The year 2013 has passed and the beginnings of 2014 are upon us, however, those of us still looking to get hardware still have to make the hard and fast decisions. For those looking to get a better NVIDIA Graphic cards, we’ve narrowed it down to 3 of the best packages from Amazon we’ve seen so far. Availability may still be an issue (as it always is for NVIDIA) but since it is Amazon we’re sure you should be able to get what you ordered within the estimated time frame. (FYI, we haven’t listed any graphic cards for consumer or entry-level or even HTPC owners mainly because you can get a much better deal with today’s integrated graphics. Read up some of our previous graphic card articles for more information).
Hardcore Gamers: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 680 OC 2 GB GDDR5
While the card goes for the standard 2GB of GDDR5 memory, it has already been pre-overclocked while having practically the same price $469.99, as non-overclocked versions. This is very good for gamers as the GTX 680 is rather infamous for not being able to handle overclocking all that well, making this graphic card perfect for those hardcore gamers who want a bit more extra boost but don’t want to go through the rather messy process of overclocking their graphic card. Gigabyte is a very well-known brand with a good reputation in terms of build quality (they’re the ones who tend to insert extra slabs of copper in their boards for better durability) and should offer good support. As a plus, the card also comes with custom Windforce triple fan coolers while maintaining the double slot form factor and the same PSU power cable requirements.
ONE-LINER: Lowered Price, Pre-overclocked GTX 680 with custom coolers at standard size. Buy it now.
Performance Sweet Spot: GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 660 Ti WINDFORCE 2X OC Edition 2048MB GDDR5
Testers and reviewers have shown that an overclocked GTX 660 Ti can easily make up the difference in performance with a more expensive GTX 670 so this card is perfect for those users looking for such a card. It is already pre-overclocked and Gigabyte’s Ultra Durable build quality with custom Windforce cooling fans should ensure that it keeps working as long as the non-overclocked GTX 670. Considering that the price is within the $300 range it also means very good savings compared to the GTX 670 which starts from $420 or so, money which could be spent on additional performance-boosting components like an SSD (solid state drive). Performance-wise, it should be more than enough for those of you wanting a graphic card to game on maximum settings at 1920 x 1080 pixel resolutions. These factors combine to show why this card and others that fall in the same price range (and have similar features) hits the performance sweet spot for those looking for a bit more performance within a more affordable budget range.
ONE-LINER: A great $300-range pre-overclocked GTX 660 Ti with custom cooler explains why this card is in the performance sweet spot for excellent performance to price ratio! Buy it now.
Value Sweet Spot: MSI NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti Power Edition 1GB GDDR5 OC
While the GTX 650 Ti is literally a cut-down version of the GTX 660 GPU, on this card it is a blessing as it provides more than enough performance on medium to maximum settings while providing a pre-overclocked graphic card with a custom cooling fan. There are a lot of cool things here but we’ll start with the custom cooler fan as it does a reverse spin everytime it starts up to shake off the dust (which just seems to collect in other normal cooler fans), it is quieter and it actually cools better by about 30% compared to other cooler fans. In addition the card drops the TDP down to a super saving 110W TDP. Performance is on par with a more expensive card due to the pre-overclocking and it can easily support dual-monitor displays. While it does take about one and a half slot space to install (cause of the bigger, uncovered custom cooler), it hits the value sweet spot for those looking to get more bang for their buck.
ONE-LINER: Affordable $150-range pre-overclocked GTX 650 Ti with awesome custom cooler hits the value sweet spot for price to performance ratio! Buy it now.