If you aren't overclocking and not concerned about noise, no need to buy one of these cards. A reference design will do you just fine. Personally I think it's crazy to not overclock but there we go... Also crazy to want your fans to spin when not needed!
Good luck getting one. The card was released on EVGA's site and sold out almost instantly. Looks like they're releasing it in small batches.
I think that was the acx 1.0 on the early batches of 970's (where they were using old 780ti coolers). The 970 ACX 2.0 has all 3 pipes hitting the GPU. Each manufacturer's 970 cooler performs nearly identical, within a degree or two (forget which site had that 970 comparison).
I'm not sure either. I've yet to find a game it doesn't just rape @1080p. I suspect it'll be a year or two before I ever do and by then, I'll grab another (by then, I suspect, sli 970's for less than a single 980 today, altogether) ...or get the next GPU series. The 980 seems more for 1440p+ gaming.
still, there's only a few frames between them, you would struggle to notice the difference without staring at OSDs and performance charts.
I bought the Gigabyte version because the brand is just solid. Mobo's, at least 3 diff gpu's, never any issues. Very good support and utilities as well. I intend on a mild oc, and to be able to enjoy max settings on games for the next year - 18 months.
My MSI 980 has been a champ so far, very stable. It does not have a backplace but there is a metal brace on the side of the card to prevent sagging. Unless your monitor is 120 Hz or more I would get a 970 instead.