[section_title title=”Conclusion”]Conclusion
Having had the chance to play around with both of ZOTAC’s top end AMP! Edition graphics cards for a while, they have been tested, been overclocked but does it really justify the rather large asking price from the 780 to the 780 model? What is my overall impression of the 780 and 780Ti on the whole and more specifically, the ZOTAC stamp to the design, does it work as intended? Let’s get cracking…
Starting with the big factor when looking for a new graphics (the performance), I was more than satisfied with the 780Ti AMP! Edition. Not only, in my opinion, is the 780Ti the best single graphics card currently available, but in our results it is very clear indeed. Now I would really hate for someone to confuse what I’m saying with the difference between the “best” and what I actually believe to be the “best option” is. When I say best, it is clearly the most powerful single GPU out there and especially in regards to the ones that we have tested previously. It dominates synthetic benchmarks without breaking a sweat and even in Tomb Raider, thanks to NVIDIAs drivers the huge gap that was previous between AMD and NVIDIA cards with that particular game has been more than closed, the 780Ti demolishes the other cards that has been up for test.
The 780 AMP! Edition also performed superbly and wasn’t that far behind the 780Ti in all of the benchmarks I ran. This also begins a debate really in terms of performance VS price. It is fair to say that although the 780Ti is the better card of the 2, the 780 represents better value for money so it really comes down to what’s important to you; owning the best of the best or settling for a close 2nd.
The cooling and noise performance also was a particular highlight although I was slightly disappointed at the copious amounts of coil whine under full load; this applies to both cards. The cards also have some of the lowest delta load temperatures we have ever noted down which is a true testament to the triple silencer cooler employed on both AMP! cards.
If I were to sum the design and overall aesthetics of the ZOTAC AMP! Edition variant of the 780Ti, I would have to say that although it is a nice looking card, it just lacks that premium look that I would demand of a product of such expense. The main thing I like about the look of the reference GTX 780Ti cards is that Titan cooler employed matches how I feel a product that costs so much should look; aluminium shroud, classic look and in my opinion it looks the business. That however doesn’t take anything away in terms of design as ZOTAC have clearly put a lot of thought and effort into perfecting their AMP! Edition cooler and it shows why it is a force to be reckoned with in our results.
Now this is the part where it seems I am being negative and largely I am but you have to see it from my point of view. The price is a whopping £574 which is a vast amount of money to spend on a single GPU. This GPU is more than capable of playing the latest games but do you really need to spend just shy of £600 to achieve this? The GTX 780 represents good value for money when compared with the 780Ti but one thing to consider here which pretty much seems like I’m arguing with myself about this card is that you are paying for the premium of owning the single most powerful GPU on the market currently which when you take that into consideration, people who want the best are willing to spend the money.
With that being said, if I was going to spend £575 on a graphics card, then I really do think the ZOTAC offering would be currently top of that list. Why you may ask? It’s simple really. It has a well-designed with an effective cooler, it’s very powerful, overclocks like a beast and although I have seen better looking cards out there, the 5 year warranty bestows me with confidence that ZOTAC show real commitment to their products. If however you are looking for a good alternative which isn’t far off in terms of performance and costs a fair chunk less, then the GTX 780 AMP! Edition comes in at around £400 (a crazy £175 cheaper than the 780Ti). If you don’t care about owning the best then the 780 is the obvious choice in my opinion.
Overall the ZOTAC GTX 780Ti AMP! Edition graphics card is the better of the two and shows why which further enhances the claims to NVIDIAs performance crown, can AMD further match the performance of the 780Ti? Not if ZOTAC have anything to do with it they won’t!
Thanks to ZOTAC for both samples and I look forward to seeing more in the near future.
ZOTAC GTX 780 AMP! Edition
ZOTAC GTX 780Ti AMP! Edition
