GIGABYTE GV-N780OC-3GD Pro Reviews

The Gigabyte GTX 780 windforce OC is a super capable card with TITAN level performance to destroy any game you can throw at it!

The Nvidia GeForce GTX 780 brought the revered GTX Titan architecture down to a *ahem* more affordable sub-£600 price point by disabling a few processor cores and chopping the massive 6GB frame buffer in half. The butchery isn't inspiring - remember, these cards are still based on last year's Kepler architecture - but the end products have the desired result: Nvidia has the best-performing single-GPU solutions available at the £520 and £800 price points in the form of the GTX 780 and GTX Titan. Blurring the lines between the two, factory overclocked GTX 780s are out to offer Titan-like performance at a lower price. Gigabyte's WindForce 3X takes an already-impressive GTX 780 foundation and ramps up frequencies to offer even greater performance. However, as fast as the card is, it isn't an out-and-out victory. Those willing to spend extra on a souped-up GTX 780 will typically be seeking the very best solution that's on offer, and while Gigabyte's WindForce 3X is good, there's no escaping the fact that EVGA's SuperClocked ACX is that little bit more refined.

In a market that’s quickly becoming saturated by board partners vying for a segment shrinking in popularity, everyone has to bring their A-game to the table. That’s exactly what Gigabyte has done with the GTX 780 WindForce OC. It is an excellent all-round graphics card that offers TITAN-like performance and quiet operation without requiring a significant premium over the reference version. To us, that’s a winning combination that renders NVIDIA’s flagship nearly redundant at certain resolutions.

Not long ago, people were shocked by GTX Titan's massive $1000 pricing, and the GTX 780 isn't cheap either. NVIDIA's MSRP is $649, and Gigabyte says they expect their GTX 780 Windforce OC to retail at a similar price that may be slightly more or less. While I can't blame Gigabyte, the price is definitely too high when looking at the delivered performance. The card should, even when looking at the performance of Gigabyte's overclocked card, be around $550. So it's overpriced, we kinda all knew that, but will NVIDIA get away with it? Absolutely. Many people bought the GTX Titan after the outcry on GTX Titan pricing, but they are extremely happy with the card. Countless forum reports are testament to that. These same people will now be sad as many fought with their wives/GFs/moms to buy a GTX Titan, because the GTX 780 offers pretty much the same performance at a lower price. If you can't afford the GTX 780, don't worry about it. The GTX 770 will be launching soon, and GeForce GTX 600 cards are still strong. It's not like the GTX 700 introduces features that you absolutely must have to be able to play the latest games. Most gamers will even have a great time with a $200 GTX 660 that can play all titles just fine at full HD. But you now have options that cost less than 1000 USD if you want more.