Nvidia 980/970 Availability Thread

Starrbuck said:
Some fault should go on the shipping company for smashing the box.
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In the US, normal-priority Newegg shipping uses UPS. (So does Amazon non-Prime shipping, by the by.) The difference between the two is the packaging. I can safely say that Amazon Prime shipments are not only faster (in terms of turnaround time), the packing itself stands miles ahead of most. (Our family's two Tivo Premieres were both shipped Amazon Prime, and were coddled and swaddled in their respective "smiley" packages. That's right - separate packages.)
 
night_2004 said:
My Gigabyte GTX 970 arrived today and its already installed on my system. No coil whine.

NewEgg did their damn best to ensure the card would be damaged during shipping. One layer of air packets on top of the card. Nothing on the side. Nothing on the bottom. The box had been smashed on one side, damaged the corner of the retail box, but fortunately Gigabyte surrounds the card with about 2" of foam on all sides.

Gigabyte: 1
NewEgg: 0

I haven't ordered from NewEgg in two years. This is part of the reason why.
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I got my two Gigabyte G1s today too, but mine had 1 extra layer of air packet. 1 layer on top and 1 layer on one side. I can't believe Newegg ships high value items like this.
 
Koizumi said:
I got my two Gigabyte G1s today too, but mine had 1 extra layer of air packet. 1 layer on top and 1 layer on one side. I can't believe Newegg ships high value items like this.
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Had the same situation newegg and thankfully Gigabyte own packaging seemed to do a great job at protecting it.
 
PGHammer said:
In the US, normal-priority Newegg shipping uses UPS. (So does Amazon non-Prime shipping, by the by.) The difference between the two is the packaging. I can safely say that Amazon Prime shipments are not only faster (in terms of turnaround time), the packing itself stands miles ahead of most. (Our family's two Tivo Premieres were both shipped Amazon Prime, and were coddled and swaddled in their respective "smiley" packages. That's right - separate packages.)
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Yes, and UPS is awful. I much prefer FedEx.

I am also an Amazon Prime member and many times I have had poorly packed shipments, especially around the holidays when they have many temporary employees doing the packing.

My point is the box should not have a crushed in area. That's poor shipping, and can damage even the most carefully packed goodies.
 
My 970s were shipped via FedEx overnight from NewEgg. Both cards were packed in the same box with air packets on top and down the side. The cards could not move at all the way they were packed from NewEgg. The ASUS packaging in the box was also substantial, with a lot of foam that cuddled the cards. They were delivered a day late due to the service outage FedEx experienced, but the box was still delievered with no damage beyond the usual crumpled corners from processing.
PGHammer said:
Of the eight GTX970 models that the two MicroCenters in my area WOULD normally carry, only the EVGA GTX970 SC ACX ($409.99) is outside the $40USD range spread the other seven occupy. MSI GTX970 OC is the "cheapskate" at $329.99, the Gigabyte GTX970 Gaming is $369.99, and the others are priced in the following order - ASUS GTX970 STRIX, PNY GTX970 XLR8, Gigabyte GTX970 OC, and EVGA GTX970 SC (non-ACX). (I prefaced it with "normally" due to that between the two stores, they have a grand total of ONE in stock - EVGA GX970 SC ACX at MC Fairfax.)

The ASUS GTX970 STRIX is the oddball in two ways - not only is it the only GTX970 that requires just a single 6+2 power feed, it's also second-cheapest (just $5 above the MSI). Rather amusingly, it's been getting either the best or second-best reviews among ALL the GTX970s reviewed by major review sites doing comparisons, despite the lower price tag AND the seemingly-wimpier power feed.

My only concern is not the length of the STRIX, but its width.

I currently have my Recon3D sound card in the topmost slot (PCI Express x1) - is the STRIX a straight dual-slot GPU (like the GTX2xx and later), despite there not being a reference standard, or is it wider, like some GTX970s have proven to be (enough to block that topmost slot)? If it doesn't block that slot, I'm golden - if it does, I may be in trouble.

(There are two reasons for the Recon3D's placement - lack of IRQ sharing in the case OF that slot, and airflow. The topmost PCI Express x1 slot is shared with a PCI slot, not another PCI Express slot - if you are not using any PCI slots, it is generally the BEST place to put cards that use IRQ lines (like sound cards and Ethernet adapters), in addition to keeping the airflow clean for GPUs (single or multiple).

Other PCI Express slots share IRQs (normally) with other PCI Express slots - problematical in and of itself. They also sit below (or between) one or more PCI Express x16 slots, resulting in compromised airflow; I am trying to (naturally) avoid both issues.)
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The STRIX is a standard dual-slot GPU. It is a little taller due to the heatpipe design. I, too, have a soundcard (Soundblaster Zx) right above the top GPU in my system and the GPU in no way physically impedes the soundcard. I was initially worried that the backplate might add enough thickness to do so (reference 780 without a backplate was a tight fit), but that was not the case.

I would be worried if there was no EMI shield on the soundcard. Since the Zx has one and the Recon3D doesn't, I would just keep an ear out for any anomalies in sound output. But the EMI shield also serves a dual purpose of spreading around the heat coming off the back of the GPU. Either way I'm assuming you have not had such problems previously, so I wouldn't worry about it.
 
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I somehow managed to get a STRIX 970 on Amazon a couple weeks ago. Put together a brand new rig yesterday. The card was DOA. It gets power, but is not recognized by the motherboard. Tried other GPU's on the same new build that worked fine. Tried the card in other working rigs with no results. Now since the card is not available anywhere I think I am going to RMA it today.
 
Ordered 970 Strix today. Prices went back to release date, and it was on same day delivery, so it would be a sin, not to get it :) Seems that aviablity is getting fixed. Not afraid of coil whine, since it was internet purchase, I've 10 days to return it without any problems (EU consumer laws are great)
 
Whach said:
Why did they request a return delivery to TD? That sucks, especially if it was already in your city awaiting delivery - that return request seems suspicious though, as if they decided to fulfill another order or somehow sent you the wrong product.

I'd also try and cancel the order if they don't at least provide expedited shipping for you. I wouldn't wait for them to contact you, I had to prod them using their online chat service and make a direct demand there. I may have just been super lucky that nothing went heinously wrong with my order.
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I never found out why they redirected the package. I waited till this week and I ended up cancelling. It's been 2 days since then and my status is still showing "Drop Shipper". On top of that my credit card still hasn't been refunded but I understand it can take 4-5 days.
 
Vengar613 said:
I somehow managed to get a STRIX 970 on Amazon a couple weeks ago. Put together a brand new rig yesterday. The card was DOA. It gets power, but is not recognized by the motherboard. Tried other GPU's on the same new build that worked fine. Tried the card in other working rigs with no results. Now since the card is not available anywhere I think I am going to RMA it today.
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Update MB BIOS before you send the card back.
 
night_2004 said:
My Gigabyte GTX 970 arrived today and its already installed on my system. No coil whine.

NewEgg did their damn best to ensure the card would be damaged during shipping. One layer of air packets on top of the card. Nothing on the side. Nothing on the bottom. The box had been smashed on one side, damaged the corner of the retail box, but fortunately Gigabyte surrounds the card with about 2" of foam on all sides.

Gigabyte: 1
NewEgg: 0

I haven't ordered from NewEgg in two years. This is part of the reason why.
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Yep pretty much everything I've ordered from Newegg in the last month came shipped this way. Best part was the Enthoo Luxe case I ordered was shipped as is, they didn't even bother double boxing it or add any extra padding. It's a miracle nothing got caved in or the side panel got scratched.

On the other hand, I ordered 2 Gigabyte 970s from Directron and opted for the double box option for $6 extra. Man did they go the extra mile. Both retail boxes were put in a box that was stuffed full of foam peanuts, to the point they were unable to move. Then that foam peanut box was put inside a bigger box what was filled with packing paper to make sure it couldn't move either. Retail boxes arrived without a single dent, scratch or crease. Now that's proper packing. Shipped via USPS btw.
 
n=1 said:
Yep pretty much everything I've ordered from Newegg in the last month came shipped this way. Best part was the Enthoo Luxe case I ordered was shipped as is, they didn't even bother double boxing it or add any extra padding. It's a miracle nothing got caved in or the side panel got scratched.

On the other hand, I ordered 2 Gigabyte 970s from Directron and opted for the double box option for $6 extra. Man did they go the extra mile. Both cards were put in a box that was stuffed full of foam peanuts, to the point the cards were unable to move. Then that box was put inside another bigger box what was filled with packing paper to make sure it couldn't move either. Retail box arrived with so much as a dent or scratch.
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But you had to pay extra just to get the package Drirectron is responsible for getting to you in one piece.
 
The extra was for the double box. The original shipping box itself was jam packed with foam peanuts, something I haven't seen in a long while.
 
n=1 said:
Yep pretty much everything I've ordered from Newegg in the last month came shipped this way. Best part was the Enthoo Luxe case I ordered was shipped as is, they didn't even bother double boxing it or add any extra padding. It's a miracle nothing got caved in or the side panel got scratched.

On the other hand, I ordered 2 Gigabyte 970s from Directron and opted for the double box option for $6 extra. Man did they go the extra mile. Both retail boxes were put in a box that was stuffed full of foam peanuts, to the point they were unable to move. Then that foam peanut box was put inside a bigger box what was filled with packing paper to make sure it couldn't move either. Retail boxes arrived without a single dent, scratch or crease. Now that's proper packing. Shipped via USPS btw.
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I've purchased a ton of things from Amazon packed like crap, little or no air packets or a couple of paper sheets. No damage. That's what retail boxes are for.

As for new egg, I ordered complete parts for a new comp, and a new Corsair 250D just last week.
Packing was more than adequate. The case arrived in the original Corsair box, nothing extra, still more than adequate....hell they get here from China, a few hundred more miles is a piece of cake.

I just got 2 Zotac GTX 980s from newegg and they were adequately packed as well. I would probably do it better, but it was adequate, no damage.:D
 
magoo said:
Update MB BIOS before you send the card back.
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Thanks! I almost had neglected to do that, but I successfully updated the BIOS on the Gryphon with no luck. I also tested a 7870 in the same rig which seemed to work just fine. Between two working machines it was not being recognized.
 
I would be posting to say STRIX 980's were in stock at Newegg but I just checked after my order was confirmed and it said Out of Stock again. Every man for himself on those puppies it seems.
 
My order from yesterday is actually shipping.

Now to update this years old Q6600 system lol. I'm upgrading the GTS 250 in there now to have fun with current games, then I'll build a new system..
 
Armenius said:
My 970s were shipped via FedEx overnight from NewEgg. Both cards were packed in the same box with air packets on top and down the side. The cards could not move at all the way they were packed from NewEgg. The ASUS packaging in the box was also substantial, with a lot of foam that cuddled the cards. They were delivered a day late due to the service outage FedEx experienced, but the box was still delievered with no damage beyond the usual crumpled corners from processing.
The STRIX is a standard dual-slot GPU. It is a little taller due to the heatpipe design. I, too, have a soundcard (Soundblaster Zx) right above the top GPU in my system and the GPU in no way physically impedes the soundcard. I was initially worried that the backplate might add enough thickness to do so (reference 780 without a backplate was a tight fit), but that was not the case.

I would be worried if there was no EMI shield on the soundcard. Since the Zx has one and the Recon3D doesn't, I would just keep an ear out for any anomalies in sound output. But the EMI shield also serves a dual purpose of spreading around the heat coming off the back of the GPU. Either way I'm assuming you have not had such problems previously, so I wouldn't worry about it.
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The Fatality Profesional version of the Recon3D (that is the version I have) includes the EMI shield - the base Recon3D - like the base of the PCI X-Fi series it replaced (XtremeGamer low-profile in my case) does not. (I didn't have the snap/crackle EMI issue that other had with the XtremeGamer/XtremeMusic - instead, I got bit by the 4GB address flaw; that is what put my XtremeGamer on the shelf.)

That the STRIX is the standard width takes care of my only worry - I can therefore upgrade sans issues.
 
Well if you're thinking of buying Gigabyte, don't. They won't own up to their shitty QC with the whiny cards. I just saw this on my RMA:

"No trouble found after tests with multiple configurations"

Riiiiiiiiight, because obvious coil whine is "no trouble" in their eyes. I guess I can expect them to send me back my old cards. Well this'll be the first and last time I buy Gigabyte.
 
n=1 said:
Well if you're thinking of buying Gigabyte, don't. They won't own up to their shitty QC with the whiny cards. I just saw this on my RMA:

"No trouble found after tests with multiple configurations"

Riiiiiiiiight, because obvious coil whine is "no trouble" in their eyes. I guess I can expect them to send me back my old cards. Well this'll be the first and last time I buy Gigabyte.
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Wow that sucks ass. Glad newegg is refunding my Gigabytes because of the coil whine. It was just too much for me to listen to anymore.
 
I picked up an EVGA Superclocked GTX 980 AC2 from NewEgg last week. I was lucky as hell, it was actually in stock for like a minute.

Looking forward to owning an Nvidia card. Have owned AMD for seven years. Couldnt take it anymore.
 
n=1 said:
Well if you're thinking of buying Gigabyte, don't. They won't own up to their shitty QC with the whiny cards. I just saw this on my RMA:

"No trouble found after tests with multiple configurations"

Riiiiiiiiight, because obvious coil whine is "no trouble" in their eyes. I guess I can expect them to send me back my old cards. Well this'll be the first and last time I buy Gigabyte.
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Could it perhaps be something else in your system with the coil whine (power supply)?

I had two great MSI Gaming 4G cards but I returned them due to no backplate and the shoddy feel of the plastic cooler. If my Gigabyte G1 Gaming cards whine, I'll just return them to Newegg again and try something else.
 
Newegg just let me order the ASUS 980 STRIX. No idea if I'll get it but my order went through.
 
Just got my GTX 970 Asus Strix that I ordered from Newegg on Wednesday. The card is much larger and much better built than I was expecting!

Not going to check for coil whine or anything yet, leaving the house for the night so I don't want to mess with it and get frustrated before leaving :D
 
Starrbuck said:
Could it perhaps be something else in your system with the coil whine (power supply)?

I had two great MSI Gaming 4G cards but I returned them due to no backplate and the shoddy feel of the plastic cooler. If my Gigabyte G1 Gaming cards whine, I'll just return them to Newegg again and try something else.
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I'm 100% sure it's not the PSU, because on the rare occasions it does whine it's not as loud, and it sounds very different from the Gigabyte 970s.
 
ocellaris said:
Just got my GTX 970 Asus Strix that I ordered from Newegg on Wednesday. The card is much larger and much better built than I was expecting!

Not going to check for coil whine or anything yet, leaving the house for the night so I don't want to mess with it and get frustrated before leaving :D
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Yeah that was my feeling about the Strix 970... Larger then expected but wow, the build quality is top notch. I got mine on a Friday and I had to wait until next to day to install them too.. I got up all early Sat morning. :)
 
My ASUS 970 is in, just barely squeezed into my Antec 1200, but I could have removed a HD fan cage bracket if I really wanted. Unless I'm deaf, I don't hear any coil whine. I have a Corsair AX760i.

No more fan howl from my old GTS 250. Sounded like a mini shop vac.
 
ryang said:
My ASUS 970 is in, just barely squeezed into my Antec 1200, but I could have removed a HD fan cage bracket if I really wanted. Unless I'm deaf, I don't hear any coil whine. I have a Corsair AX760i.

No more fan howl from my old GTS 250. Sounded like a mini shop vac.
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I WANT to be happy for you but it's so GD frustrating that asus can restock this card. My build is on hold until then.
 
fdiaz78 said:
I WANT to be happy for you but it's so GD frustrating that asus can restock this card. My build is on hold until then.
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The alert from nowinstock.net worked as opposed to Newegg's, that's how I jumped on it.
 
My MSI 980 reference just arrived from Directron. Got it for 549.99-10% so it was a real steal. Took a week because it got lost in shipping but the guys over at Directron were great about it. They helped to file the lost items claim and handled everything on their end. Now I just need to wait to head down to Microcenter to pick up the rest of my parts and I'll be ready to fire it up.
 
I did not trust Directron enough to try them. I had already placed an order through Amazon at the time and my card was charged even though Amazon had not shipped yet. I told them about the deal at Directron but they said they could not price match it but credited me the 10 bucks in shipping and gave me a free year of Prime. Better than nothing but their instant video collection is garbage.
 
ryang said:
The alert from nowinstock.net worked as opposed to Newegg's, that's how I jumped on it.
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Same here. Signed up for the text alert, got the text, ordered the card and Newegg had it boxed up and on its way to me in a couple hours. Newegg has a pretty slick mobile site so you can checkout right on the phone no problem.

I think the majority of the cards selling our in minutes are the result of people using nowinstock.net and the text alerts. People just checking websites and waiting for Newegg alerts can't compete with people getting a text and ordering their GPUs a few seconds later.
 
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misterbobby said:
I did not trust Directron enough to try them. I had already placed an order through Amazon at the time and my card was charged even though Amazon had not shipped yet. I told them about the deal at Directron but they said they could not price match it but credited me the 10 bucks in shipping and gave me a free year of Prime. Better than nothing but their instant video collection is garbage.
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I was a bit iffy about it too and they did delay my original order because my shipping and billing address was different. CS said they wouldn't have called me to iron it out and would've just cancelled if I hadn't called. Overall, still pretty good.
 
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