for ATI Catalyst drivers
• Two Kingston 240GB HyperX SSDs configured and set up identically from drive image; one partition for Nvidia GeForce drivers and one for ATI Catalyst drivers; supplied by Kingston
• Cooler Master Platinum Pro 1000W PSU, supplied by Cooler Master
• Thermaltake Overseer RX-I full tower case, supplied by Thermaltake
• Philips DVD SATA writer
• HP LP3065 2560×1600 thirty inch LCD
• Three 23″ ASUS VG236 3D Vision-ready 120Hz displays, supplied by Nvidia/ASUS.

 

Test Configuration – Software

• WHQL Catalyst 13.11 Beta7 (7970/280X), Beta8, and Beta9.2 (R9 290X); application controlled, Surface optimizations off, High Quality, Vsync off
• Nvidia GeForce WHQL 331.58 for GTX 770/780 ; 331.70 for the other GeForce cards; High Quality; Single-display Performance mode; Prefer Maximum Performance, Vsync off
• Windows 7 64-bit; very latest updates
• Latest DirectX
• All games are patched to their latest versions.
• Vsync is forced off in the control panels.
• Varying AA enabled as noted in games; all in-game settings are specified with 16xAF always applied; 16xAF forced in control panel for Crysis.
• All results show average frame rates
• Highest quality sound (stereo) used in all games.
• Windows 7 64, all DX9 titles were run under DX9 render paths, DX10 titles were run under DX10 render paths and DX11 titles under DX11 render paths.

The Benchmarks

• Synthetic
  • 3DMark 11
  • Heaven 4.0
  • Valley 1.0
  • FireStrike/FireStrike Extreme

 

• DX9
  • Serious Sam 3 BFE
  • Alan Wake: Ameican Nightmare
  • The Witcher 2
  • Borderlands 2
  DX10
  • Crysis
  DX11
  • Alien vs. Predator
  • STALKER, Call of Pripyat
  • Lost Planet 2
  • Civilization V
  • Total War: Shogun II
  • Crysis 2
  • DiRT 3
  • DiRT: ShowDown
  • Batman: Arkham City
  • Battlefield 3
  • Max Payne 3
  • the Secret World
  • Sleeping Dogs
  • Sniper Elite V2
  • Hitman: Absolution
  • Far Cry 3
  • Tomb Raider: 2013
  • Assassin’s Creed 3
  • Crysis 3
  • BioShock: Infinite
  • Metro: Last Light
  • GRID 2
  • Splinter Cell: Blacklist
  • Batman: Arkham Origins

The above is our test bench.  Batman: Arkham Origins is ABT’s latest benchmark and it is replacing the recently shutdown Battleforge as game benchmark number thirty.

Before we get to the EVGA GTX 780 performance charts, let’s look at overclocking, power draw, noise, and temperatures.

Overclocking, Power Draw, Noise and Temperatures

Overclocking the EVGA GTX 780 is just as easy as overclocking the rest of the GTX 700 series using PrecisionX. What is not too surprising is that we were only able to overclock +25MHz past our maximum overclock of the original reference GTX 780 we received from Nvidia a few months ago.  We managed +150MHz on the core and +550MHz on the memory to reach a maximum Boost of 1162, well above Nvidia’s guaranteed Boost of 900MHz.Temperatures rarely reached 85C – even at maximum load. We were able to add an additional +150MHz over the Nvidia/EVGA base clock for the reference GTX 780. On top of that, we were able to add +550MHz to the memory clocks. We were able to go higher on the memory but stopped when we were no longer getting performance increases. Although we set the Power slider and Temperature sliders to maximum, we did not adjust the EVGA GTX 780’s voltage for testing although it allowed us to ad an additional+25MHz over what the stock voltage would allow.

Temperatures were never an issue and the fan profile remained at stock which meant that the EVGA GTX 780 3GB is also extraordinarily quiet at maximum load – the fan profile rarely went to 60% and the temperatures generally remained under 85C under the most stressful conditions and highest load in any game that we tested.  This is in stark contrast to the reference R9 290X which is a louder fan even when its fan is capped to 40% in Quiet mode.

Let’s head to the performance charts to see how the EVGA GTX 780 3GB compares with the reference GTX 770, as well as against the stock (925/1375MHz) and GHz Edition (1050/1500MHz) of AMD’s HD 7970. We are also testing against the R 290X at reference speeds in Quiet mode and in Uber mode, as well as at PowerColor’s factory overclock to 1030MHz in Uber mode.  As an added bonus, we are going to overclock the EVGA GTX 780 3GB as far as it can go without raising the voltage or adjusting the fan profile to see if we can narrow the performance gap with the brand new Nvidia flagship, the GTX 780 Ti, at reference speeds, as well as with the Titan.

Performance summary charts & graphs

Here are the summary charts of 30 modern PC games and 4 synthetic benches. The highest settings are generally chosen and it is DX11 whenever there is a choice; DX10 is picked above DX9, and the settings are generally ultra or maxed unless specified on the chart. Specific settings are listed on the charts. The benches are run at 1920×1080 and 2560×1600.

First up, a note on the testing – Warmed-up versus ‘Cold’ benching and Uber vs. Quiet

All of our cards are tested in a Thermaltake Tower case with superb airflow, and they are thoroughly warmed for at least five minutes before benching.  The PowerColor R9 290X OC at Uber clocks does not throttle any more than the GTX 780 does at cool ambient temperatures – 72-76F.  It runs 1030MHz as its temperatures with a noisy fan at 55% to stay below 94C.  However, in Quiet mode – which is a little louder than the EVGA GTX 780 with stock fan profile – the fan at 40% is unable to cool the GPU and the clocks throttle affecting performance.  Some games are not affected much while others lose frame rates as shown by ten examples below.We will cover this more thoroughly in the upcoming PowerColor 290X OC evaluation, and we will then also go for the maximum overclock with voltages unlocked and fans screaming at 100% to further compare with the overclocked GTX 780 and GTX 780 Ti.  However, the following chart will show the 290X in Uber as well as in warmed-up Quiet mode.  If we are going to compare performance based on noise alone, both the GTX 780 stock and the GTX 780 at max overclock would both compare to the R9 290X in Quiet mode.

Main Overall Summary chart – the Big Picture

Here is the master chart. We call it “the big picture”.  The first column shows the performance results of the R9 290X in warmed-up Quiet mode.  The EVGA GTX 780 results at reference clocks are in column 2 while Uber 290X (1000MHz) is in column 3 followed by the user-overclocked GTX 780 (+150MHz core/+550MHz memory).   The new GTX 780 Ti at stock clocks are followed by the GTX Titan and the GTX 690. The last 4 columns show the HD 7970 at stock (925/1375MHz) and GHz Edition Boost clocks (1050MHz/1500MHz) followed by the stock GTX 770 and finally the stock R9 280X.

The EVGA GTX 780 3GB when overclocked further performs closer to its big brother, the GTX 780 Ti.  At reference speeds, the GTX 780 beats the Quiet mode of the R9 290X in the majority of the benches and it more-or-less matches the stock 290X (1000MHz) in Uber mode. When we overclock the GTX 780, it easily surpasses the PowerColor 290X OC (1030MHz) version.  Let’s head for our conclusion.

Conclusion

Final Thoughts

The GTX 780 is still impressive.   At $499 the EVGA GTX 780 is solidly faster than the $329 GTX 680 and it gives up less than 20% performance to the $699 GTX 780 Ti.  At stock speeds, the reference GTX 780 runs cool and quiet and even overclocked, it is still not as loud as the stock reference R9 290X (1000MHz) in Quiet mode, which it beats.  The reference EVGA GTX 780 3GB card is very close to the R9 290X performance in Uber mode while running much cooler and quieter.  The GTX 780 offers close to 90% of the Titan’s performance for $500 less!

We are totally impressed with the GK110 cool-running Kepler chip that has very good overclockability. It matches the R9 290X and it leaves the GTX 770, R9 280X and the HD 7970 GHz edition in the dust. It is about 25% faster overall than the HD 7970 GHz Edition in the games that we tested.  If you have a GTX 770/680 2GB or even a GTX 690, you simply cannot run Max Payne 3 with maxed-out ultra setting in Surround like you can with the GTX 780 because of its 3GB framebuffer.

The GTX 780 also looks awesome inside just about any case. In addition, the LED GeForce logo is programmable and we did have a little time to check out EVGA’s program which we liked.

We see good overclockability with extreme quietness at stock voltage and fan profile even when the GTX 780 is overclocked. It catches and surpasses the stock Titan rather easily in every single case although  it cannot quite catch the reference GTX 780 Ti. The temperature limit is set too low in our opinion at 80C, but it is easily changed.

 The GTX 780 appeals to the enthusiast who wants a very fast and quiet single-GPU without paying nearly $150 more for the Ti version.  The $519 EVGA 780 card is also bundled with 4 very popular games (and a $100 Shield discount, if you want to buy it together as a package).  In contrast, the R9 290X costs $549 and you will have to pay $579 for a card bundled that is bundled with Battlefield 4.  We have not tested AMD’s newest card, the R9 290 (no X), which is reported to be close to R9 290X performance and costs $400 with no game bundle.  However, it also suffers from the same issues of the 290X – a very hot-running card that is rather noisy when the fan is allowed to exceed 40%.

If you are buying an EVGA GTX 780, make sure you also consider the $499 version with the ACX cooler.  It will run cooler and quieter than the reference version for $20 less, but it does not SLI as well as the reference version.  If you are looking for even more performance, consider the reference version of this same EVGA GTX 780, but Superclocked for just ten dollars more at $529.

Pros

• The GTX 780 is a very powerful mainstream single-GPU video card that slots just behind the GTX 780 Ti and Titan, as it trades blows with the R9 290X while running cooler and quieter.
• TDP and power draw are excellent. Performance per watt is better than its competitor’s cards and it is very quiet in comparison to any video card – quieter than the 290X Quiet mode which throttles its performance.
• Overclockability is good – GPU Boost 2.0 works as advertised.  The reference design cooling is quiet and efficient; the card and well-ventilated case stay cool even when well-overclocked.
• It is possible to use three of these cards for extreme Tri-SLI performance
• 3D Vision 2 and PhysX enhance gaming immersion and both are improved using the GTX 780 compared to the last generation.
• New AA allows for high performance without jaggies in deferred shading lighting engines
• Adaptive VSync reduces stuttering while retaining the advantages of minimizing tearing. G-Sync promises to revolutionize gaming by synching the display to a Kepler GPU.
• The GTX 780 is very impressive as an “Exotic Industrial Design”. It is heavy, solid, and looks great.
• Overclocked, the GTX 780’s performance comes reasonably close to the GTX 780 Ti’s performance and beats the Titan when overclocked. It also comes close to GTX 690 performance, and there are some games that it can play in Surround that the dual-GPU card cannot because of the 780’s larger 3GB framebuffer. It also does not suffer from the issues associated with multi-GPU.
• Great features like the GeForce Experience and ShadowPlay enhance a gamers experience.
• The EVGA GTX 780 is offered with a 3-game Holiday Bundle including Assassin’s Creed IV–Black Flag, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Blacklist and Batman: Arkham Origins.  EVGA also offers Rise of the Triad as an additional bonus and there is also a further $100 discount available on the total package if you also want to pick up Nvidia’s new streaming game console, the Shield, at the same time.

Cons

• The temperature limit is set somewhat low at 80C and will often hold back boost with the stock fan profile
• Voltage adjustments are still pretty narrow and may not please the extreme overclocker.

 

The Verdict:

• If you are buying an ultimate single-GPU flagship video card right now and looking for very high mainstream performance in a single GPU, the EVGA GTX 780 is an excellent choice. We feel it deserves the ABT Editor’s Choice award.

 

We do not know what the future will bring, but the reference EVGA GTX 780 brings an excellent performer to the GeForce family and it clearly establishes itself as one of the top single-GPU video card in the world, just below the GTX 780 Ti and trading blows with the R9 290X. With great features like PhysX and the second generation of 3D Vision, one can be assured of immersive gaming by picking this card for 2560×1600 or even higher resolutions including for Surround and/or for 3D Vision Surround.

If you currently game on an older generation video card, you will do yourself a big favor by upgrading. The move to a GTX 780 will give you better visuals on the DX11 pathway and you are no doubt thinking of Tri-SLI if you want to get the ultimate in gaming performance.

The competition is hot and AMD offers their own set of features including Eyefinity and HD3D.  Next up, the gloves come off as we unlock the voltages, uncap the fan speeds, and crank our clockspeeds to the absolute maximum for our PowerColor R9 290X OC and our GTX 780 Ti.

In the meantime, check out ABT forum where the best tech discussions are to be found anywhere!

Happy Gaming!

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