I personally have a 970 Strix, and the Factory OC and better cooling is much better than Reference. I suggest looking at all of them and checking out some benchmarks/OC test if you're into that before deciding on just going for the MSI brand.

Please do correct me if any of this information is wrong.

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The non-reference brand 970 mainly just have that brand's cooler design & their overclock on it. With the reference design it's all stock speed with the stock cooler, if you plan on overclocking it yourself, the only main difference is the cooler & possibly a back plate.

RyujiTakasu wrote I personally have a 970 Strix, and the Factory OC and better cooling is much better than Reference. I suggest looking at all of them and checking out some benchmarks/OC test if you're into that before deciding on just going for the MSI brand.

Quick question in regards to that, if I remember correctly, the Stix has a back plate on it, right? If so, does it make any difference compared to a non-back plated card?

Mariachi wrote

RyujiTakasu wrote I personally have a 970 Strix, and the Factory OC and better cooling is much better than Reference. I suggest looking at all of them and checking out some benchmarks/OC test if you're into that before deciding on just going for the MSI brand.

Quick question in regards to that, if I remember correctly, the Stix has a back plate on it, right? If so, does it make any difference compared to a non-back plated card?

Yes it does have a backplate,

Mainly the backplate is for looks but depending on the card and it's weight it can help keep the PCB from flexing and sagging.

I.E "GPU Sag"

Mariachi wrote

RyujiTakasu wrote I personally have a 970 Strix, and the Factory OC and better cooling is much better than Reference. I suggest looking at all of them and checking out some benchmarks/OC test if you're into that before deciding on just going for the MSI brand.

Quick question in regards to that, if I remember correctly, the Stix has a back plate on it, right? If so, does it make any difference compared to a non-back plated card?

It helps protect the PCB a little as well as improving aesthetics but it won't really improve your temperatures or anything like that.

RyujiTakasu wrote

Mariachi wrote

RyujiTakasu wrote I personally have a 970 Strix, and the Factory OC and better cooling is much better than Reference. I suggest looking at all of them and checking out some benchmarks/OC test if you're into that before deciding on just going for the MSI brand.

Quick question in regards to that, if I remember correctly, the Stix has a back plate on it, right? If so, does it make any difference compared to a non-back plated card?

Yes it does have a backplate,

Mainly the backplate is for looks but depending on the card and it's weight it can help keep the PCB from flexing and sagging.

I.E "GPU Sag"

Mariachi wrote

Please do correct me if any of this information is wrong.

---

The non-reference brand 970 mainly just have that brand's cooler design & their overclock on it. With the reference design it's all stock speed with the stock cooler, if you plan on overclocking it yourself, the only main difference is the cooler & possible a back plate.

The stock cooler is a blower design, meaning it take air in from the case, and blows it out the back. It's not the "Best" for overclocking but you can still get some decent OC on it.

It is not recommended as after-market has better options and in the case of the 960, some even come with a better PCB, or more VRAM.

It is always a good idea to wait after a new GPU release to see what brand has the best performance without breaking the bank.

STRIX and Twin Frozr V have passive cooling features, up until 60 degrees C, the fans won't be spinning
backplates, help keep any memory chips etc on the back of the PCB a bit cooler than non backplated cards, plus look dank as heck.

As for the OG question, I would take the Twin Frozr because the reference cards do get a bit toasty under loads..

-Deano wrote

Mariachi wrote

RyujiTakasu wrote I personally have a 970 Strix, and the Factory OC and better cooling is much better than Reference. I suggest looking at all of them and checking out some benchmarks/OC test if you're into that before deciding on just going for the MSI brand.

Quick question in regards to that, if I remember correctly, the Stix has a back plate on it, right? If so, does it make any difference compared to a non-back plated card?

It helps protect the PCB a little as well as improving aesthetics but it won't really improve your temperatures or anything like that.

Appreciate the feedback & knowledge!