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If I am looking for a video card and I have already selected a specific chipset (for example, the NVIDIA GTX 770), is there really a large degree of difference between the companies who construct the physical cards?

I was thinking about brand x but brand y looks just good. Is it really all just marketing?

Hennes
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AtomicPorkchop
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    I voted to close this because it is primarily opinion based. Most of any answer you will find will have nothing to do with the card itself, but rather product warranty, brand loyalty and so forth. – kobaltz May 29 '14 at 15:59
  • While I won't comment on the manufacturers themselves, even after picking the chipset, there can be variables such as memory and ports that could affect which card you get . . . – ernie May 29 '14 at 16:07
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    @kobaltz I disagree. There are differences and they can be quantified. To me, thats not opinion based. – Keltari May 29 '14 at 16:17
  • your best option is to read reviews on the card and hope for the best. Quality control can only do so much. – Outdated Computer Tech May 29 '14 at 18:31
  • To avoid disappointment, don't forget that you need a PSU which can supply sufficient power too. A [normally-clocked GTX 770](http://www.geforce.co.uk/hardware/desktop-gpus/geforce-gtx-770/specifications) can draw up to 230W. – Andrew Morton May 29 '14 at 19:22

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There are measurable differences between a 770 from brand A and brand B, however with so many brands and possible differences, the answer is very broad. Amount of memory, outputs, clock speeds, memory speeds, heating/cooling, noise, etc, all play a factor.

Your best bet is to find a website that reviews both the cards you are looking at. These websites will post their metrics on the cards and rank them by performance.

Keltari
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  • OK so there is truly more to it that just connecting to chip to a board? I really have to stop listening to computer store sales pitches. I was not sure if other than overclocking the cards really had much difference. Thanks. – AtomicPorkchop May 29 '14 at 16:21
  • @Solignis absolutely. its no different than a PC. The same processor/chipset can go into a million different PCs, each resulting in different performances – Keltari May 29 '14 at 16:24
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    Note that this answer is slightly divergent from the question that was asked, but may be answering what was desired. The original question was do the brands differ, but it sounds like the real question was do different video cards with the same chipset differ? – ernie May 29 '14 at 16:44
  • Don't forget about assembly quality. A chipset badly soldered on to a board isn't' going to work as well as one that is. But assembly quality is hard/impossible to measure (from just the cards). – Ƭᴇcʜιᴇ007 May 29 '14 at 18:16
  • @ernie technically that would be more accurate. – AtomicPorkchop May 29 '14 at 18:27
  • @Solignis you have to take retail computer salesmen - or any type of salesman - with a grain of salt. Their job is to make you spend money, not necessarily give you the information to make an informed decision. Thats also assuming they actually have knowledge of what they are selling. – Keltari May 29 '14 at 18:52