But buying a graphics card isn’t easy. You have to explore the three brands of NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel and carefully examine each company’s products. It can also be difficult to distinguish between models like the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 and RTX 4070 Ti. There can be various variations, such as reference versions and factory overclocked versions, as lower-end models.
The amount of information you can find is overwhelming. Should you spend money on a special edition? Is it worth the money? Should you stress yourself out and think about it? Or should you just ignore all the complaints and make a decision?
If you ask me, I’ll assure you that you don’t need to shell out extra cash for a factory-overclocked GPU. But to understand why, you first have to understand why there are so many different GPU versions in the first place.
What is a reference GPU?
All graphics cards start with a base version that serves as a baseline. The industry calls this base version the reference. (NVIDIA’s reference cards are called the Founders Edition, but the meaning is the same.)
The big three GPU manufacturers, Nvidia, AMD, and Intel, release their own reference cards, which are released with a standard design and hardware specifications. All of this becomes the baseline for a particular graphics card, and the manufacturers set their recommended retail prices for each card accordingly (which they tend to do as low as possible).
Reference cards are distinct from third-party graphics cards, which we’ll look at in the next section. For now, just know that the reference version of any graphics card tends to be the cheapest of its variants (e.g. the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super Founders Edition has a suggested retail price of $599, while third-party versions are typically more expensive).
It wasn’t always like that. Just a few years ago, Nvidia’s Founders Edition cards were more expensive than third-party versions, while third-party vendors sold GPUs for less. But recently, Nvidia has been selling Founders Editions at MSRP and pressuring partners to offer more value in their variants.
Reference graphics cards are basic, but often come in luxurious packaging and premium build quality. They are usually sold directly by the manufacturer or through exclusive contracts with retailers. (In the US, Nvidia sells Founders Edition at Best Buy, but you won’t find them on sites like Amazon or Newegg. AMD or Intel reference cards are easier to find, but in lower quantities.)
Since manufacturers control the production pipeline for GPUs, they tend to have the best PCBs and hardware components, and can sell them for less than third-party partners.
That’s why reference GPUs have been preferred in recent years, not only for design but also for performance. (In the past, Founders Edition GPUs were noisy and inefficient, but recently, their performance has improved to the point where other versions are no longer needed. Same goes for AMD.)
What is an AIB Partner GPU?
The term AIB (Add In Board) has been used interchangeably with other meanings, causing confusion in the graphics card community. Here’s a brief explanation:
- An add-in board (AIB) is any card that can be inserted into an expansion slot on a PC to expand its functionality. By this definition, all graphics cards are strictly AIBs, but many other non-graphics cards are also AIBs.
- GPU manufacturers (e.g. NVIDIA, AMD, Intel) work with third-party manufacturers (e.g. Gigabyte, MSI, PowerColor) who build their own riffs on reference graphics cards. These third-party manufacturers are generally referred to as AIB partners or board partners.
- In the graphics card community, AIB cards are generally synonymous with custom cards or non-reference cards, i.e. versions of graphics cards made by AIB partners.
AIB partners purchase GPU chips from Nvidia, AMD, or Intel and use those chips to design their own graphics cards while adhering to the original manufacturer’s specifications.
The graphics card business has historically been a very unprofitable business. That’s why there are so many high-end versions. The goal is to sell more expensive cards to users and increase profit per unit.
When buying a graphics card, you will usually want to look at the AIB partner version first. AIB partners are those who sell their graphics cards widely, making them available at many retailers, and also providing product warranty and RMA support.
Most AIB partners sell a simple version of the GPU at their base recommended retail price, which meets the minimum specifications required by the vendor and offers similar performance, but isn’t as pretty as its more expensive counterparts.
AIB partners also develop more expensive versions of the same GPU. For example, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 has a MSRP of $1,599, but Asus sells the ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 for $1,999, and the cheaper TUF version even goes down to $1,599 (MSRP of $1,599).
What is a Factory Overclocked GPU?
The high quality and powerful performance of reference graphics cards has put AIB partners under tight management. They have to upsell various products because they can make little profit at the basic recommended retail price, and to do that, they have to find ways to induce buyers to pay more cash.
One way is to factory overclock your GPU.
Factory overclocked GPUs are graphics cards that have higher clock speeds than the reference card. This means that they are pre-overclocked and have been tested by AIB partners for stability and performance. Therefore, users do not need to overclock their GPUs themselves, and the cards are often modified to support higher clock speeds.
Why It’s Not Worth Paying Extra for a Factory Overclocked GPU
There are two main reasons why factory overclocking isn’t worth the extra price that AIBs want:
First, the performance gains from factory-overclocked GPUs are minimal.
If you buy a factory-overclocked GeForce RTX 4090 for $1,999, you’re likely only going to get a single-digit performance boost over a $1,599 reference card or a non-factory-overclocked version from an AIB partner.
That said, the markup for a factory overclock doesn’t really offer that much performance, and many AIB partner GPUs that aren’t factory overclocked are still good enough to at least meet the base spec.
Take the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX ($999) reference model for example. It features dual 8-pin PCI Express power connectors, a 355-watt TDP, a game frequency of 2,300MHz, and a boost frequency of up to 2,500MHz. Compare that to the PowerColor Red Devil AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX ($1,899), which swaps the power connectors for triple 8-pin PCI Express and increases the game frequency to 2,395MHz and the boost frequency to 2,565MHz.
It’s essentially the same GPU, but with some small changes to squeeze out some extra performance, and the frames per second should be improved in most games by a barely noticeable difference to the naked eye.
Second, factory overclocked GPUs often come with large coolers.
Factory overclocked GPUs offer small performance gains, but they come at the cost of increased heat and noise. When pushing the GPU’s power limit, AIB partners will try to compensate for this by using more powerful coolers.
The problem is that many of the large, complex coolers you see on factory-overclocked GPUs are overkill and unnecessary for thermal management. (In fact, if your PC case has adequate airflow, a base MSRP GPU won’t overheat even when overclocked.)
Ultimately, you’ll likely end up with a massive graphics card that won’t fit into your average PC case. Many owners of larger GPUs like the GeForce RTX 4090 have had to upgrade their PC cases because they can’t close the glass side panel. That can be a real headache.
On the other hand, Founders Edition or reference GPUs are often the smallest in their class. They fit into smaller PC cases and offer quiet cooling that can handle modern games without sacrificing performance. (Of course, some reference cards are still heavy; the GeForce RTX 4090 Founders Edition is smaller than its AIB counterparts, but it’s still quite large.)
GPU size is a key issue for many PC builders, so much so that NVIDIA has taken steps to introduce GeForce SFF guidelines for GPUs that fit into smaller PC cases.
When should you buy a factory overclocked GPU?
When it comes to factory overclocked GPUs, performance is only one aspect. Aesthetics are also a factor.
Some gamers are attracted to the small external details that make a difference. Other gamers value brand loyalty and stick to one brand regardless of price. And some gamers care more about the sum of their PC components than anything else.
For example, if you’ve got an ASUS ROG branded gaming setup, you might be willing to pay a premium for an ASUS ROG factory-overclocked GPU. That’s as valid a reason as any to get the performance you want. Pay for what you get.
The simple design of the reference and founders edition GPUs can be overwhelming. It may not feel like a gaming GPU, and in this case, it is better to buy a modified GPU that has other elements to surprise users. Many factory overclocked GPUs rely on the ‘wow factor’ to attract users.
Higher-end GPUs tend to have cooler fan designs and RGB lighting that evokes the feel of a professional gamer. Some GPUs even differentiate themselves with niche features that are only for enthusiasts, like dual BIOS or power capping.
Hardcore overclockers tend to favor higher-priced models because they are focused on tweaking performance and achieving higher benchmark scores. For example, GPUs like the older EVGA GeForce RTX 3090 Kingpin offer enthusiasts more than the factory overclock, but most gamers and users don’t need these features. Users who are less experienced with overclocking may run into issues.
There may be no choice
Given the complexity of the GPU market, sometimes a factory overclocked GPU may be your only option.
The shortages are gone, but it will be harder to see AIB partners’ base MSRP GPUs on store shelves going forward. (Remember, AIB partners want to sell more factory-overclocked GPUs to make higher margins.) What happens when reference and Founders Edition GPUs sell out quickly and remain unavailable for months? You might only be left with the more expensive AIB partner cards.
On the other hand, sometimes you can find factory overclocked GPUs that are basically the same price as the reference edition, and even then the choice is not easy. For example, when we reviewed the AMD Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 7900 XT, we found that it has better audio and supported ports than the reference edition, but at almost the same price.
Of course, the more expensive versions will have dual BIOS and RGB lighting, but for the vast majority of users looking to save money for similar performance, this won’t be an issue.
There are also limited edition GPUs or special themed products that are only available in factory overclocked versions. If you want a limited edition, there is no other option (but if you do buy one, you are probably a diehard fanatic enough to want the extra benefits).
Unless you have a very specific reason to do so, don’t spend extra money on a factory overclocked GPU.
There is very little difference in performance between a reference GPU and a factory overclocked GPU, so it is generally recommended that the savvy consumer buy the reference edition, as most modern reference graphics cards offer excellent performance for the price.
However, availability can be an issue. If all reference cards are sold out, you may have no choice but to buy a factory-overclocked GPU. If you want a factory-overclocked GPU for reasons other than performance, all of these reasons are valid.
Ultimately, only you can know if the GPU you are buying is worth the price. In the case of factory overclocked GPUs, you can pay a reasonable price if you know exactly what benefits and value you are getting.
But if you’re only interested in performance, your best option is to not shell out extra money for a typical factory-overclocked GPU.
editor@itworld.co.kr
Source: www.itworld.co.kr
